Comcast Should Drop Verizon-Targeted 'Fastest Internet' Ads, NAD Probe Finds

Comcast should drop its Xfinity-related advertising claims that it "delivers the fastest internet in America" and the "fastest, most reliable in-home WiFi," said the National Advertising Division (NAD), the investigative unit of the ad industry’s self-regulation system. NAD said in a news release Tuesday that Verizon challenged the Comcast broadband ad claims, plus others by the cable ISP about the telco's phone service. NAD said the Comcast ads don't limit their claims to a particular tier, though Xfinity offers various speeds in different tiers, and relying on Ookla's Speedtest application data for substantiating its claims isn't a good means of substantiating overall superior speed performance assertions. NAD also said Comcast should end or modify its direct-mail campaign about Verizon's phone service because it's potentially confusing to consumers. NAD said Comcast indicated it plans to appeal the findings to the National Advertising Review Board. Comcast didn't comment Tuesday.