Eshoo bill would force operators to diclose 4G speeds

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) is aiming to do what the International Telecommunications Union has not: define 4G wireless communications. The representative has introduced legislation that would require wireless operators to set guidelines for 4G, including minimum data speeds, coverage areas and pricing. Not surprisingly, the wireless industry’s chief lobbying group, CTIA, has concerns with the legislation.
Eshoo has introduced the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act in the House of Representatives. “Americans are excited about the latest generation of advanced wireless broadband, commonly referred to as ‘4G,’ but without a standard definition of the technology, consumers often experience vastly different speeds depending on the wireless provider and location. This legislation aims to ensure that consumers have complete and accurate information about the speed of 4G service before committing to a plan,” according to a statement announcing the legislation.
The bill would give end users information at the point of sale and in billing materials on guaranteed minimum data speeds; network reliability; coverage area maps; pricing; technology and network conditions that can impact speeds. The legislation also requires the Federal Communications Commission to evaluate the speed and price of 4G data services from the top 10 carriers to provide its own side-by-side comparisons.
The ITU, which defines wireless technologies, has been working on a definition for 4G for years, but amid claims by a number of operators, including AT&T Mobility and T-Mobile USA Inc. to call their 3G services 4G, the ITU succumbed to definitions late last year in this statement: “As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as ‘4G’, although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMAX, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed.”
For its part, CTIA said Congress should not impose new regulations on wireless operators and pointed out that a variety of factors can cause network speeds to vary.