RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
Thanks for joining us.
RICH JAROSLOVSKY: Thank you.
MONTAGNE: Now, for people who've barely wrapped their minds around 3G or, in fact, for people who don't have a clue what 3G is, can you tell us what 4G is, what it stands for and what it does?
JAROSLOVSKY: Well, 4G stands for fourth generation, and it refers to the new wireless data networks that the carriers are rolling out across the country. And all four of the major U.S. carriers have things that they're calling 4G, but, in fact, the real problem is there's no standard. And some of the networks that are being rolled out are really just sort of tweaked versions of the existing data service.
MONTAGNE: So if I'm hearing you right, you're saying that 4G is not that meaningful.
JAROSLOVSKY: No. In fact, you could even go further and say it's meaningless at this point. What happened was that the International Telecommunications Union - which is sort of the big international standard- setting agency - sent out a definition for what a 4G network was supposed to be in terms of its speed and performance. And it was ignored by the carriers, who instead embraced 4G as a marketing weapon. And late last year, the ITU essentially bowed to the inevitable and basically said anything goes. And so now, whatever the carriers choose to call 4G is being marketed as 4G.
MONTAGNE: Is there any benefit to 4G?
JAROSLOVSKY: There is if you are lucky enough to be in an area where there is 4G coverage and you have a 4G phone, and it's a true 4G or a really new network, you will see faster data speeds. So Web pages on your smartphone will load more quickly. You'll get information more quickly. There are genuine benefits to being in a true 4G environment.
MONTAGNE: What should people focus on when choosing a phone service?
JAROSLOVSKY: I think there are a couple of things. One is coverage maps. Even the most widely deployed 4G networks are not everywhere. And so the first thing I would do would be to make sure that the area that you're going to be using your phone in actually has 4G service. Because if it doesn't, what's the point?
JAROSLOVSKY: And then the third thing is going to be price. People on 4G networks will consume data at a faster rate than people on the older, slower networks. Therefore, if there are caps on how much data you can use and extra charges, you could find that bill mounting very quickly.
MONTAGNE: You know, just one other thing: Do you think this confusion may be turning off consumers?
JAROSLOVSKY: I think that the more consumers understand what's going on, I think the more ticked off they're going to be. Right now, I think the carriers are doing themselves a disservice by going through this anything-goes situation.
MONTAGNE: Rich Jaroslovsky is the technology columnist for Bloomberg News, speaking to us from San Francisco. Thanks very much.
JAROSLOVSKY: Thank you. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.