Phone firms have hangups about icon

AT&T Inc. is putting a little “5G E” icon in the corner of mobile-phone screens, and its wireless rivals are crying foul.

T-Mobile US Inc.’s Chief Executive Officer John Legere called the ploy “fake” 5G, among other unprintable words, on an earnings call Thursday. Sprint Corp. filed suit, calling AT&T’s “5G E” label deceptive and harmful. It’s asking a New York federal court for an injunction. Verizon Communications Inc. spokesman Jeffrey Nelson joked that the “E” means “eventually.”

The claims and counterclaims are the latest flareups in the race to be first with the next generation of mobile service, which by most accounts isn’t really going to arrive until 2020. The lawsuit and criticism underscore the urgency as each company seeks a edge in the $260 billion North American wireless industry.