The Desk appreciates the support of readers who purchase products or services through links on our website. Learn more...

Comcast to appeal decision by ad board on “10G” claims

Acting on a complaint by Verizon and T-Mobile, the National Advertising Division said Comcast's "10G Network" brand should be changed.

Acting on a complaint by Verizon and T-Mobile, the National Advertising Division said Comcast's "10G Network" brand should be changed.

A Comcast gateway used to provide Internet service under the Xfinity brand. (Courtesy image)
A Comcast gateway used to provide Internet service under the Xfinity brand. (Courtesy image)

Comcast says it will appeal a decision by the National Advertising Division (NAD) that found its “10G Network” branding for its broadband Internet misleads consumers into thinking they are getting faster speeds or a next-generation wireless data network.

This week, NAD said it wants Comcast to remove or significantly modify its 10G Network branding, which it said has the potential to make subscribers think they are either getting access to a tenth-generation wireless network or 10 Gigabit-per-second (Gbps) connection speeds.

“NAD determined that the evidence in the record was insufficient to support the broad, unqualified message that the Xfinity 10G Network is vastly superior to 5G,” the agency, a division of the Better Business Bureau, said in a statement.

The decision followed a complaint brought to NAD by T-Mobile and Verizon, which are each building out their own fixed wireless  Internet products that rely on their 4G LTE and 5G networks and which compete against Comcast’s Xfinity broadband Internet service.

On Friday, officials at Comcast said they intend to appeal the decision because it disagrees with it, “including NAD’s determination that the Xfinity 10G Network brand name constitutes an express claim.”

Appeals are brought before the National Advertising Review Board, which is also a division of the Better Business Board.

While NAD sided against Comcast on the 10G claim, it did find in Comcast’s favor with respect to its claim that Xfinity Internet offers “next generation” promotion of its Internet service after determining Comcast had made significant improvements to the service by upgrading their network reliability, lowering connection latency and offering other features.

Photo of author

About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys is an award-winning journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering the business of television and radio broadcasting, streaming services and the overall media industry. In addition to his work as publisher of The Desk, Matthew contributes regularly to StreamTV Insider and KnowTechie, and has worked for several well-known news organizations, including Thomson Reuters, McNaughton Newspapers, Grasswire, Comstock's magazine, KTXL-TV and KGO-TV. Matthew is a member of IRE, a trade organization for investigative reporters and editors, and is based in Northern California.

Email: [email protected] | Signal: 530-507-8380