4G Roundtable: Does Speed Matter?

We know consumers have a need for speed, and in the United States especially the network’s throughput performance has become central to marketing campaigns and differentiation plays. But what underlies the spin? Are operators simply splitting hairs over network performance? Can HSPA+ and WiMAX/LTE be considered on the same level? And at the end of the day, does speed really matter, or is it all a function of marketing wizardry?

To answer these thorny questions, we’ve tapped our panelists:

• Todd Rowley, Vice President of 4G, Sprint Corp.
• Chris Kissel, Industry Analyst, Mobile Internet Group, In-Stat
• Philip Solis, Research Director, Mobile Networks, ABI Research
• Dan Warren, Senior Director of Technology, GSMA

This is Part III of a three-part series. Don’t miss Part I and Part II!  

V2M: If HSPA+ delivers faster speeds before LTE, does that negate the urgency for GSM operators to move to LTE or WiMAX?

Rowley: True next generation technology – 4G – is about much more than just speed. There is no disputing HSPA+ provides some fast speeds in some places. But speed is just one aspect of providing a fast, dependable, robust 4G experience. This is probably why T-Mobile and AT&T have already said they’ll be moving to LTE.

T-Mobile and AT&T are claiming their HSPA+ network provide speeds similar to 4G and as they feel the urgency not to get left behind, they are focusing on speed claims and calling their limited HSPA+ service 4G. The simple fact is HSPA+ is the end of the technology road – an overlay for their 3G network, where as WiMAX and LTE are next generation networks built from the ground up.

For example: Backing Sprint’s technology, market intelligence company ABI Research considers today’s WiMAX and LTE technologies to be 4G. T-Mobile says their HSPA+ speeds are fast and even comparable to 4G speeds on WiMAX. However, ABI Research defines 4G not just on speeds, but the combination of speed, latency, capacity and cost.