Though
there's debate over what can truly be called
4G and the
different technologies can be confusing, the fact is that the next generation of wireless technology is here, which for you as the customer means faster data speeds on your handsets.
Sprint, with its partnership with Clearwire, got things started this year with the launch of the first 4G handset in the U.S., the
HTC Evo 4G, and followed that up with a second device, the
Samsung Epic 4G.
T-Mobile also got in on the action. As
CNET News' Maggie Reardon points out in her article here, the carrier's HSPA+ network doesn't meet the technical definition of 4G, but it is an extension of its 3G network and we've experienced and have been impressed by the faster data speeds on its "4G" handsets, including the
T-Mobile MyTouch 4G and
T-Mobile G2.
Regardless of whether it fits the definition or not, T-Mobile is taking the 4G name and running with it, as it has launched an aggressive
ad campaign to get the word out.
Most recently,
Verizon announced that it will flip the switch on its 4G LTE network December 5 to 38 cities and 60 airports around the country. Though the carrier will only launch with two USB modems, it plans to have consumer-oriented smartphones by mid-2011, which is also when
AT&T plans to launch its 4G LTE network.
Taking a page from Verizon's book, when the carrier said "whether you call it 4G or chicken soup," 4G and the next-gen of wireless technology is here.