AT&T and Sprint have settled a disagreement over the controversial 5G “E” rebranding of AT&T’s LTE network.
“We have amicably settled this matter,” a spokesperson for AT&T said. The settlement was confirmed by Sprint.
5G v. 5G E
Sprint filed a lawsuit against AT&T back in February. It came after AT&T started using the term 5GE, misleadingly suggesting that they were already rolling out a 5G wireless service. “The significance of AT&T’s deception cannot be overstated,” Sprint said in its complaint.
AT&T clarified its position by saying that: “We introduced 5G Evolution more than two years ago, clearly defining it as an evolutionary step to standards-based 5G.”
Sprint, for its part, hit back by saying that, “Calling its network ‘5GE’ (or ‘5G E’ or ‘5G Evolution’) does not make it a 5G network, and instead deceives customers into believing it is something that it is not.”
The terms of the settlement haven’t been made public. However, it seems that AT&T will likely continue using the branding going forward.
For their part, users on AT&T shouldn’t be fooled into thinking they have a 5G iPhone if they see the 5GE label. A true 5G iPhone is unlikely to arrive until next year at the earliest.
Source: Biz Journals
