3G Americas is now 4G Americas:
To embrace the evolution of mobile broadband and next-generation wireless services, 3G Americas, a premier wireless industry trade association for more than eight years, today officially announced its name change to 4G Americas effective immediately.

Under its new name, the organization will build on the monumental success of 3G Americas' work to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies throughout the Americas region and will continue its efforts in the following areas:

* Support the 3GPP technology path as it evolves to 4G technology

* Continue to address standards recommendations, technical requirements and advocacy for 2G and 3G technologies

* Serve as the best resource for information on the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas

3G Americas' Board of Governors unanimously voted to change the name of the association as well as modify its mission and objectives to address the changing landscape of the wireless industry. The evolution to 4G Americas and the broadening of the organization's mission will encompass not only the end technology but now the empowerment of the technology as well. With some of the world's largest wireless operators and vendors as its members, the organization will work collaboratively on regulatory and technical issues for the benefit of customers throughout the Americas and will embrace emerging devices and a broader ecosystem of services, applications and vertical markets.

"Since its inception in 2002, 3G Americas has become a leading resource for government, telecom companies and industry influencers to learn about existing and emerging mobile broadband technologies. With the emergence of HSPA+ and LTE technologies in the Americas and the mobile data opportunity these technologies enable, the change to '4G Americas' better reflects the decisions and conversations the organization is helping to inform," said Neville Ray, Chief Network Officer for T-Mobile USA and Chairperson of 4G Americas' Board of Governors. "The association's move to 4G corresponds with the mobile broadband transformation that's fueling a world increasingly connected by wireless networks."

"4G Americas will be the unified voice to represent the 3GPP technology family, bringing together both major vendors and operators to enhance the prospects for mobile broadband growth throughout the Americas, as we move toward the fourth generation," added Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. "We will focus on areas that may affect educational, social, enterprise and economic development for mobile communications such as spectrum planning, technical interoperability, public policy and regulatory issues.

"Even though 3G technologies will lead in the marketplace for years to come, the timing is right for the name change. 4G Americas will make great efforts for a mobile broadband community using the 3GPP family of technologies to transform communications for people, businesses and societies throughout the Americas," he said.

More information can be found on the newly launched 4G Americas website at www.4gamericas.org.

About 4G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Mobile Broadband Technology 4G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 4G Americas contributes to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 4G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.4gamericas.org.

4G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, Andrew Solutions, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Powerwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.