For years, Verizon (NYSE: VZ) has built its wireless business on the idea that it could charge more because of its superior network.
For a long time, that was true and the company beat that message home with its “Can your hear me now?” ad campaign. Over the last year, however, that advantage has lessened. Sprint (NYSE: S) even hired Paul Marcarelli, the guy who uttered Verizon’s famous phrase in its ads, to point out that “The ‘better’ that some other national carriers claim about reliability is really less than a 1% difference.”