Close
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Menu
Search
  • Latest News
  • Cybersecurity
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Mobile
  • Networking
  • Storage
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Apple
    • Apple
    • IT Management
    • Mobile
    • Networking

    Judge Denies ATandT Request to Bump Verizon Ads

    By
    Michelle Maisto
    -
    November 19, 2009
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      A federal judge in Atlanta has denied AT&T’s request that competitor Verizon Wireless be made to pull its series of “There’s a Map for That” advertisements, according to a Nov. 18 report from the Associated Press.

      AP reports that the judge has scheduled a Dec. 16 hearing, in which attorneys for AT&T will have another chance to argue their case.

      AT&T believes that the Verizon ads, which show 3G coverage maps for both carriers, are potentially misleading to customers, who may mistakenly think that AT&T offers no coverage in non-3G coverage areas. In the suit it filed against Verizon on Nov. 3, AT&T attorneys stated, “Verizon has stepped over the line of legitimate comparative advertising.”

      Verizon responded, days later, with a 53-page memorandum that stated, “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.”

      The Verizon response went on to state that AT&T has invested tens of millions of dollars in its 3G network, while Verizon has invested billions of dollars since 2004 and now has a network that “covers five times more of the United States than AT&T’s 3G network.”

      Wanting to make sure consumers are clear about its offerings, AT&T posted a letter on its site, describing its networks and coverage areas, which it said “reaches 303 million people-or 97 percent of the U.S. population, where they live and work.”

      Additionally, in a seemingly quick effort to shore up public confidence-which one study showed to be waning-on Nov. 18 AT&T launched a new television commercial of its own, starring actor Luke Wilson, of “Old School” and “Anchor Man” fame.

      In the commercial, Wilson-against an empty warehouse backdrop, and with an orange magnetic board with a checklist-repeats the central points of AT&T’s Website letter: “Who has the nation’s fastest 3G network?” Wilson asks. “Which network lets you talk and surf the Web at the same time?” “The most popular smartphones? Access to over 100,000 apps?” The answer, of course, is AT&T.

      The “zinger”-or really lack of a zinger, hinting at how quickly the ad was likely made-is that Verizon also earns a checked box, for having a “name that starts with the letter V.”

      Ken Hyers, a senior analyst with Technology Business Research, says the Verizon ads are certainly modifying public perception.

      “AT&T is definitely concerned by the impressions being created by the Verizon ads, and they’re doing everything they can to put a stop to them,” he told eWEEK. “Though as it turns out, there’s not a whole lot they can do about them.”

      Noting that AT&T will have a second shot to argue its case, Hyers added, “For now, they’re just going to have to endure them.”

      Avatar
      Michelle Maisto
      Michelle Maisto has been covering the enterprise mobility space for a decade, beginning with Knowledge Management, Field Force Automation and eCRM, and most recently as the editor-in-chief of Mobile Enterprise magazine. She earned an MFA in nonfiction writing from Columbia University, and in her spare time obsesses about food. Her first book, The Gastronomy of Marriage, if forthcoming from Random House in September 2009.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Android

      Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro: Durability for Tough...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 5, 2020 0
      Have you ever dropped your phone, winced and felt the pain as it hit the sidewalk? Either the screen splintered like a windshield being...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Why Data Security Will Face Even Harsher...

      Chris Preimesberger - December 1, 2020 0
      Who would know more about details of the hacking process than an actual former career hacker? And who wants to understand all they can...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      How Veritas Is Shining a Light Into...

      eWEEK EDITORS - September 25, 2020 0
      Protecting data has always been one of the most important tasks in all of IT, yet as more companies become data companies at the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      How NVIDIA A100 Station Brings Data Center...

      Zeus Kerravala - November 18, 2020 0
      There’s little debate that graphics processor unit manufacturer NVIDIA is the de facto standard when it comes to providing silicon to power machine learning...
      Read more
      Apple

      Why iPhone 12 Pro Makes Sense for...

      Wayne Rash - November 26, 2020 0
      If you’ve been watching the Apple commercials for the past three weeks, you already know what the company thinks will happen if you buy...
      Read more
      eWeek


      Contact Us | About | Sitemap

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      Terms of Service | Privacy Notice | Advertise | California - Do Not Sell My Information

      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×