AT&T brings lawsuit against Verizon over "Map" ad campaign
AT&T has filed a lawsuit over Verizon's "There's a Map for That" advertising campaign, claiming Verizon is misrepresenting AT&T's coverage areas.
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and a injunction to stop Verizon from "disseminating misleading coverage maps" of AT&T's areas of cellular and data coverage. AT&T is also seeking damages in the suit.
The "Map" advertisement displays two competing 3G coverage maps, in which the Verizon coverage area is clearly more widespread than AT&T's coverage area. The suit contains an AT&T commissioned survey of the ads which found that 53 percent of those asked interpreted the non-colored areas of the maps to be total gaps in coverage.
AT&T had previously contacted Verizon directly on Oct. 7, requesting that the ads be withdrawn or modified, according to the suit. Verizon responded by dropping the words "out of touch" from the ads and included the phrase "Voice & data services available outside 3G coverage areas" in small print at the end of the advertisements.
The complaint lists two TV spots currently airing, dubbed "College" and "Bench," as well as a print advertisement that has run in various publications.
"The map attributed to AT&T shows large swaths of white or blank space, as if these are areas in which AT&T has no coverage whatsoever," the suit reads. "By depicting AT&T's non-"3G" coverage as white or blank space in the map used in Verizon's print advertisement, consumers are being misled into believing that AT&T's customers have no coverage whatsoever and thus cannot use their wireless devices when they are outside of AT&T's depicted coverage area."
The complaint was filed Tuesday in an Atlanta, Ga., federal court, and requests a temporary restraining order against Verizon to prevent the ads from continuing to air. The suit notes that the ads are airing during the "most vigorous and important marketing season for the wireless industry."
AT&T claims that the ads in their current form convey the message that AT&T has no coverage in the areas that are blank on the 3G maps that are shown. AT&T contends that the 2.5G (EDGE) network is available in a much wider area, so to imply that there is no coverage is misleading.
According to Reuters, Verizon has responded, saying that the suit is without merit and the advertisements are intended to show 3G coverage only: "The ads in question clearly state that voice and data services are available outside 3G areas."
Verizon has released a series of aggressive ads targeted toward AT&T and the iPhone specifically in conjunction with the release of Motorola's Droid phone on the Verizon network. The Droid is scheduled to be released November 6th, and is the first phone to carry Android version 2.0 along with a beta of Google Navigator. Verizon's "iDon't" ad directly compared the Droid to the iPhone, claiming that the Droid has superior features.
The suit seeks a temporary restraining order and a injunction to stop Verizon from "disseminating misleading coverage maps" of AT&T's areas of cellular and data coverage. AT&T is also seeking damages in the suit.
The "Map" advertisement displays two competing 3G coverage maps, in which the Verizon coverage area is clearly more widespread than AT&T's coverage area. The suit contains an AT&T commissioned survey of the ads which found that 53 percent of those asked interpreted the non-colored areas of the maps to be total gaps in coverage.
AT&T had previously contacted Verizon directly on Oct. 7, requesting that the ads be withdrawn or modified, according to the suit. Verizon responded by dropping the words "out of touch" from the ads and included the phrase "Voice & data services available outside 3G coverage areas" in small print at the end of the advertisements.
The complaint lists two TV spots currently airing, dubbed "College" and "Bench," as well as a print advertisement that has run in various publications.
"The map attributed to AT&T shows large swaths of white or blank space, as if these are areas in which AT&T has no coverage whatsoever," the suit reads. "By depicting AT&T's non-"3G" coverage as white or blank space in the map used in Verizon's print advertisement, consumers are being misled into believing that AT&T's customers have no coverage whatsoever and thus cannot use their wireless devices when they are outside of AT&T's depicted coverage area."
The complaint was filed Tuesday in an Atlanta, Ga., federal court, and requests a temporary restraining order against Verizon to prevent the ads from continuing to air. The suit notes that the ads are airing during the "most vigorous and important marketing season for the wireless industry."
AT&T claims that the ads in their current form convey the message that AT&T has no coverage in the areas that are blank on the 3G maps that are shown. AT&T contends that the 2.5G (EDGE) network is available in a much wider area, so to imply that there is no coverage is misleading.
According to Reuters, Verizon has responded, saying that the suit is without merit and the advertisements are intended to show 3G coverage only: "The ads in question clearly state that voice and data services are available outside 3G areas."
