BeSweeet
macrumors 68000
Yeah, it's disingenuous to market that the network is "better" somehow but it's only "better" when the network uses bands no one else has ever used before. To access that "better" network, you need to BUY a new phone that costs $500-$800 (depending on iPhone model) to take advantage of the network and coverage they're advertising on TV.
Why would that be a bad thing? Technology changes all the time. People have to adapt to the changes or they'll be left out. And as you sort of mentioned, it'll happen all over again after the 600MHz auction, now with other carriers involved instead of just one.
While band 30 isn't advertised from AT&T as much, it's a new band that is only found on a handful of today's devices -- similar to band 12. B30 offers some pretty noticeable speed improvements for those users.
I don't think your "old network" vs. "new network" description is valid. Sure, the frequencies are similar, but their equipment / hardware has drastically changed to adapt to newer technologies and efficiencies.
It also doesn't seem fair to mention AT&T and Verizon's wider band 5 spectrum. It would make sense if you brought up their smaller 10MHz holdings that they're using for LTE layers.
Still, there are no problems recommending a new phone if it means a better network experience.