FORT WAYNE – Frontier is firing back.
This month, officials at Frontier Communications took issue with a Comcast advertising campaign that declares “Frontier is pulling the plug on FiOS.”
The Comcast ads encourage customers to switch to its Xfinity service.
On Wednesday, Frontier took out a full-page ad in The Journal Gazette declaring that “Comcast Doesn’t Let the Facts Get in the Way of a Good Story! Here’s the Truth: Frontier Isn’t Pulling the Plug on Anything.” Readers are directed to visit www.frontierfacts.com to learn about its FiOS offerings.
The flap seems to stem from a move by Frontier that made DirecTV its anchor TV product, but that should not be interpreted as a fiber-optic pullout, said Matt Kelley, spokesman for the company.
“It simply isn’t true,” he said. “They were supposed to pull the billboards down by Monday, but that obviously hasn’t happened. We took them at their word and thought they would honor it. Our attorneys have been active with this.”
Comcast spokeswoman Mary Beth Halprin said she couldn’t comment on the company’s “marketing” efforts and would only say the company is attempting to provide Fort Wayne residents with choices.
“That’s what it’s all about,” Halprin said.
Kelley said Comcast has conducted similar campaigns in Oregon and Washington.
“We’re doing everything to fight back,” he said. “It’s just good old-fashioned competition.”
The two companies have gone at it particularly since Stamford, Conn.-based Frontier completed an $8.6 billion deal, including $3.3 billion in debt, last July with Verizon Communications Inc. to acquire its landline phone, Internet and cable business in 14 states, including Indiana.
Frontier leaders have said the company is having a tough time competing with larger cable operations in price. The result is higher bills for FiOS customers.
To help resolve the issue, Frontier began offering DirecTV as an alternative to FiOS but not as a replacement, Kelley said.
