Bahrain’s Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) said it has directed Bahrain Telecommunications Company (Batelco) to withdraw or amend advertising found to be ‘misleading to consumers.’

The order follows an investigation into a complaint filed by telecoms operator Viva Bahrain alleging that an advertisement published by Batelco at Bahrain International Airport that claimed ‘the best 4G LTE is now even better’ was ‘false’ and ‘misleading,’ said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

TRA said Batelco has been asked to either withdraw the advertisement in question immediately from all media or to amend it according to guidance provided within five working days.

The regulator said during its investigation it had noted that besides Batelco, other licensed operators have published advertisements where they claim that they run the “best network” in the country.

These claims have to be regarded as inaccurate or unsubstantiated and, therefore, potentially misleading to consumers, TRA said.

The authority has guided that such claims must provide clear indication as to the criteria on which the claims are based (including the applicable time frame) and as to the sources where the claims can be verified against the indicated criteria by the general public. - TradeArabia News Service