Ouch. If you've been waiting for another flare up in the old carrier wars, here you have it. Turning Apple's "there's an app for that" slogan on its ear, Verizon has introduced a campaign touting its network coverage. The ads -- which highlight the company's new tongue-in-cheek "there's a map for that" catchphrase against tuneful, chirpy music -- also boast that Verizon's 3G blanket is a whopping five times the size of AT&T's. Does this do anything to dispel the idea that Verizon and Apple may be getting together for that phantom
tablet? Who knows, but it's fun to watch the fireworks. Check out the full commercial after the break.
[Via
All Things Digital]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
mike @ Oct 5th 2009 11:21PM
this is like the iphone "apps" commercial
pee tee @ Nov 14th 2009 8:06PM
Nope it it isn't
We all know that AT&T service is now on a plummet but we also need to settle the facts first and see the side of AT&.
Updates: ATT had recently released a statement why they are suing Verizon. May the "there's a misinterpretaion for that that” image help you to understand better why AT&T is having a boiling-point over the matter.
detailed sources: http://bit.ly/ATT-VS-VERIZON-Theres-a-misinterpretation-for-that
Hint: The conflict is about not including AT&T’s Zedge 2.5G on the picture :D
Flame-on!
Chance @ Oct 5th 2009 11:23PM
Burn!
Squid7085 @ Oct 5th 2009 11:27PM
This could possibly be the greatest ad ever, ever. Maybe AT&T will watch it and finally get it.
JDubbs115 @ Oct 5th 2009 11:34PM
Damn, Verizon just called AT&T out. You can't get much more blatant than that. I love it!
Benjamin @ Oct 5th 2009 11:44PM
ahaha that was pretty funny. Long time coming I say.
jonathan @ Oct 5th 2009 11:48PM
Weird how verizon shows their voice coverage map. Their 3G or broadband map is dark blue. and its nowhere near the "red" voice map.
Squid7085 @ Oct 5th 2009 11:55PM
That might be because Verizon's Voice coverage is completely been overlaid with 3G.
chris @ Oct 7th 2009 12:58PM
Squid7085 @ Oct 5th 2009 11:55PM
That might be because Verizon's Voice coverage is completely been overlaid with 3G.
EV-DO is used for data only, Verizon's Voice is still CDMA which is 2G
Rodney @ Oct 5th 2009 11:48PM
Ha ha very funny. When Verizon gets simultaneous voice and data, then that map might (heavily stress might) become relevant. Until then, shhhh!
Taknarosh @ Oct 6th 2009 12:13AM
If you're alluding to the idea of using your phone's 3G data while in a call, that is a limitation of EVDO not Verizon.
Peter F @ Oct 6th 2009 8:11AM
doesn't matter. Same difference to the customers
EaZyCorp @ Nov 3rd 2009 9:50PM
CDMA is a Channel access method so your wrong....Its the technology that Verizon uses for their network as apposed to GSM which is AT&T...
JL @ Oct 5th 2009 11:53PM
Red America vs. blue America takes on yet another meaning.
el Hefe Weizen @ Oct 5th 2009 11:59PM
HAHAHhahahahHAHAHAHhahahahHAHAHAHA.......HA!
suck it ol' blue!
Big red has you by the juevos!
Inigo Montoya @ Oct 6th 2009 12:07AM
Oooooo SNAP!!
Drew @ Oct 6th 2009 12:16AM
That V map is pretty exaggerated... and non-simultaneous voice/data.
But I dislike AT&T so good on 'em!
kristianna @ Oct 6th 2009 12:20AM
Pretty cool post. I just came by your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed browsing your posts.This is an amazing article.yes you are right JL. It's meaning like red vs blue, American Idol often comes down to major-market vs flyover country. Thanks for sharing such a cool stuff here...
Geschenke
ady @ Oct 6th 2009 12:22AM
WOW, nice . AT&T coverage really sucks
Jared Hylton @ Oct 6th 2009 12:37AM
I know they fuckin' didn't.
Big Red is going down -- time to pull out all the stops! AT&T, I am rootin' for ya! GSM FOREVER BITCHES!
JPZ @ Oct 6th 2009 1:12AM
Damn Right! GSM is worldwide and the way to go! CDMA.. whats CDMA again? they suck! Thats why other nations dont use it.
klmsu19 @ Oct 6th 2009 1:18AM
You mean because EVDO is SO great that VZW is abandoning it for LTE right? LOL
Map WAY exaggerated past their true coverage. More Big Red brainwashing about "the network"
sk @ Oct 6th 2009 2:40AM
yeahh... because an average user really cares what's the coverage outside of USA.
gg sir, you are fail.
Andrew @ Oct 18th 2009 1:09PM
Agreed GSM is the best, but AT&T sucks the big one. I had Cellular One -> Unicel -> now AT&T, and I tell you for the same service my bill went from $110 to $190 for two lines (always had two lines).
I had a Verizon phone as well, it always had coverage, but after verizon got into the menu's in the phone, I dropped that contract and went (at the time) just Unicel.
I also have a Nextel phone through work, you want to talk about a joke? iDEN. thats all I have to say, iDEN...
