“AT&T Inc. flipped a switch and turned on its 4G wireless network Wednesday,” reports the WSJ. “The switch, however, was in the company’s marketing department.” Taking advantage of loose definitions for what qualifies as 4G, AT&T has simply relabeled its existing, and much-maligned, 3G network as 4G.

The International Telecommunications Union hasn’t set a hard definition on 4G, so carriers are going right ahead and calling their networks 4G. AT&T told WSJ that it was okay to do it because consumers won’t notice the difference between their HSP-plus and the new LTE network.

AT&T isn’t the only one, T-mobile did the same last year and then went on an anti-AT&T advertising spree.

Alls fair in war, love, and marketing.

A recent Consumer Reports survey of wireless carriers ranked AT&T dead last.

AT&T Pins 4G Label to Existing Network [WSJ] (Thanks to Evan!)

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