Comcast's push to counter Google Fiber's buzzy expansion of its Internet and TV service in metro Atlanta has been met with that most visible kind of pan: kvetched online comments.
Comcast reportedly sent out fliers this week to metro Atlanta customers with "Don't fall for the hype" in bold lettering, as well as checkboxes outlining how the cable and Internet giant outshines Fiber with its in-home Wi-Fi speeds, free television shows and other features, according to a report by Ars Technica.
(In the flier’s fine print, Comcast’s clarifies its claim of the “fastest in-home Wi-Fi” as based on a study done in late 2014.)
Reddit users mocked the mailing — a fairly typical approach for the company to a competitor — after it was shared by someone in Atlanta. And by Thursday, the Reddit thread and Ars Technica article had drawn reaction from elsewhere on the Internet, with the Facebook commentary at one point trending on the social network.
Some media reports noted the flier's vague claims, while some Facebook and Reddit users panned the "pathetic" strategy and Comcast's service generally.
A spokesman for Comcast declined to comment to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Friday, but said the advertising was "very typical" and "competitive." He pointed to a Comcast website outlining much of the same information as in the flier.
Google Fiber, which has started work on its Atlanta network and which is available now at a select number of apartments, is bringing its service to nine metro-area cities, including Decatur and Avondale Estates.
According to the company website, Google Fiber offers 1,000 megabits per second, compared to the current U.S. average of 11.5 megabits per second. The company has said it might be up to two years before subscriber service is available.