ACM @ Oct 6th 2009 1:19AM
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/images/Cing_NatlCov.gif
1st orange map voice!!
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/images/data_coverage.gif
2nd orange map DATA 3G
too bad verizon is lying out of there ass were the fuck did they get that map???? Looks like verizon worthless has to all out lie class act big red asshole
Verizon Tester @ Oct 6th 2009 1:49AM
ACM how retarded are you? Show me where on that map does it say "3G"??? It just says data coverage. That in no way means that all of that is 3G. Not only do I test our phones, but we also do side by side with plenty of ATT & T phones and I can tell you that there is so many shaded places on that map that are not 3 G
matt @ Oct 6th 2009 4:30AM
Too bad the second map is all data combined into one... it isn't 3G at all douchebag. That is Edge! If you go to their map and try to search for 3G they make you look by city, not even by state... becuase they are ashamed of their coverage. Try this link at the second to last zoomed out section, then you will be able to see the DARK BLUE SECTION THAT IS 3G.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/?lon=-111.864154&lat=33.2824545&sci=6&3g=t
matt @ Oct 6th 2009 4:30AM
Too bad the second map is all data combined into one... it isn't 3G at all douchebag. That is Edge! If you go to their map and try to search for 3G they make you look by city, not even by state... becuase they are ashamed of their coverage. Try this link at the second to last zoomed out section, then you will be able to see the DARK BLUE SECTION THAT IS 3G.
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/?lon=-111.864154&lat=33.2824545&sci=6&3g=t
matt @ Oct 6th 2009 4:44AM
See my post below about AT&T's real 3G coverage not EDGE. And here is the map for VZW... click the broadband and vcast. You will see that a vast minority of their 3G is not theirs.
http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/CoverageLocatorController?market=all
Jide @ Oct 6th 2009 9:54AM
that is actually there edge coverage, not 3g you dummys. And please the people saying they are exaggerting.....How the fuck do you know. In fact they open them selves up to lawsuits if they put out commercials that offer false info.
klmsu19 @ Oct 6th 2009 1:26AM
Of course theyre lying but the brainwashed idiots will buy into the stupid "the network" slogan.
Look closely at VZW's 3g map and youll see 25% or so of their data coverage ISNT THEIRS ITS ROAMING.
Voice+Data and HSPA+ 7.2mb and up trumps bland EVDO any day.
Covering farmland in mid-America means JACK! ATT has ALL the major cities covered with 3G. Such brainwashing for the sheeple masses that the map matters.
Tyler @ Oct 6th 2009 8:23AM
hey jackass i live in the farmland of midamerica and i care greatly about having 3g speeds on my blackberry, and so do a lot of other people around here.
OneLove @ Oct 17th 2009 2:16PM
no eggs and milk for you!
Andrea Cristiano @ Oct 6th 2009 1:29AM
ACM clearly shows with his maps that seem lifted from AT&T's website not only is the verizon map exaggerated but the AT&T map is totally a fallacy. Verizon is horrible with this type of blatant distortion to the facts
Tim @ Oct 6th 2009 1:39AM
just like Apple is horrible with the blatant distortion to the fact that the iPhone is not a smartphone.
Matt @ Oct 18th 2009 1:51AM
How is the iPhone not a smart phone?
CMC @ Oct 6th 2009 1:45AM
I've got both a VZW phone and an ATT phone. Neither is perfect, and VZW is not "significantly" better than ATT. The big thing with ATT is that it is GSM which automatically gives you: true conference calling...up to 5 additional numbers (add and drop as you wish); the ability to add a call waiting call to your primary call (and keep adding from there); and of course, SIMULTANEOUS voice and data over 3g. As VZW went the yesteryear approach of CDMA (which is so 1995), none of the above are available. Heck, you still have to dial *72 to forward your phone. On GSM, I do it directly on the phone. Oh, and can specify how long the phone rings before going to voice mail. Can't do that on CDMA.
I'm no fan at all of AT&T, but am even less of a fan of the most restrictive and expensive carrier of all - Verizon Wireless. At least on AT&T, you can bring your own un-hacked non-modified phone and get the freedom to do what you wish. On VZW, ONLY what they "allow" you to use can be used, which means, a VZW-modified phone. Remember, they were the first carrier in the world to lock out features that would allow users to bypass them charging for services. Remember bluetooth file transfers that were disabled on Moto phones? That was VZW who did that. They've resisted Wi-Fi as it would cost them precious data revenue. And, are the slowest to debut these modified and restrictive phones anyway.
Too bad we don't have real competition - it'd be great if we had 3 or 4 GSM carries all on the same frequency...like the rest of the modern world!
Justin @ Oct 6th 2009 2:10AM
Ok so I know this is a GSM fanboy comment post but.. Lets remember a few things in HSDPA and other variants of GSM 3G are based off of your "so 1995" technology. If it wasn't for CDMA you wouldn't be able to have your faster speeds. I wouldn't knock having multiple technology trees going for wireless phones its obviously helped is getting this far. Good for 3GPP for being able to swallow their pride and use CDMA air interface to provide better voice quality and faster data speeds. I hope WIMAX/LTE help improve the experience for us the consumer like GSM/CDMA/TDMA did.
