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AT&T Files Complaint Against Verizon Over 3G Coverage Map Commercials
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To all you complainers, if the iPhone ever does comes to Verizon, I hope you do in fact all switch over. Then Verizon will find out what network usage really is. Do you remember that study showing the percentage of mobile web browsing done by iPhones? Huge. Verizon's network will falter (unless of course they charge so much you don't want to use it), and AT&T will be nice and strong because of the relieved strain.
Personally, I've only had problems with AT&T before my town switched to 3G, now I have service everywhere (and fast). And at my parents' home in Northern Virginia, I've never had any 3G problems either.
Additionally, do you really think that the people on these forums are the target audience for these ads? If you're posting on a Mac rumor site, you obviously know full well what phone and network you're going to use based on sound research. The people they're targeting these ads at may not know what 3G is, may have never used a smartphone, and could potentially be confused by the supposed inability to access the internet through they're phone in a large percentage of the country. I think it's pretty reasonable for AT&T to complain. For everyone who's saying they're whiners, I'm sure you'd make great businessmen: "Our competitors are saying potentially untrue things about our products. We should just sack up and let them continue because we are big tough men." How a phone company has fanboys is beyond me, but you guys are really something.
Personally, I've only had problems with AT&T before my town switched to 3G, now I have service everywhere (and fast). And at my parents' home in Northern Virginia, I've never had any 3G problems either.
Additionally, do you really think that the people on these forums are the target audience for these ads? If you're posting on a Mac rumor site, you obviously know full well what phone and network you're going to use based on sound research. The people they're targeting these ads at may not know what 3G is, may have never used a smartphone, and could potentially be confused by the supposed inability to access the internet through they're phone in a large percentage of the country. I think it's pretty reasonable for AT&T to complain. For everyone who's saying they're whiners, I'm sure you'd make great businessmen: "Our competitors are saying potentially untrue things about our products. We should just sack up and let them continue because we are big tough men." How a phone company has fanboys is beyond me, but you guys are really something.
The only company that will look bad in this is AT&T. Apple will open up the iPhone to more than one carrier in the US (I hope TMobile is one) and AT&T will lose its exclusivity. That means that they'll probably only lose 75% of their iPhone customers, not all of them.
That also means that these other providers won't have so many new customers to swallow that their unhinged jaws can't handle. I'm sure they'll be fine.
No, AT&T will be the ones who suffer in the long run because of their gouging customers with what is an extremely poor service and experience. Laugh it up now boys! Your days are numbered.
As a loathful AT&T customer, I will be on of those 75% departing.
ahhahahahah.... man thats funny. When I see that E show up, I put the phone away.Maybe that's why AT&T isn't so ambitious about upgrading it's network because as soon as exclusivity ends, most iPhone user's will jump ship. I know I will....
Nah man, you missed the mark....we're talking about coverage, and your parents home and the "everywhere" your claiming doesn't quite cover the vast expanse of space we're talking about. Even with relieved strain, it's the limited coverage we're talking about. Besides, by the time exclusivity ends, 4G will be up
You know what I want? I want the regulation. I also want that regulation to be cheap and easy to implement so that it doesn't increase the costs of goods and services, but sure makes it harder for the enron's/aig's/etc to get away with passing the buck on poor/unethical decisions. Technology will get us there.
How can anyone be for less regulation with the failure of the financial markets. Even Greenspan admitted self-regulation was a failure.
Make it highly probably to catch the cheaters, and your liberty will be everywhere.
Everyone knows AT&T's 3G coverage is horrible, and frankly so is their voice and 2G coverage, at least here in the Bay Area - there is little sympathy for AT&T among most here. My iPhone 3G drops half or more of my calls on many days, and drops calls repeatedly when showing 5 bars of signal - it's deplorable and has not only destroyed my opinion of AT&T but dramatically lowered my opinion of Apple as well. Their 3G data service is also sometimes horribly slow even with a strong signal indicated. So, my opinion may be colored by my horrible experience with AT&T and the iPhone (and my previous comparative experience with Verizon for years before that), but Verizon's ad is spot on and not misleading at all, IMHO.
They come right out and say the maps are for 3G coverage, and the ad doesn't even show someone talking on the phone - it shows the guy using it for internet access and video watching while talking about using 3G, and if someone doesn't listen to the ad or understand what that means, and doesn't bother to check, making a false assumption about what it means notwithstanding a meaning that is very clear to anyone with a remote grasp of the technology actually used in the phones, Verizon can hardly be blamed for abject viewer laziness and stupidity. (My grandmother doesn't understand other complex technology ads either, that doesn't make them misleading.)
They come right out and say the maps are for 3G coverage, and the ad doesn't even show someone talking on the phone - it shows the guy using it for internet access and video watching while talking about using 3G, and if someone doesn't listen to the ad or understand what that means, and doesn't bother to check, making a false assumption about what it means notwithstanding a meaning that is very clear to anyone with a remote grasp of the technology actually used in the phones, Verizon can hardly be blamed for abject viewer laziness and stupidity. (My grandmother doesn't understand other complex technology ads either, that doesn't make them misleading.)
