Having had a bit of an interest since getting my first phone when I was 17 in 1999 it seems an ever repeating cycle of hype which equipment manufacturers are more than happy to profit from.
Network equipment manufacturers need to get operators to spend vast sums so come out with new kit that purports to allow them to do more with less:
More subscribers per cell
more power efficiency etc.
New services
cells that cover a wider area, etc.
Operators think 'ehey this is great' so open their chequebooks
Small testbed established, press and bloggers (some of whom should know better) get invited and all go wow and write puff pieces
Network equipment manufacturers may have divisions that make handsets (or have stakes in companies that do) so they come out with handsets that take advantage of the new kit's capabilties.
Operators buy these by the container load to get customers omto the very expensive network they've just started to build.
Rollout continues over years, early adopters rave until majority of traffic shifts and everything slows.
Yes, it's a marketing con.
Virgin (ADSL) => Namesco => Newnet => O2 => Plusnet => Zen => Newnet => Zen => Freeola => Vivaciti (using O2 Wholesale DSL) => Xilo (C&W Wholesale) => Xilo (O2 Wholesale) => Xilo (TT Wholesale due to O2 Wholesale closure) => Zen LLU =>> ZeN FTTP (Openreach 300 Mbps down, 47 Mbps up)
Router: Fritzbox 7530
Note: I don't lay turf for anyone. astro or otherwise, all views and opinions expressed are my own based on experience.
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