SK @ Oct 17th 2009 10:10PM
I work with CDMA *and* GSM mobile chipsets and actually wrote code related to simultaneous voice and data. CDMA voice + EVDO data is available. I would expect you to see it in phones at the latest of 1 yr from now. Probably sooner.
And it's GSM technology that's ancient and retarded. The tower hopping and tower scanning algorithm is very inefficient and shows it's age. Also what you call as 3G GSM in the mobile business is called WCDMA. See the CDMA in it?
Justin @ Oct 6th 2009 1:56AM
Yeah but the map you posted (quote) for ATT
http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/images/data_coverage.gif (/quote) that includes non-native coverage. As for the VZW map I have no idea as where VZW isn't ava in my area.. alltel market
PMJ @ Oct 6th 2009 3:11AM
Um...let's not forget about good ol' Sprint...they roam on Verizon's data, so it could actually have more coverage than both. Ha!
Seriously @ Oct 6th 2009 8:28AM
Sprint does not roam on VZW's network. VZW's only roaming partner for data is/was Alltel...if my memory serves me correctly, VZW acquired Alltel in January. That's weird. Maybe you morons that don't know what the hell you're talking about should sit on your hands.
codemaker @ Oct 6th 2009 8:53AM
Hmm... sprint does roam on verizon's network. Although data services only roam at 1x speeds. http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2006/12/18/sprint-users-can-get-their-data-served-verizon-style/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sprint_Nextel#Sprint.27s_data_roaming_agreements
Jay @ Oct 6th 2009 5:12AM
Ok, all you apple fanboys defending ATT. Go to http://www.wireless.att.com/coverageviewer/?wtSlotClick=1-001KTA-0-1&WT.svl=calltoaction
Zoom in one tab from the largest and click on "show 3g coverage" you can easily see that the ATT map in the commercial is accurate.
Thomas @ Oct 6th 2009 11:08AM
BEST.....COMMERCIAL....EVER!!!!
That is hilarious!
Joseph Quintas @ Oct 6th 2009 11:38AM
Really? Are people being fanboys for a wireless standard? I see enough of this crap on video game message boards. I can't believe the lengths people will go to rationalize their choice of wireless provider. What happened to people just picking the provider that has the phone they want or the best coverage in their area? I was a t-mobile customer till I found that Verizon works better where I live.... so I switched--simple as that. Also, does it really matter what provider you choose these days? My Verizon BlackBerry Storm works quite well in the States and worked really well (voice AND data) roaming on the Vodaphone network in the UK and France. With the advent of dual mode CDMA/GSM phones, is there really a need to sacrifice anything? Also, how many times a year do any of you guys travel that the ability to roam on international networks is a major reason for you to choose T-Mobile or AT&T?
JPZ @ Oct 6th 2009 1:32PM
Well me, yes i travel outside the US a lot! I have family in the europe, frankfurt, germany and london england. I also have family in asia too. I travel every outside every 4-5 months. So yes I travel a lot. GSM is the way to go and I'm serious about that, btw.. I have unlocked phones all i have to do is buy a pre-paid sim where I'm at and make calls. its so so cheaper then roaming and getting billed from your carrier. So yes!
Steve @ Oct 6th 2009 11:55AM
The V map shows their coverage along with their roaming partners. If all carries showed their map this way they would be pretty equal. Read the disclaimer on the bottom which is from their website and clearly states that all of the red is not all of their true network.
"These Coverage Locator maps are not a guarantee of coverage and may contain areas with no service. These maps reflect a depiction of predicted and approximate wireless coverage of the Verizon Wireless Network and the network of other carriers. The coverage areas shown do not guarantee service availability, and may include locations with limited or no coverage. Even within a coverage area, there are many factors, including a customer's equipment, terrain, and proximity to buildings, foliage, and weather that may impact service. An all-digital device will not operate or be able to make 911 calls when digital service is not available. Some of the coverage area includes networks run by other carriers; some of the coverage depicted is based on their information and public sources and we cannot ensure its accuracy."
Joseph Quintas @ Oct 6th 2009 1:39PM
You know.. I unlocked my Storm too, and I was getting ready to buy an Orange SIM card and use it with my BlackBerry, but I figured that being able to use my US phone number for the month I was abroad was better for me than to save a few bucks using a local SIM. Don't act like US GSM carriers don't charge stratospheric fees for international roaming, just because its using the same wireless standard it does not mean that its any cheaper for you to roam using an American GSM phone than it is for me to roam on my CDMA/GSM Verizon BalckBerry Storm. The point I was trying to make is that with the advent of dual radio CDMA/GSM phones, the claim that you have to go with a US-based GSM carrier is pretty much moot. Now you can pick the best local carrier (GSM OR CDMA) and still have the same exact worldwide roaming capabilities.
Cellodad @ Oct 17th 2009 5:22PM
Whatever their map says, Verizon and Sprint reception at the Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan varies from "just sucks" to non-existent. AT&T works fine though 3g is not consistent.