Sprint to launch 4G LTE in 100 new cities in 'coming months'

AppleInsider

With only a few days to go before Apple is expected to introduce its next iPhone, Sprint announced plans to launch its 4G LTE network in 100 new cities.

The network expansion will occur in "the coming months" in cities including Boston, Mass.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.;, Miami, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; New Orleans, La.; New York, N.Y.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and Washington, D.C.

The network build is said to be currently underway, though a more specific timeframe for 4G LTE launches was not provided. Customers with Sprint will be able to use the company's "Truly Unlimited" 4G LTE data plans.

Customers with capable 4G LTE devices may begin to see 4G LTE coverage in the new areas and can use the network before its official launch. Sprint said it will officially announce commercial availability of 4G LTE in the more than 100 areas in the next few months. The full list of cities is:

• Aguadilla-Isabela-San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
  
• Albermarle, N.C.
  
• Anderson, Ind.
  
• Asheville, N.C.
  
• Athens, Tenn.
  
• Athens, Texas
  
• Austin, Texas
  
• Barnstable Town (Hyannis/Midcape), Mass.
  
• Baton Rouge, La.
  
• Bethesda-Rockville-Frederick, Md.
  
• Boston
  
• Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, Mass.
  
• Charlotte, N.C.
  
• Chattanooga, Tenn.
  
• Chicago
  
• Clarksville, Tenn.
  
• Cleveland, Tenn.
  
• Coamo, Puerto Rico
  
• College Station, Texas
  
• Columbia, Tenn.
  
• Columbus, Ind.
  
• Cookeville, Tenn.
  
• Crossville, Tenn.
  
• Daytona Beach-Deltona-Ormond Beach, Fla.
  
• Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.
  
• Fayetteville, N.C.
  
• Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach-Deerfield Beach, Fla.
  
• Gainesville, Fla.
  
• Gary, Ind.
  
• Goldsboro, N.C.
  
• Greenville, N.C.
  
• Greeneville, Tenn.
  
• Guayama, Puerto Rico
  
• Hammond, La.
  
• Harriman, Tenn.
  
• Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, N.C.
  
• Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, La.
  
• Hutchinson, Kan.
  
• Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.
  
• Jacksonville, Fla.
  
• Johnson City, Tenn.
  
• Jonesboro, Ark.
  
• Kankakee-Bradley-Bourbonnais, Ill.
  
• Kerrville, Texas
  
• Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Texas
  
• Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.
  
• Kinston, N.C.
  
• Knoxville, Tenn.
  
• Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.
  
• Lancaster, S.C.
  
• Lawrence, Kan.
  
• Lincolnton, N.C.
  
• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.
  
• Lumberton, N.C.
  
• McPherson, Kan.
  
• Memphis, Tenn.
  
• Miami-Miami Beach-Kendall, Fla.
  
• Morgan City, La.
  
• Morristown, Tenn.
  
• Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
  
• Muncie, Ind.
  
• Nashville, Tenn.
  
• New Orleans
  
• New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.
  
• Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News, Va.
  
• Ocala, Fla.
  
• Ocean Pines, Md.
  
• Palatka, Fla.
  
• Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.
  
• Peabody/Lawrence-Methuen/Gloucester, Mass.
  
• Philadelphia
  
• Ponce, Puerto Rico
  
• Port St. Lucie, Fla.
  
• Roanoke Rapids, N.C.
  
• Rochelle, Ill.
  
• Rockford, Ill.
  
• Rocky Mount, N.C.
  
• Salina, Kan.
  
• Salisbury, Md.
  
• Salisbury, N.C.
  
• San German-Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
  
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
  
• Sebastian-Vero Beach, Fla.
  
• Sevierville, Tenn.
  
• Shelby, N.C.
  
• Southern Pines-Pinehurst, N.C.
  
• Springfield, Mass.
  
• Statesville-Mooresville, N.C.
  
• St. Thomas, USVI
  
• Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.
  
• Topeka, Kan.
  
• Tullahoma, Tenn.
  
• Tupelo, Miss.
  
• Warrensburg, Mo.
  
• Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.
  
• Waukegan-Lake County, Ill.
  
• West Palm Beach-Boca Raton-Boynton Beach, Fla.
  
