Citing false and unsubstantiated advertising claims, Nextel Communications Inc. filed a lawsuit in a New York federal court against Verizon Wireless seeking unspecified damages and an injunction prohibiting Verizon Wireless’ current advertising campaign touting its recently launched Push to Talk service as operating on the “best, most reliable network.”
“It’s unseemly that Verizon Wireless would knowingly choose deception over the truth,” said Len Kennedy, senior vice president and general counsel for Nextel. “Nextel’s Push To Talk service is widely acknowledged to be a superior product that provides a better and more reliable service with faster and instant connections than does Verizon Wireless’ recently launched walkie-talkie product.”
The Verizon Wireless campaign includes suspected Nextel customers having difficulty connecting with colleagues using a walkie-talkie feature, and in their attempts to attain better coverage, are involved in physical mishaps.
The latest suit follows recent filings by both companies regarding their push-to-talk services, including Nextel claiming Verizon Wireless’ use of “Push to Talk” infringes on its trademark and Verizon Wireless claiming Nextel obtained prototype push-to-talk handsets and illegally tested Verizon Wireless’ service on the carrier’s network.
