SIC fines Avantel for providing insufficient information on restrictions within 4G data plans

The Superintendence of Industry and Commerce (SIC), as National Authority for Consumer Protection, sanctioned the operator AVANTEL, with a fine of approximately 68’000 USD, after finding that the advertising issued within the campaign called "UNLIMITED DATA IN 4G" lacked relevant information regarding the previous requirements to enjoy this benefit offered, like the provider availability of coverage of the 4G network. 

It should be remarked that this relevant information, which must be included in the advertising pieces, in order that the users would be able to make a decision that allows them to obtain a high performance of the services purchased, was not included in the advertising pieces, breaking the law and sectorial regulation. 

From the analysis of different complaints sent to the SIC and the monitoring of multiple advertising pieces inside the "UNLIMITED DATA IN 4G" campaign, it was possible to establish that the success of the offered package depends on to coverage accessibility of the 4G network that the provider had. Also in the different advertising pieces, AVANTEL did not incorporate clear, truthful, sufficient, verifiable, true, complete, timely and free information, in order that users can make decisions knowing the offered conditions of the service, specifically, with respect to the areas of the national territory where the operator had coverage in the 4G network.