The NCTA and its president, Michael Powell, introduced the term "10G" back at CES 2019. It's been cable's aspirational counter-offensive to the wireless industry's omnipresent 5G initiative ever since. 

Member company Comcast -- on the forefront of HFC network innovation -- has run with the term. It even used it this past week as it promoted the cable industry's first live-deployment of a next-generation DOCSIS 4.0 broadband services, which Comcast says can deliver symmetrical speeds of up to 2 gigabits per second over old-world hybrid-fiber coax cables. 

But T-Mobile filed a complaint in February with the National Advertising Division. And the watchdog said Friday that it has sided with the wireless company. The group said Comcast shouldn't market its Xfinity wireline broadband service with the "10G" moniker unless it can actually deliver 10 Gbps over it. 

Comcast does sell the $300-a-month "Gigabit Pro" fiber-to-the-home service, but NAD contends that's not the package that Comcast is plying the "10G" term to. 

"In evaluating support for this claim, NAD found that Comcast’s description of its entire network as '10G' conveys the message that all consumers on the network will receive a significant increase in speed up to 10 Gbps speeds," NAD said. "However, only one of Xfinity’s many plans (Gigabit Pro) can reach 10 Gbps, and to access that service tier requires the installation of fiber to the premises. Further, 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."

NAD said it concluded that Comcast didn't provide a "reasonable" basis for the terms “10G," “Xfinity 10G" and “Xfinity 10G Network," and it needs to stop using the marketing term that way. Alternatively, the group added, Comcast can modify its marketing so that it's clear that 10G is an "aspirational" term. 

Comcast, perhaps perplexed that the wireless industry has gotten away all these years with "5G" describing "fifth-generation" networks and not 5 Gbps service, has appealed the decision, NAD added. 

TMT companies tend to abide by NAD rulings. Earlier this week, for example, Google said it would stop making the claim that its YouTube TV service is "$600 cheaper than cable" after the NAD sided with a Charter Communications complaint and then subsequently rejected Google's appeal. 

Google said it will cease making advertising claims that its $73-a-month YouTube TV virtual pay TV service is “$600 cheaper than cable” on an annual basis, after losing its appeal to an advertising review board complaint. 

In August, the the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division said it sided with a complaint filed by Charter Communications, which questioned the claim's validity. And on Wednesday, the group announced that it had rejected Google’s subsequent appeal. 

The NARB said that Google’s price calculations — which accounted for two leased proprietary cable set-tops — were based on obsolete linear pay-TV models.

“The NARB panel determined that the commercial disclosures were not clear and conspicuous,” the group added, noting that many of Charter’s Spectrum video customers no longer even use proprietary set-top boxes. 

Next TV actually kicked the tires on these YouTube TV claims independently in May 2022, back when Google was claiming the vMVPD was “$750 cheaper than cable.” 

In the fine print, Google said it based the claim on a 2022 study by SmithGeiger, evaluating “comparable services over 24 months, including hidden fees, promotion pricing, DVR box rental and service fee, and second cable box for the home, if applicable.” 

A National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel has recommended to AT&T that it stop using the term “5G Evolution” to describe its 4G LTE network because the language is misleading.

AT&T said it would stop using the terms "5G Evolution" and "5G Evolution, The First Step to 5G” in its advertising. But it will end the small “5G E” logo that appears on subscriber smart phones when they access 4G LTE networks. 

“AT&T respectfully disagrees with the reasoning and result reached by the panel majority,” AT&T said in a statement. “AT&T’s customers nationwide continue to benefit from dramatically superior speeds and performance that its current network provides. As a supporter of the self-regulatory process, however, AT&T will comply with the NARB’s decision.”

The branding has been under scrutiny among AT&T’s competitors since AT&T first introduced it in late 2018. In short, competitors--and consumer groups--feel AT&T is incorrectly branding 4G services as 5G.

T-Mobile challenged the strategy with the National Advertising Division, which recommended that AT&T stop using the language. The NARB’s panel ruling was a response to an AT&T appeal. 

“Agreeing with NAD's findings and recommendations, the NARB panel determined that both claims will mislead reasonable consumers into believing that AT&T is offering a 5G network and recommended that the claims be discontinued,” an NARB statement reads. 

A National Advertising Review Board (NARB) panel has recommended to AT&T that it stop using the term “5G Evolution” to describe its 4G LTE network because the language is misleading.

AT&T said it would stop using the terms "5G Evolution" and "5G Evolution, The First Step to 5G” in its advertising. But it will end the small “5G E” logo that appears on subscriber smart phones when they access 4G LTE networks.

“AT&T respectfully disagrees with the reasoning and result reached by the panel majority,” AT&T said in a statement. “AT&T’s customers nationwide continue to benefit from dramatically superior speeds and performance that its current network provides. As a supporter of the self-regulatory process, however, AT&T will comply with the NARB’s decision.”

The branding has been under scrutiny among AT&T’s competitors since AT&T first introduced it in late 2018. In short, competitors--and consumer groups--feel AT&T is incorrectly branding 4G services as 5G.

T-Mobile challenged the strategy with the National Advertising Division, which recommended that AT&T stop using the language. The NARB’s panel ruling was a response to an AT&T appeal.

“Agreeing with NAD's findings and recommendations, the NARB panel determined that both claims will mislead reasonable consumers into believing that AT&T is offering a 5G network and recommended that the claims be discontinued,” an NARB statement reads. 

Comcast has agreed to comply with a decision by a panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) recommending that the operator stop using certain claims in advertising that Xfinity delivers “delivers the fastest internet in America,” and the “fastest in-home WiFi.”

The NARB recommendation follows an initial challenge by Verizon Communication brought before the National Advertising Division (NAD) last year.

RELATED: NAD Challenges Comcast’s ‘Fastest Internet,’ WiFi Advertising Claims

In the decision, NARB noted that Comcast and Verizon offer consumers different tiers of service based on the maximum Internet download and upload speeds provided, and that making claims about being the “fastest…can be subject to a number of reasonable interpretations by consumers.”

NARB also noted that Comcast’s claims as providing “America’s fastest internet” were based on crowdsourced data from Ookla for the period January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015. The panel didn’t question the accuracy of Ookla’s data, but agreed with NAD that the data was “not a good fit for an overall claim,” as findings showed, for example, an edge for Comcast with download speeds, but not for upstream speeds.

RELATED: Comcast, Verizon Fios Tie as Fastest ‘Major’ U.S. ISP: Study

However, Comcast can still use Ookla data so long as it clearly communicates what the data represents, avoids any statement or implication that the data demonstrates that XFINITY provides faster internet speeds than competing ISPs, and appropriately distinguishes between download and upload speed.

Regarding ad claims about providing the “fastest in-home WiFi” claims, the panel noted that they were based on tests that only established faster router performance.

Comcast, in its advertiser’s statement, said while it disagreed with certain of panel’s findings, it agreed to comply with NARB’s decision, the organization said.

“Comcast will take NARB’s recommendations into account in developing future advertisements, and expects NAD and NARB will hold all advertisers to the same standards when making similar claims,” Comcast said in a statement in the NARB announcement.