Frontier Halts DSL, Fios Ad Claims After Charter Challenge, NAD Recommendations

Frontier Communications agreed to discontinue various advertising claims about its DSL and Fios broadband services that were challenged by Charter Communications before the National Advertising Division, said a release Wednesday from the Advertising Self-Regulatory Council. NAD, the investigative unit of the ad industry’s self-regulation system, recommended Frontier stop making certain performance claims in print and internet advertising, ASRC said. It said Frontier agreed to discontinue the many challenged claims, including: "Connect all your devices with blazing-fast speed"; "Frontier Internet is enough to handle all you do online. ... You name it online, you can do it with Frontier"; and "Every tier of Frontier DSL is able to stream SD and HD movies without buffering." NAD also reviewed modified advertising and recommended Frontier discontinue claims that its high-speed internet service will do "practically anything you and your family needs," and that customers need "never worry about" such internet connections, the release said. NAD further recommended Frontier discontinue claims its Fios network and service are superior to cable internet architecture and service, and refrain from comparing their performance. "Frontier, in its advertiser’s statement, said the company has 'reviewed its advertising and has implemented NAD’s recommendations. Frontier will also take NAD’s recommendations into consideration for future advertising,'" ASRC said. Frontier and Charter didn't comment to us. The Council of Better Business Bureaus administers NAD.