by Comcast, a prominent telecommunications company based in Philadelphia, has decided to stop advertising its Xfinity 10G Network following a recommendation from an appellate panel of the National Advertising Review Board (NARB). The decision will not affect current customers or the service they receive.
The change has sparked curiosity among consumers about what exactly 10G is and its similarities to 5G. Additionally, questions have arisen about the meaning of a G. Below, we explain the recent decision made by Comcast, the different generations of networks, and the concept of gigabits.
The NARB panel found that while Comcast’s advertising did not make an unsupported comparison with 10th-generation technology, it raised concerns about other aspects. As a result, the panel recommended that Comcast discontinue the use of 10G when referring to the Xfinity 10G Network or in any other way that describes the network as a whole. However, Comcast can still use 10G in other contexts as long as it is not false or misleading.
According to BBB National Programs, the NARB panel concluded that 10G explicitly implies that users of the Xfinity network will experience significantly faster speeds compared to 5G networks. However, there is no available data comparing speeds experienced by Xfinity network users with speeds experienced by subscribers to 5G networks. Despite this, Comcast disagrees with the recommendation and states that 10G-capable service is available to 98% of customers upon request. The company will comply with discontinuing the use of Xfinity 10G Network in its advertising but will continue to use 10G in other marketing contexts.
Comcast spokesperson Joel Shadle mentioned in an interview this week that they are open to removing the word “network” to resolve the issue. While there is no specific timeline for making the alteration, Comcast plans to remove the reference to “network” in relation to 10G over the next few weeks. Shadle emphasized that customers should be reassured that the technology and service they receive will remain unchanged.
Shadle stated, “While our branding may be changing slightly, the products and services we deliver to them will continue to be super-reliable, fast, and low-latency.”
Brian Dietz, a spokesperson for NCTA—The Internet & Television Association, the trade group representing the industry, explained that 10G is a brand that represents the next-generation cable broadband network. It has undergone testing in laboratories and in the field and is now being deployed in select locations. Ultimately, the goal of 10G is to deliver speeds of 10 gigabits per second to consumers.
However, the question arises as to whether any use of the term 10G is currently aspirational. Dietz clarified that while it represents a future development, it is not purely aspirational as the network will indeed deliver the promised speeds.
In summary, Comcast is making changes to how it describes its internet network, discontinuing the use of the 10G label following recommendations from the NARB panel. The company will comply by no longer using Xfinity 10G Network in its advertisements but will continue using 10G in other marketing contexts. The ultimate aim of 10G is to provide consumers with faster speeds and reliable connectivity. Despite the alteration in branding, Comcast assures its customers that the quality of their services will remain consistent.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
