Recently, Big Red began to market against AT&T’s long running “Theres an App for That” marketing campaign for the Iphone. The campaign, using the phrase “There’s a Map for That’, intends to pun against AT&T’s sub par coverage in areas across the nation. Such ads showing the extensive coverage of Verizon have been done before, but this one is notable for being a direct attack on AT&T’s coverage. In turn, AT&T has now filed a lawsuit with Verizon Wireless over the Campaign, claiming it as false advertising.
According to AT&T, the advertisements are only taking into account HSDPA coverage of AT&T, and not EDGE. According to AT&T’s interpretation of 3G, this is not proper advertising of their coverage. Meanwhile, Verizon Wireless claims their EVDO service to be of 3G. Two problems that lie here are in the definition of 3G, and the fact that the two carriers use two completely different carrier bands to transmit their data (GSM AT&T vurses CDMA Verizon)
The biggest problem to the puzzle is that there is no true definition to 3G (or 4G for that matter) connectivity. Although HSDPA is the fastest speeds under AT&T, EDGE still supports broadband (PC Cards and decent speed internet.) In the long run, due to the differences of AT&T and Verizon’s carrier systems (CDMA and GSM,) it is hard to say the calling on this case, and if Verizon has or has not.
For now, AT&T stands strong with a complaint, request for restraining order, and other documents. (Thanks dslreports.com!)
Source: Dslreports