Why? I demand to know who is responsible for this act of terrorism and depriving me of 4g data speeds.
I know they have had alot of problems with the new phone and 4g, they took down 4g for half a day just to fix those phones last week, could be related.
No. When Verizon launched its LTE network in November of 2010, it was the first time the carrier had utilized a GSM based (WCDMA, as opposed to CDMA2000) network in the United States. All Verizon phones and data-enabled devices had previously run on CDMA2000 connections - the network responsible for Verizon's 3G and 2G data. CDMA2000 uses an older authentication system (identifying and OK'ing your device to connect to the data network). Verizon's new 4G LTE network uses a newer, different, and more robust scheme to authenticate devices. So, in an attempt to smooth out the transition to the new technology and ensure handsets used uniform schemes to connect to any part of the data network, Verizon essentially made it a network directive that all 4G LTE devices would use a single authentication system for both 3G and 4G data connectivity. They did this by requiring all 4G devices use UICC SIM cards, which allow for authentication on many types of networks. This is what your 4G LTE UICC SIM card does - it's responsible for authenticating you on both Verizon's 3G and 4G networks. Verizon 3G-only phones use the old authentication system, because they don't have these SIM cards. Verizon is the only carrier in the US currently operating on this somewhat odd mixture of authentication schemes and network technologies. This means there are now millions of devices connecting to Verizon's 3G network using an authentication scheme Verizon hasn't previously utilized on that network, and (major) hiccups are occurring as a result. The "hiccups" are authentication failures - the new scheme is extremely particular about failed attempts to authenticate a device. Your device authenticates regularly, "checking in" with the network to ensure you're still supposed to be connected. When your device fails to authenticate on the network (for any reason - and there are a gamut of possibilities), Verizon will kick you off the data side (not voice, though), either 3G or 4G. At this point, you notice you no longer have a data connection, and throw your phone at the nearest wall.
