New Legislation Would Force Carriers To Define 4G
New legislature has approached the U.S. House of Representatives that could change the transparency of wireless carriers nationwide. Appropriately titled, the “Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act” the bill would demand all carriers to be absolutely clear on minimum data speeds, network reliability, accessible coverage, and the specific technology being utilized. The bill’s sponsor, California Rep. Anna Eshoo stated,
“There’s no standard definition of 4G mobile service, giving customers vastly different speeds depending on the carrier and location.”
The CTIA, a trade group who represents large wireless carriers is against the legislature. Jot Carpenter, CTIA’s vice president of government affairs, said in a statement,
“The legislature ignores the fact that wireless is an inherently complex and dynamic environment in which network speeds can vary depending on a wide variety of factors.”
As it stands now, 4G could use a clearer definition for its consumers. 4G is mostly explained as simply “faster than 3G”. Additionally, the bill would require the FCC to analyze the top 10 wireless carriers and their speed and price, and make this information available to consumers.
