T-Mobile’s new marketing campaign in the US trumpets its HSPA+ network as ‘America’s largest 4G network’. HSPA+ is technically, of course, no 4G. Many in the telecoms industry will be outraged by T-Mobile’s claim although some will be impressed by the company’s chutzpah in launching such a campaign. A large amount of vitriol will likely be heading its direction. T-Mobile’s rivals will be predictably furious. A messy war of words is sure to ensue. And commentators will accuse all concerned of muddying the waters for potential customers. But might T-Mobile’s audacious move actually work? The company could choose to throw a significant budget behind its message. Indeed, it might succeed in associating the term ‘4G’ in users’ minds with its network.

And if T-Mobile pulls it off then can we knock it? Marketing claims in the telecoms industry are often hard to substantiate anyway. Think of operators who claim they are ‘the first’ to launch an individual service. Often they are not. Being the first to do anything with technology is hard to prove. Just look at all those interminable patent stand-offs between the big beasts of the smartphone world and their claims on a particular innovation. Some are won but often there is a standoff that ends in compromise.

Similarly if a mobile operator’s claim to be first is justified then often its merit is only within a very narrow definition. This can lead to the kind of hair splitting that leaves potential customers completely disinterested and confused. In fact, similar to how they won’t care if T-Mobile’s mobile broadband is really, truly 4G. Users will judge the service against their own previous expectations and not (to them at least) irrelevant technical definitions. They will be satisfied with a service that is faster and more reliable than what they already are using.

If T-Mobile’s service is a roaring success then the rest of the telecoms industry should not care either. After all, T-Mobile’s rivals are at liberty to brand their technically superior networks as being ‘5G’ and derive any marketing benefit they can from such an approach. All they have to do is convince users it is better and reap the rewards.