“Three Democratic members of the U.S. Senate introduced on Thursday the ‘Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act,’ which aims to clear up confusion surrounding 4G high-speed wireless data networks and control what carriers can and must say in their advertisements,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.
“Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., announced the act on Thursday, which they said would ‘require wireless providers to disclose complete and accurate information about their 4G wireless data service in their sales and advertising practices,'” Hughes reports. “It mirrors legislation passed in the House of Representatives this past June.”
Hughes reports, “The proposed act would require companies to disclose specific details in their marketing and advertising. The bill was created because there is no standard definition for 4G wireless broadband Internet.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: H.R.2281 — Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act — was introduced in the U.S House of Representatives (112th Congress) by Representative Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto). Read it in its entirety here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “John A.” for the heads up.]
Sounds good, but destined to be lobbied to death.
You’re an idiot. Just as these guys are.
Congress doesn’t’ define technology standards and is too incompetent to be able to tell the difference.
The HSPA+ data rates are higher than LTE, thus making them absolutely, legitimately, 4G.
4G is a trademarked term . The owners of that term decide who can use it officially.
Congress should be spending its time dismantling the regulations that are strangling the economy and driving business overseas.
Yeah, right. How did that lack of oversight work for your housing market.
Lower taxes and deregulation fixing the economy are the two biggest balls of shit Republicans want everyone to swallow, even as the history piles up that proves they don’t work.
Housing bubble was absolutely the government’s fault. The regulations forced interfered with the market and caused the problem. This is idiotic for the government to get involved this way. How many standards did the government have to get involved with in order for us to have great Mac computers?
If you think the government caused the housing bubble by too much interference, then you need to stop smoking whatever it it is that you are smoking.
There is more blame to go around than there are people to take it for the housing bubble. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, connected with housing (including consumers) got drunk on easy loans, big homes, flip and make money, etc. Not just the government, although it played its part (again, both parties involved, because very little comes out of Washington without Rs and Ds agreeing to some degree).
Your lack of civility is only matched by your hubris. Grow up.
You whiffed on my meaning. A requirement to show facts, speeds, etc. would allow consumers to see past the LTE, 4G yada yada and realize nobody has true 4G yet.
Not at all clear what facts you are referencing regarding trademarks or HSPA+ speed relative to LTE
Here is a primer on comparative network speeds:
http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/03/help-key-3g-4g-hspa-lte-wimax-what-do-they-mean-to-you/
Here is a search for 4G as a trademarked name:
http://tess2.uspto.gov/bin/showfield?f=toc&state=4006%3An0i2nf.1.1&p_search=searchss&p_L=50&BackReference=&p_plural=yes&p_s_PARA1=&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA1%24LD&expr=PARA1+AND+PARA2&p_s_PARA2=4G&p_tagrepl%7E%3A=PARA2%24COMB&p_op_ALL=AND&a_default=search&a_search=Submit+Query&a_search=Submit+Query
Apparently there is a severe lack of real problems in the U.S. that need to be addressed by congress…
Since the carriers
bribedpersuaded international standard committee to lift the actual requirements for a cellular wireless network to be called “4G”, I am not sure how this legislation is supposed to work now.There are no “Actual requirements” that were “bribed”.
4G is a generalized term that refers to faster data rates. The iPhone 4s’ data rates are faster than LTE’s data rates.
Before December of last year there were official standard requirements for “4G” — namely, the download speed had to be no less than 100 Mbps.
But in December there was a decision to give in to the carriers and the official definition and requirements were cancelled.
What is wrong with these people? People have no right to know what is being sold to them. All these types of government regulations stifle good rip off artist from making a living and taking advantage of the uneducated masses. Let the free market work it out. If a few million people are foolish enough to buy something based on hype, they will eventually get the word out and others will not make the same mistake. Where are the libertarians when you need them?
You’re right. This bill is just a fundraiser for congress’ upcoming elections.
That’s good news for consumers. Too many corporations taking advantage of those who don’t take time to read the fine, and often convoluted, fine print.
I do find it interesting that the Republican controlled house already passed a similar bill and it is Democrats pushing it in the Senate. I wonder if maybe it is not a good idea to have truth in wireless like we now have truth in advertising. Or do some of you think that the customer has no rights at all in matters of misleading claims by corporations.
Perfect statement. The government. Business, and homeowners are to blame.
If they offer, it is the decision of the consumer to sign the contract. No gun was ever place to the consumers head. Do diligence is the consumers responsibity. Plus, records should be used to decide whom choose with high risk when they signed. That way we offer the benefits to the people that choose right. Not to those that threw the dice and lost. That is the government answer is the target those collapsing. Though it should be the choice. Government,bank, and consumer should be judged by their actions and not that they fell in a hole they created. And we should not bail out those that did not choose wisely with our money.
Equal opportunity offender.
thats right – keep legislating obscure errata while the country continues it’s death spiral into oblivion. These so-called representatives of our districts continue to waste our time doing the bidding of corporations and lobbyists, in order to avoid tackling real issues of the day. and forget about thinking up solutions on their own, these spoon fed prima-donnas only hand pick their battles or worse, have them handed on a silver platter. They don’t get out into the field and get their hands dirty digging for the solutions. Sad, really sad. (and i mean Dems and the GOP). Send them all home and get another set willing to look at real issues of our country for our people.
Ok one on the subject. I like the idea of standards and the truth being told. However, I have a problem with more bills, laws and regulations produced by the elected officials that seem to have a purpose for their own self interest- mainly for votes and or money. Plus, there are standards now. Why not make it known and use our education system, for what ever it is worth, to teach students the tech. It is better to have an informed population. Probably never dawned on the university grads in office!
Knowledge is power.