@jbtaylor on tech

I love the current T-Mobile television ads like the one above. By any measure this campaign is resonating with consumers. (They're reminiscent of the old Alltel Chad ads that Verizon killed when they gobbled up Alltel.)

But today, Jim Alling, T-Mobile's Chief Operating Officer, posted an open letter to customers on its website sending a very different message than the ads mocking AT&T.

"The merger (with AT&T) will ensure the deployment of a robust 4G LTE network to 95% of the U.S. population, something neither company would achieve on its own in the timeframe that would be possible with this merger."

So in other words, if regulators don't approve this deal, 4G won't be available to 95% of Americans.

It kind of makes you wonder what T-Mobile is advertising now. Is it 4G or not?

Coming to a TV near you: A new T-Mobile ad. It's funny, but I'm wondering if it doesn't draw attention to Verizon having the iPhone now rather than the devices T-Mobile sells.

What do you think?

The untold story about the development of 4G in the U.S. is the story about spectrum. Spectrum capacity is essential for any wireless carrier and Clearwire has a strong footprint for 4G, whether they stick with WiMax or switch to LTE.

In May 2010, when T-Mobile decided that HSPA+ was no longer 3G, but was now 4G, AT&T criticized them.

In the Fierce Wireless story I've linked to above, an AT&T spokesman said:

"I think that companies need to be careful that they're not misleading customers by labeling HSPA+ as a 4G technology." The spokesman continued saying, "We aren't labeling those technologies as 4G."

Of course that was 2010.

This is 2011 and times have changed.

When Verizon issued their list of markets where they plan to roll out 4G, they also included a list of airports which will have the coverage. I just completed a review of that list and realized that there are several markets where Sprint 4G covers the entire city, but Verizon 4G will only cover the airport.

Austin, Texas is an Verizon "Airport Only" city. But Sprint covers the whole city. (Take note if you're heading to SXSW this March -- the crowd in Austin's airport, pictured above, will be huge.)

There are several other cities in this category. Here's a list, in addition to Austin they include:

• Honolulu, HI 
• Newark, NJ 
• Portland, OR 
• Providence, RI 
• Raleigh, NC
• Sacramento, CA 
• Salt Lake City, UT 
• St. Louis, MO 
• Trenton, NJ 
• Wilmington, DE

I may be updating this list after Verizon publishes their coverage maps this Sunday. There are some airports in their press release, such as John Wayne / Orange County, in Santa Ana, Calif., that they may consider part of the Los Angeles market. (Incidentally, Sprint 4G covers all of Santa Ana.) Verizon may also consider Newark part of the New York market. (Sprint doesn't, but some marketers might.)

At any rate, it's smart marketing on Verizon's part to wire up an airport. That's where business customers are, and that's the customer they will target initially. (Remember, Verizon is only offering 4G modems at first -- no phones.)