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What does 4G really mean?
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One California Congresswoman is so upset about the annoyance of dropped cell phone calls, she’s introduced a bill that would regulate 4G wireless service.
You’ve seen the ads. The pretty girl in the pink dress tells the guys, "Look, my friend just posted a video from a concert to Facebook." =They're amazed. "That was fast!" And then she gives the pitch, saying with T-Mobile’s 4G network, "we can share videos whenever we want."
Copyright issues aside, there’s something bothering Democratic Congresswoman Anna Eshoo of Palo Alto about cell phone company claims: What does 4G really mean? She says it’s "very important to have truth in advertising."
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Eshoo is the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. She’s introduced the “Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act.” It would require companies to spell out for consumers — before they sign a contract — about guaranteed minimum data speed, reliability, areas of coverage, conditions that can slow down 4G service, and pricing information.
"I just think that we need to have standards and that those standards are met and that the advertising matches that."
Eshoo says the bill would establish guidelines to help consumers understand what 4G speed really means. Lawmakers haven’t yet scheduled a hearing on the bill.
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