Verizon is communicating its satisfaction today with a job well done on its LTE network. The company has dedicated the newsfeed on its website to all things LTE in recognition of its 500th LTE 
market.
“Today, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network reaches a milestone. With the announcement today of 4G LTE coverage available to more than 298 million in the U.S. in 500 markets, the initial rollout of 4G LTE is now substantially complete,” wrote spokesman Tom Pica, in an email.
Parkersburg, West Virginia, was the carrier’s 500th market.
Verizon began its LTE rollout in December 2010. According to Pica, fully 57 percent of all Verizon data traffic flows over the company’s LTE network, which is now available to more than 99 percent of its 3G footprint and to more than 95 percent of the entire U.S. population.
AT&T is Verizon’s closest competitor in the LTE market. To date, AT&T is ahead of schedule and has rolled out LTE to approximately 291 markets, covering more than 200 million people. AT&T expects to cover 300 million people with 4G LTE by year-end 2014. The company says it will have hit 90 percent of its planned 300 million people by the end of this year.
Sprint meanwhile is sitting at approximately 90 markets, and T-Mobile should have around 30 markets rolled out by the end of this month.
