Opposition Leader Pamela Gordon called for "truth in advertising'' in response to full page advertisements suggesting consumers can get 29 cent and 32 cent overseas phone calls.

Ms Gordon said her party had instituted "positive'' deregulation of the industry to foster competition while in Government, but she said the fine print in the ads could trap seniors and others into a false sense of security.

This week TeleBermuda announced further reductions in its rate scale and Cable and Wireless promised similar cuts with large one page ads in local newspapers.

"It's incumbent on the business community and Government to ensure the business community honours this commitment (of competition driving prices down),'' Ms Gordon said.

"If you read the fine print,'' she added, "there are these monthly fees of $4.99 and $5 that I don't believe decency and truth in advertising was put in place to encourage people to hoodwink (consumers), especially the elderly.

"These ads add insult to injury when a person pays a membership fee for the privilege to get these reduced rates, sit down and work it out. There should be provisions in the Consumer Protection Act.'' Ms Gordon added: "You can't make promises to people like an elderly person believing you get one thing and you're actually getting another.

Gordon: Ads are misleading "I'm sure the Minister (of Telecommunications Renee Webb) does not support what is going on. It's not right, I think it is an offensive thing to do!.

Ms Gordon further characterised the advertisements as "stealth ads ...designed to trick people'' and a "deception''.

She concluded: "This should not be allowed. We're protecting these companies on one side legislatively, but the people are getting burned on the other.''