An interesting bit of legislation is making it’s way through the United States House of Representatives, one that may interest mobile users quite significantly. The Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act will require wireless carriers to spell out in plain English, what their 4G speeds exactly are. As of now, there is no definitive line between 3G and 4G and nothing set in stone that constitutes ’4G’ speeds.
This act aims to change that for good. The bill, if enacted, will require carriers to notify existing users and potential users of speeds, caps, pricing and the technology used to achieve the speeds. This information must be disclosed to users, “consistently, clearly, and prominently in all marketing materials” Carriers would also be required to provide coverage maps, detailing exactly where their coverage extends to.
Do you remember just earlier this year when the Motorola Atrix 4G launched and didn’t support 4G speeds, even though the device was clearly marked 4G? It took AT&T a few months but they did eventually stop capping speeds and allow users to get what they paid for – under this new law, such an action would not just be cheap and dishonest, it would be illegal.
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