HSPA+ stands for “Evolved High Speed Packet Access” and when loosely defined it can be regarded as 4G. This is not to say that AT&T doesn’t have the faster LTE 4G too. If your connecting via the new iPad 3 you are getting actual LTE service, it’s just not running on the iPhone yet.

For the time being, AT&T’s faster HSPA+ mobile broadband speeds are running about 2.5mbps compared to 1.3mbps on 3G. Moving up to even faster speeds is possible as AT&T offers two different layers of network technology: HSPA+ and LTE.

4G on iPhone 4s & iPad 3

The iPhone 4s is not quite the same as the ultra hot new Apple iPad 3 that is also showing 4G services but unlike the iPhone 4s where none actually exists, the iPad 3 is actually receiving 4G from AT&T. Sure the ability of the iPhone 4s may be to receive 4G but why not hold off showing it tell it is actually receiving this service from AT&T like it does from Verizon Wireless.

By now you have probably noticed that the “3G” symbol in the upper left hand corner of your new iPhone 4s is now showing “4G.” But don’t be fooled, that little 4G symbol doesn’t mean your new iPhone 4s will be getting the blazing fast speeds of other 4G networks available but rather an upgrade to it’s 3G called the HSPA+ network. Simply put, the change really reflects AT&T’s new name for its HSPA+ network which is just slightly faster than the “3G” connection you’re used to getting. AT&T brands its HSPA+ network as a “4G” network. It also calls its LTE network, which can be about 10 times faster than “3G”, a “4G” network. Confused yet? Well don’t feel alone.

If that’s not confusing enough, if you’re one of the lucky ones to have sprung for the new iPad 3, you will be receiving true LTE or better known as “4G service” from either AT&T or Verizon.

So as for the world of cell phones, currently not all “4G” is equal. With AT&T now showing “4G” status on the iPhone 4S with iOS 5.1, we now know that this really doesn’t mean we will be seeing a major increase in speed compared with the older “3G” we were getting just a few days ago.

Once you’ve crossed the magical 5 percent threshold, Verizon will reduce your data speeds “periodically? – at locations and times of peak demand” through the next billing cycle. For students using iPads for class or businesses using the Wi-Fi mobile broadband while on the go, this is taking chunks out of students valuable time and costing businesses additional money that is being passed on to you, the consumer.

Sure, data hogs are placing a burden on the systems capabilities but you’re being charged for a service and they are still adding more users to an already overloaded network. But why is there not a multi tier system so students and businesses can receive what is being paid for? This throttling effects smartphones, Mi-Fis and USB sticks.

How do you feel about Verizon slowing data speeds on wireless network across the United States and Alaska?

The iPhone 4s will be available from both AT&T and Verizon Wireless as soon as July but the actual release date has yet to be announced.

What’s New with the iPhone 4s?

Still just in the rumors stages, anticipation of a faster processor, 4G compatibility, a new and better antenna, improvments to the camera and 1080p video capture. And wouldn’t it be nice if the new iPhone 4s was compatible with both the Verizon and AT&T networks so a switch in carriers would not necessitate a change in phones. Well, these questions and more will soon be answered when the new iPhone 4s is released in July. More on the new iPhone 5 to follow as the release date nears…

Verizon Wireless to offer 4G in Alaska! Making thing more interesting in the Alaska smart phones business, Verizon will be going head to head with the current king of Alaska mobile phones, AT&T Wireless that has enjoyed having the popular iPhone all to their own will now be in direct competition with another heavyweight contender, Verizon. Although Verizon currently has some position of first place with the largest mobile phone network in the country, AT&T Wireless has been Alaska’s largest mobile phone network and will not be going down without a fight. This is where things get interesting.

Both AT&T Wireless and Verizon Wireless offer the ever popular iPhones from Apple. Verizon’s 4G LTE network will cover more than 260 million people in the United States by the end of 2012, unfortunately Alaska is not scheduled to start 4G service until sometime in 2013. Currently no exact time frame has been announced but with the aggressiveness we see Verizon showing in the lower 48 we expect to here a date soon.

These and other questions are popping up now that the news is out about 4G phones arriving on the Alaska market. News that the download speeds will be up to 10 times that of the 3G currently being offered by the wireless service companies in Alaska. Currently, AT&T Alaska is the largest mobile phone service provider in the state offering their iPhones with 3G service in most areas.

• How fast is the new 4G service in Alaska?
• Who offers 4G wireless service in Alaska?
• How much will the new 4G service cost?

Still in the promise stages, 4G wireless service in Alaska is being touted as 10+ times faster Internet downloads than any current wireless phone access offered in Alaska today.

So, the question is, will your wireless carrier be offering 4G packages in your area this summer?