Verizon has released a series of aggressive ads targeted toward AT&T and the iPhone specifically in conjunction with the release of Motorola's Droid phone on the Verizon network. The Droid is scheduled to be released November 6th, and is the first phone to carry Android version 2.0 along with a beta of Google Navigator. Verizon's "iDon't" ad directly compared the Droid to the iPhone, claiming that the Droid has superior features.
Comments
No simultaneous voice and data = no multitasking like the iPhone is capable of.
I've no idea if they are true, but I think it's a smart idea.
No links to sources for this article?
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ATampT....html?x=0&.v=1
I wonder if anyone will take the Droid multitasking statement to task.
No simultaneous voice and data = no multitasking like the iPhone is capable of.
Well I see your point, but that's a limitation of CMDA vs GSM. It's not a limitation of android phones or anything, and besides that, it's not important enough for people to give up verizon's coverage. On top of THAT, I'm not sure you know what they mean by multitasking.
Honestly, I'm beginning to start to care less if I can multitask. It's nice and all, and seems like common sense, but it's not like I'm writing a report while updating my tweeter and facebook status and listening to a navigation system guide me somewhere or something...
An outrageous act by ATT. Verizon clearly and honestly states that it is "3G" capability the map refers to.
+1!
I think AT&T's argument is a stretch, the graphs are clearly labeled and the entire ad is about 3G.
Perhaps instead of suing people they could put more effort into improving their network. What are they doing with all that money they've gotten from the iPhone?? Their network sucks, and their support sucks. And their plans suck. I'm sure I'm forgetting something too. :-p
I will never forgive Apple letting the nations best smartphone operate only on its most inadequate 3g network.
Well, there's always T-Mobile, which still has spotty 3G coverage. And that's really it in terms of the options that Apple would choose, because the iPhone was meant to be a GSM phone that could be marketed worldwide. If they stuck with CDMA, they woulld've been limited to only US sales.. and I know people are thinking US sales are alot, but they aren't greater than the rest of the world combined. So unfortunately sticking with AT&T was probably the only realistic option, especially since Verizon rejected Apple's offer in 2007. I imagine that coverage for AT&T and T-Mobile will get better as the 2010 iPhone rolls around.. hopefully by then the iPhone will be on T-Mobile and AT&T!
But of course, it's just easier to blame AT&T.
An outrageous act by ATT. Verizon clearly and honestly states that it is "3G" capability the map refers to. So what if ATTs crappy network provides antiquated 2 g coverage. ATT needs to spend money upgrading its technically inadequate 1900 Mhz crap network rather than filing lawsuits that attempt to muddy the truth. I will never forgive Apple letting the nations best smartphone operate only on its most inadequate 3g network.
It depends if AT&T's study is accurate. According to the article, more than 50% people surveyed thought that the white areas meant there was no coverage at all. I made the same mistake the first time I saw the commercial but since I've seen it a million times since, I got what they meant.
Well I see your point, but that's a limitation of CMDA vs GSM.
True, but this is a a feature that I can?t live without. I didn?t know that when I first got the iPhone but it seems every time I?m on a call I?m using the internet at some point, even if it?s just entertaining myself while on hold. I would never even consider Verizon or Sprint unless they get EVDO Rev. B or LTE going.
True, but this is a a feature that I can?t live without. I didn?t know that when I first got the iPhone but it seems every time I?m on a call I?m using the internet at some point, even if it?s just entertaining myself while on hold. I would never even consider Verizon or Sprint unless they get EVDO Rev. B or LTE going.
lol really? that's interesting. I've never really had the urge to do so while on a call, but I could see that.
Mainly, I think the most obvious advantage with simultaneous data & voice is caller ID. On my phone, for instance, there's a cab that attempts to look up a number as someone's calling, but it only works on GSM. That'd be pretty nice. Or looking up movie times.
I would definitely like to have that functionality.
It depends if AT&T's study is accurate. According to the article, more than 50% people surveyed thought that the white areas meant there was no coverage at all. I made the same mistake the first time I saw the commercial but since I've seen it a million times since, I got what they meant.
Verizon can?t be blamed for that. They are very clear about it being ?3G? coverage. There is nothing wrong with clever marketing. It?s the basis of a good campaign.
Verizons network operates at 800 Mhz. Most of ATTs is still at 1900 Mhz.
That is changing pretty fast. I heard that within a year nearly all their 3G towers will have been transferred. I was told that there were some delays working out some software kinks but that the rest of it should go a lot smoother. I have no idea that is true. Consider it hearsay.
It depends if AT&T's study is accurate. According to the article, more than 50% people surveyed thought that the white areas meant there was no coverage at all. I made the same mistake the first time I saw the commercial but since I've seen it a million times since, I got what they meant.
