“Apple is seeking to redefine Australia’s 3G networks as being “4G”, according to a new filing in the Federal Court,” Josh Taylor reports for ZDNet Australia.
“Not satisfied with getting corrective advertising and making Apple offer refunds to customers, according to a report in The Australian this morning, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is trying to push Apple to change the name of the cellular version of the iPad from the ‘iPad Wi-Fi + 4G’ in Australia,” Taylor reports. “This is due to the fact that the new device, launched last month, does not work on long-term evolution (LTE) networks in Australia. It will work on LTE networks in the 2100MHz and 700MHz spectrum bands, but Australian telcos are using the 1800MHz spectrum bands at the moment, because the 700MHz band is still being used for analog TV.”
Taylor reports, “In Apple’s latest defence filing, according to the report, Apple states that it believes the 3G networks run by Telstra, Optus and Vodafone “are 4G networks in accordance with accepted industry and regulatory use of the descriptor ‘4G.’ … When it finally gets to court, Apple will no doubt argue that the HSPA+ service that is available on 3G networks in Australia could be classed as 4G, and has been marketed as such by T-Mobile in the US. But just because one company is marketing it that way doesn’t necessarily mean that there is industry consensus on what 4G is.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A rose by any other name…
Here in the States, AT&T iPhone 4S units running iOS 5.1 or later display “4G’ when connected to HSPA+. A new 3rd-gen iPad WiFi+4G for both AT&T and Verizon displays “LTE” when connected to “LTE.” We have Verizon iPads, so what does a new 3rd-gen iPad WiFi+4G for AT&T display when it’s connected to HSPA+? Does it display “4G” like the iPhone 4S for AT&T?
Related articles:
Apple and Australian watchdog mediation over iPad ’4G’ fails – April 16, 2012
Apple updates Australian store to further clarify 4G abilities of new iPad – March 30, 2012
Sweden looking into complaints over Apple marketing iPad as ’4G’ (incompatible networks in Sweden) – March 29, 2012
Apple offers full refunds, corrective signs over ’4G’ iPads in Australia – March 28, 2012
Australian watchdog to seek orders against Apple for alleged ‘misleading’ iPad 4G claims – March 27, 2012