Verizon calls Sprint a "cut-rate" network in new ad starring Jamie Foxx

Verizon, being the largest carrier in the U.S., has been under attack by T-Mobile and Sprint. The latter has been pushing the idea that in 2016, all carriers are great and that Sprint's reliability is within 1% of Verizon's. To set the record straight, Verizon called upon the multi-talented Jamie Foxx to explain the difference between Verizon's LTE coverage and Sprint's LTE coverage.

During the ad, Foxx points out that not all wireless operators are the same (how he does this is pretty funny) and Big Red even goes as far as calling Sprint a "cut-rate" network. This isn't the first time that Verizon has injected some humor into its television spots (the 2010 Wrigley "Big Red" 3G commercial is hilarious and hard to top), and the carrier has attacked its rivals' coverage before (remember the shot at AT&T in the "Island of Misfit Toys" ad during the 2009 Christmas shopping season?).

But this is the first time that we can remember Verizon calling one of the other top four stateside carriers a "cut-rate" network. You know that Sprint is going to answer Verizon with a new ad of its own. And T-Mobile CEO John Legere gets attracted to these battles like a shark smelling blood in the water. AT&T seeks to rise above the fray by not getting involved, but that might not be the best strategy at this point.

UPDATE: Sprint has released a statement to us via email which reads: "However, once again Verizon is resorting to desperate and misleading tactics with an ad that does not accurately represent Sprint. Our LTE network covers nearly 300 million people – that’s approximately 94% of the U.S. population. Yes, our footprint is smaller in some markets, but our network covers every major market in the U.S. from Los Angeles to New York, Seattle to Boston, and every big city in between. What Verizon doesn’t want customers to know, is that in 2016 all networks are great and the difference in network coverage between carriers is small. But when it comes to value, there’s a huge difference. Sprint is the clear winner with its 50% off offer. More and more customers are figuring out that they are being ripped off by Verizon. Customers no longer have to choose between a good network and one they can afford - at Sprint, they can have both. That’s why millions have switched to Sprint."

Check out Verizon's new ad by clicking on the video at the top of this story. We embedded the older ads we cited in a video slideshow below.


source: Verizon