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LTE expanding across carriers — and world
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Editors’ note: This chart was originally published December 2, 2010. It has been updated with new information.
With the iPhone 5 and all top Android phones utilizing 4G LTE, network speed and robustness have become major selling points for carriers competing to win over customers. Long Term Evolution, or LTE, is the latest iteration of the so-called fourth-generation (4G) cellular wireless standards, boasting speeds that meet — or in some cases beat — that of Wi-Fi.
However, as carriers continually expand their 4G LTE coverage every few months, it’s hard to keep track of just how wide the scope and scale of each carrier’s 4G network vary. Some cover a lot of ground while others cover barely any at all. As a result, it can take a lot of effort to determine where in the country you can find high-speed data access and how the different carrier networks contrast and overlap.
More carrier information
To save you time, we’ve compiled a handy chart that details 4G LTE coverage for AT&T, Sprint, MetroPCS, and Verizon. With 371 markets under its belt, Verizon has been the most aggressive with its rollout, but in most major cities, and many medium-size and smaller markets, you can get 4G LTE from at least three other wireless providers. And, for the first time since our last update of this chart, all 50 states now have some sort of coverage.
Before you begin, there are a couple of things you should keep in mind. For most metro areas, you can assume that neighboring cities and immediate suburbs are covered as well, even if we don’t list them separately.
For example, even though Verizon lists Oakland and San Jose, Calif., as part of its covered cities, they’re considered to be under “San Francisco Bay Area” in our chart here. We also grouped together cities with common associations like Dallas/Ft. Worth and Minneapolis/St. Paul.
Lastly, this list is based on the carriers’ own claims; coverage in the areas listed has not been independently verified by CNET. When carriers widen their networks even more, we’ll update this story periodically as news warrants. In the meantime, please let us know if we missed a carrier’s 4G presence in your area or if we overlooked your town entirely.
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| City | AT&T (LTE) | MetroPCS (LTE) | Sprint (LTE) | Verizon (LTE) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen, S.D | X | |||
| Akron, Ohio | X | X | ||
| Albany, N.Y. | X | X | ||
| Albuquerque, N.M. | X | |||
| Alexandra, La. | X | |||
| Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton, Pa. | X | |||
| Altoona, Pa. | X | |||
| Altus, Okla. | X | |||
| Anchorage, Alaska | X | |||
| Anderson/Muncie, Ind. | X | X | ||
| Ann Arbor, Mich. | X | X | ||
| Annapolis, Md. | X | |||
| Appleton/Oshkosh, Wis. | X | |||
| Asheville, N.C. | X | |||
| Ashtabula, Ohio | X | |||
| Athens, Ga. | X | X | X | X |
| Atlanta | X | X | X | X |
| Atlantic City/Toms River, N.J. | X | X | ||
| Ardmore, Okla. | X | |||
| Auburn/Opelika, Ala. | X | |||
