Word of the softened language was just beginning to spread this week and .

ABI Research analyst Philip Solis, who , said it was about time the ITU changed its tune, but he said the group still doesn't have it right.

"I've been saying for a while that the ITU is wrong. It's good to see that they acknowledged it," Solis said.

The true next generation of mobile came with OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing Access), a fundamental advance over 3G that was embodied in WiMax and LTE, according to Solis. The ITU defined IMT-Advanced based on throughput speeds, mostly as a way of organizing radio spectrum assignments, he said. The actual technology standards are defined by the 3GPP (Third-Generation Partnership Project) in the case of LTE, and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) in the case of WiMax.

"The ITU is wrong to tie 4G to IMT-Advanced, because they're not the ones who define 4G," Solis said.