Verizon Wireless and AT&T are back at it again. Late yesterday, Verizon Wireless filed a 53-page legal document in response to AT&T’s allegations that its advertising is misleading.
Verizon’s ads show two maps of the United States, one for Verizon that is saturated with red 3G coverage and another for AT&T, which is sprinkled with blue to supposedly represent AT&T’s sparse 3G coverage across the nation. AT&T recently filed suit against Verizon for a temporary restraining order on the ads.
Verizon Wireless’ memorandum, which was filed with the District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, in objection to the restraining order, states: “AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon’s “There’s A Map For That” advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon’s ads are true and the truth hurts.”
Verizon further argues that it has invested “billions of dollars” in rolling out its 3G service, whereas AT&T, it claims, has invested “tens of millions” in its 3G service. According to the document, Verizon says that AT&T admits to Verizon Wireless’ assertion that it has five times the 3G coverage that AT&T does.
“Nonetheless, AT&T asserts that Verizon’s ads about 3G coverage are ‘false and misleading’ because they allegedly imply a message that confuses consumers regarding AT&T’s non-3G coverage,” states the complaint.
While the drama is far from over, AT&T is undoubtedly feeling the heat to have the ads pulled before the holiday season hits full swing. AT&T has taken relentless criticism recently over issues with its network performance, which many believe are due to the growing bandwidth demands of the iPhone.
