Norway’s consumer affairs arbitrator, Forbrukerombudet, is asking Telenor’s Canal Digital and TDC’s Get to declare when they will stop forcing their broadband customers to subscribe to their television services as well. The two companies had said they would change their practices by the end of 2016, to allow customers to pay for standalone broadband, and time is running out. The agency is therefore seeking a meeting with them to find out their plans.
Arbitrator Bente Overli said the organisation is still being contacted by customers about the matter. She said the cable companies have been economic with their information to the public on this issue. Canal Digital had in fact already offered some customers standalone internet, but they had then been charged for line rental. She wanted to know whether Canal Digital intended to continue this practice, and what it was doing to inform its customers.
She added that the two firms’ promises to stamp out forced TV sales by the end of 2016 was the only reason that the arbitrator had not referred the matter to the Norwegian Marketing Council.
