Did you know that AT&T customers can take advantage of groundbreaking satellite calling technology out in the wild already? You didn't? Well, that might be because... that's not actually true. Not yet, at least. Not for the carrier's "regular", unfamous subscribers, and not even for a Hollywood superstar with a net worth of $200 million.
We're not going to blame you if a recent commercial starring a certain A-list actor and award-winning director by the name of Ben Stiller caused a little confusion on that front, as that's precisely what the National Advertising Review Board (NARB) concluded could happen for a lot of viewers.
T-Mobile 2 - AT&T 0
Misleading, confusing, and generally uninspired ads are, let's be honest, as old as time, and while most such faults typically go unchallenged, US companies can complain to the National Advertising Division (NAD) when they feel their competitors may have stepped over an imaginary line.
That's exactly what T-Mobile did a little while back in regard to an AT&T commercial titled "Epic Bad Golf Day", which the NAD ruled on just last month. The ruling "recommended" the operator at fault "discontinue or modify" a marketing claim that seemed to suggest Supplemental Coverage from Space, aka SCS, aka satellite calling is "presently available to consumers."
Instead of heeding that recommendation, AT&T appealed the decision, which brought the case to the NARB. The appellate advertising body of BBB National Programs essentially echoed the NAD's judgment earlier this week, once again advising AT&T to "clearly and conspicuously communicate that SCS is not available at this time."
For those keeping score at home, that's two victories for T-Mobile and, well, two bitter defeats for AT&T, although these recommendations are technically not legally binding in any way. Despite that and the fact that AT&T continues to "respectfully disagree" with the verdicts issued by the two aforementioned regulatory authorities, the challenged commercial has already been modified, including on YouTube, putting an end to this particular little battle between two of America's top three wireless service providers.
So what is and what's not true here?
Initially labeled a "demonstration of evolving technology", AT&T's "Epic Bad Golf Day" ad has been revised to clarify that "satellite calling is not currently available."
The carrier has also (reluctantly) accepted to modify a phrase about "the future of help", which is not an "AT&T satellite call away", but rather "will be an AT&T satellite call away." Although we're not entirely sure if this revised claim makes a lot of sense from a grammatical standpoint, the most important thing you need to understand here is that AT&T is hard at work on deploying satellite calling (or SCS) functionality.
Satellite calling will come to AT&T... one day. | Image Credit -- AT&T
That means you (as well as Ben Stiller) will eventually be able to ask for help with your golfing game even from the most remote places on the planet, where your good old fashioned cellular signal might not be enough to get you through a phone call.
Unfortunately, it's still difficult to know when that will become a commercial, universally accessible reality, as AT&T announced back in May a "definitive agreement" with AST SpaceMobile for an unspecified launch of a "space-based broadband network direct to everyday cell phones."
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To further contribute to the vagueness and mystery, the carrier highlighted in that press release that consumers "will feel a greater peace of mind knowing they have connectivity in places like wilderness areas, rural highways, and other hard to reach locations around the country"... "one day in the not-too-distant future." With that in mind, it's clearly good that AT&T was forced convinced to clear up some of the confusion hovering over the current availability of its satellite calling technology.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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