Apple Argues That Australia's 3G Networks Are Actually 4G

Apple plans to argue that Australia's 3G networks are actually 4G in order to fend off a lawsuit from regulators that accuse the company of misleading customers.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission wants Apple to change the name of its iPad models, dropping the '4G' designator. Apparently, the regulator believes that a device must work on its country's LTE networks to be 4G despite the iPad obviously working on 4G LTE networks in the U.S.A. and Canada.

Apple has already changed the wording on its store to make this extremely clear and offered a refund to any confused customers; however, this was not good enough for the regulatory agency and a lawsuit is now moving forward.


Instead of arguing that the iPad obviously supports 4G networks, Apple is using a different approach.

"The iPad with WiFi + 4G is a device which performs in accordance with the descriptor '4G' in terms of data transfer speed," Apple argued in its brief. "The descriptor '4G' … conveys to consumers in Australia that the iPad with WiFi + 4G will deliver a superior level of service in terms of data transfer speed (consistent with accepted industry and regulatory use of that term), and not that the iPad with WiFi + 4G is compatible with any particular network technology promoted by a particular mobile service provider in Australia."

So basically, Apple is saying that Australian networks are fast enough to be defined as 4G. In December 2010, the International Telecommunications Union expanded its definition of 4G.

"As the most advanced technologies currently defined for global wireless mobile broadband communications, IMT-Advanced is considered as '4G,' although it is recognized that this term, while undefined, may also be applied to the forerunners of these technologies, LTE and WiMax, and to other evolved 3G technologies providing a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed."


Under that definition, Apple says there is no reason to change its branding in Australia.

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