The Australian Federal Court has fined the three largest internet service providers in Australia $33.5 million (US$22.15 million) for making false or misleading representations when promoting their NBN (National Broadband Network) internet plans.
Specifically, the court ordered Telstra to pay $15 million in penalties, while Optus and TPG agreed to pay $13.5 million and $5 million, respectively.
The ruling was made after the federal court found that the three telcos breached the Australian Consumer Law by making false or misleading statements concerning their 50Mbps or 100Mbps internet plans between 2019 and 2020.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which filed lawsuits against the telcos, said the three companies promised to tell consumers within a reasonable timeframe whether they could reach the speeds stated in the NBN packages they purchased….