Verizon Claims To Cover More Countries Than Actually Exist

from Consumerist by Phil Villarreal


Verizon likes to boast that its coverage is ubiquitous, but it's gone way overboard when it makes claims that it covers more than 220 countries, as it did in this ad the company sent to Justin, who writes:

This one has been sitting around my office for quite a while - it is a scan of a Verizon advertisement that claims they have service in 220 countries. Thing is, the UN only recognizes 192, and the US State department recognizes 194.
Where are those other 26 countries?
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Maybe Can You Hear Me Now Guy has tired of traveling the globe and has ventured to alien planets, having found this one is out of countries.

Thats hilarious!!

That's really funny. You would think someone is fact checking these things.

Verizon will soon be running their red map showing coverage...

I guess this is like the time Barack Obama visited all 57 states.

I'm thinking they counted places such as Puerto Rico, Scotland, Wales, as countries.

Québec is one of those!

I don't care how many fictional countries they serve...I just want a damn iPhone in this country!!

Or maybe they speak of international phone system country codes? How many of THOSE are there? List of country calling codes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Verizon didn't invent the system...but they have to integrate with it. I'm sorry...didnimruin your little "Verizon is dum!" fest? LOL

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What is recognized as a country, is a vague and changeable thing often.
From Wikipedia:

The thing is, recognizing a country by the UN is a very odd thing.
If a few of the countries want to refuse to recognize one, it does not get onto the recognized list.

There are many that are in limbo.
There are many that are kept off the list for decades because of a few countries that don't like them, etc.

The US was the first to recognize Israel, but in the UN? nope, a long time.
China and its political/economic pressure, kept Taiwan off the list.

26 limbo countries? I would not be surprised if there were not twice that many.

The CIA World FactBook, wording it carefully, compiles data for 266 'entities.

I think if you saw the list, that you, and the people who live in those places, would consider them 'countries'.
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