US Senate plans to reduce 4G misinformation
The definition of 4G has been an interesting issue since carriers began to push new devices that supposedly included the technology. This is because most people do not know exactly what “4G” is, and that confusion has only been accentuated by carriers’ various marketing ploys.
All of the carriers currently claim to have 4G devices, but are unclear about how they define the term. Does having technologies LTE, WiMax, and HSPA+ make a smartphone a “4G” device, or is the rating based on speed? This jargon has actually gotten so bad that we tried to explain some of the problems with current 4G naming schemes just a few days ago.
Fortunately, the US government has now taken notice of this blatant campaign of misinformation. Lawmakers have introduced a bill that will force carriers to disclose minimum data speeds on their network, network reliability, and conditions that could impact network performance. It will also cause the FCC to test and rate the speeds of top carriers in the US to see if they meet expectations.
From what I can tell, this bill really is in the best interest of consumers and would help to combat the 4G confusion that has been running rampant. Of course, government can always make mistakes, so do you think this is a good course of action?
[CNET]
