AT&T’s LTE expands to seven new markets

AT&T Chicago store (interior 001)

The nation’s second-largest carrier continues expanding its fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) wireless technology coverage. On Wednesday, the carrier announced it has deployed LTE across seven new markets, including California’s Merced and Velleyo regions, alongside additional LTE pockets in Missouri, Delaware, Alabama and  Connecticut. The development follows AT&T’s major LTE expansion in nearly three dozen new markets last month…

The new markets are as follows:

Columbia, Missouri
Sussex County, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware – LTE coverage includes Rehoboth Beach, Bethany Beach, Lewes, Fenwick Island, Ocean View, Georgetown, Millsboro and Frankford
Allejo-Vacaville and Merced/Madera-Chowchilla, California – LTE coverage now available along the Highway 99 corridor in both Merced and Madera-Chowchilla
New London County, Connecticut
Greenville and Troy, Alabama

The telco additionally confirmed an agreement with Disney Parks to make it the official wireless provider for Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort.

Ahead of Apple’s earnings release yesterday, AT&T confirmed activating 3.7 million iPhones, having added 551,000 postpaid subscribers from March to June and helping it fuel earnings of 67 cents per share and post a solid revenue of $32 billion.

Just recently, AT&T found itself in hot water with both rival Verizon and T-Mobile, the nation’s fourth-largest telco owned by Germany’s Deutsche Telekom.

First, Verizon responded to AT&T’s ‘most reliable 4G LTE network’ claim with a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal citing independent third-party data to prove Verizon enjoys the “highest success rate for delivering mobile content across 4G LTE networks.”

Shortly after, the ever-vigilant T-Mobile criticized AT&T’s early upgrade initiative Next, rightfully calling AT&T’s terms “sneaky and underhanded”.

For what it’s worth, tests conducted by Consumer ReportsRootmetrics and PC Mag agree that AT&T has the nation’s fastest LTE as Verizon rules LTE coverage.

Juniper Research estimated there will be 220+ million 4G LTE subscribers around the world by 2014. Currently, 4G LTE is available in 70 countries around the world.