NNSquad - Network Neutrality Squad
[ NNSquad ] AT&T joins T-Mobile's definition of 4G
AT&T joins T-Mobile's definition of 4G It appears that the "redefinition" of 4G to include HSPA+ (as recently sanctioned by the ITU) has convinced AT&T that it's time to join T-Mobile in this category. T-Mobile of course was (as far as I know) first to begin calling HSPA+ by the 4G label -- before the ITU's change of heart to include HSPA+ as 4G officially. Now AT&T's new TV ads include some fine print that reads: "4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Will be available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment ..." Given that HSPA+ represents a significant potential speed enhancement over earlier protocols, I don't really object to it being labeled as 4G. But what do terms like "enhanced backhaul" mean to the vast majority of potential AT&T customers who see these ads? Yes, I'm sure a lawyer wrote it, so that somebody couldn't complain that HSPA+ on an old T1 backhaul wouldn't do the user much additional good. I wonder what sorts of tech talk we'll see next in these ads? ... "Services will be provided by multimode fiber interfaced with composite polymer standard (EIA-494AC) connectors, only for devices with CPUs enhanced with more than 5MB cache memory configured as dual-tree simultaneous FIFO mantoogal orifice modulators on a bipolar chantilly corumba platform foundation baseline." --Lauren-- NNSquad Moderator