AppleInsider Staff
Just in time for the launch of Apple's LTE-capable iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad, AT&T this week turned on its 4G LTE network in 24 markets across the U.S.
The announcement of the 24 new markets comes as AT&T also began sales of Apple's latest iPads, which feature high-speed 4G LTE radios, along with the iPhone 5.
A total of 16 new LTE-capable markets were announced by AT&T on Friday. They are:
- Charleston, S.C.
- Columbia, S.C.
- Columbus, Ohio
- Corvallis, Ore.
- Downriver Wayne & Monroe Counties, Det.
- El Paso, Tex.
- Eugene, Ore.
- Fairfield County, Conn.
- Greater Mobile, Ala.
- Greenville, S.C.
- Jonesboro, Ark.
- Pensacola, Fla.
- Portland, Maine
- Provo-Orem, Utah
- Saratoga & Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
- South Bend, Ind.
- Toledo, Ohio
Those 16 new locations were joined by eight more that were announced by AT&T earlier this week. Those markets were:
- Anne Arundel County, Md.
- Daytona Beach, Fla.
- Denver, Colo.
- Louisville, Ken.
- Milwaukee, Wis.
- Tacoma, Wash.
- Twin Cities, Minn.
- York, Penn.
AT&T said Friday that its 4G LTE network covers more than 150 million people in 103 markets across the U.S., a number that more than doubles the company's LTE coverage as of the end of 2011. More expansions are planned through the end of the year.
AT&T plans to have its LTE network reach 250 million people by the end of 2013, and 300 million by the end of 2014.
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16 Comments
AT&T said Friday that its 4G LTE network covers more than 150 million people in 103 markets across the U.S., a number that more than doubles the company's LTE coverage as of the end of 2011. More expansions are planned through the end of the year.
Yay, only 300 more markets to go to catch up to Verizon.
AT&T plans to have its LTE network reach 250 million people by the end of 2013, and 300 million by the end of 2014.
Meanwhile Verizon will done with their entire footprint by mid 2013. AT&T will be almost a full year and a half behind, ouch. Their lucky they have a decent HSPA+ to fall back to.
[quote name="thataveragejoe" url="/t/154350/at-t-launches-4g-lte-in-24-new-markets-including-denver-columbus#post_2233412"] Yay, only 300 more markets to go to catch up to Verizon [/quote] Sure, but Verizon had to roll out faster and harder than any GSM-based carrier because EV-DO (3G) is incredibly slow compared to HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (3G).
That's great and all, but how about expanding coverage elsewhere to be usable? I get one useless bar of signal at work and in my apartment. Granted, I can usually see plenty of people wandering outside on their phones, so maybe my apt complex is insulated with lead.
IMO, AT&T and Verizon are the equal of two evils when comparing their behavior towards data plans.
Although I have an iPhone 5, which is of course LTE capable, my home location has no AT&T LTE service yet. However last week I was passing through the Detroit airport on my way to Europe and noticed a nice strong LTE signal showing up on the display for the first time. So I did some random web surfing to try it out. Holy [bleep]! Yes, LTE really is fast. I didn't bother to run a speed test, but from a subjective point of view it's a night and day difference. Web pages snap up in no time, email is checked and downloaded - done! Reminds me of a few years ago when we first got 3G here and left EDGE behind.
Can't wait to get home from vacation to try out the LTE in Greenville!