Following a complaint from AT&T, the National Advertising Division (NAD) finds that commercials for T-Mobile’s T-Satellite went overboard in promising ‘100% coverage everywhere.’<\/b>
\nYou may have spotted actor Billy Bob Thornton in TV commercials endorsing T-Mobile\u2019s cellular Starlink service. But an industry regulator says the ads went too far when boasting about the satellite connectivity.
On Thursday, the National Advertising Division (NAD) indicated that some of the language in the commercials and T-Mobile\u2019s press releases about the satellite connectivity were misleading.
The advertising division\u2014part of an ad industry self-regulation system\u2014took up the case after rival carrier AT&T filed a complaint about T-Mobile\u2019s marketing. Some the language for T-Mobile\u2019s implementation of SpaceX\u2019s cellular Starlink, dubbed T-Satellite, implied it provided \u201c100% coverage everywhere or everywhere the sky is visible,\u201d the regulator said.
In press releases, T-Mobile also said, \u201cIf customers can see the sky, they\u2019re connected [to T Satellite]\u201d and \u201cNo matter where you are, you will never miss a moment.\u201d
\u201cNAD determined that these claims communicated universal coverage and cannot be properly qualified with a disclosure,\u201d the regulator said.
We reached out to NAD to learn more, and the organization pointed to its final decision, which says, \u00ab\u00a0T-Mobile acknowledged that T-Satellite service is not available in all geographic areas.\u00a0\u00bb
T-Satellite is designed to only offer coverage in cellular dead zones, not major populated areas where the carrier has traditional cell towers. T-Satellite also isn’t offered in most of Alaska and certain pockets of the US, as the carrier’s coverage map shows.
To settle the dispute, T-Mobile wanted to add a disclaimer to the ads. But the regulator found \u00ab\u00a0the challenged satellite claims cannot be properly qualified with a disclosure, since any such disclosure about geographic limitations would directly contradict the main claim that T-Satellite offers coverage no matter where you are or that it offers coverage if you can see the sky.\u00a0\u00bb
The regulator also said advertisers should \u00ab\u00a0exercise caution\u00a0\u00bb when promoting satellite-to-phone services since they remain a new technology to many consumers. \u00ab\u00a0Consumer understanding of the coverage limitations of traditional cellular service does not necessarily translate to an understanding of the limitations of brand-new satellite service\u00a0\u00bb, the decision says.
(It’s also important to note that T-Satellite is an add-on service for most T-Mobile plans, requiring interested customers, including consumers on rival carriers, to pay $10 extra per month.)
Outside of satellite coverage claims, NAD also took issue with another T-Mobile promotional video that claimed both AT&T and Verizon announced price increases \u201ca combined ten times in the past two years.\u201d The advertising regulator found this to be false. It\u2019s now recommending T-Mobile modify or discontinue the marketing language, including another claim that says the carrier\u2019s \u201cExperience Beyond\u201d plan can offer $600 in extra value for a family of three.
T-Mobile didn\u2019t immediately respond to a request for comment. But according to the advertising board, the carrier is appealing the decision, meaning the case will head to the National Advertising Review Board for a hearing.
\u201cIn its advertiser statement, T-Mobile stated while, it appreciates NAD\u2019s role in preserving the integrity of self-regulation, it respectfully disagrees with and will appeal NAD\u2019s decision,\u201d the regulator said.
The carriers have been scrutinizing each other\u2019s ads concerning satellite-to-phone services. In 2024, the advertising regulator also flagged an AT&T ad featuring Ben Stiller about its satellite connectivity as misleading because the technology had yet to launch.<\/p>\n