Homercles82 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20028622-266.html?tag=epicStories Wireless carriers in the U.S. have turned 4G into a meaningless marketing term, and standards purists are none too pleased about it. With good reason: All four of the major U.S. wireless carriers are calling their faster wireless networks 4G, but the truth is that none of these networks meets the International Telecommunication Union's specifications for 4G. Top on the list is the speed requirement. The ITU defines 4G or IMT-Advanced as technology that offers download speeds of 100Mbps on mobile devices or 1Gbps on fixed wireless connections. The technologies used by the four major carriers in the U.S. today aren't as fast as that. Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30686_3-20028622-266.html#ixzz1BUZJ20Vd The Inter Telecommunication Union has muddied the waters considerably by allowing the cell carriers to still call their upcoming/current networks "4G". Tmobile is calilng their hig speed 3G network "4G'. Sprint and Verizon are calling their networks that are 1/10 to 1/16 the listed speed requirement. The speeds are tested speeds and not operational. Basically, this article is a lesson in marketing terms and how ruthless cell carriers are when it comes to our money. They will say and do anything to get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter44 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Basically, this article is a lesson in marketing terms and how ruthless cell carriers are when it comes to our money. They will say and do anything to get it. Companies have been lying for ever... marketing is the art of lying and with zero accountably for their claims they will continue to sell snake oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homercles82 Posted January 19, 2011 Author Share Posted January 19, 2011 Companies have been lying for ever... marketing is the art of lying and with zero accountably for their claims they will continue to sell snake oil. Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 This is par for the coarse with all technology... Words which start out having meaning are transformed by marketing into hints of there former selves. Be it "real time", "relational", or "object oriented", If terms have the slightest positive perception in the general public there will always be marketing people willing and able to exploit that perception to sell their products.... It's the whole reason why the government tries to regulate language in advertisment to some small level of sanity with regards to products that can harm you. Like cigarettes and perscription drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCsportsfan53 Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 There was a time when it had meaning? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLongshot Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Well, Sprint started the whole thing, with them calling their WiMax 4G. Everyone else is just trying to keep up with the Joneses. T-Mobile's HSPA+ has been around for a bit, and comes up on my phone as "3.5G", but because everyone else wants to tout their service as 4G, they have to follow suit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Fried Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I never understood what 4G was to begin with, so no. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickalino Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 I never understood what 4G was to begin with, so no. There was nothing there to ever understand, lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnhay Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Well, having not researched 4G phones at all, I had the misconception that they could go that fast. I wondered why they would need to, but still, it's pretty shady. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted January 19, 2011 Share Posted January 19, 2011 Does anyone have 4G on the Sprint Evo? I just want to know if the "4G" speed really is that different from 3G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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