| Augusta, Ga. | X | |||
| Austin, Texas | X | X | ||
| Bakersfield, Calif. | X | X | X | |
| Baltimore | X | X | ||
| Bartlesville, Okla. | X | |||
| Baton Rogue, La. | X | X | ||
| Battle Creek, Mich. | X | |||
| Beaumont/Port Arthur, Texas | X | |||
| Beckley, W. Va. | X | |||
| Bedford, Pa. | X | |||
| Bellingham, Wash. | X | |||
| Bemidji, Minn. | X | |||
| Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich. | X | |||
| Bentonville/Rogers, Ark. | X | X | ||
| Big Springs, Texas | X | |||
| Billings, Mont. | X | |||
| Biloxi/Gulfport/Pascagoula, Miss. | X | |||
| Binghamton, N.Y. | X | |||
| Birmingham, Ala. | X | X | ||
| Bismark, N.D. | X | |||
| Blackfoot, Idaho | X | |||
| Bloomington, Ill. | X | X | ||
| Bloomington/Bedford, Ind. | X | |||
| Boise/Nampa, Idaho | X | |||
| Boston | X | X | X | |
| Bozeman/Livingston, Mont. | X | |||
| Brattleboro, Vt. | X | |||
| Bremerton, Wash. | X | |||
| Bridgeport, Conn. | X | X | ||
| Brownsville, Texas | X | |||
| Brunswick, Ga. | X | |||
| Bryan/College Station, Texas | X | X | ||
| Bucyrus, Ohio | X | |||
| Buffalo/Niagra Falls, N.Y. | X | X | ||
| Burlington, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Burlington, Vt. | X | |||
| Calhoun, Ga. | X | |||
| Canton, Ohio | X | X | ||
| Carbondale/Marion, Ill. | X | |||
| Carrollton, Ga. | X | X | X | |
| Cattaraugus/Allegany, N.Y. | X | |||
| Cedar Rapids, Iowa | X | |||
| Centralia, Ill. | X | |||
| Champaign/Urbana, Ill. | X | |||
| Chapel Hill, N.C. | X | |||
| Charleston, S.C. | X | |||
| Charleston, W. Va. | X | |||
| Charlotte/Gastonia, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Charlottesville, Va. | X | |||
| Chattanooga, Tenn. | X | |||
| Cheyenne, Wyo. | X | |||
| Chicago | X | X | ||
| Chillicothe, Ohio | X | |||
| Cincinnati | X | X | ||
| Clarksville, Tenn./Hopkinsville, K.Y. | X | |||
| Cleveland | X | X | ||
| Cleveland, Tenn. | X | |||
| Coffeyville, Kan. | X | |||
| Colorado Springs, Colo. | X | |||
| Columbia, S.C. | X | |||
| Columbus, Ga. | X | |||
| Columbus, Ind. | X | |||
| Columbus, Ohio | X | |||
| Cookeville, Tenn. | X | |||
| Corpus Christi, Texas | X | |||
| Dallas/Ft. Worth | X | X | X | X |
| Danville, Ill. | X | |||
| Danville, Va. | X | |||
| Davenport/Quad Cities, Iowa | X | |||
| Dayton, Ohio | X | |||
| Daytona, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Decatur/Effingham, Ill. | X | |||
| Defiance, Ohio | X | |||
| Denver | X | |||
| Des Moines, Iowa | X | |||
| Detroit | X | X | X | |
| Dickinson, N.D. | X | |||
| Dodge City, Kan. | X | |||
| Dothan, Ala. | X | |||
| Dover, Del. | X | |||
| Duluth, Minn. | X | |||
| Durant, Okla. | X | |||
| Dyersburg/Union City, Tenn. | X | |||
| El Dorado/Magnolia, Ark. | X | |||
| El Paso, Texas | X | |||
| Elmira/Corning/Hornell, N.Y. | X | |||
| Emporia, Kan. | X | |||
| Enterprise, Ala. | X | |||
| Erie, Pa. | X | |||
| Eau Claire, Wis. | X | |||
| Eugene/Springfield, Ore. | X | |||
| Evansville, Ind. | X | |||
| Fairfield, Calif. | X | X | ||
| Fargo, N.D. | X | |||
| Fayetteville/Springdale, Ark. | X | X | ||
| Fayetteville/Lumberton, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Findlay/Tiffin, Ohio | X | |||
