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AT&T Sues Verizon Over "Map For That" Ads

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the sue-sue-sudio dept.

MahlonS writes "AP is reporting on a suit filed in Northern Georgia in which AT&T claims that Verizon's 'There's a Map for That' ads are misleading and amount to deceptive trade practices. Verizon had already agreed to modify their original ad to include a tag line that voice and data services are available outside 3G coverage areas." What's interesting is that on some level, this is actually a lawsuit over data visualization.

7 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. I'm not seeing it. by Paranatural · · Score: 5, Informative

    It even said in the FA that they were maps of the 3G coverage. As long as the maps are accurate, I can't see what they are complaining about. Nowhere is it implied that the normal service is limited to those same maps.

    A case of sour grapes by AT&T.

    Maybe if they'd use some of that iPhone money to expand their infrastructure instead of hiring lawyers and racking up executive bonuses...but nah, that's crazy talk.

    1. Re:I'm not seeing it. by pcaylor · · Score: 5, Informative

      The maps are accurate but Verizon originally referred to the areas without 3G coverage as 'Out of Touch' That sounds a lot worse than 'falling back to 2G EDGE' Verizon has agreed to remove the 'Out of Touch' phrasing though. AT&T wants Verizon to show their full data coverage map without distinction between EDGE and 3G. And on such trivialities, lawyers get rich.

    2. Re:I'm not seeing it. by Mr_Silver · · Score: 4, Informative

      It even said in the FA that they were maps of the 3G coverage. As long as the maps are accurate, I can't see what they are complaining about. Nowhere is it implied that the normal service is limited to those same maps.

      Unfortunately 3G was only mentioned after AT&T complained. Previously it just said "Out of touch" and implied that you would get absolutely no voice or data throughout vast amounts of America.

      I think the editors really need to update the post - otherwise the comments are going to be filled with people making comments about the recently modified advert and not realising what was originally displayed.

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  2. Re:Good by JiveDonut · · Score: 4, Informative

    Disagree completely. I think the ads are quite obvious in that

    A) It clearly states it is a 3G coverage map

    and

    B) There is a sentence on the bottom of the screen that says that voice and data service are available outside the 3G coverage area.

    IIRC, the ad says "3G" about 1 brazillion times as well.

  3. Really? by earnest+murderer · · Score: 4, Informative

    Because the maps have a giant "3G" label, and they're both quite accurate and easy to compare...

    http://gizmodo.com/5024163/att-3g-coverage-maps-updated-now-with-more-3g

    You'll have to pull up a 3G map for a city then zoom out to the national level on their own site.. (http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/#?type=voice&3g=t).

    AT&T really doesn't have anything on Verizon's 3g network.

    --
    Platform advocacy is like choosing a favorite severely developmentally disabled child.
  4. Re:Good by nahdude812 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Actually the iPhone is only 13.7% of smart phone sales as of Q2 2009.

    iPhone gets all the hype, and indeed it's doing quite well for itself, but it's only selling 2/3 as many units as RIM (though catching up), and it lags far behind Symbian which single handedly enjoys > 50% share.

    --
    Slay a dragon... over lunch!
  5. Re:Good by ran-o-matic · · Score: 5, Informative

    This is not true. That red map is the VZW 3G (EVDO and not just 1xRTT) network just as they claim. They have basically upgraded their entire network to EVDO.