Charter Communications has been urged by the National Advertising Division (NAD) to modify certain claims related to a product associated with its Spectrum Business Internet service.
Following a complaint brought by AT&T, the NAD affirmed on Wednesday that Charter’s messaging related to its Spectrum Business Wireless Internet Backup product contained unsubstantiated messaging about its reliability.
The product allows Spectrum Business Internet subscribers to use a wireless network to establish a broadband connection using a separate 4G LTE and 5G cellular platform.
The NAD said Charter’s messaging that the backup provided online connectivity during an emergency was fine, but said the company’s claim that it was “reliable” was unsubstantiated, because the service only provides around eight hours of connection time when up to four devices are paired with the product.
The NAD also said the backup solution didn’t provide comparable connection speeds as Spectrum Business Internet, and did not operate “indefinitely on all connected devices.”
The NAD said Charter should modify certain claims found in its advertising, including one that claims Spectrum Business Wireless Internet Backup provides “complete connectivity and reliability,” and that it maintains “the same level of connectivity and reliability during a power outage as during normal operating wired conditions.”
In a statement offered by the NAD, a Charter spokesperson said the company “disagrees with the NAD’s conclusion,” but will nonetheless modify some of its marketing materials to better reflect the limitations of Spectrum Business Wireless Internet Backup.
The NAD is part of the BBB National Programs, a not-for-profit organization that provides self-regulation of certain industries with respect to their marketing and messaging.
