Cablevision sues Verizon, defends commercial targeting FiOS

Cablevision has filed its second advertising-related lawsuit against Verizon in the last five months, defending a TV commercial that claims Verizon's FiOS service partially relies on cable to deliver video and Internet into residences. The suit, filed in a Manhattan (NY) federal court, comes after Verizon in April launched a proceeding before the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division, which challenged Cablevision's assertion that FiOS actually uses cable and is not "100 percent fiber."

"Consumers deserve to make informed decisions based on facts, and Cablevision is asking the court to intervene to stop Verizon from attempting to continue to mislead the public," the company said. Alberto Canal, a Verizon spokesman, said the lawsuit demonstrated Cablevision's "appetite for confusing consumers." He also reasserted that Verizon's FiOS service operated on a 100 percent fiber-optic network. "Since their network can't compete against FiOS, they resort to legal stunts, which we will challenge vigorously," he said.