[kalleboo]

As was LTE before it ("it's not even actually 4G, that's supposed to be 100-1000 Mbit")

And UMTS 3G before that ("it's just for video calls, who wants that anyway")

[JumpCrisscross]

LTE underdelivered. But it delivered nonetheless. It’s undeniably superior to 3G, which was itself undeniably superior to its predecessor.

[Nextgrid]

The problem with any cellular data network is the pricing model.

The model of a capped amount of data per month (or worse, exorbitant fees if you go over) means a lot of use-cases aren't possible or lead to "data anxiety", while being a poor solution to congestion because data caps don't do anything to discourage simultaneous usage in crowded areas.

A pricing model of charging for bandwidth tiers would open up more use-cases as your cellular connection becomes truly unlimited just like your home connection is with no risk of extra fees.

[kalleboo]

When LTE first came it it was usually around the same speed or slower than the fully-deployed, well-developed HSDPA network where I lived, meanwhile battery life was much worse. It took a few years for it to truly deliver.

[tui_smuggler]

I'm no expert but LTE was/is a significant step up in power efficiency. Game changer for iot devices for sure.

[kalleboo]

The protocol had the capability for it but the chipsets in the initial smartphones were less power-efficient.