AT&T: Our 4G will catch up to Verizon in 2 to 3 years

[ts548]

And the truth finally comes out

Rancho Palos Verdes, California (CNN) -- AT&T's data network won't be on par with Verizon Wireless' until 2013 or 2014, AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega said on Thursday.

AT&T has yet to launch its faster fourth-generation cellular technology but has plans to do so in the second half of this year. The first cities to get the 4G LTE service will be Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The launch will come at least seven months after Verizon Wireless', which began rolling out in December.

AT&T has used some marketing misdirection to claim its data network is 4G. But it will take some time for AT&T's wireless Internet to match Verizon's in speed, reliability and coverage, de la Vega said at the All Things Digital conference.

Initially, de la Vega said he "can't say when" AT&T will meet Verizon's quality. But he later added, "In the next two to three years, they will probably be indistinguishable."

AT&T: Our 4G will catch up to Verizon's in 2 to 3 years - CNN.com

 

[RadioDaze]

I wonder if some folks will try to use this as an excuse to get out of their service contracts?

 

[ts548]

What I wonder is with all the commercials AT&T has aired saying the largest and fastest 4G network in the country if people couldn't sure for false advertising.

 

[poltergeisty]

AT&T is a cluster-F of a network. Talk about dropped calls.

 

[OldDeadOne]

tell me about it I've never seen 3G,I'm always on EDGE

 

[KD9KSO]

They promised (yeah, right) 3G in my area not far from St. Louis for the whole two years of my contract. I dropped them and went back to Verison. At least the internet works on the phone now.

 

[datainmotion]

AT&T - cornering the market on "firm grasp on the obvious".

 

[com501]

AT&T can't even service copper DSL customers at the promised speed (except at 2-4am), so what makes anyone think their cell side services is going to be any better?

AT&T - 'Less Bars In More Places'

 

[kayn1n32008]

AT&T - 'Less Bars In More Places'

Thats Rogers big selling point her in Canada. quit stealing our crappy cell providers "most reliable network"

Oh wait, they used to be part of AT&T... Nuff said

 

[mancow]

What I don't quite understand is the popularity of T-Mobile. From what I've seen they have horrible coverage and ridiculously slow data.

 

[canav844]

I'm on ATT my girlfriend is on ; I have 4G almost everywhere she is still on 3G, HSPA+ meets the criteria of definition of 4G, it's not as fast as LTE, but it's faster than 3G and much much more common than LTE, and until there's a solid LTE network it's a trade off that I'm gladly taking not living in a prime market. Do the economics on it and the data+tethering (without counting minutes and SMS) is cheaper than a similar (or slower) speed DSL connection. I'll have faster internet on my phone than most, for the next two years then when it comes time to renew have the option to go to the faster LTE, and that choice depends on if the network has gotten it's act together by that point.

I knew what I was getting myself into when I renewed last month, and frankly I'm happy with it. I also more reliably have signal when traveling around the country (east coast west coast, upper peninsula of Michigan, midwest), where I'd almost always at least have EDGE when my girlfriend would have 3G or no signal at all with her last phone.