In a rare move, AT&T has posted an official response to Verizon’s ads on their website. The ads show U.S. maps covered in red for Verizon’s coverage, and another with scattered spots of blue for AT&T’s coverage.
The ad showing an iPhone sent to the "Island of Misfit Toys" appears to be what drove AT&T to respond publicly. According to their announcement, "As the U.S. market leader in wireless data service, we typically don't respond to competitors' advertising. However, some recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T's wireless data coverage."
The Verizon ads are specifically targeting 3G availability, which wasn’t as obvious in the original "There’s a map for that" ads. They’ve made that more clear in the latest, but AT&T believes they are still giving the faulty impression that wireless coverage isn’t available in the blank areas on the map. "AT&T's wireless data coverage reaches 303 million people—or 97% of the U.S. population, where they live and work," the post says. It admits that full 3G service is only available to 75% of the population, though, with the rest covered by EDGE or (ack) GPRS. But they make up for that by saying, "Unlike Verizon, AT&T has the nation's fastest 3G network." Clearly your mileage may vary.
Still, their claims that "Unlike Verizon, AT&T customers have access to more than 100,000 applications, more than with any other wireless company" and "Unlike Verizon, AT&T's 3G network lets wireless customers simultaneously talk and surf the web or do e-mail" should score some points. The problem, of course, is that they people they need to score points with aren’t on AT&T’s site—they’re busy watching Verizon ads on TV.
caulingwud
December 24, 2009 at 11:40pm
I am not so certain about AT&T adds, but I do know getting into my in box (yahoo) takes forever, and a day....even when I have high speed, and a nice comp.
Bowtrol
SpaceTrucker
November 16, 2009 at 2:03am
I've been to both Chicago and Denver and both places I NEVER ONCE had problems with my cell services with AT&T, though Sprint did like to charge me outrages charges to talk there, when they could connect my call, if they ever connected it...Okay so AT&T doesn't have 3-G service everywhere, so what, neither does Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile or anyone else for that matter. Clear is going the way of the do-do and it's not even barely out yet, Comcast and Sprint are at odds over the service. None of these are suitable for iPhones capabilities and never will be as long as their monopolies only serve certain areas of the country and no real competition or regulation to dethrone their over pricing and lower service availabilities. I'm still looking for that company that can cover 100% of the contiguous 48 states with both voice and 3+G data service, until that day, I'll settle for whatever is best at the time, right now, at least in my area, that's AT&T. Cheaper rates, no problems getting calls, no dropped calls, and 5 bars of service 90+% of the time. No other provider, (out of the 7+ in the area,) can say the same thing, especially Verizon and Sprint, which are #1 & 2 respectively at only one thing, the highest priced services around with the weakest signals and crappiest customer services.Verizon and Apple may actually love one another, Apple likes to dictate what developers can do with their phones and Verizon doesn't allow for developers to do anything with their phones... Good luck with that Apple, still not showing me a reason to buy one yet...
anthonyjstewart
November 15, 2009 at 8:05am
We just cancelled our Verizon Mobile 3G wifi cause we rarely got above modem speeds. It was garbage and this is in Chicago and generally anwhere else we travelled. AT&T I have moved off and gone to Comcast for my home internet for less money. I had just had enough of AT&T and Verizon while a good company their mobile wifi sucked. I was playing with a laptop in a new shop on Michigan Avenue called Clear promising 4G mobile wifi. Prices were similar to Verizon but I got 3Mb in their shop. 4G seems to be the way to go I think.The bills I got from AT&T were a joke, $60 a month and all I used was about $10 in calls. It was tax this, charge that, levy this. I mean really this is getting beyond a joke. I think hard wired home phones are really coming to an end with this kind of pricing. The comcast offer I got was $19.99 for 6 months. Thing is you really have to keep on top of these plans so you can switch and get the best deals. Needless to say I will not be going back to AT&T any time ever.
Loup407
November 14, 2009 at 11:54am
AT&T can complain all they want, but the reality is, at least here in the Denver area, the network is worthless. 9 out of 10 calls drop, and most of my incoming calls go straight to VM. We have 2 iPhones in our family and use them for business and personal use. The AT&T network is so unreliable for voice as to be laughable. While the network may be more dependable in other parts of the country, here, we get no bars, all the time. I can't wait to switch networks.
jacicaalban
November 14, 2009 at 4:32am
Who does the celebrity voiceover for those cingluar/at&t ads?
Muscle Might
