The 4G network may be well on its way, but mobile users are still relatively naïve about what changes the upgrade could bring. According to a recent study published by Compete, many smartphone owners could not answer, or incorrectly answered questions about 4G mobile devices, the availability of a 4G network, and whether or not their carriers provided either.

On one hand, this general lack of knowledge about the new 4G network, could be indicative of a lack of consumer interest. But as anticipation builds surrounding the release of the first 4G smartphone, Sprint’s HTC EVO, the popularity of the EVO product page suggests otherwise. In fact, as Compete reports, the EVO page has seen 82% of the traffic that the iPhone 3Gs received the first days after it was announced.

Given all of this new information, what we have yet to see, is how the new network will affect mobile web trends. Certainly, it will shake up competition, since the android-powered 4G EVO is scheduled-for-release before Apple even announces the 4G iPhone. But 4G may have an even greater impact on how we use the mobile web and, particularly, what we use it for. The faster data services that 4G will provide, could give a major boost to mobile web browsing, and will definitely enable smartphone owners to do more, faster, making the transition to mobile as critical as ever.