AT&T has come up with a way to move its network from 3G to 4G in a way that is very easy on the engineers: simply rename the existing network and call it 4G. “The whole industry has come to equate more speed with 4G,” said Ralph de la Vega, chief executive of AT&T’s wireless unit. He says consumers generally won’t notice the difference in speed between AT&T’s HSPA-plus and upcoming LTE networks, so it makes sense to call both 4G.
None of the networks called 4G meet what used to be the international standard for 4G, not even close, but the international standards union finally caved and said these LTE networks can call themselves 4G because whatever, fine, quit bugging us.
In a related story, I’m a giraffe. Because I SAID I’m a giraffe.
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
