Yes, "technically", an Android would be faster if 4G. The variable in this is how long it can hold onto that 4G signal. Most rural areas will not have a strong 4G signal and you'll be stepped-down to 3G automatically.
In terms of tethering, however, the Android is the way to go. There are multiple methods of hacking the Android OS to allow it to be tethered. The iPhone is a different story. Unless you want to jailbreak your iPhone, you will have to donate $20/month to Verizon to allow data tethering. Jailbreaking, in my opinion, is a PITA. Apple has constant updates to their OS and even behind the scenes within the apps. They literally force you to update if you ever want to add apps/music/etc to your phone. On the flip-side, Google does major OS updates that are much less frequent...and usually optional as far as I can recall.