UPDATE, 12:40 P.M.: T-Mobile got back to us and we’ve updated the story below with the newspapers that ran the ads.

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Looks like we’ve got a good ol’ heavyweight cell phone carrier fight brewing between T-Mobile and AT&T.

Just days after AT&T debuted full-page newspaper ads attacking T-Mobile’s network, Bellevue-based T-Mobile USA has fired back with its own advertisements.

T-Mobile ran the ads today in several papers, including the Wall Street Journal, New York TImes, USA Today and The Seattle Times. All three ads show a crumpled up AT&T advertisement in the corner and each has a different message:

1. “If AT&T thought our network wasn’t great, why did they try to buy it? (This will run in the future)

2. “What keeps AT&T up at night? Apparently us.” (WSJ, USA Today, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Seattle Times, Dallas Morning News)

3. “Can you see the beads of sweat in this ad?” (New York Times, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram)

Then they each follow with the same short paragraph:

If you have seen AT&T’s recent advertising campaign, someone is obviously worried. What’s most surprising to us is the disparaging tone of these ads given AT&T’s failed attempt to buy us in 2011. Well don’t take their word for it about our network quality. See the facts for yourself at t-mobile.com/coverage.

This is all coming more than a month after T-Mobile CEO John Legere reportedly labeled AT&T’s network as “crap.” He went on to criticize his bigger rival’s marketing efforts, noting that he “saw more honesty on a Match.com ad than AT&T’s coverage maps.”

Seems like so long ago when AT&T wanted to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion, doesn’t it?

Previously on GeekWire: Politicians and unions urge FCC to prevent T-Mobile layoffs from MetroPCS deal

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