Arbitrator backs T-Mobile US in Boost Mobile 5G advert spat

An independent advertising arbitrator sided with T-Mobile US to counter a Boost Mobile advertising claim its 5G network was available across 99 per cent of the US.Independent non-profit BBB National Programmes’ National Advertising Division (NAD) found while EchoStar’s Boost Mobile claims its 5G network is available across 99 per cent of the US, it is not the case. NAD found 98 per cent of the service is enabled by Boost Mobile’s 5G network combined with MVNO agreements.

It noted Boost Mobile’s greenfield 5G network covers 80.8 per cent of the US.NAD stated in areas where Boost Mobile subscribers switch to AT&T and Verizon’s networks through roaming agreements, it does not count as 5G coverage due to parts of them still using 4G.



NAD also found “the evidence detailing the benefits of the network built by Boost Mobile did not support the full breadth of comparative benefits” it claimed in adverts.The arbitrator called on Boost Mobile to “discontinue the challenged claims or modify its advertising to avoid conveying unsupported messages” about its coverage “and comparative benefits”.NAD noted nothing in its decision would preclude Boost Mobile from making other truthful and non-misleading comparative and monadic claims about service availability or the benefits of the network it built.

Dish Network launched the 5G network in 2022 and subsequently merged with EchoStar.QualityEchoStar and Dish Network executives have long promoted the open-RAN based 5G network as being superior to older networks from rivals including T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon.NAD recommends Boost Mobile no longer describe its network as “new” or “newest” even though the operator identified several features and benefits.

The arbitrator concluded Boost Mobile’s new claims exceed the US Federal Trade Commission’s guidance limiting use of the term to a period of six months and “its America’s newest claim conveys a comparative performance superiority message that the evidence did not support”.In an advertiser statement, Boost Mobile explained it would comply with NAD’s recommendations and incorporate them into future advertising despite disagreeing with some of them.The post Arbitrator backs T-Mobile US in Boost Mobile 5G advert spat appeared first on Mobile World Live.

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