By Roger Cheng
Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- AT&T Inc. (T) took offense to Verizon Wireless's recent "There's A Map For That" campaign, claiming in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the commercials falsely suggest the wireless carrier has coverage gaps.
Verizon Wireless, which is jointly owned by Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) and Vodafone Group Plc (VOD), has jumped on mounting criticism of AT&T's coverage and its ability to handle the Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhone with its recent commercials, which target AT&T's high-speed third-generation, or 3G, network. The commercials mock Apple's own "There's An App For That," television spots, which tout the thousands of programs found on its smartphone.
But in a filing, AT&T said the Verizon commercials mislead consumers about the scope of its coverage by using maps with large amounts of blank space, which represents the carrier's 3G coverage. AT&T contends the map suggests that the blank spots indicate the complete lack of coverage, and not just 3G. The company added that it had complained to Verizon Wireless, and minor changes had been made to the spots.
"By communicating that AT&T customers have no coverage in large parts of the country, Verizon is misleading the public about an essential component of the services AT&T offers," the lawsuit said.
A spokesman for Verizon Wireless declined to comment, noting the company had yet to review the lawsuit.
AT&T has taken a large public hit on its 3G coverage, which is crucial for smartphones capable of handling Internet browsing, videos and emails. Regardless, the carrier remains the leader in smartphones sold, driven primarily by the iPhone, but also as a result of high-profile devices by Research in Motion Ltd. (RIMM) and Nokia Corp. (NOK).
AT&T fell 1% to $25.34 in recent trading, while Verizon fell 1.2% to $29.05.
-By Roger Cheng, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2153; roger.cheng@dowjones.com