Sprint files a lawsuit against AT&T over 5G E branding

We reported on AT&T’s decision to start offering its customers “5G E” back in December, and even then there was a storm brewing in regard to the company’s choice of terminology. The clear issue at hand was that many customers would simply think the appearance of a “5G E” logo on their smartphone would mean they had a 5G connection. This is untrue.

Of course, AT&T puts it to simple marketing: It is “5G E” – paving the way to 5G technology. However, Sprint thinks the rival telecommunications firm is involved in deceit and is “making false claims”, according to the lawsuit that has been filed. AT&T has already countered the accusations, sending out a statement that included this comment:

We introduced 5G Evolution more than two years ago, clearly defining it as an evolutionary step to standards-based 5G. 5G Evolution and the 5GE indicator simply let customers know when their device is in an area where speeds up to twice as fast as standard LTE are available.

The problem is that AT&T's methods have been accused of being deliberately deceptive and of confusing consumers. Apparently, Sprint carried out some research that resulted in 54% of those questioned believing 5G E is the same as, or even better than, 5G. The smartphone icon used by AT&T has also been criticized because of its ambiguous format, as it shows the “5G” part in a larger font than the “E” part.

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