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Sprint Takes Out Full Page NYT Ad Calling Out AT&T for Misleading 5GE Branding
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I can do you one better, AT&T; I’ve used whiteout to write a little “6G” on my phone so I always have the fastest connection.
Dude what do you do for a living? I seriously hope you’re making 6 figures. You deserve it. Dang so quick with these
Sometimes you consider the source - here, Sprint's hypocrisy.
Other times it is better not to shoot the messenger - here, the highlighting of the Fake 5G stunt pulled by AT&T. More people than the average MacRumors reader will be aware of this fraud. The full page add might even trigger the relevant government agencies to muzzle AT&T, penalize it, especially considering the current administration's animosity with AT&T.
I am out of contrasting sayings!
Other times it is better not to shoot the messenger - here, the highlighting of the Fake 5G stunt pulled by AT&T. More people than the average MacRumors reader will be aware of this fraud. The full page add might even trigger the relevant government agencies to muzzle AT&T, penalize it, especially considering the current administration's animosity with AT&T.
I am out of contrasting sayings!
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Right now there are 6 people within 100 yards of me. Screwing with peoples’ privacy isn’t okay even if it doesn’t matter much to you.I live in NYC. There are probably 5000 people within 100 yards of me.
Sprint on Sunday took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to call out AT&T for its "5GE" network labeling, which actually offers 4G speeds rather than 5G speeds.
In the letter [PDF], Sprint calls AT&T's 5G Evolution "fake 5G" and clarifies that AT&T is not, in fact, offering faster speeds than other carriers who deliver the same 4G LTE advancements that AT&T has enabled such as three-way carrier aggregation, 256 QAM, and 4x4 MIMO.
AT&T first started upgrading customer iPhones to read "5GE" in the iOS 12.2 beta, and the misleading branding will become much more widespread when iOS 12.2 sees a public release.
Devices in areas with AT&T's "upgraded" LTE will display "5GE" instead of LTE, but it's not real 5G. There is no iPhone that exists right now that is capable of connecting to a 5G network, nor does AT&T offer a true 5G network at this time.
AT&T has defended itself by claiming that 5G Evolution is the "first step on the road to 5G," but customers and other carriers are not impressed with its misleading branding that has the potential to confuse customers when actual 5G networks become available. AT&T has, however, claimed that customers "love" the 5GE branding because they "want and deserve to know" when "better speeds" are available.
Sprint has done more than just take out an ad against AT&T. In early February, Sprint filed a lawsuit in federal court against AT&T in an attempt to prevent AT&T from using the 5GE labeling on AT&T smartphones. Sprint says AT&T is damaging the consumer reputation and understanding of true 5G and potentially hurting Sprint's 5G launch this summer in nine metro areas.
True 5G smartphones won't be coming until later in 2019, and the 5G networks to support them also won't be available until later in the year. Rumors suggest Apple isn't planning to introduce 5G connectivity on its iPhones until 2020 at the earliest, so 5G is not a technology iPhone users will be able to take advantage of in 2019.
Article Link: Sprint Takes Out Full Page NYT Ad Calling Out AT&T for Misleading 5GE Branding
AT&T is fckng shady company. I worked for them before, you guys have no idea that type of sht and lies employees do to customers to get a sale and get commission, and the type of management AT&T do to their employees that makes them do what they do. The lies are real inside the company.
The ad may be free speech, but it is also counterproductive. It is a well known advertising tennet that if you prominently mention the competition you give them free mindshare and awareness and name recognition. Most ad readers do not take action requested in an ad. It simply adds to the noise in their life. T-Mobile makes a second and worse error. They further advertise a new service offered by ATT with higher ad prominence and rotation than ATT itself. People do not get worked up about a marketing name. They desire incremental benefits.
T-Mobile's claim is LTEe is not full LTE5. Fair enough. But it IS better than LTE4 and is far more widely deployed than either T-Mobile LTE4 (crippled network deployment despite all efforts) and beyond its LTE5 which is effectively a big fat zero right now.
Fail.
For those of you dancing on AT&T's hypothetical grave right now, remember Apple used them for iPhone 1 and 2, and today all these years later, Verizon and AT&T are dominant in the field and especially in profitability, just like Apple vs Samsung, and its droid competitors.
