So let me get this right? AT&T is up in arms because T-Mobile said they had “4G” speeds going with yesterdays Northeast HSPA+ launches? Boo freaking hoo AT&T! Instead of actually fixing your network you are complaining about verbiage? I wonder if you took the money you spent fighting back bad reports and invested it into your network, your customers might be able to make calls. Speaking to Fierce Wireless AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom had this to say: “I think that companies need to be careful that they’re not misleading customers by labeling HSPA+ as a 4G technology.” I think the real problem here is the use of language and since most people don’t know that 4G exists as a term, never mind as a condition of service it’s really moot at this point.

However, there is something to consider, that as the 3G to 4G transitions begins to find its way into the public atmosphere, T-Mobile might want to focus more on the actual speed itself rather than the verbiage. I think calling it 3.5G is likely to give customers the idea its better than what’s out there now, which is what’s actually true. Getting into a contest about whether or not your service is actually 4G is likely something you are going to lose as its not actually 4G service, so you might want to get cracking on calling it, “Magenta power,” Or “Magenta, faster than the sound of speed,” or something fun. Just a thought.

Fierce Wireless