T-Mobile Busts Verizon’s Balls … Ad

If you’ve watched TV or really any form of media in the past several weeks, you’ve probably seen a Verizon ad claiming network superiority. These ads are, shall we say… interesting. Today we call BS and set the record straight with our own version of the ad at https://newsroom.t-mobile.com/news/ballbuster.htm

But there’s more! If you don’t believe us, consumers and media alike, come try out the #BallBusterChallenge. Full details included in the link above and press release found below.

T-Mobile Busts Verizon’s Balls … Ad

The Un-carrier sets the record straight, invites media and consumers to test ALL of its rapidly-expanding LTE network

Bellevue, Washington — January 21, 2016 — If you’ve turned on a TV, radio or seen pretty much any advertising in the universe in the last couple weeks, you can’t have missed Verizon’s “balls” ad in which Big Red “explains” its network using an outdated test it helped fund—which – surprise, surprise – found Verizon’s network to be the only one worth considering. T-Mobile (NSDQ: TMUS) today called BS and set the record straight by releasing its own version of Verizon’s ad at t-mo.co/1WvOaty.

Pop-ups in the ad call out the missing details and facts, including the “fine print” that the Verizon test is up to 12 months old and completely ignores that T-Mobile’s LTE network has literally more than DOUBLED in the last year. It also calls out that the “independent” (but partly paid for by Verizon) tests excluded Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology that handles 40% of T-Mobile’s calls and even ignored T-Mobile’s Extended Range LTE, the Un-carrier’s newest coverage, which goes 2x farther from towers and works 4x better in buildings—among other things.

In addition, the Un-carrier is inviting consumers and media to give T-Mobile’s full network a try … because T-Mobile’s LTE network is not just the nation’s fastest, it’s also the nation’s fastest growing. In just the last year alone, T-Mobile has:
? more than doubled its LTE coverage footprint,
? added 800,000 square miles of LTE coverage,
? expanded to cover 304 million people in total—98% of the people Verizon covers,
? rolled out Wideband LTE in 268 total markets for even faster LTE, and
? launched Extended Range LTE in 300 markets for coverage that goes 2x farther from the tower and works 4x better in buildings than before.
Meanwhile, Verizon’s network virtually stood still in comparison. And, T-Mobile has more LTE towers nationwide than Verizon, covering 98% of the people Verizon reaches. Verizon’s commercial forgot to include that fact, too. Bottom line: Verizon’s ad uses old data to misrepresent T-Mobile’s network, and the Un-carrier felt it was time to call BS on those claims!

“Verizon is known for their network coverage….so when they suddenly start spending tens of millions in ads to try and convince people their network’s better, it says a lot! Look, we more than doubled our LTE coverage in the last year, and we now have more LTE towers than Verizon! It’s a real horse race,” said John Legere, president and CEO of T-Mobile. “Verizon’s so nervous they’re willing to use old, incomplete data about our network on TV! But they’ve got good reason to panic, more than 5 million Verizon customers switched to T-Mobile in the last two years, and now, we’re going to show everyone else how the two networks really stack up.”

T-Mobile is introducing its “#BallBusterChallenge” and inviting Verizon customers to take the challenge and see T-Mobile’s rapidly expanding network in action side by side with Verizon. The Challenge will travel across the country to cities large and small to challenge Verizon’s network head on, testing data speeds, texting and calls. If Verizon’s network wins over T-Mobile two out of three times, their customer walks away with a $100 Visa Prepaid Card courtesy of T-Mobile. And if they lose, they’ll pose for a photo with a sign of their choice, with options like “T-Mobile’s network just schooled Verizon #BallBusterChallenge,” and “T-Mobile’s network was just as good as Verizon’s #BallBusterChallenge” and “Verizon’s network just got spanked by T-Mobile #BallBusterChallenge.”

As an added bonus, T-Mobile customers can guarantee someone walks away with a hundred bucks by bringing a friend with any other network on down to The Challenge for a head-to-head match-up where the winner gets $100 richer!

On top of the #BallBusterChallenge, the Un-carrier this morning issued an open invitation to reporters, journalists and bloggers across the country to compare T-Mobile’s network with Verizon. Just email [email protected] with your media credentials, and we’ll send you one smartphone of your choice with service to test out our network for three months. And, if Verizon is afraid of a real head-to-head comparison, the Un-carrier will supply media with Verizon phones and SIMs as well.

By the Numbers – T-Mobile’s Network vs Verizon’s Network

T-Mobile Verizon
Number of Americans
covered with LTE 304 million 308 million
Additional people
covered with LTE since 2014 100M 5M
% of coverage with
Voice over LTE 100% 100%
Average speed in Q4 2015
(Based on third party speed testing data Q4 2015) 21.7 Mbps Download
12 Mbps Upload 20.3 Mbps Download
9.0 Mbps Upload
Average data used per customer per month in 2015
(Cellular excl. Wi-Fi Jan-Nov 2015) 3.57GB 2.37GB

Stay tuned to T-Mobile’s newsroom (newsroom.t-mobile.com) for more information on when the Un-carrier’s #BallBusterChallenge comes to a location near you.