Israeli telco Bezeq fined over $2 million for misleading consumers about internet speeds

Israel's Consumer Protection and Fair Trade Authority has notified telecom giant Bezeq that it intends to fine it by NIS 6.75 million (approximately $2.04 million) as it failed to provide consumers with internet service at the speeds they were promised.

Due to complaints by consumers, the authority opened an investigation against the company and found that numerous customers that had purchased the TOP100 internet package in which they were promised they would receive a maximum download speed of 100mbps, didn't even receive the minimum speed guaranteed in the deal of 40mbps. The authority received the information from Bezeq, which seems to indicate that the company was aware that it was misleading customers.

The authority claimed that Bezeq could have avoided this scenario as it only adds clients to its service after first checking what speeds it is capable of providing to the customers’ address.

"This was a wide-scale misleading of the consumer public regarding a service they were promised," Deputy Supervisor and the head of Investigations and Intelligence at the authority, Anita Itzhak, told Calcalist. "Many customers don't have the required knowledge and ability to check the speeds they are being provided and assess the damages they suffered."