Open Signal, a company which specialized in assessing the capabilities of mobile networks worldwide has recently tested and found that AT&T’s “5G E” mobile network is in fact slower than some of its competitors advanced 4G LTE networks. AT&T’s “5G E” concept has been criticized widely in online technology circles as a purely marketing based move which was meant to confuse consumers into believing falsely that AT&T’s “5G E” is as capable as current 5G systems being tested by industry. On top of that AT&T’s competitor, Sprint, has recently sued the former for as much.
With these reports from the rather highly trusted Open Signal, critics of AT&T’s rebranding of their extant advanced 4G network have been vindicated. This case illustrates that we do have to keep in mind that many companies may keep trying different branding and marketing schemes of enhanced 4G networks such as 4.9G and Advanced 4G LTE. However, these “4G on steroids” often are missing a lot of the qualities of true 5G systems such as ultra-low latency and massive bandwidth which are critical for 5G’s future success and benefits.
Original OpenSignal article here: https://www.opensignal.com/blog/2019/03/22/quantifying-the-real-world-experience-of-5g-e
Marin Ivezic
For over 30 years, Marin Ivezic has been protecting critical infrastructure and financial services against cyber, financial crime and regulatory risks posed by complex and emerging technologies.
He held multiple interim CISO and technology leadership roles in Global 2000 companies.
