AT&T sues Verizon Wireless over "There's a Map for That" ads

[KabaModern]

Essentially, AT&T is suing over misleading maps depicted in the Verizon ads. According to the suit being filed, the Verizon map shows "white space" where they have no network coverage and the "red space" shows total coverage. The AT&T map shows only 3G coverage and the "white space" on the AT&T map makes it seem there is no coverage when in fact, there is network coverage.

http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN0351092120091103

[BrownGem]

Now why am I not surprised lol. Anyone seeing the ad had to know something was up with those maps.

[kdarling]

Essentially, AT&T is suing over misleading maps depicted in the Verizon ads. According to the suit being filed, the Verizon map shows "white space" where they have no network coverage and the "red space" shows total coverage.

That is NOT what ATT said. Nor did the article you quoted.

The red space is Verizon 3G. The white space is no 3G. However, Verizon, unlike ATT, chose CDMA from the start and thus has 3G coverage virtually everywhere that they have voice.

ATT has had to add WCDMA radios to get 3G, and that's why they're so far behind.

The AT&T map shows only 3G coverage and the "white space" on the AT&T map makes it seem there is no coverage when in fact, there is network coverage.

Yes, that is what ATT is complaining about... that without subshaded areas showing voice and 2G coverage, a viewer might be confused into thinking that ATT had no coverage at all in the white areas.

Even though the charts clearly say, "3G" coverage.

Basically, ATT is saying that many customers don't know what 3G is.

[danipoak]

Correct me if I'm wrong but technically speaking Verizon doesn't actually have any "3G" does it? Isn't called EVDO? They just call it 3G because that is the term everyone is familiar with because of the iPhone 3G.

[kdarling]

No, it was always also called 3G, which means Third Generation of phone protocols, independent of which one is used. (1G being analog, and 2G being the first digital phones). However, many people say EVDO to differentiate it from GSM 3G methods.

3G includes EVDO (CDMA - Verizon) and UMTS (WCDMA - ATT).

According to the U.N.'s ITU group, 3G also technically includes EDGE, but since it does not reach 3G speeds with real life networks, most people call EDGE 2.5G.

In many technical circles, 3G only refers to (W)CDMA networks.

[Deathwish238]

AT&T has no chance in this lawsuit. The maps are about 3G coverage...which is what the maps show. I don't even see why they bothered with the lawsuit...just makes them seem desperate.

Not exactly Verizon's problem if people don't know what 2g and 3g are.

[ZR_Yancy]

Doesn't true 3g allow voice and data simultaneously which EVDO is incapable of doing?

[Deathwish238]

I believe that is hardware based, not network based. Perhaps it is both.

[Eragon]

Doesn't true 3g allow voice and data simultaneously which EVDO is incapable of doing?

HSPA which is the GSM 3G we are familiar with does permit simultaneous voice and data. EVDO does not.

[Eragon]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CDMA2000

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3G

As discussed in another thread, CDMA2000 which is what VZW has built out is a hyrbid 2.5G/3G technology - Voice is carried over the 1xRTT (2.5G network; data is carried over the 3G EVDO network).