5G Home Internet is one of the fastest-growing home internet services, adding hundreds of thousands of new customers in 2024 as traditional cable TV companies like Comcast and Spectrum are losing internet customers.
Now Spectrum’s parent company, Charter Communications, Inc., has complained to the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD) who is now is asking for changes.
Spectrum had argued that Verizon’s 5G Home Internet confused customers into thinking they would get 5 Gbps speeds. That was an argument that the BBB rejected. “NAD found that Verizon’s advertisements do not perpetuate or reinforce any misconception that 5G refers to 5 Gbps. Therefore, NAD determined that Verizon’s 5G claims were not misleading because the term “5G” describes the service accurately– home internet connected through 5G mobile technology.”
What the NAD is asking for changes on is that Verizon makes changes to its use of the term “FAST” to describe its internet. “NAD concluded that Verizon failed to provide a reasonable basis that Verizon Home Internet, which includes 5G Home and LTE, is “fast” in a context that equates those services with its broadband internet services.”
Other changes include that Verizon stops claiming “no data caps” as Verizon customers can see their speeds slowed if they are heavy users. This comes as Verizon’s 5G Home Internet customers could be hit with an internet slowdown. The BBB recommends changing these claims.
Spectrum asked for other claims to be changed, but the BBB refused to recommend these changes.
The NAD cannot force Verizon to make these changes, but often companies will take these recommendations seriously.
Update: We updated our story to better list out that the BBB NAD is asking for the changes.