https://www.theverge.com/2019/2/8/18216747/sprint-sues-att-5g-evolution-e-lies-misleading

Sprint is suing AT&T in federal court over its decision to rebrand some of its 4G LTE networks as “5G E.” The lawsuit, first spotted by Engadget, claims that consumers are likely to confuse AT&T’s so-called “5G Evolution” network with actual 5G, and will incorrectly think that AT&T’s current phones support the new standard. As well as seeking to prevent AT&T from branding anything as 5G E that doesn’t adhere to the agreed 3GPP 5G specification, Sprint is also seeking damages due to the loss of sales it claims it’s suffering as a result of AT&T’s actions.

In its legal complaint, Sprint said that it had surveyed customers and had found that 54 percent of them believed that AT&T’s “5G E” (short for “5G Evolution”) is as fast as, or faster than, actual 5G. Sprint’s CTO has previously said that AT&T’s branding “blatantly misleads” consumers who see “5G E” logos appear on both Android and iOS devices when connected to parts of AT&T’s enhanced 4G network.