The CTIA panel – held at 3:15 p.m. on March 23 and moderated by FierceWireless Editor-in-Chief Sue Marek – included executives from BelAir Networks, MetroPCS, Sprint, TowerStream, and Xanadoo. Highlights of the panelists’ general comments on 4G differentiation were as follows:

• BelAir Networks: The key to successful roll-out is investment in here-and-now solutions for delivering efficient 4G networks.

• MetroPCS: Simple, affordable, unlimited service is its commitment to customers and will continue to be its differentiated business model. Now, there is a growing requirement to efficiently manage data, and the customer base is moving to smartphones. MetroPCS is excited to bring the full mobile Internet to all of its subscribers.

• Sprint: Expects to offer 4G this year, with an aggressive roll-out of services. Indications are that 4G service is 10 times faster than 3G service. The key challenge for large service providers will to differentiate their 4G service from others.

In response to the moderator’s questions – “Does network speed matter? Do customers really know the difference? Will speed drive people to upgrade service?” – the panelists commented as follows.

• MetroPCS: High speed definitely matters to customers, who want to take their internet experience mobile. Smartphones demand higher bandwidth. Service providers need to deliver an affordable quality internet experience – anywhere, anytime. The key to success will be pricing and usage-based infrastructure.

• Sprint: Most people can tell the difference and will upgrade to faster service. When you are actually experiencing and using 4G, you ‘get it’. Fifteen years ago, people knew the difference between wireline and wireless connections. The same will be true for the difference between 3G and 4G experience.

All panelists agreed that user experience will be a major differentiator when consumers choose a 4G wireless service provider.

-Stacey Infantino

Image courtesy of adam & lucy via the Creative Commons attribution license.

Bookmark to:

Tags: 3G, 4g, 4g networks, 4g wireless service provider, bandwidth, belair networks, ctia, ctia wireless, fiercewirless, internet experience, metropcs, mobile internet, network speed, path to 4g, smartphones, sprint, towerstream, xanadoo

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 at 4:49 am and is filed under 4g, mobile ecosystem. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.