| Fitchburg, Leominster, Mass. | X | |||
| Flint, Mich. | X | |||
| Florence, Ala. | X | |||
| Florence, S.C. | X | |||
| Fond du Lac, Wis. | X | |||
| Fort Collins/Loveland, Colo. | X | |||
| Fort Lauderdale, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| Fort Myers, Fla. | X | |||
| Fort Pierce, Fla. | X | |||
| Fort Smith, Ark. | X | |||
| Fort Walton Beach, Fla. | X | |||
| Fort Wayne, Ind. | X | |||
| Frederick, Md. | X | |||
| Fredericksburg, Va. | X | |||
| Fresno, Calif. | X | |||
| Gainesville, Ga. | X | X | X | X |
| Gainesville, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Garden City, Kan. | X | |||
| Gilette, Wyo. | X | |||
| Glens Falls, N.Y. | X | |||
| Goldsboro/Kinston, N.C. | X | |||
| Granbury-Hood County, Texas | X | |||
| Grand Forks, N.D. | X | |||
| Grand Rapids, Mich. | X | X | ||
| Great Bend, Kan. | X | |||
| Greater Portland, Maine | X | |||
| Greater Providence/Pawtucket, R.I. | X | |||
| Green Bay, Wis. | X | |||
| Greensboro/Winston-Salem, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Greenville/Greenwood, Miss. | X | |||
| Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C. | X | |||
| Greenville/Washington, N.C. | X | |||
| Greenwood, S.C. | X | |||
| Greeyley, Colo. | X | |||
| Hagerstown, Md. | X | |||
| Hammond, La. | X | |||
| Harlingen/McAllen, Texas | X | |||
| Harrisburg, Pa. | X | |||
| Harrison, Ark. | X | |||
| Harrisonburg, Va. | X | |||
| Hartford, Conn. | X | |||
| Hays, Kan. | X | |||
| Helena, Mont. | X | |||
| Hickory/Lenoir, N.C. | X | |||
| Hilo, Hawaii | X | |||
| Hilton Head, S.C. | X | |||
| Honolulu | X | X | ||
| Hot Springs, Ark. | X | |||
| Houghton, Mich. | X | |||
| Houma/Thibodaux, La. | X | |||
| Houston | X | X | X | |
| Hutchinson/McPherson, Kan. | X | |||
| Huntington, W. Va. | X | |||
| Huntsville, Texas | X | |||
| Huntsville/Decatur, Ala. | X | |||
| Hyannis/Mid Cape, Mass. | X | X | ||
| Indiana, Pa. | X | |||
| Indianapolis | X | X | ||
| Iowa City, Iowa | X | |||
| Ithaca, N.Y. | X | |||
| Jackson, Mich. | X | |||
| Jackson, Miss. | X | |||
| Jackson, Tenn. | X | |||
| Jacksonville, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| Jacksonville, N.C. | X | |||
| Janesville/Beloit, Wis. | X | |||
| Jefferson City, Mo. | X | |||
| Johnstown, Pa. | X | |||
| Jonesboro/Paragould, Ark. | X | |||
| Joplin, Mo. | X | |||
| Kalamazoo, Mich. | X | |||
| Kalispell, Mont. | X | |||
| Kankakee /Bradley/Bourbonnais, Ill. | X | |||
| Kansas City, Mo./Kan. | X | X | X | |
| Killeen/Temple, Texas | X | |||
| Kahului/Wailuku, Hawaii | X | |||
| Knoxville, Tenn. | X | |||
| Kokomo, Ind. | X | |||
| La Crosse, Wis. | X | |||
| La Grange, Ga. | X | |||
| La Salle/Peru/Ottawa, Ill. | X | |||
| Lafayette/West Lafayette, Ind. | X | X | ||
| Lafayette/New Iberia, La. | X | |||
| Lahaina, Hawaii | X | |||
| Lake Charles, La. | X | |||
| Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. | X | |||
| Lakeland, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Lancaster, Pa. | X | |||
| Lansing, Mich. | X | X | ||
| Laredo, Texas | X | |||
| Las Cruces, N.M. | X | |||
| Las Vegas | X | X | X | |
| Latrobe, Pa. | X | |||
