As iPhone debut looms, Verizon says AT&T not known for reliable network

Posted:
in iPhone edited January 2014
The ongoing rivalry between AT&T and Verizon has picked up steam again, with the two companies trading jabs at one another before Verizon is expected to announce it will sell Apple's popular iPhone today.



After an AT&T representative characterized Verizon's network as "slow," Verizon shot back, according to The New York Times. Verizon Wireless spokesman Jeffrey Nelson reportedly said that "it must be backwards day at AT&T."



"AT&T is known for a lot of things, but network quality is not one of them," he said. "Typically companies try to call attention to their strongest suit."



The comments came in response to a previous statement from AT&T, in which the carrier touted its faster network speeds than Verizon. An AT&T spokesperson said that Verizon iPhone users would experience "life in the slow lane" on the rival's network.



"The iPhone is built for speed, but that's not what you get with a CDMA iPhone," AT&T spokesman Larry Solomon said.



Verizon is set to host a media event today in New York City, where it is expected to announce it will carry the iPhone. AppleInsider will have full, live coverage of the announcement.



The last major public dispute between Verizon Wireless and AT&T came in 2009, when Verizon released a series of TV ads mocking AT&T's network. The campaign also lampooned Apple's "There's an app for that" tagline for the iPhone App Store, using the phrase "There's a map for that" to point out AT&T's inferior 3G coverage map in the U.S.



AT&T responded by filing a lawsuit against Verizon, and asking a federal court to pull the "misleading" television ads. Verizon's ads showed AT&T's coverage areas without high-speed 3G as a blank space on a map, which AT&T argued could be interpreted by people as meaning there was no coverage at all.



Though the lawsuit was eventually dropped, AT&T opted to directly take on Verizon with its own advertisements featuring Luke Wilson. The back-and-forth advertising battle lasted for months, but both companies eventually opted to move on and prevent further damage to their images.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 72
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    This whole Verizon vs ATT debate constantly reminds me of the childhood story about the tortoise and the hare. Verizon is the slow but steady tortoise and ATT is the fast but sporadic hare. And we all know who won that race.
  • Reply 2 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "AT&T is known for a lot of things, but network quality is not one of them," he said.







    So what he is saying is that Apple has partnered with a poor quality network for years and years and years. Apple does not treat its customers that way.



    Will we let Verizon get away with disparaging Apple and its business partners?
  • Reply 3 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by CEOstevie View Post


    So what he is saying is that Apple has partnered with a poor quality network for years and years and years. Apple does not treat its customers that way.



    Will we let Verizon get away with disparaging Apple and its business partners?



    All of the networks are bad. Apple had to choose one.
  • Reply 4 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    "AT&T is known for a lot of things, but network quality is not one of them," he said. "Typically companies try to call attention to their strongest suit."



    I would much rather hear the positives and how they are going to handle voice OR data but not both at the same time. This is the biggest difference I see.
  • Reply 5 of 72
    "backwards day"???



    Is this dude in the 4th grade? It may be true but make it burn more than "backwards day". I bet it really hurt AT&T's feelings. Ouch.





    On another note, if verizon could do voice data at the same time, and have fast speeds....I would probably pay the huge fees for cancellation and buy new phones to switch. BUT, they don't do both simultaneously and the data really is slower. I was a long time verizon user and their speeds are definitely slower.
  • Reply 6 of 72
    In real life use ATTs technically faster data speeds are almost never acheived. Why? Weak signal strength causes the phones to switch to a lower data speed to assure data integrity. Only if you are right on top of a cell site do you see faster speed than Verizon. I
  • Reply 7 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iancass79 View Post


    "backwards day"???



    Is this dude in the 4th grade? It may be true but make it burn more than "backwards day". I bet it really hurt AT&T's feelings. Ouch.





    On another note, if verizon could do voice data at the same time, and have fast speeds....I would probably pay the huge fees for cancellation and buy new phones to switch. BUT, they don't do both simultaneously and the data really is slower. I was a long time verizon user and their speeds are definitely slower.



    Yes, but what happens when you are in the VAST majority of AT&T's data network that only gets EDGE, or their more-than-enough areas that have GPRS or no data at all? Or their 1900MHz spectrum that couldn't penetrate through a plastic wrapper, let alone any stores or buildings? At that point, Verizon's 800Kbps 3G is much, much faster than what AT&T will give you. Sure, in the middle of town, AT&T has slightly faster speeds. Drive 10 minutes in any direction (at least where I live), and Verizon is the only one that has any kind of fast data network.
  • Reply 8 of 72
    Let's see...ATT may be faster (if you have coverage...see map)....Consumer Reports ranks ATT at the bottom of customer service....



    Can't wait for the Verizon iPhone and my upgrade date in March!!!
  • Reply 9 of 72
    ijoeijoe Posts: 18member
    As an IPHONE customer I am really excited to have two carriers battle it out for my business. This is great news for all of us. I am curious what tactics verizon will use to try to sway current att contract customers to cross over.
  • Reply 10 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hittrj01 View Post


    Yes, but what happens when you are in the VAST majority of AT&T's data network that only gets EDGE, or their more-than-enough areas that have GPRS or no data at all? Or their 1900MHz spectrum that couldn't penetrate through a plastic wrapper, let alone any stores or buildings? At that point, Verizon's 800Kbps 3G is much, much faster than what AT&T will give you. Sure, in the middle of town, AT&T has slightly faster speeds. Drive 10 minutes in any direction (at least where I live), and Verizon is the only one that has any kind of fast data network.



    I live there. 37738. Google it. I switched to AT&T and unless verizon gets data and voice and faster net, I am sticking with my choice.



