Why AT&T can't win its 'map for that' spat with Verizon

[Commentary] It seems the more AT&T pursues its grievances with Verizon Wireless the more it gets egg on its face. The two have been engaged in an ad battle over the last several weeks over the truths and fictions about AT&T's 3G network — a battle that has spilled over into the courts and the media, as AT&T tries to force VZW's commercials off the air. Ultimately, it's a battle AT&T can't win. It's arguing over nuances. And the more nuanced the discussion about AT&T's network becomes, the more perceptions of AT&T's network will suffer. AT&T's big complaint is that Verizon's ads only depict its 3G network coverage, creating a false impression that AT&T doesn't offer service of any kind in the vast majority of the country. The argument doesn't hold much water because VZW is clearly taking aim at the 3G network, but the whole issue of coverage is a red herring. VZW is looking for an easy way to demonstrate what is at the essence of the ads: AT&T's 3G network leaves a lot to be desired. A map with huge swathes of white spaces in between the metro markets highlighted in blue does the trick. But the problem with AT&T's network isn't so much where it doesn't offer 3G coverage, but where it does.