Verizon Expands 4G Network Coverage to 27 New Markets

Get ready for another slew of Verizon commercials touting the reach of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network. Come Thursday, Verizon will introduce its 4G service to an additional 27 markets, meaning the network will soon cover more than two-thirds of the U.S. population.

In addition to rolling out 4G into new markets, Verizon also announced that it will expand LTE service to another 44 markets already covered by a limited footprint. On the current pace, Verizon expects to extend its 4G network to more than 400 markets and 260 million U.S. residents by the end of the year.

Verizon says that its 4G LTE network now covers more than six times the geographical area of its closest competitor.

“We will continue to introduce new markets and expand covered markets to ensure even more wireless users across the United States can take advantage of the benefits that 4G LTE brings to consumers, small businesses and enterprises,” said David Small, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.

“This year represents a year of growth and investment in our 4G LTE network, which stands out by virtue of its superb combination of coverage, speed and the variety of devices that we offer customers,” he added.

Metropolitan areas to be covered under Verizon's larger footprint include Tuscaloosa, Ala; Macon, GA; and Ocala, Florida, among around two dozen other smaller cities.

Verizon will also roll out additional 4G coverage to major cities like Boston, Detroit, Salt Lake City, St. Louis, Nashville, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Diego and San Francisco.

The announcement comes on the same day of PC World's annual network testing report, which evaluates the speed and coverage of the major carriers' 3G and 4G deployments. Not surprisingly, Verizon's 4G service is available in many more locations than competitors AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. In addition, Verizon's upload speeds were found to be “top-of-the-line.”

However, PC World discovered that Verizon's download speeds paled in comparison to AT&T's. Moreover, Verizon's 3G network – which many users still rely on – has not been improving on the same pace as some of the other carriers. Judging by its marketing push, Verizon has clearly gone “all-in” on 4G.