BBB largely rules for Cingular in ad battle with Sprint Nextel

by Chris Ziegler, posted Jun 28th 2006 at 5:24PM

We're not sure what this means for Cingular's pending lawsuit regarding its right to claim the "fewest dropped calls," but the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division has issued a ruling in the ongoing marketing war between Cingular and fellow ~~child~~ wireless giant Sprint Nextel. Apparently, after thorough, utterly scientific analysis, the BBB has determined that Cingular can continue to claim that they have "more bars in more places," the "fastest national wireless data network" and the "largest push-to-talk network in America." They also ruled that Cingular doesn't have the right to make some claims about its B2B offerings, but all told, we imagine that the boys in Atlanta are chalking this up as a victory for their confusing, largely meaningless ad campaign.

[Via Techdirt]

Filed under: ATT, Sprint, GSM, CDMA, Misc

Tags: bbb, better business bureau, BetterBusinessBureau, cingular, lawsuit, sprint, sprint nextel, sprint-nextel, SprintNextel

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Neutral

Frankenstein Black @ Jun 28th 2006 5:47PM

Don’t you just hate it when you see two gigantic tractor trailer sized networks battling down the interstate of customer acquisition and an AMC Pacer wanders into the way? Isn’t the battle between Cingular & Verizon? LOL;-p, Sprint, keep working on that network will ya!

Neutral

Corey @ Jun 28th 2006 6:34PM

Right because the BBB is the definitive judiciary branch.

Neutral

Josh @ Jun 28th 2006 7:19PM

Serves Sprint right. It was rather foolish of them to think that they could challenge Cingular's claims when their own are extremely bogus themselves. Who in their right mind actually believes that Sprint has the most powerful network?! Anyone?!

Neutral

flamer's grill @ Jun 28th 2006 7:20PM

It's only a matter of time until Cingular ceases to be number one. Marketing can only go so far - Cingular's data speeds just don't hold a candle to EV-DO. UMTS and HSDPA are expensive upgrades and only available in VERY select markets, where EV-DO is already established... and faster.

Factor in that Sprint and Verizon's EVDO-RevA plans are very real and very soon - Sprint plans to have their entire network EV-DO Rev0 by the end of 06 and RevA by the end of 07 - and suddenly, Sprint's Native broadband data coverage map will look incredibly sexy.

Neutral

Victor @ Jun 28th 2006 9:11PM

Josh, WTF are you talking about. Go read some tech papers. HSDPA is technically EV-DO in algorithm.

On top of that, each rev of CDMA has required only minor backplane and network card changes, not an en-masse migration like what GSM-->WCDMA-->HSDPA is requiring.

Whatever sh*t it is you're smoking, I'm sure it's good...but yah gotta stop man.

Neutral

Victor @ Jun 28th 2006 10:48PM

I agree with Josh. Cingular adds more than any other carrier in the industry. If it wasn't because our churn is higher (dropping very quickly though) Verizon has every reason to shake in their panties. What's gonna happen when network integration is complete? How do you think our quarters be? Intergration is only 60% complete and we are already tied on net adds.
Network integration will bring chrun even lower, and that's a fact. What will be of Vzw when they can no longer say they have the most reliable network? There won't be anything left to brag about. Because we all know CDMA phones (especially Vzw's; suck!)

Oh and this is for flamer's girl: Don't hold your breath on Cingular being number two again. It AIN'T happening.

Neutral

Josh @ Jun 28th 2006 10:49PM

HSDPA is EVDO in algorithm?! Who is smoking what now?

You are insane if you think the two are anything alike. The ONLY similarity between the two is that they both use a coded air-interface. Hence each of them having connections to CDMA.

HSDPA is based upon the GSM-core technology with a coded air-interface implemented in place of the time-divison that plain old GSM uses. It's superior to EV-DO in that it simultaneously does voice and data...something that EV-DO unfortunately cannot do as of now.

The two technologies are as different as night and day. Perhaps you would do better looking up some white papers on each.

Neutral

baaadandy @ Jun 28th 2006 10:58PM

Yo, Victor... seriously. Whatever sh|t he's got, I want some of it for work when I have to deal with people like him lol.

Neutral

Scott Johnson @ Jun 29th 2006 1:25AM

To me, the whole point of these campaigns is simply to push a "our brand is best" type of message. It's not so much that there's a point to the ads. It's just branding.

Neutral

Scott Johnson @ Jun 29th 2006 1:28AM

Maybe you protocol geniuses can help me with something I have been wondering about. Josh and Victor: I'm looking at you. What's the difference, if any, in HSDPA and UMTS. It seems that, especially when talking about the Cingular network, these two acronyms are often carelessly interchanged. Are they the same? If no, are they even compatible?

Neutral

Viktor @ Jun 29th 2006 1:31AM

To me cingular will never be number two again. Unless Vzw buys Alltel.

Neutral

Jason @ Jun 29th 2006 2:48AM

HSDPA is a way to send data over a UMTS network, in the same way GPRS is a way to send data over a GSM network.

Neutral

Josh @ Jun 29th 2006 1:39PM

@8. I haven't heard any of your imput yet. Explain to me everything you "know" about the two technologies. I'll gladly provide links to prove everything I have stated up to this point, as soon as I hear what you have to say.

