An organization that helps telecommunications providers self-regulate their advertising spots has sided with Charter Communications on some claims made against T-Mobile regarding promotional messaging for their fiber-based Internet service.
This week, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the BBB National Programs upheld some claims made by T-Mobile with respect to its fiber-based Internet, including an assertion that its land-based fiber Internet offering offered stronger upload speeds compared to similar products by Charter and other cable companies.
T-Mobile also supported advertising claiming the fiber internet service, called T-Fiber, offers lower latency than traditional cable internet and provides performance advantages for applications including gaming and video calls, the NAD determined.
Charter additionally challenged T-Mobile’s claim that T-Fiber experiences “no slow down during peak hours,” compared with traditional cable internet that “can slow down during peak hours due to shared bandwidth.”
NAD found both claims supported. It determined T-Mobile’s advertising did not suggest Spectrum customers always experience significant slowdowns or unreliable service during peak periods.
But NAD said Charter’s complaint over a slogan that urged customers to “break free” from cable contracts should be modified because it wrongfully implied that cable companies require long-term contracts for their services. Charter and some of its peers, like Comcast, no longer require term commitments.
The organization found that broader message unsupported and recommended T-Mobile modify the advertising to avoid that implication.
T-Mobile said it will comply with the NAD’s recommendation.
The case is the latest involving a complaint against T-Mobile over some of its advertising claims.
In March, the National Advertising Review Board (NARB), which sits above the NAD, urged T-Mobile to amend some of its marketing materials with respect to certain claims made about its satellite connectivity perk for wireless customers.
In that challenge brought by competitor AT&T, the NARB upheld some of T-Mobile’s advertising claims related to the price of its wireless phone service that includes satellite-based connectivity, but said the company should modify or discontinue promotional claims that “if customers can see the sky, they’re connected [to T Satellite]” and “no matter where you are, you will never miss a moment.”
The finding came after T-Mobile appealed an earlier unfavorable decision issued by the NAD, which ultimately sent the matter to the NARB for review.
