GNG News Guy
04-30-2008, 06:34 PM
http://i.dslr.net/urls/90/13290.gif (http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Ads-Mock-Unsightly-ATT-UVerse-Cabinets-94032)
AT&T's decision to stick with copper VDSL instead of running fiber has more drawbacks than just limiting the bandwidth the telco can offer consumers. Unlike FTTH, VDSL requires the placement of occasional VRAD cabinets, which have caused a number of communities to complain about how the ugly "lawn fridges" reduce property value (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93381).
In a new twist, Comcast is now using the unsightly cabinets as part of an advertising campaign against U-Verse in the Chicago area. AT&T isn't amused, and has filed a false advertising suit against the cable company in Chicago Federal court.The VRADs are indeed large, cabinet-like boxes. But AT&T, in its complaint, says the boxes each serve up to 750 homes and only occasionally are placed on private property with the consent of the owner. "Purchasing AT&T television service offerings does not result in a VRAD being placed in a customer s yard, AT&T said. Comcast defended its ads in court filings, saying the VRADs are large and unsightly and that placement of the boxes has generated significant public controversy in these communities.
Verizon filed suit against Time Warner Cable earlier this month for ads that ridicule FiOS. As mentioned then (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93471), winning these kind of cases is difficult, as the claimant has to show hard data that proves customers were confused and that it led to clear, material losses.
In this case, it's true that the box placement has been controversial. AT&T's probably lucky that Comcast's marketing department didn't mention that AT&T is in the process of replacing some 17,000 potentially defective batteries -- after at least four (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/91000) of the cabinets exploded.
AT&T's decision to stick with copper VDSL instead of running fiber has more drawbacks than just limiting the bandwidth the telco can offer consumers. Unlike FTTH, VDSL requires the placement of occasional VRAD cabinets, which have caused a number of communities to complain about how the ugly "lawn fridges" reduce property value (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93381).
In a new twist, Comcast is now using the unsightly cabinets as part of an advertising campaign against U-Verse in the Chicago area. AT&T isn't amused, and has filed a false advertising suit against the cable company in Chicago Federal court.The VRADs are indeed large, cabinet-like boxes. But AT&T, in its complaint, says the boxes each serve up to 750 homes and only occasionally are placed on private property with the consent of the owner. "Purchasing AT&T television service offerings does not result in a VRAD being placed in a customer s yard, AT&T said. Comcast defended its ads in court filings, saying the VRADs are large and unsightly and that placement of the boxes has generated significant public controversy in these communities.
Verizon filed suit against Time Warner Cable earlier this month for ads that ridicule FiOS. As mentioned then (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/93471), winning these kind of cases is difficult, as the claimant has to show hard data that proves customers were confused and that it led to clear, material losses.
In this case, it's true that the box placement has been controversial. AT&T's probably lucky that Comcast's marketing department didn't mention that AT&T is in the process of replacing some 17,000 potentially defective batteries -- after at least four (http://www.thegng.org/shownews/91000) of the cabinets exploded.