2G, 3G, or 4G? What a Dealer Needs to Know

You may have heard that AT&T recently announced a plan to “fully discontinue service on [their] 2G networks by approximately January 1, 2017.” AT&T will be moving their networks to 3G and 4G to improve network performance and address the need for more capacity.

This announcement is extremely important for us and our customers and it is not too soon to think about the next potential migration and how it affects the decisions that dealers make today. A key point to consider is that in their announcement AT&T noted where the growth is taking place, “As of June 30, 2012, over one-third of our postpaid smartphone subscribers use a 4G-capable device (i.e., a device that would operate on our HSPA+ or Long Term Evolution (LTE) network).”

Unlike other offerings in the industry that only support 3G, Honeywell has developed a line of 4G HSPA+ radios. First to market in April (for LYNX Touch 5100), this remains the only 4G solution available today. Additional Honeywell 4G radios will be available in September and more will be introduced through the balance of the year.

Our strategy is completely aligned with the growth of ATT's 4G HSPA+ network and we believe that this alignment will result in a longer service life than a 3G radio, as it utilizes AT&T's spectrum more efficiently than 3G. Honeywell's HSPA+ 4G advanced radios will protect our customers and their investment for years to come, while providing the high speed bandwidth required for Total Connect? interactive lifestyle services of today and tomorrow.

I believe dealers should not settle for less than 4G in making a decision about their own migration path. 4G will provide the maximum in-service life, is three times faster than 3G and is aligned with AT&T's own growth plans.