We've discussed at length how wireless operators here in the States have been using the term "4G" to mean whatever the hell they'd like it to mean, with the end result being significant consumer confusion over whether they're buying a cutting edge, fully upgraded wireless network connection ready for the demands of 2011, or a wireless network from 2007 with a coat of marketing paint.

Users in our Rogers forum note that Canadian wireless company Rogers has joined the party, and as of today has started calling their HSPA+ network "4G" -- though their LTE network won't be nationally available for some time. To be fair, Rogers is further ahead in the LTE game than many Canadian companies, with a four-market LTE launch planned for later this year. Amusingly. a Rogers rep stops by our forums to explain why they've jumped on the "everything is 4G" bandwagon, noting they didn't want to play "word games," but competitors compelled them to:

"We ve been trying to stay out of the name game. Our belief all along has been that what matters to our customers isn t what we call today s technology but what comes next. That s why we announced yesterday that we ll be launching Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks in Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver this year and bringing it to 21 more markets by the end of 2012.

Meanwhile, our customers are telling us they re confused because different carriers are using different names to refer to the same technologies. So while we initially thought we wouldn t need to follow suit, we will begin referring to our HSPA+ network as 4G over the next few days. This change will provide consistency for our customers and also aligns with the most recent definition of 4G from the International Telecommunications Union, which says 4G is any technology that shows a substantial level of improvement to previous 3G networks."

So to avoid confusing consumers, Rogers is going to join other wireless carriers -- who are calling absolutely everything and anything 4G -- whether it's cutting edge LTE or inadequate HSDPA and/or EVDO with limited backhaul. While some forum commenters in the U.S. industry have defended the 4G marketing games being played -- our resident Canadian consumers remain unimpressed, and note that this follows in a long carrier tradition of trying to confuse customers into thinking their service is cutting edge (see: Bell's not-really-fiber Fibe service) before it actually is.
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Tags: consumer confusion, Edge, Everything, Forum, international telecommunications union, marketing, name game, substantial level, technology, term evolution

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