AT&T Sets the Record Straight on Verizon Ads

To Our Customers:

As the U.S. market leader in wireless data service, we typically don’t respond to competitors’ advertising. However, some recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T’s wireless data coverage.

The key facts are:

AT&T’s wireless data coverage reaches 303 million people — or 97% of the U.S. population, where they live and work. Our data coverage consists of 3 different types of technology:

    * 3G. 233 million people or 75% of the population are covered by AT&T’s 3G network, the nation’s fastest.

    * EDGE. 301 million people or more than 96% of the population are covered by EDGE.
         o With both 3G and EDGE coverage, customers can access the Internet, send e-mail, surf the Web, stream music, download videos, send photos, text, talk and more. The only difference – with some data applications, 3G is faster than EDGE

    * GPRS. Covers 303 million people, allowing you to talk, text, e-mail and access basic websites optimized for wireless.

AT&T is the #1 network for smartphones, with twice the number of smartphone customers than Verizon, our closest competitor. Some of the reasons include:

Most popular smartphones. Unlike Verizon, AT&T offers the most popular smartphones in the industry.

More wireless apps. Unlike Verizon, AT&T customers have access to more than 100,000 applications, more than with any other wireless company.

Talk and E-mail at the same time. Unlike Verizon, AT&T’s 3G network lets wireless customers simultaneously talk and surf the web or do e-mail.

Fastest 3G in the nation. Unlike Verizon, AT&T has the nation’s fastest 3G network.

Thank you for allowing us to set the record straight. We appreciate your business and will continue to work hard to deliver the best wireless data experience in the industry.

Your AT&T Team

View the original letter on att.com.

This historical setting allows Verizon to compare its entire data network against just the faster portion of AT&T’s 3G mobile data network while ignoring AT&T’s existing 2.5G network that approaches Verizon’s EVDO in speed. By only comparing the newest segment of AT&T’s network, Verizon can advertise “3G maps” that are technically accurate, but grossly misleading to users who want to obtain data service to download email and access the web.

It also appears that Verizon is counting its service areas providing less than Rev A service as part of its 3G coverage, when in fact these deliver about the same performance as AT&T’s EDGE service.

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iDon’t:

iDon’t Care

Below are a few quotes from the Third-Quarter Results. You can view the full report HERE.

“4.3 million postpaid 3G integrated wireless devices added to AT&T’s network, the largest quarterly increase in the company’s history; integrated device growth included 3.2 million iPhone activations, also the company’s largest quarterly total to date”

“Retail postpaid net adds totaled 1.4 million — the second highest third-quarter total in the company’s history, behind only the third quarter of 2008, which included a strong iPhone 3G launch — and were up 20.1 percent versus results in the second quarter of this year.”

“Record iPhone Activations. AT&T’s third-quarter integrated device growth included 3.2 million iPhone activations, also the company’s largest quarterly total to date, with nearly 40 percent of the activations for customers who were new to AT&T.”

It seems that Verizon is taking a very pointed and specific marketing strategy… make the iPhone look bad. Even the Droid’s website is playing up the theme. Check it out HERE.

You can view both ads below.

There’s a Map for That:

iDon’t:

Website Screenshot:

Vonage just announced their app for the iPhone yesterday that allows discounted international calls. AT&T’s recent announcement doesn’t seem to have effected the status of the Google Voice application.

Ruth Milkman, Chief
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington DC 20554

Re: AT&T Response to Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Letter, DA 09-1737 (July 31, 2009); RM-11361; RM-11497

Dear Ms. Milkman:

On behalf of AT&T, I am writing to provide you with an update to AT&T’s August 21, 2009 response to the Bureau’s questions about the Apple iPhone. In our response, we explained that AT&T currently offers a variety of devices that enable VoIP applications to make use of our wireless network (including our 2G and 3G capabilities) and the devices’ Wi-Fi connectivity. We further explained that the iPhone currently supports VoIP applications that make use of the device’s Wi-Fi connectivity, but VoIP capabilities were not available on the iPhone for use on our wireless network. We also stated that we were taking a fresh look at the issue and would promptly notify the Commission of any such change in our policies. AT&T has completed its review of the matter and today we informed Apple that, effective immediately, AT&T consents to Apple enabling third-party VoIP applications for the iPhone that use our wireless network, including our 2G and 3G capabilities.

If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Robert W. Quinn, Jr.

In order to get the iPhone 3G at the refurbished price it requires a $30/mo data package & 2yr Service Agreement.

Check HERE for availability near you.

Original Tweet:
While supplies last: new pricing @ AT&T stores 4 iPhone 3G refurb devices! Black 8GB – $49, 16GB – $99 black/white.

Let us know in the comments if you have received your text from AT&T yet… I haven’t!

The “view my message” experience is the current method used by AT&T that allows iPhone users to view MMS messages by providing them with a temporary username and password which must be signed into using a computer and the MMS is then displayed in flash.

Text Message:

AT&T Free Msg: Picture & video messaging (MMS) will be available for iPhone on 9/25. While we prepare your account for MMS capability, the current “view my message” experience will be turned off but your ability to send and receive text messages will not be affected.

Original post here.