Verizon's long-running commercial shows its coverage map,top left, virtually covered, where as it shows the other three carriers having sparse coverage maps. (Credit:Verizon)
BELLEVUE, Wash., March 13 (UPI) -- T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray said his company will consider challenging the validity of a Verizon commercial claiming the latter has a superior 4G LTE network.
The commercial shows the LTE coverage map for all four major carriers across the U.S. Verizon's map is almost completely covered, while the other three show sparse coverage. The battle between Verizon and T-Mobile has intensified, even thought the two are locked in negotiations over Verizon's sale of wireless spectrum to T-mobile for $3.3 billion.
"I want to decimate that ad campaign from Verizon," T-Mobile Chief Technology Officer Neville Ray said to CNET in an interview Thursday.
T-mobile is looking at tackling Verizon's claims on two fronts. First, T-mobile is planning to add 4G LTE on top of its 2G Edge network, and will use the spectrum it is buying from Verizon to expand into rural and less populated regions of the country.
T-Mobile is also exploring a legal challenge to Verizon's claims. T-Mobile claims that Verizon is not showing their real network spread and is selectively choosing to only highlight LTE coverage.
"It's deceptive," Ray said. "That's the piece we're challenging."
To Verizon's credit, the commercial claims to compare only 4G LTE coverage, but Ray argues that Verizon has chosen to ignore T-Mobile's 2G Edge network, as well as its HSPA+ coverage, which T-Mobile considers 4G. It has long been debated whether HSPA+ is truly 4G or not.
Verizon refused to directly comment on the lawsuit.
"We prefer to compete in the marketplace, not in the courts. Our customers know what a true nationwide 4G LTE network experience feels like, map or not," said a Verizon representative.
[CNET]
