Verizon made an ad making fun of AT&T's 3G coverage (and it's manliness). AT&T wasn't happy because it suggested their 3G coverage was spotty. So they sued saying the ads were misleading consumers, and anyway they had way more customers and their customers loved them, and Verizon just couldn't handle that. Verizon counter-sued saying AT&T was just jealous and their network sucks (and its mother dresses it funny). Now word is they are going to have a fight after school on the playground.
Playing Legal Mind Games
According to Engadget, AT&T sued first saying:
"Verizon's misleading advertising tactics appear to be a response to AT&T's strong leadership in smartphones. We have twice the number of smartphone customers... and we've beaten them two quarters in a row on net post-paid subscribers. We also had lower churn -- a sign that customers are quite happy with the service they receive."
Apple Insider Reports that Verizon did all but stuck out its tongue in court and say "na-na boo-boo" to AT&T in its counter-suit:
"AT&T did not file this lawsuit because Verizon's "There's A Map For That" advertisements are untrue; AT&T sued because Verizon's ads are true and the truth hurts."
They go onto say that the truth (at least as Verizon sees it) is that AT&T has failed to invest adequately in its network (and it's ugly too).
Lawsuits as Marketing Strategy
Verizon is clearly trying to gain some publicity points with this kind of stance (and heck, I'm blogging about it, so it's working). They want to put AT&T on the defensive. They know the Droid is selling well and gaining some traction and they want to get some of that attention that AT&T has garnered for having the iPhone. Makes perfect business sense, even if it sounds a bit immature and undignified in practice.
They Both Suck
Let's face it, if you're a consumer, they both suck and you don't need a judge to tell you that. As consumers, we are generally caught between a rock and a hard place when it comes to cell service. We get a nice phone for a discounted price in exchange for a 2-year contract tying you to said provider.
Then they nickle and dime you for data fees and texting charges. They send you long, complicated bills, which are hard to read and impossible to dispute. Have you ever tried calling AT&T or Verizon for tech support or with a question? Have you gone into their stores? Neither one is likely to win a popularity contest any time soon.
A Pox On Both Their Houses
Fact, is most people don't like either company. We go with them because there a few reasonable alternatives out there. Let them beat each other over the head with frivolous law suits. They just have to realize that for most of us, it's entertainment and nobody really cares about either one of them enough to take sides.
