During the course of the ad, Verizon shows a map of AT&T's 3G coverage and compares it directly to a map of Verizon's 3G coverage. AT&T's 3G coverage map is clearly smaller than Verizon Wireless', with huge gaps all over the place indicating where AT&T doesn't provide 3G service yet.
Even though Verizon also shows a map with white gaps where it doesn't have 3G service, AT&T thinks that the maps falsely leads consumers to believe that AT&T provides no coverage at all in the areas that are blank. In reality, AT&T's EDGE network serves most of those regions quite well.
AT&T asked Verizon to change the ads, and Verizon made a minor adjustment. Whatever Verizon Wireless changed, it wasn't enough to appease AT&T, which filed a lawsuit over the whole thing.
Over the weekend, Verizon aired three more commercials (see below), which continue to show the 3G map comparison. AT&T has had enough. It has amended its original lawsuit and is demanding that Verizon Wireless pull the commercials.
"Contrary to the image presented in the Verizon ads, our wireless network is pervasive," said an AT&T spokesman. "It covers over 300 million people, or 97% of the U.S. population. Our fastest, or 3G, network covers approximately 233 million people, or 75% of the U.S. population. … [Verizon's] use of white space is misleading."
Misleading or not, the commercials are amusing -- and possibly even having the negative impact that Verizon intends. To be continued...
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