Sprint ran a full-page advertisement in the New York Times accusing rival AT&T of promoting “fake 5G” through its 5G Evolution marketing.
AT&T’s “5G-E” branding has drawn criticism from competitors because the network is built on 4G LTE technology. The company argues that these enhancements are stepping stones that will be integrated into its true 5G rollout, but rivals and consumer advocates warn the label is misleading.
Critics say the 5G-E branding could cause consumers to believe they already have access to genuine 5G and that this misrepresentation makes AT&T appear to be an early 5G adopter. They argue the practice risks damaging consumer trust and slowing adoption of authentic 5G services, since 5G-E does not deliver the latency, capacity, or other performance gains expected from real 5G networks.
Sprint filed a lawsuit against AT&T last month challenging the 5G-E marketing. Prior to the legal action, Sprint reported commissioning a survey that found 54 percent of consumers believed 5G-E was the same as—or even superior to—actual 5G.
Below is the primary text from Sprint’s full-page ad in the New York Times:
Dear wireless consumers,
While Sprint is working hard to deliver mobile 5G and the first 5G smartphone in the US, AT&T is hard at work trying to convince you that they already won the race to 5G with something they call ‘5G Evolution’. That is simply untrue.
Don’t be fooled. 5G Evolution isn’t new or true 5G. It is fake 5G. They would love for you to believe they are different… better. The truth is AT&T is simply offering customers a nationwide 4G LTE network just like Sprint and all the other major wireless carriers. It’s not 5G.
We filed a lawsuit against AT&T demanding that they immediately end their false and deceptive marketing campaign.
AT&T seems to be delighted by the depth and breadth of their deception. AT&T admitted that the company’s 5G E advertising is strictly a narrative to outline how they want the world to work—not a reflection of today’s reality.
Earlier this year, Verizon also placed a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, and Washington Post discussing industry messaging around 5G. While Verizon didn’t call out AT&T by name, CTO Kyle Malady warned: “The potential to overhype and underdeliver on the 5G promise is a temptation that the wireless industry must resist.”
In 2019, consumer-directed ads from telecom companies have become a common tactic to shape public perception. These campaigns aim to influence how subscribers view network progress and to position brands favorably as carriers transition toward next-generation mobile services.
For example, last month Huawei purchased a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal defending the company against U.S. government security allegations, urging readers not to accept all assertions at face value.
Interested in industry conversations on topics like this? Consider attending events that bring together leaders and practitioners in IoT, blockchain, AI and big data, and cybersecurity and cloud technologies. These forums host panels and presentations that address network evolution, marketing practices, regulatory issues, and the technical realities behind 5G deployments.