    But, as for thinking I am the privileged one that has great coverage and super fast speeds, no. I live in the sticks man. I go to walmart and lose signal. But now that I think about it. Verizon can't penetrate some buildings i.e. my work, but my AT&T does.
  • Reply 11 of 72
    I don't know about most people, but despite the coverage claims of Verizon, AT&T has coverage where I am in the country, even 3G coverage which I didn't expect.
  • Reply 12 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ijoe View Post


    As an IPHONE customer I am really excited to have two carriers battle it out for my business. This is great news for all of us. I am curious what tactics verizon will use to try to sway current att contract customers to cross over.



    Although I am sticking it out with AT&T for now, I totally agree. But it looks as if verizon is matching AT&T prices (rumor only) and hoping you switch for their better coverage.
  • Reply 13 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Wiggin View Post


    This whole Verizon vs ATT debate constantly reminds me of the childhood story about the tortoise and the hare. Verizon is the slow but steady tortoise and ATT is the fast but sporadic hare. And we all know who won that race.



    Actually, I think it is more like two punk kids spouting "your mama" jokes.



    Kid 1 (Verizon): Your mama is so fat when she sat down in Central Park all the iPhones in NY dropped calls and lost 3G.



    Kid 2 (AT&T): Your mama is so ugly she used two phones to hide her face, not to talk and surf the web at the same time.
  • Reply 14 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jimlat View Post


    Can't wait for the Verizon iPhone and my upgrade date in March!!!



    Keep dreaming. March?



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by nuovocapitolo View Post


    I don't know about most people, but despite the coverage claims of Verizon, AT&T has coverage where I am in the country, even 3G coverage which I didn't expect.



    But not here, at all. Like most people.
  • Reply 15 of 72
    nhtnht Posts: 4,522member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by johnwhite1000 View Post


    In real life use ATTs technically faster data speeds are almost never acheived. Why? Weak signal strength causes the phones to switch to a lower data speed to assure data integrity. Only if you are right on top of a cell site do you see faster speed than Verizon. I



    I hate to invoke WorksForMe (TM) but I get better download and upload speeds at home and work over AT&T 3G than I do with my Clear 4G iSpot hotspot. There's a tower near work but not home. At night I can get insanely high 3G speeds.
  • Reply 16 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    What the hell is with these silly comments about only getting fast speeds on AT&T when directly under or over a tower? Who the frak do they think they are fooling?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hittrj01 View Post


    Yes, but what happens when you are in the VAST majority of AT&T's data network that only gets EDGE, or their more-than-enough areas that have GPRS or no data at all?



    Vast majority of AT&T customers only get EDGE? That?s not even close to being true.



    Quote:

    Or their 1900MHz spectrum that couldn't penetrate through a plastic wrapper, let alone any stores or buildings?



    A plastic bag, eh? That?s so silly I don?t even know where to begin.



    Quote:

    At that point, Verizon's 800Kbps 3G is much, much faster than what AT&T will give you.



    That?s not true nor does it make sense considering the technologies involves and AT&T?s move to lower frequencies.



    Quote:

    Sure, in the middle of town, AT&T has slightly faster speeds.



    Slightly faster? How many magnitudes faster. The fact is Verizon was advertising ?3G? coverage for years when it was only EV-DO 1x which is at slower speeds than EDGE. Now that?s resolved, but so is AT&T?s ?3G? coverage over most of the US population.



    Quote:

    Drive 10 minutes in any direction (at least where I live), and Verizon is the only one that has any kind of fast data network.



    What kind of piddly town has only one tower in the in the middle and nothing else hat you can drive 10 minutes in any direction to get out of AT&T?s range. Which town is this? I?ll bring up the tower maps for each company.
  • Reply 17 of 72
    Depends on where you live. I know where sprint dead zones are, verizon, att, and T-mobile. I happen to live in a strong ATT area.
  • Reply 18 of 72
    Here is my recap of my experience with AT&T for the past couple of years.



    1. 2007 waited 72 hours to have my phone activated after launch. (after 18 hours in line for V1)

    2. 2007 went to my mailbox to make calls for most of that fall and winter

    3. 2007-2010 Returned at least 10 iphones, thinking it was the device and not the service. Had every one of them

    4. 2008-current: Listened to all of my staff, complain about their service after switching to all iphones for the workplace

    5. Launch 2007-current: Put up with missed calls, echos, droped calls, call failed, no service, delayed texts, VM, silence and static since day 1

    6. 2009: Purchased a microcell, and calls still dropped even inside the home

    7. 2009: Gave up last year, went to a Verizon Droid, didn't like OS then just went back to a flip phone, but rarely ever droped a call on either one.



    One positive note: data was great, put i dont need fast speeds like they advertise. I am not watching Netflix or porn outside the home. I just want to make a phone call without it dropping.



    People like me just want a phone to work and the data side is just a bonus. My collegues and I dont share the same delightful experience as some customers do. Mr. T has had its chance and has shown its true colors. Cant wait for a real network to make a phone call.
  • Reply 19 of 72
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Damn_Its_Hot View Post


    I would much rather hear the positives and how they are going to handle voice OR data but not both at the same time. This is the biggest difference I see.



    We've all been laughing at Verizon for years because they can't handle stuff that the iPhone is famous for.



    Multitasking? Har!



    Verizon is second rate. If I cannot access data while talking on my iPhone, then the Verizon iPhone is fatally crippled. IMHO.
  • Reply 20 of 72
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iancass79 View Post


    "backwards day"???



    Is this dude in the 4th grade? It may be true but make it burn more than "backwards day". I bet it really hurt AT&T's feelings. Ouch.



    I was a bit shocked to read that comment. It seems like something The Onion would write as a quote.
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