AT&T seyz.... "let's pretend that..."

[Mike Mercury]

AT&T will put a fake 5G logo on its 4G LTE phones
https://www.theverge.com/2018/12/21/...t-fake-network

AT&T customers will start to see a 5G logo appear in the corner of their smartphone next year — not because they’re using a 5G phone connected to a 5G network, but because AT&T is going to start pretending its most advanced 4G LTE tech is 5G.

According to FierceWireless, AT&T will display an icon reading “5G E” on newer phones that are connected to LTE in markets where the carrier has deployed a handful of speed boosting — but still definitively 4G — technologies. The “E,” displayed smaller than the rest of the logo, refers to “5G Evolution,” the carrier’s term for networks that aren’t quite 5G but are still faster than traditional LTE.

If this sounds sadly familiar, it’s because AT&T pulled this exact same stunt during the transition to LTE. The company rolled out a speed-boosting 3G tech called HSPA+, then got all of its phone partners — even Apple! — to show a “4G” logo when on that kind of connection.

It’s an intentionally confusing and borderline deceptive move designed to win the coming advertising wars around 5G. By “upgrading” a bunch of customers’ phones to “5G” now, AT&T will have a multitude of people using a “5G” network months, if not more than a year, before everyone else.

Technically, the “E” in the “5G E” icon will offer a degree of clarification. But I’m not banking on many people knowing that “E” is somehow supposed to indicate “this isn’t actual 5G.” In a blog post yesterday, T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray wrote that AT&T was “duping customers into thinking they’re getting something they’re not.” The “E” is easy to miss, too, judging by a mockup AT&T sent out.

AT&T told FierceWireless that the “5G E” logo would initially come to “a handful of devices, with more devices showing the indicator in spring 2019.” It wasn’t stated how many devices or which devices would show the icon, beyond it being “the latest Android devices.”

FierceWireless guesses that “potentially millions” of people could see the new logo, with AT&T’s 5G Evolution network available in over 400 markets by the end of 2018. Given that real 5G will be rare and limited for the next year or more, this tiny little branding change could lead to a great deal of misunderstanding around the state of the next-generation wireless technology.

[mm] 5G E = 5G Exaggerated [/mm]

[Aerovette]

I am migrating to a phone that is only a phone. Think "Jitterbug". I've got enough of "me" splashed all over the www. Time to hit the brakes.

[69camfrk]

ATT sucks. Where I live their service is substandard to say the least. Plus, they are expensive as all get out. I have a burner from Wal Mart that I've been using for years. $45 a month, unlimited. Does everything I need it to do. The rest of my family still pays dearly for, and suffers with expensive ATT.

[StaticCling]

AT&T blatantly uses false advertising tactics by keeping the extra ‘T’ in their name. They don’t offer Telegraph service as far as I know, but there it is...right smack dab in the middle of their name.

Morse is rolling over in his grave. Someone should sue.

[Aerovette]

Hey ATT, please accept my payment of $100.00e. The e means you are getting something more than $1.00 but not yet $100.00.

[99 pewtercoupe]

Left ATT years ago. Currently with TMobile. If you(or your partner)are over 55 you can get an unlimited plan for two for$60.00 month. I guess they figure anyone over 55 does not use their phone for data

[StaticCling]

Originally Posted by chinaski

AT&T blatantly uses false advertising tactics by keeping the extra ‘T’ in their name. They don’t offer Telegraph service as far as I know, but there it is...right smack dab in the middle of their name.

Morse is rolling over in his grave. Someone should sue.

[Aerovette]

Originally Posted by 99 pewtercoupe

Left ATT years ago. Currently with TMobile. If you(or your partner)are over 55 you can get an unlimited plan for two for$60.00 month. I guess they figure anyone over 55 does not use their phone for data

I hate Verizon and I would go back to ATT if their coverage was better. Way too many dropped calls and dead spots on my way to and from work.

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

ATT sucks. Where I live their service is substandard to say the least. Plus, they are expensive as all get out. I have a burner from Wal Mart that I've been using for years. $45 a month, unlimited. Does everything I need it to do. The rest of my family still pays dearly for, and suffers with expensive ATT.

My wife works at the local hospital. We get a 25% discount off our plan.

[mrvette]

5 of us on a family plan, unlimited......like 150/month ATT.....coverage is good, but my son is with some other outfit out in Ca. and has piss poor performance, constant drop outs....and for some reason it all works better if I call him....I always ask what they paying, and get same answer, they don't want to switch, too much hassle.....would be kind of interesting if we would have to dump our numbers when changing.....meaning inform all our contacts....PIA.....probably worse than changing email addy's......

[Mike Mercury]

Originally Posted by aerovette

Hey ATT, please accept my payment of $100.00e.

[Nox]

One thing about AT&T is that they did get the .gov FirstNet contract for the next 25 years. That means they will be providing coverage to a lot of emergency response agencies. Part of the contract requires them to upgrade coverage and interoperability nationwide. Just launched this year, but perhaps down the road, it will mean better coverage on the consumer side.

[snide]

AT&T will never get another dime from me.