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AT&T expands 4G LTE to seven more regions

AT&T continues to broaden its 4G LTE services, lighting up seven new markets.

Brian Bennett Former Senior writer
Brian Bennett is a former senior writer for the home and outdoor section at CNET.
Brian Bennett
AT&T

The holiday season may be in full swing, but that hasn't stopped AT&T from keeping busy. The carrier announced today that it has expanded its 4G LTE data network to seven additional metropolitan areas.

Ma Bell's most advanced cellular network now covers Reno, Nevada; Richmond, Virginia; Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; Hattiesburg and Starkvillle, Mississippi; Moscow, Idaho; and Pullman, Washington. That's not a bad day's work. Still, while AT&T says it now blankets 3,000 cities more than its arch-rival Verizon with 4G, an area that includes over 160 million people. That claims AT&T adds up to 120 markets in all. Of course its pure LTE network footprint pales to the breadth and scope of that provided by big red. In fact this 3,000 city stat most likely refers to both HSPA+ 3.5G and LTE, not pure LTE coverage.

That said, in my experience when you can get an AT&T LTE signal, data throughput rates tend to be blisteringly quick, much faster on average than those on Verizon's vaunted infrastructure. Of course that's likely due to the sheer number of subscribers to Big Red services. Once AT&T begins to attract the same quantity of users, all bets are off.