Customers are becoming frustrated with disputes between phone carriers.

The NAD, a self-governing entity, prohibits those involved from using its conclusions for marketing. It has instructed AT&T to adhere to the rules and take down the promotional content.

In a poll asking readers if AT&T should comply and remove the ads, 306 voted yes, while 160 voted no.

This indicates that most people do not want AT&T to weaken a self-regulatory process that advertisers willingly engage in. The NAD aims to encourage truthful advertising, but companies may avoid participating if its conclusions are exploited due to worries about public reaction or PR misuse.

BBB National Programs stated in October 2025 that AT&T's breach of its agreement and misuse of NAD's rulings for promotional purposes harms NAD's goal of promoting honesty and accuracy in advertising and building consumer confidence.

Every major carrier wants you to think they are the best, often by selectively presenting data and emphasizing only the results that benefit them.

While carriers may want to promote themselves, the messaging may eventually lose its effectiveness. For example, a carrier that claims to be the best may give the impression that they have reached their limit and that further progress will be difficult.

Furthermore, customers who are open to a message do not need to be constantly reminded of it. Others will simply ignore carriers who bombard them with exaggerated claims.

Whether it is AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon, actions are more convincing than words. For example, Verizon has openly stated that its price increases are the reason for its market share losses. AT&T will benefit more from listening to its customers and becoming a better value proposition for T-Mobile and Verizon customers than from running campaigns highlighting its competitors' shortcomings.