LA Court of Appeal of Antwerp ruled that Orange can no longer use the terms ‘fiber’, ‘fiber’ or ‘optical fiber’ in its advertising communication in Belgium, without explicit mention that its network is partially based on coaxial cables. This decision follows a proximus complaint, which accused Orange to mislead consumers by suggesting that its Internet services are fully based on optical fiber technology, while it is only partially true.
Last September, Orange launched new internet subscription formulas, all decked out of the term “fiber”. A decision that Proximus has not accepted, believing that Orange deceives customers. The cause? The Orange network is actually a hybrid network, combining optical fiber to the distribution point and coaxial cable to the customer’s home. For Proximus, this appellation is therefore misleading.
A project of several billion already well advanced
Proximus has been investing for years in a vast project of several billion euros aimed at deploying fiber optics to the home (FTTH) of consumers. In this context, the operator offers specific subscriptions bearing the name ‘Fiber’. According to him, only a connection using the fiber optics from start to finish deserves this appellation. Proximus claims to have always respected this distinction in its communication, and therefore awaits the same rigor on the part of Orange.
Transparency required on offers
The Antwerp Court of Appeal judged that the use of the words ‘fiber’, ‘fiber’ or ‘optical fiber’ in the names of the orange products could mislead on the nature and the actual performance of the services offered. Orange is now obliged to clearly indicate, in its commercial advertisements and names, that it is a mixed network.
In the event of non-compliance with this prohibition, on-calls may be imposed on Orange. This decision highlights the importance of transparency in the communication of telecom operators with regard to consumers.
