Reliance Jio Rubbishes Airtel's 'Fastest Network' Claim, Files Official Complaint With ASCI
Reliance Jio's complaint with the ASCI accuses Ookla and Airtel of conspiring to present a false report.
Reliance Jio believes it's the fastest network in India and it takes the mantle very seriously, having just filed a complaint with the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) against Airtel for falsely and inaccurately laying claim to that title.
The fastest network certificate awarded to Airtel by Ookla - Airtel
Reliance Jio¡¯s issue is with Airtel calling itself "India¡¯s fastest mobile carrier," saying in its complaint that the statement is ¡°false, misleading, and incorrect¡±. The title was supposedly awarded to Airtel at the Speedtest by Ookla 2016 awards on February 24.
Ookla is an internationally renowned broadband testing and network diagnostic applications service, with speedtest.net widely considered to be a reliable standard in broadband speed measurement. However, Reliance Jio insists the test is flawed, and has issued a legal notice for the same to Ookla as well.
"Further, your attention is drawn to the words appearing in the advertisement ¡®Officially The Fastest Network¡¯. Ookla, LLC, is a commercial enterprise who give awards for money. They do not have accreditation from the government of India," the complaint reads.
"The word ¡®officially¡¯ when used in the context of telecom services is linked to only TRAI or the licensor DOT," reads the Reliance Jio complaint.
Reliance Jio has called upon the ASCI to have Airtel withdraw the offending advertisements, stop using the word ¡°official¡± alongside its own brand name, and remove any reference to Ookla from the ads.
Ookla fully stands behind Airtel being India¡¯s Fastest Network pic.twitter.com/R77W8wVucY
¡ª Bharti Airtel (@airtelnews) March 21, 2017
In its notice to Ookla, Jio says the company ¡°purported to provide an unfair advantage to Bharti Airtel and further their business interests for commercial gains¡±, even citing monetary losses and ¡°irreparable damage¡± caused to the company. Jio insists Ookla remove its October 6 report proclaiming Airtel the fastest network in India, declare its testing system is flawed, and revoke the award.
That escalated quickly, didn't it?
