Mobile carriers advertising "4G" aren't always being honest. There's LTE, WiMax, and HSPA+, and they're all classified as "4G". How is a consumer supposed to decide which is best? They're all faster than 3G, but which technology is truly the fastest?
When Tmobile's advertising the "largest 4G network", they're really talking about HSPA+, the slowest form of 4G. It's been around since 2008, and while it is faster than normal 3G, it's nothing to write home about. Tmobile can claim a large 4G network, but what they don't mention is that it's much slower than any other form of 4G.
That's why a bill has been created to try to change this. It would force carriers to be honest about the speed of their 4G networks, allowing customers to make direct comparisons.
The bill, called the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act, is new, and it's still in the House. If approved, however, carriers would still be able to claim they have a 4G network, but they'd also have to mention the speed of their network.
Will carriers block this through extensive lobbying? Only time will tell, but it could become a lot easier to compare networks in the near future.
via BGR
