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What is Really Happening?

What’s the Deal?
First, a bit of history. For the past few weeks, AT&T and Verizon have been fighting over some ads that have hit televisions and print everywhere. The ads, aimed at debunking AT&T’s 3G service are all truth, claims Verizon, but AT&T says they are misleading and false advertising. So who is right? And what’s happening now? Will this fight ever end?

The Fight-Verizon’s Ads
The Original Verizon Ad that made AT&T upset and prompted them to sue Verizon shows a man walking doing all the things that Verizon’s 3G coverage allows him to do and then shows the AT&T person not being able to do the same thing because there is no 3G coverage. There is a map of the coverage for both carriers above both their heads.

Then AT&T decided to sue Verizon on November 3 2009, and asked for a temporary restraining order, saying the ad was misleading, and that AT&T customers are going to think there is no coverage at all in the whited out areas, even though the ad clearly talks about the 3G coverage, not general all over coverage for all services. In reality, it is true that AT&T does not service those areas with 3G service, but with EDGE, a service that AT&T customers get “jumped” to if they enter a non-serviceable 3G area. Verizon made statements and shot back at AT&T saying:

“AT&T now is attempting to silence Verizon’s ads that include maps graphically depicting the geographic reach of AT&T’s 3G network as compared to Verizon’s own 3G network because AT&T does not like the truthful picture painted by that comparison.”

And on November 19th, a judge agreed with Verizon and did not grand the pulling of the ads and they are scheduled to meet again on December 16 2009. This ruling include the original ad plus Bench, College, Naughty or Nice, the Island of Misfits and Christmas blues, the other ads named in the suit.

So Now What?
Well, now that Verizon won, AT&T seems to be having a bit of a hissy fit and created a brand new, seemingly un-powerful and badly scripted new ad, starring Luke Wilson of the Legally Blond, Jackass Number 2 and Old School fame. I guess AT&T thought if they got someone who starred in comedy movies, it would mask the dryness of the ad itself. Boy were they wrong. Poor Luke tries to show consumers why it is that AT&T will serve them better throughout the country, with faster speeds, ability to surf and talk at the same time (Droid Does That), access to over 100,000 apps (Droid has over 11,000 available, but how many does a person really need?), and then ends with saying “Who has a “V” for the first letter of their name?” and Verizon obviously gets that.

So What’s The Verdict?
Well, since the judge decided that Verizon is right, even though the judge did say they were being sneaky, Verizon is saying that the injunction should not be granted. If Verizon did not break the law, they should be able to run all of the commercials.

AT&T needs to give it up. It is true, just like Verizon said, that AT&T’s 3G coverage, while it may be fast, does NOT cover the amount of area Verizon does. And on the issue of the things the AT&T Smartphones are able to do, the Droid does it all too. SO now it’s AT&T actually misleading consumers and Verizon should give AT&T a taste of their own suing medicine.

As for the sheer volume of apps available from AT&T, I must say this. Who on Earth needs so very many useless and do nothing but waste your money apps? At least the apps available for Verizon actually are useful, or fun. Get a grip AT&T and grow up.

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