Verizon Brings 4G LTE to Montgomery

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Verizon Wireless said it is expanding the 4G LTE network in Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, New Orleans and Philadelphia.

The wireless firm, which has over 100 million subscribers, said the 4G LTE network is now available in Mobile and Montgomery Alabama.; Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Connecticut.; Gainesville, Pensacola and Tallahassee, Florida.; Fayetteville-Lumberton, North Carolina.; and Bryan-College Station and Temple-Killeen, Texas.

We're now offering consumers and businesses in 55 metropolitan areas the most advanced 4G wireless network on the planet, while continuing to offer the nation's most reliable 3G network coast to coast. We plan to bring 4G LTE mobile broadband to our entire 3G coverage area by the end of 2013, David Small, chief technical officer for Verizon Wireless, said in a statement.

Verizon said consumers can choose from several devices to take advantage of the 4G LTE network, including DROID Charge by Samsung and ThunderBolt by HTC smartphones. Meanwhile, laptop users can enjoy speeds up to 10 times faster than the company's 3G network with three USB modems from Novatel, Pantech and LG.

4G LTE users should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink, Verizon said.

Verizon Wireless is also working with rural communications companies to collaboratively build and operate a 4G network in those areas using the tower and backhaul assets of the rural company and Verizon Wireless' core 4G LTE equipment and premium 700 MHz spectrum.

Already, 10 rural companies have signed on to leverage Verizon Wireless' scale for infrastructure, including Bluegrass Cellular, Cross Telephone, Pioneer Cellular, Cellcom, Thumb Cellular, Strata Networks, S&R Communications, Carolina West / Clear Stream, Custer Telephone Cooperative and Convergence Technologies.

While Verizon Wireless' 3G network covers more than 290 million Americans, the company's 4G LTE network is already available in 55 metropolitan areas, including:

*Mobile, Alabama.

*Montgomery, Alabama.

*Phoenix, Arizona.

*Los Angeles, California.

*Oakland, California

*San Diego, California

*San Francisco, California

*San Jose, California

*Denver, Colorado

*Greater Fairfield and New Haven, Connecticut.

*Washington, D.C.

*Ft. Lauderdale, Florida