Quote:
Originally Posted by wraith79
4G DOES NOT = LTE
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Technically, that's right, but only because there are other, non-LTE technologies in the common definition of 4G, specifically WiMax.
The problem is that 3G, in the "GSM" world, relateds to the UMTS standard -- a standard for a network that few operators actually run. (In the "CDMA" world, 3G usually means EVDO.) What AT&T runs and what Telus is deploying is an HSPA network. The various HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA, and HSPA+ standards fall into what is commonly called 3.5G. Much of this is marketing speak and thus drives the really technical folks a bit nuts.
Both LTE and WiMax fall into the 4G classification. ClearWire (combined with Sprint's resources) operates a WiMax network in several U.S. cities with a bunch more supposedly coming up later this calendar year. Verizon just did a Boston-Seattle call in LTE, but isn't taking customers for this network yet. Essentially, that's it for 4G here in the States in mid-2009.
More info on the marketing/technical intersection of the "G's" can be found at
2G, 3G, 3.5G, 4G, 5G, 6G…cleaning the mobile telco standards mess. While I'm not thrilled with all of the definitions in the article and the info there is two and a half years out of date, it's not a not a bad review.