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/T
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/s
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckj...nate-the-smartphone-profit-pool/#6b0f11d061bb
T-Mobile's claim is LTEe is not full LTE5. Fair enough. But it IS better than LTE4 and is far more widely deployed than either T-Mobile LTE4 (crippled network deployment despite all efforts) and beyond its LTE5 which is effectively a big fat zero right now.
Fail.
For those of you dancing on AT&T's hypothetical grave right now, remember Apple used them for iPhone 1 and 2, and today all these years later, Verizon and AT&T are dominant in the field and especially in profitability, just like Apple vs Samsung, and its droid competitors.
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/T
https://www.marketwatch.com/investing/stock/s
https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckj...nate-the-smartphone-profit-pool/#6b0f11d061bb
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FTC does need to step in and stop ATT from misleading current customers into believing they have the 5G service. In addition, Apple should not have allowed the change on current phones as it is not 5G capable which furthers creates the false impression.
Agreed. I don’t see why Apple allows this anyway.
It would be totally reasonable for Apple to say carriers have to use labeling consistent with ITU/IMT standards.
I got suckered into a $45 byod business plan promo. Never tried sprint before, then i saw just how bad it was...more than half of phones dont have volte, half the chosen phones “support” lte advance, no service in garages or majority of buildings, and even with full bars data was piss poor.
I was told that my device does not have sprints new “advanced lte” bands so i baught a phone at full price, it was the same garbage..no change in speeds...i specifically did speedtests in same spots. pot calling the kettle black.
Same garbage tactics. Sprint is no different. I ended up switching the business like to tmo and it was night and day difference.
I agree with the sentiments in this reply.
While I think the 5GE thing is bullcrap and intentionally misleading, as a whole my stay on AT&T has been great. I rarely get dropped calls, my speeds are good, my billing hasn't been screwed up, my NEXT plans work great, the underlying service on all six of my lines is alright.
Now, AT&T's website is garbage - but improving very slowly, and their individual stores don't always seem to know what's going on, but the services I pay for - cellular service, gigabit fiber - are working as I need them to, and have for a while now.
That said, this really should be called 4GE, since it's an evolutionary step from 4G. Calling it 5G anything is misleading, and willfully so.
Ha! this would make a funny commercial if one of the competitors chose to make one bashing AT&T
Apple doesn't even do 5G yet and won't for more than a year from now. By supporting a proprietary AT&T protocol, they are furthering the partnership they have had since iPhone 1. Interestingly the ONLY folks impacted by this are AT&T customers. If you aren't one or are not becoming one soon, this simply does not apply to you at all.
Since Ajit Pai became chairman of FCC it has become an enabler rather than a regulator of major service providers. Witness the destruction of network neutrality.
Dude, you made me spill my coffee.
You win the Internet today.
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FCC? The FCC dude... := Winning!/s
Pardon me. Isn't it true there was no "network neutrality" before and there is no "network neutrality" now either. No change. We still have the wild west internet.
After you win on "network neutrality", will internet traffic taxation follow soon thereafter to enforce it?
Reminder. Right now the internet is tax free and NOT subject to telecom rules from the 19th and 20th century.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegraphy
Discuss.
Previous to Pai my understanding is that the FCC was at least open to implementation of neutrality rules, basically by reclassifying internet providers as common carriers, as landline phone companies and utility providers have been for many decades.
https://www.electronicproducts.com/...ality_and_the_Internet_as_common_carrier.aspx
Is AT&T being disingenuous here? Of course. Sprint is rightfully upset because the small market share they have is threatened even more by AT&T using 5G as a marketing ploy to advertise souped up LTE.
But the hand wringing over this seems a bit much. The average person either A.) won't notice the change in iOS 12.2 or B.) won't care.
I appreciate Sprint's desire to call out AT&T on this, but if they spent their energy making their network better rather than taking pot shots at a market leader they might actually turn the tide on their "competition". I'm glad their customer service is great, but (at least where I live in North GA) their service is awful compared to Verizon and AT&T. So the thought of switching is a complete non-starter.
But the hand wringing over this seems a bit much. The average person either A.) won't notice the change in iOS 12.2 or B.) won't care.
I appreciate Sprint's desire to call out AT&T on this, but if they spent their energy making their network better rather than taking pot shots at a market leader they might actually turn the tide on their "competition". I'm glad their customer service is great, but (at least where I live in North GA) their service is awful compared to Verizon and AT&T. So the thought of switching is a complete non-starter.