In Finland, telecommunications companies have come under scrutiny for their marketing tactics concerning prepaid plans touted as 'unlimited'. Major providers Telia and Elisa specify on their websites that these so-called unlimited plans have usage limits—capping calls at 165 minutes and messages at 165 per day, or a total of 5,000 minutes and messages per month. This means that, effectively, customers reach the threshold of their unlimited plans after less than three hours of talk time, which contradicts the essence of 'unlimited' services.

Another provider, DNA, has revealed its limits more transparently in the fine print of its prepaid terms. According to DNA's conditions for its unlimited prepaid plan, there are actual caps of 3,000 minutes and 3,000 text messages per month, along with a data limit of 500 gigabytes. This further undermines the notion of unlimited usage, as it equates to roughly an hour and a half of talk time per day. The confusion and disappointment due to these restrictions have led to criticism from consumer protection advocates.

Timo Niemi from the Consumer Union of Finland has labeled the marketing practices of these companies as misleading and a form of consumer deception. He argues that advertising limited services as 'unlimited' can confuse consumers and lead them to make uninformed decisions on their telecom choices. As consumer awareness grows regarding these hidden limitations, it may prompt regulatory scrutiny and demand for clearer communication from service providers to avoid further deceptive practices in the telecommunications industry.