4G inJacksonville august 2010

[uptowngirl]

So the 4G network was rolled out to Jacksonville in August 2010, has anyone noticed a difference?

I bought all 4G enable devices in anticipation of this, but alas 90% of the time the 4G network is not available and my devices are reporting connection to 3G.

Anyone know why that is?

[Glenn VL]

I have a 4G phone too. The only places in town so far that I have even been able to get a 4g network connection are around the beach blvd and hodges area.

It's a shame because it is a ton faster than 3g when it works.

Silly how sprint charges $10 a month in 4G charges with no way to opt out if you have a 4G ready phone, especially considering most of the country still doesn't have 4G infrastructure in place.

[Bativac]

This is why my wife and I ended up with the previous model iPhones (well, in my case, 2 models previous).

I have read that the 4g phones never reach the speeds touted by the mobile phone companies. Those speeds are possible, in theory, but in practice I think it's a wash, considering the cost of upgrading and of the 4g plan.

Of course -- I used an old fashioned "makes and receives calls only" phone up until this past November so anything that loads the internet looks like magic to me.

[CS Foltz]

Like everything else.............4G equipment costs money! The system is basically 2G, with spots of 3G (major metropolitan area's) and 4G in area's that have enough subscribers to think about 4G level equipement! If you were to go in the boondocks between metropolitan area's........everyone has 2G systems in place, except for Sprint which still runs cellular frequencys. Their equipment dates back to the 50's and it still works.....you get what you pay for and where you normally live at!

[uptowngirl]

Charlotte got 4G earlier than Jax, and I always get 4G there.

[spuwho]

Technically, according to the ITU, none of the advanced data services offered by the cell carriers qualify as "4G".

Sprint uses WiMax, Verizon (and eventually AT&T) will be using LTE and T-Mobile uses HSPDA+.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4G

At the moment it is all advertising.