AT&T "4G" phones are actually runing HSPA, aka 3TG

this isn't news :p ATT said this themselves quite some time ago :) As there is no official 4G consortiun or Union or whatever, it's really just a marketing term, now. :(
 
Tmobile are the ones that started the bs, then Att and sprint complained and the committee that decides this kinda crap caved in and now 3G IS 4G, it's been known for quite some time now....
 
My brother has Tmobile 4g which is the HSPA+ and it gets decent speeds most of the time (4-6Mbps). Which is way better than the ~0.8 I get with Verizon 3g. The LTE stuff from VZW seems to be true 4g though.
 
Some of you are missing the point. The Veer 4G is an _HSPA_ phone (aka slow 3G). NOT an HSPA+ phone (aka fast 3G).

Hell. When AT&T rolls out their LTE network they'll probably call it 5G
 
Counter point: http://www.wireless.att.com/answer-...e=en_US&_dyncharset=UTF-8&solutionId=KB115947

Question:
Just how fast is AT&T 4G?
Answer:
With enhanced backhaul AT&T is seeing network speeds up to approximately 6 Mbps. Actual speeds experienced will vary and depend on several factors, including location, device, environment, and capacity. LTE is expected to deliver even faster speeds.

Note: 4G speeds require a 4G device and are delivered when HSPA+ technology is combined with enhanced backhaul. 4G speeds are available in select cities with availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. For information on currently available 4G markets, see 4G Speed from AT&T and select the Coverage map.
Click to expand...

So even though it's word mincing like the this is my next article says, it still meets their standard of 6 Mbps of service being "Mobile Broadband" There's going to be some weaseling around on the meanings of 4G from both tmobile and at&t until one goes to LTE. Expect similar 'outrage' whenever Tmobile stars promoting 42Mbps HSPA+, even when there's some areas of the country that will never get speeds that high because they don't have the spectrum to do so.
 
T-Mobile does the same thing. Their MyTouch 4G is only HSPA with no +. At least the Infuse that came out today is a true HSPA+ device. Whether AT&T's network can offer legit HSPA+ speeds in your area is another story, but I've seen some screenshots of Infuses pulling 10-12 Mbps down so clearly some markets are seeing 4G type speeds.
 
jeremyshaw said:
this isn't news :p ATT said this themselves quite some time ago :) As there is no official 4G consortiun or Union or whatever, it's really just a marketing term, now. :(
Click to expand...

Yes. Their 3TG is almost as fast as 3G maybe a little faster, in my experience.
 
Well I tested a phone in ATT that was 4g capable and it was on HSPA+ or whatever and it hit 2.8mbps.

I hit up a few more phones over at verizon and they were smoking at like 6-10down and 25-35up.

There is no way ATT is comparable to LTE.
 
tangoseal said:
Well I tested a phone in ATT that was 4g capable and it was on HSPA+ or whatever and it hit 2.8mbps.

I hit up a few more phones over at verizon and they were smoking at like 6-10down and 25-35up.

There is no way ATT is comparable to LTE.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it was actually connected via HPSA+? My iPhone 3Gs hits 2.1mbps+...

Obviously LTE is much faster, but I don't think it should be that much faster :p
 
Wait, wasn't it Sprint that started with "4G", calling their WiMAX 'network' that?

Under the original ITU specs, only LTE-Advanced and WiMAX2 were actually considered types of 4th Generation celluar/wireless networks. If my memory serves me correct '4G' was 1Gbps for stationary devices, and 100Mbps for mobile devices.
 
Isn't real 4g supposed to be 100mb/s? I thoought that's what I read before, idk if I can trust yahoo news though.

My 3g is decent on the droid 2, does seem to take a shit a few times a day though and needs a reestart.
 
First: AT&T's "4G" devices will always show as having an "H+" connection, even if it's on 3G, so don't go by that. Were you in a city that even had their H+ set up yet?

Second: Verizon's LTE isn't compatible with mobile speedtest apps. You actually have to tether and do an actual speed test for accurate readings. I can guarantee you weren't getting 35mb upstream. 10mb downstream doesn't surprise me though.

Third: Yes, Sprint started with the "4G" crap, but at least they had a next gen network that was "true 4G" upgradeable with the flick of a switch. If we go by the old standards, nobody has a 4G network yet, and nobody will for at least 2-3 more years. T-Mobile at least made speed improvements and labeled their ads as "4G speeds", which is tricksy bullshit but technically accurate. AT&T just relabeled their old crap as new coke and everyone with an iPhone oohed and ahhed.

4th: Say what you want about AT&T as a company, I personally hate them as a former employee and customer who was bent over by them both times. HOWEVER, with the *potential* for an LTE network with HSPA+ to fall back on, they have the best game plan. However, game plans are usually not reality, and in this case they are going to fall short, even worse than their 3G coverage was 2 years ago.

5th: Aside from the potential merger and seeing a good but neglected company like T-Mobile swallowed by AT&T, there could be an even worse deal in the works. Rumors came out today re: CenturyLink and Comcast wanting to buy out Sprint later this year. I don't know much about CenturyLink, but we all know how bad Comcast is. Sprint is now rated #1 in customer service, with the potential to be owned by the worst company in America (consumerist poll, last year?). Comcast will however, spend the money to make sure Sprint's coverage can compete with Big Red & the Death Star.
 
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3G or 4G...its all just marketing....3rd Generation vs 4th....who cares?
All I care about is data rates and coverage. Right now on T-Moble I get 8000 to 9000 in good coverage areas. Those are the numbers to the device, after the overhead is accounted for.

Is that 3G or 4G.....as if I care.
In off areas I can get 1200....but I still want better coverage.

Its all about the throughput to the device....4G and 3G are just marketing terms. Do I care what mechanism gets me the data....not a bit.....just give me the speed and the coverage.

Anything past 6000 is kinda meaningless anyway, unless you are using a single phone as a mobile hotspot for an entire dorm floor.
 
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