Story updated to include claimed geographic coverage from T-Mobile US
Verizon’s latest ad has spokesman Jamie Foxx using coverage maps to compare geographic reach of Verizon and Sprint LTE networks
Verizon Wireless is continuing to hammer away at near-network parity claims by rival Sprint, rolling out a new commercial using maps to show what it claims is geographic coverage differences between the two carriers.
The advertisement shows Verizon Wireless spokesman Jamie Foxx in front of a pair of coverage maps, with the carrier’s “red” coverage more predominate than the “yellow” coverage shown for Sprint. Foxx then explains Verizon Wireless sports three-times the LTE coverage of Sprint, despite claims of a Foxx lookalike that Sprint has basically the same coverage.
The comment takes a stab at Sprint’s recent commercial push around former Verizon spokesman Paul Marcarelli that claims the carrier’s network is within 1% of Verizon Wireless in terms of “reliability.”
Verizon late last month claimed its LTE network covers 2.34 million square miles, while AT&T Mobility’s LTE network covers 600,000 square miles less, with T-Mobile US around 1 million square miles less (a number T-Mobile US said is closer to 600,000 square miles) and Sprint at about 1.5 million square miles less. Those numbers were strictly in terms of geographic coverage and not the also used potential customers covered number, which T-Mobile US claims is at 311 million pops for its LTE network and Sprint claims is at around 300 million pops for its LTE network.
Verizon Wireless had initially used Foxx to take a swipe at Sprint’s advertising campaign with Foxx signing: “It ain’t about if you can hear me now. It’s about can you see me now.” That followed the carrier’s use of comedian Ricky Gervais to tout the carrier’s performance advantage over its rivals.
The latest marketing move follows recent quarterly results that showed Verizon Wireless posted lower than expected second-quarter customer growth, which failed to meet forecasts and was nearly half of what the carrier posted for the same quarter last year. In contrast, Sprint reported better than expected customer growth numbers, with CEO Marcelo Claure touting the carrier as port positive against all of its nationwide rivals for the quarter, meaning it attracted more customers from Verizon Wireless, AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile US than it lost.
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