Verizon Wireless has announced that it’s on track to beat its year-end goal of covering 400 U.S. markets with 4G LTE service, by over two full months. The mobile carrier says that by October 18, it will offer LTE high-speed data service in 417 markets. Verizon has most recently added 21 new markets, and has expanded coverage in 36 existing markets.
By comparison, AT&T and Sprint are latecomers to the LTE race, but both cover most major cities and are racing to offer LTE in at least 100 markets by year’s end. T-Mobile doesn’t yet offer LTE service, but recently inked a deal with the prepaid carrier MetroPCS to share markets, so it will be able to take advantage of MetroPCS’ LTE network. T-Mobile promises to roll out LTE in 2013 and claims that its 4G service will be faster, because it can use the extra bandwidth capacity provided by MetroPCS’ lesser-used spectrum.
The map above shows Verizon’s current LTE coverage (yellow-green circles). Below are the new cities and towns getting Verizon LTE:
Gadsden, Ala.; Chico/Oroville, Calif.; Owensboro, Ky.; Waterville/Augusta, Maine; Marquette, Mich.; Brainerd and Fergus Falls/Alexandria, Minn.; Hattiesburg and Laurel, Miss.; Columbia, Mo.; Norfolk and North Platte, Neb.; Clovis, N.M.; Jamestown, N.Y.; Bend and Medford/Grants Pass, Ore.; Amarillo and Victoria, Texas; Aberdeen and Walla Walla, Wash; and Morgantown, W. Va.
Existing Verizon LTE markets getting extended coverage are:
Tuscaloosa, Ala.; Bakersfield, Fresno and Los Angeles, Calif.; New Haven/Waterbury, Conn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Albany/Tifton, Athens and Gainesville, Ga.; Hilo and Honolulu, Hawaii; Idaho Falls and Pocatello, Idaho; Bloomington, Decatur/Effingham and Peoria, Ill.; Evansville, Ind.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Pittsburg/Parsons, Kan.; Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing, Mich.; St. Cloud, Minn.; Jackson, Miss.; Joplin and Kansas City, Mo.; Albuquerque and Santa Fe, N.M.; Albany/Schenectady, New York, Rochester and Syracuse, N.Y.; Knoxville, Tenn.; Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma, Wash.; and Casper/Gillette, Wyo.
And Verizon will offer 4G LTE by the end of the year in these areas:
Selma, Ala.; Blytheville, Ark.; Flagstaff, Nogales, Prescott and Sierra Vista/Douglas, Ariz.; Eureka, Calif.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Lewiston/Moscow, Idaho; Vincennes/Washington, Ind.; Fort Dodge and Ottumwa/Oskaloosa, Iowa; Petoskey, Mich.; Willmar/Marshall, Minn.; Butte, Mont.; Grand Island/Kearney and Hastings, Neb.; Lebanon/Claremont, N.H.; Farmington and Gallup, N.M.; East Liverpool/Salem, Ohio; Muskogee, Okla.; Pendleton and Roseburg, Ore.; Sumter, S.C.; Abilene, Texas; Keene, N.H./Brattleboro, Vt.; Kennewick/Pasco/Richland, Port Angeles, Wenatchee and Yakima, Wash.; and Riverton and Rock Springs, Wyo.
