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AT&T to roll out LTE to 5 markets this summer

AT&T says it will turn on its 4G LTE network in five cities this summer, with more markets on the way.

Bonnie Cha Former Editor
Bonnie Cha was a former chief correspondent for CNET Crave, covering every kind of tech toy imaginable (with a special obsession for robots and Star Wars-related stuff). When she's not scoping out stories, you can find her checking out live music or surfing in the chilly waters of Northern California.
Bonnie Cha

AT&T announced today its plans to roll out its LTE 4G network to five markets this summer: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio.

The carrier did not provide specific details on when exactly LTE will be available in these cities, but added that it plans to expand to 10 more markets by the end of the year. At that time, AT&T says its LTE coverage will reach 70 million Americans.

When asked about expected data speeds, AT&T told CNET that it's not announcing a locked-in range but said the speeds will be competitive with other LTE service providers. Verizon says its LTE network should deliver download speeds of 5Mbps to 12Mbps and upload speeds of 2Mbps to 5Mbps.

In addition to introducing the initial markets, AT&T reiterated its commitment from CES 2011 to offer 20 4G devices in 2011, with some of those being LTE capable.