Oh dear: “Unlimited” doesn’t mean “Unlimited”

By
Renai LeMay
-
14

The Delimiter office was a little surprised this afternoon when a courier appeared and handed us a copy of The Little Oxford English Ditcionary & Thesaurus. I mean, I know that we make the odd spelling mistake, like everyone does, but wasn’t someone taking it a little seriously? An agitated sub-editor somewhere?


But when we opened the dictionary, we realised it wasn’t out spelling the sender was concerned about. It was the contentious definition of “Unlimited”.


Astute readers will remember that yesterday Optus launched several new broadband plans it described as “Unlimited”. But quite a few readers disagreed with that definition. So, it appears, does AAPT.

Oh dear, Optus. Looks like the ball’s in your court. AAPT’s PR chief Tahn Shannon has a point — do your “Unlimited” plans meet the Little Oxford English Dictionary & Thesaurus‘ definition?

Related posts:

  1. Optus offers “Unlimited” broadband plans
  2. Optus adds unlimited iPad plan
  3. ACCC sues over Optus’ “unlimited” marketing
  4. ACCC sues TPG over $29.99 ‘Unlimited’ plan
  5. Exetel may offer $54.95 ‘unlimited’ ADSL2+ plan

14 COMMENTS

  2. In that case, why wouldn’t Optus just call all their plans unlimited then? The only difference between their unlimited and normal plans is the throttling speed and peak/off-peak times, or lack thereof. Just because the legal department approved the product name doesn’t mean you run with it.

  3. Optus could claim the “very great in number” meaning as a validation of their use of the word “unlimited”.

    Now to a wonderful tool in Google. Use this command in the search window define: unlimited

    Brings up answers that contradicts the Oxford dictionary ;-) Such as these:
    1. having no limits in range or scope;
    2. without reservation or exception;
    3. inexhaustible: that cannot be entirely consumed or used up;
    4. limitless or without bounds; unrestricted.

    PS:
    I’m still waiting for Google maps to show mobile phone towers. Like this site in USA http://www.antennasearch.com/

    • Heh well Optus could claim that Paul, but I think a lot of their customers are aware that the plans are not truly “unlimited” by the common usage definition ;)

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