• Wichita, Kan.
  
• Wichita Falls, Texas
  
• Wilson, N.C.
  
• Worcester-Fitchburg-Leominster, Mass.
  
• Yauco, Puerto Rico

"We are committed to delivering a cutting-edge network as quickly as possible, one that provides a greater level of reliability and speed to our 3G and 4G customers," said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. "We know our customers depend on their mobile devices as their primary source of communication, business connectivity and entertainment. We want to deliver a network that delivers mobile access, productivity and entertainment at a highly competitive price point."

The more than 100 new cities will join 19 metropolitan areas where Sprint already offers 4G LTE coverage: Atlanta; Athens, Ga.; Baltimore; Calhoun, Ga.; Carrollton, Ga.; Newnan, Ga.; Rome, Ga.; Dallas; Fort Worth, Texas; Gainesville, Ga.; Granbury-Hood County, Texas; Houston; Huntsville, Texas; Kansas City, Mo./Kansas City, Kan.; Manhattan/Junction City, Kan.; San Antonio, Texas; Sedalia, Mo.; Waco, Texas; and St. Joseph, Mo.

The news comes soon after AT&T announced it has expanded its own 4G LTE coverage to 9 new markets, with 44 more coming before the end of 2012.

Apple is expected to introduce a new next-generation iPhone at a media event this Wednesday that will kick off at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern. Last week, The Wall Street Journal corroborated that the next iPhone will boast global support for high-speed 4G LTE networks in the U.S., Europe and Asia, though functionality may not be available to all countries and carriers at launch.

nagromme

Everyone’s announcing their vapor-coverage now... must be some kind of mobile-phone milestone coming up this weekjQuery18104280826118774712_1347294191493

ssquirrel

How to continue to not include Louisville KY in your rollouts. Way to go Sprint. First we never got WiMax. Now we are not on the initial rollout of 4G LTE beyond the initial test markets. Over a million person metro area. There isn't a speck of 4G in this rollout for Kentucky OR Ohio, but a smaller town of 44,000 people like Columbus Indiana gets it. Crazy stuff.

jay bisard

How is Portland, OR not on this list?  WTF are you thinking, Sprint?  Major city.  Hellooooooooo!

michelle_eris

And why isn't Phoenix, AZ on the list? It's only the sixth largest city, and 14th largest metropolitan area in the country?

ssquirrel

I realize it isn't always easy to get things agreed on w/a municipality.  Look at the hell people go thru to get a new tower in SanFran for example.  Still, it seems like a lot of major cities are just kind of randomly set aside.

widmark

Sprint really must not like San Diego, the U.S.'s 8th largest city and the capital of wireless tech in the world. Sprint did not deploy WiMax in its last, weak attempt at 4G (despite promises) and now appears SD is not even on the top 108 markets for LTE.

Really Sprint? Shelby, North Carolina... population of 20,000 will get LTE before San Diego?

I think San Diegans should reciprocate the love by switching to other carriers.

sierrajeff

Seriously, only 1 place on the list is in California? Does Sprint realize that 1 out of 8 people in the U.S. live in California.

Major fail (just like this website redesign!).

sambaman

Virgin Mobile USA is wholly owned subsidiary of Sprint.
Does that increase the chances Virgin might add LTE to their iPhone5 prepaid plan?

Does anyone know any rumors about Virgin's plans for iPhone 5 launch?
Specifically, what are the chances Virgin will offer:

a) LTE (on parent's Sprint network)?
b) iPhone 5 at launch time. Last launch (iPhone 4S), Virgin was months late, perhaps because they were new to iPhone negotiations with apple? This time, they already have the latest iPhone 4S under their belt. So, perhaps Virgin could offer iPhone 5 in a timely fashion
(September, at the same time as other carries do)?
c) 64 GB option. Perhaps Virgin current maximum of 16 GB was just testing the market for the iPhone?
d) $30/month plan. The Virgin's current prepaid plan for iPhone 4S.

I am not very optimistic because the main reason for Virgin to artificially limit user experience (late launch, lack of 64 GB, slow speed, no roaming)
could be Sprint's desire to discourage Virgin's less lucrative prepaid plans
(so more customers are available to Sprint's onerous 2-year contracts instead).