| Lawrence, Kan. | X | X | ||
| Lawrenceburg, Tenn. | X | |||
| Lawton/Duncan, Okla. | X | |||
| Lexington, Ky. | X | |||
| Lihue, Hawaii | X | |||
| Lima, Ohio | X | |||
| Lincoln, Neb. | X | |||
| Little Rock, Ark. | X | |||
| Logan, Utah | X | |||
| Logan, W. Va. | X | |||
| Los Angeles/Orange County | X | X | X | |
| Longview, Wash. | X | |||
| Longview/Marshall, Texas | X | |||
| Louisville, Ky. | X | |||
| Lufkin/Nacogdoches, Texas | X | X | ||
| Macon/Warner Robins, Ga. | X | |||
| Madison, Wis. | X | |||
| Manchester/Nashua, N.H. | X | |||
| Manhattan/Junction City, Kan. | X | X | ||
| Manitowoc, Wis. | X | |||
| Mankato, Minn. | X | |||
| Mansfield, Ohio | X | |||
| Marion, Ind. | X | |||
| Marion, Ohio | X | |||
| Martin, Tenn. | X | |||
| Martinsville, Va. | X | |||
| Mattoon, Ill. | X | |||
| Maui, Hawaii | X | |||
| Meadville, Pa. | X | |||
| Melbourne/Titusville/Palm Bay, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Memphis, Tenn. | X | X | ||
| Merced, Calif. | X | X | ||
| Miami | X | X | X | |
| Michigan City/La Porte, Ind. | X | |||
| Milwaukee/Kenosha | X | |||
| Minneapolis/St. Paul | X | |||
| Minot, N.D. | X | |||
| Missoula, Mont. | X | |||
| Mitchell, S.D. | X | |||
| Mobile, Ala. | X | |||
| Modesto, Calif. | X | X | X | |
| Monroe, La. | X | |||
| Monterey/Salinas/Seaside, Calif. | X | |||
| Montgomery, Ala. | X | |||
| Muskegon, Mich. | X | X | ||
| Myrtle Beach, S.C. | X | |||
| Napa, Calif. | X | |||
| Naples, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Nashville, Tenn. | X | X | ||
| New Bedford, Mass. | X | |||
| New Bern, N.C. | X | |||
| New Castle, Pa. | X | |||
| New Haven/Greater Fairfield, Conn. | X | |||
| New London County | X | |||
| New Orleans | X | X | ||
| New York/Northern N.J. | X | X | X | |
| Newnan, Ga. | X | X | ||
| Norfolk/Newport News/Virginia Beach, Va. | X | |||
| Northern Cambria County, Pa. | X | |||
| Ocala, Fla. | X | X | ||
| Ogden, Utah | X | |||
| Oil City/Franklin, Pa. | X | |||
| Oklahoma City | X | X | ||
| Olympia/Centralia, Wash. | X | |||
| Omaha/Council Bluffs, Neb. | X | X | ||
| Oneonta, N.Y. | X | |||
| Orange County, N.Y. | X | |||
| Orangeburg, S.C. | X | |||
| Orlando, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| Oxford, Miss. | X | |||
| Panama City, Fla. | X | |||
| Paris, Texas | X | X | ||
| Parsons, Kan. | X | |||
| Pensacola, Fla. | X | |||
| Peoria, Ill. | X | |||
| Philadelphia | X | X | X | |
| Phoenix | X | X | ||
| Pierre, S.D. | X | |||
| Pine Bluff, Ark. | X | |||
| Pittsburgh | X | X | ||
| Pittsfield, Mass. | X | |||
| Pocatello, Idaho | X | |||
| Ponca City, Okla. | X | |||
| Port St. Lucie, Fla. | X | |||
| Portland, Ore. | X | X | ||
| Pottsville, Pa. | X | |||
| Poughkeepsie, N.Y. | X | |||
| Punxsutawney/Dubois/Clearfield, Pa. | X | |||
| Provo/Orem, Utah | X | |||
| Pueblo, Colo. | X | |||
| Raleigh/Durham, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Rapid City, S.D. | X | |||
| Reading, Pa. | X | |||
| Redding, Calif. | X | X | ||
| Reno, Nev. | X | |||
| Richmond, Ind. | X | |||
| Richmond, Va. | X | |||
| Roanoke/Lynchburg, Va. | X | |||
| Roanoke Rapids, N.C. | X | |||
| Rochester, N.Y. | X | X | ||