This thread is hilarous. Indeed, if you know what 3G is then the advert is absolutely clear. But if you don't know what you're talking about, then it's misleading. Isn't that true for most adverts (and in fact, everything in life)?
e.g. Whenever I watch an advert for Starbucks, since I don't know much about coffee, I didn't know there were other coffee shops. Or that you could make coffee at home. It's so misleading.
Also, when I watch the Apple adverts it's very misleading, because it implies you have to have a computer. I thought you'd die if you didn't have a computer, after watching that advert.
e.g. Whenever I watch an advert for Starbucks, since I don't know much about coffee, I didn't know there were other coffee shops. Or that you could make coffee at home. It's so misleading.
Also, when I watch the Apple adverts it's very misleading, because it implies you have to have a computer. I thought you'd die if you didn't have a computer, after watching that advert.
How in earth is this misleading?
As someone who used Verizon until a few months ago, I find it interesting that the Verizon map shows good, strong 3G coverage in areas where I know they don't have phone service, or spotty phone service at best.
I find it funny how people choose to rag on AT&T and paint Verizon and their service as some sort of holy grail. It shows how biased some people are. If At&T was so terrible, why do they have over 80 million customers and not all of them are using iphones, so no the iphone is not the only reason that all those customers are. If they were so terrible why haven't everybody migrated to Verizon. Verizon uses a crap CDMA network that cant use voice and data at the same time. No wonder they are moving over to LTE. Most of the world is GSM, Telus and Bell in Canada are just moving over to GSM. Some of us want to use our phones in other countries and unfortunately Verizon fails in that manner for us. There's nothing wrong with AT&T. Most of the compalining about AT&T is blown out of porportion and being done by Verizon fanboys who want the iphone on their network.
Exactly I doubt you get blazing fast 3g in all those areas like Verizon wants you to believe. Also the ad to some people would make it seem like AT&T offers no service in that area which is far from the truth.
Spend Money
Instead of filing lawsuits that bring more attention to your short-comings, AT&T should spend the money and time on building a stronger network. I have no coverage at my home at all (I would be glad to get anything--edge, 3G etc.) AT&T will not allow me to activate a Microcell---although their store sold me one. But for the iphone, I would have left AT&T long ago. So, yes, I am begging that Apple ends it deal with AT&T.
Instead of filing lawsuits that bring more attention to your short-comings, AT&T should spend the money and time on building a stronger network. I have no coverage at my home at all (I would be glad to get anything--edge, 3G etc.) AT&T will not allow me to activate a Microcell---although their store sold me one. But for the iphone, I would have left AT&T long ago. So, yes, I am begging that Apple ends it deal with AT&T.
Holy Cow Batman!!! On Verizon's 3G network, you can NEVER make a call and surf the net at the same time.
Hardly the same 3G.
If they did a diagram of 'read email' and 'voice calls' at the same time, Verizon's network would be BLANK!
I needed a cell...my 4+ year old RAZR died and my company has a discount with ATT...so it was a great opportunity to switch. I probably only use a few hundred mins a month of phone time...since I work from home I don't need my cell too much during daytime hours.
yea if at&t stepped it up this wouldnt be an issue. instead they charge us a true premium and provide very little. i'm stuck with at&t as work pays but i'd never say they provide superior service. facts a fact. verizon has a better network...even if you can't use sim card based phones...that's what makes verizon crappy and it's likely why they won't get the iphone. unless i've missed something.
So you are comparing a cellular phone provider with an energy and insurance company? The two are not quite the same. A cellular phone service is not a necessity. No one is "forced" to purchase a cell phone. Electricity and insurance are a necessity for most people and that is why many look to government to help regulate those businesses. FCC regulations have nothing to do with the "business". If a cellular phone provider would just vanish tomorrow (which would never happen because some other company would take over), most people will be able to get through the day.
ATT is NOT debating the 3G coverage maps.
ATT is only claiming that viewers are too dumb to know that ATT has other, non-3G, coverage outside of their mapped 3G areas. That's all.
If EDGE could actually reach its theoretical maximum speed on ATT's network and on its phones, then it would be considered 3G. But it doesn't, and the phones can't, so it's not.
Even ATT does NOT consider EDGE to be 3G in their OWN map.
There's no 2.5G complaint from ATT. There's no speed complaint. You're making up complaints that don't exist.
All that ATT apparently wants, is for the map to also somehow show their non-3G coverage.
Sh&t
Perhaps SH&T should be concentrating on getting me coverage in downtown Dallas that doesn't drop every single call that I ever make or receive instead of worrying about what Verizon is up to. Until they do that I refuse to call them by their proper name.
Perhaps SH&T should be concentrating on getting me coverage in downtown Dallas that doesn't drop every single call that I ever make or receive instead of worrying about what Verizon is up to. Until they do that I refuse to call them by their proper name.
Yes, they do. Try zooming in one level.
BTW, I've seen the ads on TV. I think this is nonsense.
The average customer has probably also believes in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy.
Does this means ALL facts and advertising will have to be dumbed down for the average customer? If this were a mortgage, I might understand.
If anybody should be sanctioned it should be AT&T that advertises that 3G is available in Chicago... right.
Maybe AT&T should also sue school boards for not including classes on AT&T products and services
I mean, the nerve! Ironically, in the student population, iPhone knowledge might be inversely correlated to academic performance.