The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Verizon Wireless will attempt to expand its fourth-generation LTE network in the United States by including 10 million more Americans than previously expected by year's end. In other words, the nation's largest wireless carrier intends to double its LTE markets from 200 million Americans in 196 markets to nearly 260 million Americans in 400 markets by the end of 2012.
David Small, Verizon's chief technical officer, noted that if Verizon's executive management can sucessfully coordinate the company's ambitions to its year-end goal, Alaska would be the only state without LTE service by that time. Meanwhile, analysts have noted that the company has poured billions of dollars into building out and facilitating growth of its fourth-generation LTE network, but has only managed to draw 5-percent of its customers to the faster network. But when compared to AT&T's 4G LTE coverage map of just 74 million Americans in 28 markets, many believe Verizon has plenty of leverage to go around for at least the remainder of 2012, if not the first two quarters of 2013.