AT&T, Verizon meet 2011 LTE goals

There seems to be no end to 2011 LTE turn-ups for the nation’s two biggest mobile operators: Verizon, which sports the largest LTE footprint, seems to be expanding it almost week by week; and AT&T, which wasn’t expected to make a bit LTE splash at all this year but nonetheless this week reached its own, albeit smaller, LTE deployment target as well.

Verizon said it plans to roll out LTE network to an additional 14 markets and expand coverage in four other cities this week – expanding its coverage to 179 markets total. Verizon reached its 2011 LTE roll-out goals earlier this fall but shows no signs of stopping. Verizon’s latest new deployments: Little Rock, Ark., Savannah, Ga., Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa, Lexington, Ky., Starkville, Miss., Kansas City and Springfield/Branson, Mo., Lincoln, Neb., Orange County, N.Y., Greater Providence, R.I., Rapid City, S.D., Roanoke, Va., and Appleton/Oshkosh, Wis. Meanwhile, existing LTE service will be expanded in Pittsburgh, Louisville, Ky., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

Not to be outdone, AT&T made some LTE coverage announcements of its own this week. The carrier said will turn on LTE service in six new cities on Nov. 20, including: Indianapolis; Las Vegas; Oklahoma City; Charlotte, N.C.; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Kansas City, Mo. and Kansas City, Kan., which are being counted as one market. That brings its roll-out to a total of 15 markets, covering 70 million users, meeting its goals for 2011.