ATLANTA — AT&T is suing Verizon Wireless over its competitor’s “There’s a Map for That” commercials, saying they are misleading and amount to deceptive trade practices.
AT&T seeks to stop the ads, which show maps of the U.S. with areas highlighted to depict third-generation — or 3G — network coverage that allows users to access data faster. The ads also lampoon iPhone’s “There’s an App for That” ads, which highlight the device’s capabilities.
In one Verizon ad, the narrator says, “If you want to know why your 3G coverage works so well on Verizon Wireless, there’s a map for that,” and a map of the nation nearly covered with red dots is shown. The narrator later says, “If you want to know why some people have spotty 3G coverage, there’s a map for that too,” and a map with some blue areas and a lot of blank space ostensibly shows AT&T’s 3G coverage. AT&T says those maps are misleading because there is still regular coverage in areas where 3G service is not offered. The Associated Press
