The MPG equivalency rating was developed by the EPA as a way to provide a standard so consumers can compare vehicles across the spectrum and make an educated purchase.

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But the new 4G mobile standard, called LTE, gets the biggest bang for the buck in wider spectrum bands.

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The governments agreed on a common standard for digital communications, and to enable it they freed a common bloc of spectrum across the continent.

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The NPR post notes that the technology discussed in the patent, called spread-spectrum radio, is the basis for a wide variety of modern radio technologies, including the Bluetooth wireless standard used for things like wireless keyboards and earphones.

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