T-Mobile has been ticked off for making exaggerated claims about its "web'n'walk" mobile internet service.

Launched last October, the cellco said the new service, which lets punters access the net via their handsets, would "redefine the mobile internet market" and would be used by people in the same way they tap into the net.

Orange pointed out that T-Mobile's coverage was only 86 per cent, yet the ad gave the impression that the service was available everywhere in the UK.

For its part, T-Mobile argued that the ad made the distinction that web'n'walk provided full internet access as opposed to older WAP technology. And to ensure that there was no confusion, it also said the service was "subject to coverage".

That didn't wash with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which "noted the unconditional and geographical nature of the phrase, 'the internet wherever you are'.

"We considered the use of such unconditional language to be contradictory to the qualification stated in the coverage disclaimer," it said in its ruling. "We concluded that the ad was misleading because readers were likely to interpret the claim to refer to geographical network coverage. We told T-Mobile to avoid making such unconditional claims in future advertising."

Last month, T-Mobile UK was forced to pull an ad aimed at business users who want to stay connected on the move because it "condoned dangerous driving". The ASA received 13 complaints from people concerned that the ad - which featured a woman driving a car with her glove box crammed full of office equipment - was "irresponsible".

Separately, the ASA has also finally published its ruling against Wanadoo for its ads promoting its "up to 8Mb" service. As previously reported by The Register, the ASA upheld four out of five complaints, which centre on the lack of availability of Wanadoo's "up to 8 Mb" broadband service. ®

Related stories

• GSK runs out of juice over Ribena claims (27 March 2007)
• T-Mobile offers the internet for £1 a day (2 August 2006)
• Mobile web access on the up (19 April 2006)
• Ads watchdog bites PC World (12 April 2006)
• T-Mobile to make mobile net service 'unlimited' (24 March 2006)
• Lastminute.com blasted for Gary Glitter kiddy ad (15 March 2006)
• Sony 'running jump' ad derailed (10 March 2006)
• Wanadoo trails Tiscali for UK broadband numbers (15 February 2006)
• Curry's 'latest AMD CPU' ad misled viewers (8 February 2006)
• Wanadoo 8 Meg ad slap expected (3 February 2006)
• ASA slams anonymous 'tell a friend' email (2 February 2006)
• Wanadoo faces ad slap over 8MB service (27 January 2006)
• T-Mobile walloped for 'dangerous driving' ad (18 January 2006)
• Cellco staff muddled by own tariffs (6 January 2006)
• Wanadoo defiant as BT wins 'dear Ben' ad row (16 November 2005)
• T-Mobile goes large on mobile net access (6 October 2005)
• T-mobile customers stuck in Walled Garden (16 September 2005)