@10. HSDPA is simply a software upgrade to UMTS equipment. Just as EDGE is software upgrade to GPRS, HSDPA is the same to UMTS.

UMTS is literally the technology that the equipment on the towers use and HSDPA is only an enhancement that pushes speeds higher.

It is actually UMTS and WCDMA that are referencing the same thing and are used interchangably.

Neutral

JX @ Jun 29th 2006 2:09PM

Can someone tell me if going with Cingular would be a good idea? I currently have a Sanyo 3G/tri-band GSM phone, and I'm debating whether to go with Cingular when I get back or to sell it and go with Sprint (T-Mobile is an option too). The problem is that I'm unsure of network coverage- I've always been attached to Sanyo phones (that's why I never considered Verizon)but the fact that Cingular's network is partly 850MHz leaves me worried- how much coverage would I lose if I only had access to the 1900MHz band? Would T-Mobile be better then? Or would Sprint be a better choice?

Neutral

Josh @ Jun 29th 2006 2:28PM

I believe that Cingular and Verizon have the best coverage and reception as far as service goes. I have had Sprint previously and was not too pleased with any aspect of the company.

However, I would avoid using a phone without the 850mhz band on Cingular at all costs. Since the merge with AT&T, much of Cingular's coverage has become 850mhz due to selling off 1900mhz assets to T-Mobile in places there was overlapping coverage between the two networks.

If you must keep the phone that you currently have, go with T-Mobile as you're taking a risk that it will not work on Cingular. I also must warn you that if it is a 3G phone equipped with either UMTS or HSDPA support, it will not work here in the states. The only HSDPA coverage that Cingular has deployed is in the 850mhz band, unlike that of the rest of the world that uses 2100mhz for UMTS and HSDPA.

From everything you have stated, I would highly suggested going with T-Mobile.

Good luck!

Neutral

flamer's grill @ Jun 29th 2006 6:22PM

Unfortunately, current North American Sanyo phones are not what they used to be. Your Japanese Sanyo is probably light years beyond what we have here in the US. Not to say Sanyo phones are suddenly built shoddily - they are very durable and have great reception - they just no longer innovate like they used to. Remember when Sanyo had the first integrated camera phone in the US? Remember when they launched the original thin candybar? Now, they simply imitate.

If you are used to GSM and can't imagine living without SIM-card swap-ability, stick with cingular. Once you get used to a SIM, it's hard to go back. If that sort of thing doesn't matter to you, then Sprint is a good option. Everyone poo-poos their network, but I've had Sprint for eight months and it's worked everywhere I've been in the US, and their EV-DO data network is the fastest current option for data.

Neutral

WIRELESS VETERAN @ Jul 26th 2006 6:39PM

Sprint is actually a better cellular service provider than most people think. I have been a Sprint customer for years and I used to have what is now Cingular. I cancelled my service with Cingular in December 2004 due to the At&t merger and the continued dropped calls and service issues that i had since 2001 through 2004. The network is always overloaded and cannot support its customers. To this day all the people i know who have Cingular were screwed into a contract after the merger. Most of which are about to cancel soon since the contracts end this yr. I have a TREO 700P and Broadband Card. I love it and plan to continue service with Sprint since it is superior to all the other carriers ive tried including verizon, cingular, t-mobile, att!

Neutral

WIRELESS VETERAN @ Jul 26th 2006 6:40PM

Neutral

Tony @ Sep 8th 2006 6:21PM

Hey there folks. I just thought I would jump into this big phycho-bable. I really think that most of all these carriers have there goods and bad sides to them. I have tried Verizon, ATT, and now I have Sprint. I Must admit that for me the worst service and customer no service was Verizon.. I had a million dropped calls and they just didn't give a rip about anything.. Hence I left them and went to ATT. I really enjoyed ATT and had verhy few dropped calls, even when I travelled from California to Boston once. Very very few dropped calls. EXELANT SERVICE. But then Sprint (Actually Ubiquitel) came along and offered me an even better rate plan to share between two phones and I was hooked. Truth is I really am not as satisfied with Sprint as I was with ATT, However they continue to work with me. They actually gave me a 140.00 credit on an overage when it was totally my fault. I still have alot of dropped phone calls but I have finally convinced myself that none of these guy's are perfect and I really wonder if alot more has to do with the phone in the first place, costomer service and choosing the best plan for you and your family. My Kids love new kid in town,,,, cricket, for 35.oo unlimitted everything forever......

Neutral

Chelsea R. @ Nov 10th 2006 3:14PM

Cingular Rules Bitches!!!

Neutral

Chelsea R. @ Nov 10th 2006 3:15PM

Cingular Rules Bi***es!!!!

Neutral

oracle @ Apr 17th 2007 10:02PM

Ok I have a question? So WCDMA/ UMT offer voice and data simultaneously. I agree with that. Now when we transmit data and voice wirelessly together ((HSDPA) like video calls I suppose, or mobile internet), we are bound to sacrifice some speed. I am ok with that too. So what problems can we face with HSDPA. I hope it’s not a perfect solution. HSDPA and EV-DO do similar tasks and their download speed is almost similar. The only difference is the transmission of voice and data together wirelessly. So, just because of that HSDPA becomes better? There must be some kind of really bad news for HSDPA. Is there any?

* HSDPA is software which pushes speed higher. Does HSDPA help to combine voice and data?

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