DS readers welcome Virgin ads decision

Digital Spy forum users have broadly welcomed the Advertising Standards Authority's ruling that controversial Virgin Media broadband adverts were within the rules.

The company boasted on the radio, billboards and in national press that it was "officially the fastest and most reliable". Under the headline "Truth, Lies and Broadband" the ads also made an issue of Virgin's fibre optic cable network compared with competitors' copper wire.

Complaints were lodged to the ASA by Sky, TalkTalk and others but none have been upheld.

The adverts also prompted strong reaction from both sites on the forums when they were placed in the summer. Today however, most readers were in support of Virgin and the ASA.

Seaneeboy, from Leeds, declared: "Common sense prevails!"

Garbage456, posting from Sutton in Surrey, added: "At last the small guy has beaten Goliath. Good, good and double good. Stupid thing is, Virgin BB is the fastest."

Some forum members commented on the detail of the case, also raised in the summer, which saw the watchdog look at the make-up of Virgin's network. Sky and other complainants believed homes were connected by copper wire while Virgin said it was in fact copper-coated co-axial cable.

Virginmediaguy, from Dudley, said: "Gotta love the argument of copper coated steel though instead of twisted pair copper, ASA still acknowledged that the network is primarily fibre."