The only way that's relevant is if you can prove that Verizon "knew or should have known" that, in addition to proving that the study itself is accurate and applies to the "general population" (whatever that means). I wish good luck to AT&T in convincing anyone of that.
Holding Verizon accountable for the stupidity of a select group of people is really a noble thing to do too. This puts AT&T in a poor light, not matter how you slice it.
If this lawsuit works, then when will the cable company and other ISP's be sued for using Mbps... Because most consumers dont understand how that works either (ie differences between MegaBIT and MegaBYTE)... obviously, thats equally as "misleading" to consumers isnt it?
If AT&T was smart, they would figure out a clever way of pointing out that Verizon is misleading/dishonest, rather than file frivilious lawsuits-- or better yet, improve their lousy 3G network, 2nd biggest carrier with the 4th best 3G is lousy.
I wish I could selectively multitask. I listen to a lot of Pandora and Last.fm and wish I could keep the music going while I update my Facebook or Twitter status. Otherwise you're right, I also couldn't really care less about multitasking.
lol really? that's interesting. I've never really had the urge to do so while on a call, but I could see that.
Mainly, I think the most obvious advantage with simultaneous data & voice is caller ID. On my phone, for instance, there's a cab that attempts to look up a number as someone's calling, but it only works on GSM. That'd be pretty nice. Or looking up movie times.
I would definitely like to have that functionality.
If on hold I?m reading RSS, reading email, or using Safari, usually.
If talking to friends or family I?m usually looking up movies, some odd thing that is asked of me with Safari, or looking up an address, number or distance of a restaurant or some other place with Maps.
SMS/MMS also works and you can also conference in up to 5 more calls, but I don?t utilize this features.
PS: The iPhone will list the city & state of a missed call for numbers not in your contacts. What I don?t get is why this is listed when the call is coming in, which I would find more useful.
Without Apple, AT&T would be getting virtually no publc play at all. Such a boooring company.
Yeah, I know it?s easy to bash AT&T for a number of recent issues. However, remember that AT&T supports far more smart phones than any other US based carrier. Network upgrades take time, money, equipment, and advanced engineering. I?m not an apologist; I realize, too, that AT&T should have planned better.
As for all the recent comments about how AT&T could not survive without Apple, I recently ran across this website that show cased all of the accomplishments and inventions by AT&T over the last 130 years. (I was researching the origins of the cell phone for a project that I am working on.) It?s quite impressive.
http://www.corp.att.com/attlabs/reputation/timeline/
Some highlights:
1876: The first telephone.
1924: The first Electrical Sound Recordings.
1926: The first Sound in Motion Pictures.
1939: The first Digital Computer.
1946: The first Mobile Call.
1947: The first Transistor. This was one of the biggest inventions of the 20th century. This is the foundation of every single electronics device.
1954: The first (usable) modern Solar Cell.
1960: The first Communications Satellites.
1969: UNIX and the foundation of the Internet.
1969 The CCD (Charge-Coupled Device that transfers light into electric signals) Every one of the digital images you ? and millions of others ? take every day is made possible thanks to work done by two Bell Labs researchers in the late 1960s. Their ground-breaking work was recently recognized with the Nobel Prize in Physics.
1983: Cell Phones and the Cell Phone Network.
1983: C (1972) and C++. You may not know this, but just about every digital device runs some form of C++ generated code.
1989: HDTV Technology?..and first demonstration to the FCC.
1997: a2b secure digital transmission of Music (compression, authorization). This cleared the way for online music resellers to distribute digital music over the Internet.
There are plenty more out there?..these are just a few as they relate to Apple.
So, yes AT&T is benefitting from Apple?s iPhone??but I would argue that Apple has also benefitted from AT&T?s accomplishments as well. AT&T has invented many of the critical components that are at the core of the most popular products that Apple sells today.
Apple?s strength is the ability to integrate and enhance previously developed technologies into desirable consumer products. Here are some examples:
Mac OS X: The foundation of this OS is UNIX??UNIX was created by AT&T.
iPod/iTunes: AT&T developed stereo recordings, compression, secure digital transfers, C++, and of course the transistor. The latest iPods now have CCDs (picture/video)?all developed by AT&T.
iPhone: AT&T invented the Cell Phone Network. Apple?s recent growth (iPhone) is reliant upon this technology that AT&T invented.
So, yes, AT&T is benefiting from the iPhone?.but Apple has also benefitted from AT&T?s inventions as well.
I am offering this to inspire intelligent discussion, debate, and comments.