In context: An independent ad watchdog recently recommended that Comcast drop or alter the use of the term "10G" in its broadband ads and marketing materials. The decision followed a complaint by T-Mobile, who claimed that the "Xfinity 10G" adverts were misleading, as the cable company has been promoting its entire network as 10G despite not offering 10Gbps broadband everywhere.
The decision came from the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the BBB National Programs, which said Comcast must discontinue its 10G claims or modify its ads to clarify that the 10G connectivity is a future target, and one that can only be achieved after implementing the required network upgrades. The NAD also said that the company should ensure its ads use the term 10G "in a manner that is not false or misleading."
Following NAD's verdict, Comcast said it will appeal the decision as it believes its use of the term 10G is consistent with the services it offers and not misleading in any way. In a statement, the company said it disagrees with the NAD's verdict and will file an appeal to ensure that it can continue to use the term 10G in its marketing materials.
Comcast did not elaborate on the matter any further, but the statement suggests that the company does not plan to modify its advertising for now, meaning its 10G promos will continue to remain a part of its marketing material in the foreseeable future. Comcast currently offers a 10Gbps broadband plan with symmetrical download and upload speeds, but it is not widely available and is prohibitively expensive for most consumers.
Since early 2023, Comcast has been running TV and online ads, promoting its "Xfinity 10G" services after rebranding its entire broadband network to Xfinity 10G. It is, however, not the only cable company using 10G in its marketing materials. The term was originally coined by the cable industry trade group NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, and was first used as far back as in January 2019.
While 10G was originally supposed to mean 10Gbps connectivity over cable rather than fiber, Comcast says that its 10G network is not so much about the 10Gbps speeds, but more about a combination of "reliability, security, power (and) resilience." However, the NAD says that the company is not making the differences between 10G and 10Gbps abundantly clear, and its '10G Network' claims could be translated to mean 10Gbps speeds or 10th-generation network, neither of which is accurate.
https://www.techspot.com/news/100515-comcast-appeal-against-ad-watchdog-call-modify-misleading.html