| The Rochester Area, Minn. | X | |||
| Rockford, Ill. | X | |||
| Rocky Mount/Wilson, N.C. | X | |||
| Rolla, Mo. | X | |||
| Rome, Ga. | X | X | X | |
| Russellville, Ark. | X | |||
| Rutland/Bennington, Vt. | X | |||
| Sacramento, Calif. | X | X | X | |
| Salina, Kan. | X | |||
| Salisbury, Md. | X | |||
| Saginaw, Mich. | X | |||
| Salem/Albany/Corvallis, Ore. | X | |||
| Salt Lake City | X | |||
| San Angelo, Texas | X | |||
| San Antonio | X | X | X | |
| San Bernardino/Ontario, Calif. | X | X | ||
| San Diego | X | X | ||
| San Francisco Bay Area | X | X | X | |
| San Luis Obispo, Calif. | X | |||
| Sandusky, Ohio | X | |||
| Santa Barbara, Calif. | X | |||
| Santa Fe, N.M. | X | |||
| Santa Rosa/Petaluma, Calif. | X | |||
| Sarasota/Bradenton, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| Savannah, Ga. | X | |||
| Seattle/Tacoma | X | X | ||
| Sedalia, Mo. | X | X | ||
| Shamokin, Pa. | X | |||
| Sharon/Farrell/Hermitage, Pa. | X | |||
| Sheboygan, Wis. | X | |||
| Sheridan, Wyo. | X | |||
| Sherman/Denison, Texas | X | X | ||
| Shreveport, La. | X | |||
| Siloam Springs, Ark. | X | |||
| Sioux City, Iowa | X | |||
| Sioux Falls, S.D. | X | |||
| Somerset, Pa. | X | |||
| South Bend/Elkhart/Mishawaka, Ind. | X | |||
| Spokane, Wash. | X | |||
| Springfield, Ill. | X | |||
| Springfield, Mass. | X | |||
| Springfield, Ohio | X | |||
| Springfield/Branson, Mo. | X | |||
| St. Cloud, Minn. | X | |||
| St. George, Utah | X | |||
| St. Joseph, Mo. | X | X | ||
| St. Louis | X | X | ||
| Stamford, Conn. | X | |||
| Starkville/Columbus, Miss. | X | |||
| State College, Pa. | X | |||
| Staunton/Waynesboro, Va. | X | |||
| Sterling, Ill. | X | |||
| Stillwater/Cushing, Okla. | X | |||
| Stockton, Calif. | X | X | ||
| Stroudsburg, Pa. | X | |||
| Syracuse, N.Y. | X | X | ||
| Tallahassee, Fla. | X | |||
| Tampa/St. Petersburg, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| Terre Haute, Ind. | X | |||
| Texarkana, Texas | X | X | ||
| Tifton, Ga. | X | |||
| Toledo, Ohio | X | |||
| Topeka, Kan. | X | X | ||
| Traverse City, Mich. | X | |||
| Tri-Cities, Tenn. | X | |||
| Tri-Cities, Va. | X | |||
| Tucson, Ariz. | X | |||
| Tulsa, Okla. | X | |||
| Tunica, Miss. | X | |||
| Tupelo, Miss. | X | |||
| Tuscaloosa, Ala. | X | |||
| Twin Falls, Idaho | X | |||
| Tyler, Texas | X | |||
| Utica, N.Y. | X | |||
| Waco, Texas | X | X | X | X |
| Washington, D.C. | X | X | ||
| Waukegan-Lake County, Ill. | X | |||
| Waycross, Ga. | X | |||
| West Palm Beach, Fla. | X | X | X | |
| West Plains, Mo. | X | |||
| White River Junction, Vt. | X | |||
| Wichita, Kan. | X | X | X | |
| Wichita Falls, Texas | X | |||
| Wilkes Barre/Scranton, Pa. | X | |||
| Williamsport, Pa. | X | |||
| Willston, N.D. | X | |||
| Wilmington, Del. | X | |||
| Wilmington, N.C. | X | X | ||
| Winchester, Va. | X | |||
| Worcester, Mass. | X | X | X | |
| Worthington, Minn. | X | |||
| Valdosta, Ga. | X | |||
| Van Buren, Ark. | X | |||
| Visalia/Porterville, Calif. | X | |||
| York, Pa. | X | |||
| Youngstown/Warren, Ohio | X | |||
| Yuba City/Marysville, Calif. | X | |||
| Zanesville, Ohio | X |
Credit: Kent German and Lynn La/CNET
