Verizon Wireless plans to continue launching 4G LTE markets over the next 36 months aggressively and will cover two-thirds of the U.S. population in the next 18 months. By the end of 2013 we’ll offer our 4G LTE network from coast to coast – everywhere that we offer 3G today, said Tony Melone, executive vice president and chief technology officer of Verizon. 

Operator plans to add more than 140 markets in 2011, including Detroit, Raleigh-Durham, Memphis, Milwaukee, Honolulu, Boise, Mobile, Little Rock, Sioux Falls and Salt Lake City.

Verizon Wireless is also working with rural 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 700MHz spectrum. Rural operators are leveraging Verizon Wireless’ scale for infrastructure while they keep their customers on the cutting edge of technology. Bluegrass Cellular is the first rural wireless provider to partner with Verizon Wireless, and to date, more than 200 organizations have expressed interest in collaborating with Verizon Wireless to bring 4G LTE to rural America.

A list of initial 4G LTE markets to be covered by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network in 2011 include:

• Huntsville, Alabama
• Mobile, Alabama
• Montgomery, Alabama
• Little Rock, Arkansas
• Colorado Springs, Colorado
• Gainesville, Florida
• Lakeland-Winter Haven, Florida
• Pensacola, Florida
• Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida
• Tallahassee, Florida
• Augusta, Georgia
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii
• Lahaina, Hawaii
• Boise-Nampa, Idaho
• Carbondale-Marion, Illinois
• Wichita, Kansas
• Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Hammond, Louisiana
• Detroit, Michigan
• Flint, Michigan
• Fayetteville-Lumberton, North Carolina
• Greensboro-Winston-Salem-High Point, North Carolina
• Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
• Wilmington, North Carolina
• Dayton-Springfield, Ohio
• Tulsa, Oklahoma
• Erie, Pennsylvania
• State College, Pennsylvania
• Charleston, South Carolina
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina
• Hilton Head, South Carolina
• Sioux Falls, South Dakota
• Chattanooga, Tennessee
• Clarksville, Tennessee
• Cleveland, Tennessee
• Kingsport, Tennessee; Johnson City, Tennessee; Bristol, Virginia/Tennessee
• Knoxville, Tennessee
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
• Bryan-College Station, Texas
• Provo-Orem, Utah
• Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah
• Centralia, Washington
• Olympia, Washington
• Charleston, West Virginia
• Madison, Wisconsin
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin