That's all fine and good, but the question here isn't whether or not LTE is faster than HSPA+ or CDMA Rev. A or EDGE. It definitely is. The question is whether the faster speeds matter to average users.

Almost half of U.S. consumers say LTE doesn't matter to them, according to research from market-analysis firm Piper Jaffray. More specifically, more than 46 percent of people surveyed said they don't need access to a 4G LTE network, and 26 percent of respondents said they think all 4G LTE networks offer roughly the same data speeds and overall experience, .

The Piper Jaffray survey findings suggest that U.S. consumers are misinformed, and I'm willing to bet that the majority of respondents who said they don't care about LTE have never used an LTE device, at least not regularly. The benefits of LTE will vary by individual user and by location, but they're also clear for users who want the most out of their mobile devices. Here are some reasons why.