Cablevision consolidates lawsuits against Verizon over false FiOS advertising claims

Cablevision (NYSE: CVC) is not giving up on challenging Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) claims that its FiOS network is 100 percent fiber-based, so it is combining its claims into one larger suit.

In a Manhattan court, Cablevision voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit it filed in May without prejudice, a move that will allow it to file another suit challenging Verizon's claims.

Cablevision said in a statement on Thursday that it was "merely in the process of being transferred to the same court that is already hearing our prior false advertising lawsuit against Verizon."

The cable MSO filed the lawsuit after Verizon filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division over Cablevision's ad that says Verizon's 100 percent fiber optic service claim is not true because the service uses a regular coax cable inside the home to distribute broadband data and video services.

"Consumers have spoken and voted FiOS services above Cablevision in the most recent ACSI and PC Mag studies, just a few days ago in fact," said Alberto Canal, a Verizon spokesman in an email response to Reuters. "The voices of our customers carry a lot more weight than a misinformation campaign of a competitor."

In January, Cablevision filed a separate lawsuit in Eastern New York, alleging that the telco made false and misleading claims about the MSO's Wi-Fi service in TV ads.

For more:
- Reuters has this article
- here's FierceCable's coverage

Related articles:
Cablevision sues Verizon over FiOS ad
Cablevision sues Verizon alleging deceptive advertising claims about Wi-Fi superiority
Cablevision develops guide feature similar to Verizon FiOS 'What's Hot' app
Verizon faces pressure from unions to expand FiOS into new markets

This article was updated on June 19 with additional information from Verizon.