Just ahead of the holidays, AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel announced expansions of their respective LTE networks, with AT&T Mobility adding or expanding service in nine markets, while Sprint Nextel launched service or expanded coverage in six markets.
For AT&T Mobility the new market launches include Oxford, Miss.; Tucson, Ariz.; Melbourne, Fla.; Springfield, Mass.; and Green Bay, Wisc.; with expanded coverage in Phoenix; Middlesex County, N.J.; Salt Lake City and Los Angeles. This expansion is not to be confused with the carrier’s HSPA+-based network that it labels as “4G” compared with “4G LTE.”
Unrelated to its LTE expansion, AT&T Mobility also said it has expanded Wi-Fi coverage in the Chicago area along North Michigan Avenue, which is a heavily trafficked shopping zone in the city. The carrier has aggressively expanded Wi-Fi coverage in dense, urban locations in an attempt to provide data offload services for customers and relief some of the network congestion off of its cellular network.
Sprint Nextel noted that its recently launched LTE service is now available in Indianapolis/Carmel, Ind.; Santa Rosa/Petaluma and Vallejo/Fairfield, Calif.; Ponce, Coamo and Guayama, Puerto Rico; and York/Hanover and Franklin County, Pa. Expanded coverage has now been provided in parts of Chicago and in Shenandoah and Page counties in Virginia. Sprint Nextel said its LTE network was now available across 49 markets.
Both carriers are chasing market leader Verizon Wireless, which since its launch in late 2010 has expanded to more than 440 markets. The carrier said it plans to have its current 3G network covered with LTE by mid-2013.
Smaller rival T-Mobile USA is in the process of rolling out LTE services with plans to begin launching commercial services next year.
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