4G service and a 3G iPad

I thought the reason the iPad isn't 4g was because AT&T doesn't have 4g and Verizon LTE is untested. They can always make a different chip for each network like they do for the AT&T(GSM) iPhone & Verizon(CDMA) iPhone.

When and if 4g becomes widespread, is it likely the cell carriers will drop 3g leaving us with wifi only iPads?

Why even bother until the standards are finalized?

I recently talked with an ATT tech and was informed that ATT is rolling out the 4G network, which is faster than that of Sprint, but is testing to make sure that the 4G is able to be used on the 3G phones. They currently have 4 different (and very ugly) 4G phones available, but are trying to get the 4G network to work on the 3G phones currently held by ATT customers. Just for what its worth.

The tech is technically lying. ATT is calling their 3.5G network 4G. It's just faster 3G and not actually 4G.

A 3G phone does not have the necessary hardware to work on an actual 4G network.

AT&T does not support 4G.. actually no one in the States supports the 4G standard, even though they say they do.. the current version of the iPad is not physically able to support 4G.. the chip inside does not support 4G.. a firmware upgrade is not feasible.

Do you really get to exploit the 9-10Mbps speed with your iPad? What do you get at that speed that 1-2Mbps on 3G cannot offer?

I bet Sprint has representation on the ITU standards body! 😉

i get 10to12 mbps on sprints 4g, 10 at day 12 at night.

i would say the difference is huge compared to 3g where i can only about 500kbs day and 2 mbps night.

the reason i need the speed is because i like to watch hd movies and play online games, i use the internet wifi hotspot from my phone as my only internet source at home, so i download games, movies, programs, video chat all kinds of stuff on the several pcs in the home as well as internet ready tvs.

the speed really helps when one person is watching netflix, the other playing xbox live, another wathing youtube and someone chatting on a laptop, you get the idea, alot can be using that line at once as well.

To be totally honest...none of the phone networks that claim 4g are nothing more but a faster 3g and not 4g and that includes Verizon's LTE. None of them meet the standards of a true 4g networks.

Question for you Bob the Fisherman

I too have a Sprint Android w/ 4G and I am purchasing an IPAD 2 - please tell me, if I opt for the Wi-Fi only - how can I share my Androids 4G service like you do?