You know ad tactics are getting down and dirty when Verizon's campaign forces AT&T to take action. AT&T (currently the exclusive domestic carrier of the popular Apple iPhone) says that while they typically don't respond to competitors' advertising, Verizon's recent ads are so blatantly false and misleading that something had to be done.

AT&T insists that customers realize the following facts:

AT&T's wireless data coverage reaches some 303 million people or 97% of the U.S. population, where they live and work.

Data coverage consists of 3 different types of technology: 3G (233 million people or 75% of the population are covered by AT&T's 3G network), EDGE (301 million people or more than 96% of the population are covered by EDGE), and GPRS (covers 303 million people with basic talk, text, email, and website access for wireless).

AT&T goes on to say that they are the #1 network for smartphones, with twice the number of smartphone customers than Verizon, their closest competitor. Verizon has yet to respond with an official statement of their own though many insiders claim that their anti-AT&T advertising campaign speaks for itself.

To view the full response, click here.