Verizon expands its LTE coverage to blanket 75 percent of the U.S. population

Verizon is expanding its LTE coverage on Thursday and will blanket over three-quarters of the US population with its 4G LTE service. It will roll out LTE in 34 new markets and expand coverage in 38 new markets later this week. The carrier now covers 371 markets and is creeping closer to reaching its goal of 400 markets by the end of the year.

It is ahead of schedule and is moving even further ahead of rivals AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. AT&T is the closest to Verizon and offers LTE in 50 markets. Sprint is in third position and will soon light up LTE in 10 market across the US. Of the four main cellular operators, T-Mobile is the only carrier that does not have a commercial LTE network. It has been relying on its HSPA+ network while it works to get its LTE network operational. The carrier is expected to launch LTE sometime in early 2013.

The full list is new and expanded LTE markets for Verizon is available below:
The new markets: Hot Springs, Ark.; Redding, Calif.; Valdosta and Waycross, Ga.; Centralia and Danville, Ill.; Parsons, Salina and Topeka, Kan.; Alexandria and Monroe, La.; Pittsfield, Mass.; Battle Creek and Muskegon, Mich.; Mankato and Worthington, Minn.; Joplin and Sedalia, Mo.; Bismarck, Grand Forks and Minot, N.D.; Chillicothe, Ohio; Reading, Pa.; Aberdeen, S.D.; Laredo, Odessa and Texarkana, Texas; Brattleboro and White River Junction, Vt.; Charlottesville, Va.; Longview, Wash.; and Eau Claire, La Crosse and Manitowoc, Wis.

The expanded markets: Los Angeles and Santa Barbara/Santa Maria, Calif.; Orlando, Fla.; Macon/Warner Robins, Ga.; Bloomington, Champaign/Urbana, Decatur/Effingham and Springfield, Ill.; Elkhart, Ind.; Des Moines, Iowa City and Sioux City, Iowa; Dodge City, Garden City and Great Bend, Kan.; Lexington and Louisville, Ky.; New Orleans, La.; Boston, Mass.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; Missoula, Mont.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Manchester/Nashua, N.H.; Las Cruces, N.M.; New York, N.Y.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C.; Sioux Falls, S.D.; Chattanooga, Tenn.; and Salt Lake City/Ogden, Utah; Roanoke, Va.; Charleston, W.Va.; and Green Bay, Wis. Additional areas include: Little Rock, Ark., expanding into Batesville, Ark.; Tallahassee, Fla., expanding into Thomasville, Ga.; Burley, Idaho, expanding into Twin Falls, Idaho; Chicago, Ill., expanding into DeKalb, Ill.; and Cedar City, Utah, expanding into St. George, Utah.

[Via Verizon Wireless]