Apple has been pretty soundly criticized for a series of worldwide ads (see this one from the UK) that are a little too generous in demonstrating the speed of the networks the iPhones are running on. In the U.S., this video comparison particularly highlights the disparity between HSDPA 3G speeds in Apple/AT&T advertising land, and in reality, where you may even be stuck on slower sub 200kbps EDGE networks. In the UK, the ads have been banned by the advertising regulator for misleading consumers. The UK’s Guardian offers Apple’s defense:

You’ll have to remember that one. “Sorry honey, that lipstick on my collar is ‘relative rather than absolute in nature.’” Apple does seem aware they were stretching the truth, most of the ads containing fine print highlighting the limitations of global 3G networks. According to the ASA’s website, seventeen people complained about the ads, which could indicate people really weren’t all that bothered, or that consumers are simply oblivious.

A report this week issued by UK regulator Ofcom reported that 55% of UK consumers were unaware of their current broadband connection speed. We’re not much better in the U.S. — a recent survey suggesting that 83% of consumers don’t even know what a gigabyte is. In other words, when it comes to broadband advertising, you probably can fool most of the people, most of the time.

[Thanks: http://www.broadbandreports.com]