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Sprint sues AT&T over its fake 5G branding

2019-02-08 16:07 by
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Sprint filed a lawsuit against AT&T accusing it of misleading customers by marketing its 4G LTE service as 5G, the next generation of wireless technology that is still in development.

AT&T started using the 5G Evolution marketing last year, reasoning that it serves as a foundation for true 5G next-generation cellular technology. However, 5G E doesn't mean your 4G phone can actually connect to a 5G network - causing rivals Verizon and T-Mobile to slam it as "fake 5G." Android phones started displaying 5G E connectivity in January, and it reportedly started appearing on Apple iPhones in recent days.

Because of that alleged deception, Sprint says that it's losing business to AT&T and that customers are getting tricked into buying 5GE phones that aren't actually 5G-capable.

In its claim, Sprint said it commissioned a survey that found 54 percent of consumers believed the "5GE" networks were the same as or better than 5G, and that 43 percent think if they buy an AT&T phone today it will be 5G capable, even though neither of those things are true. Sprint's argument is that what AT&T is doing is damaging the reputation of 5G, while it works to build out what it calls a "legitimate early entry into the 5G network space."

"Customers want and deserve to know when they are getting better speeds," AT&T spokesperson Jim Greer said in a statement. "Sprint will have to reconcile its arguments to the FCC that it cannot deploy a widespread 5G network without T-Mobile while simultaneously claiming in this suit to be launching 'legitimate 5G technology imminently.'"

Read more -here-

 

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