The ongoing war over whether cable or the telco broadband networks are better has been a phenomenon raging between the two industries for over a decade. As Verizon has expanded its Fiber to the Premises-based FiOS Internet and TV service, Comcast has continually struck back saying it too has a nationwide fiber network. However, the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureaus and Verizon believe the cable MSO's optical network claims are suspect.
The NAD has referred Comcast's decision not to take part in the group's adjudication process determining whether the company's fiber claims are true to the Federal Trade Commission. Verizon's argument does have some weight to it. While cable MSOs such as Comcast do drive fiber deep into their networks and are looking at Fiber to the Premises themselves in Greenfield network builds, the pipe all MSOs use to deliver services to the end user is hybrid fiber coax (HFC), not fiber. However, Comcast said it would not take part in the proceedings because it thinks that Verizon's counsel may have seen some of the MSOs "confidential and proprietary information as per a written agreement relating to a multidistrict litigation unrelated to the instant NAD proceeding."
For more:
- Multichannel News has this article