AT&T told to change advertisements after Charter challenges fiber claims

AT&T largely lost an advertising dispute with Charter Communications, with a review panel recommending the operator change or discontinue claims its fiber service is better than cable. The case dates back to 2021, when Charter filed a complaint with the National Advertising Division (NAD) challenging assertions made in AT&T ads that it offers “up to 20x faster upload speeds” than cable and is “half the price.” Charter also disputed AT&T’s claims that fiber offers “better internet” than cable. In November 2021, NAD mostly sided with Charter and recommended AT&T change its ads, prompting AT&T to appeal the decision to the National Advertising Review Board (NARB). Both NAD and NARB are part of BBB National Programs, an organization which oversees self-regulation programs for the advertising industry. AT&T was dealt a blow on February 9 when NARB issued a ruling which largely upheld NAD’s findings. Specifically, NARB concluded the “20x faster upload” claim was misleading and told AT&T it should either discontinue ads using the phrasing or else clearly indicate which tier of service provides the claimed upload benefit. Specifically, NARB concluded the “20x faster upload” claim was misleading and told AT&T it should either discontinue ads using the phrasing or else clearly indicate which tier of service provides the claimed upload benefit.