AT&T's 4G LTE Expands as New 4G iPad minis Arrive

[Michael Essany]

Although the iPad mini (Wi-Fi model) has been on sale for two weeks now, only this weekend has the iPad mini with 4G connectivity begun showing up.

As untold sums of LTE-iPad mini buyers unbox their deliveries today, those who are customers of AT&T in some two dozen U.S. markets will have an opportunity to fire up their iPad minis on a faster-than-ever network.

Following a week of new market activations for its 4G LTE network, AT&T is now up and running with 4G in two dozen heavily populated regions. They include the following spots:

1. Charleston, S.C.
2. Columbia, S.C.
3. Columbus, Ohio
4. Corvallis, Ore.
5. Downriver Wayne & Monroe Counties, Det.
6. El Paso, Tex.
7. Eugene, Ore.
8. Fairfield County, Conn.
9. Greater Mobile, Ala.
10. Greenville, S.C.
11. Jonesboro, Ark.
12. Pensacola, Fla.
13. Portland, Maine
14. Provo-Orem, Utah
15. Saratoga & Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
16. South Bend, Ind.
17. Toledo, Ohio
18. Anne Arundel County, Md.
19. Daytona Beach, Fla.
20. Denver, Colo.
21. Louisville, Ken.
22. Milwaukee, Wis.
23. Tacoma, Wash.
24. Twin Cities, Minn.
25. York, Penn.

If you're keeping score at home, AT&T's 4G LTE network now covers just north of 150 million people in 103 domestic markets.

Source: AT&T

[Silverado1987]

Damn. Ocala, Florida

[The6uest]

Aw, no expansion in Georgia this time...

[Italia411]

Saratoga Springs here (: I have my iPhone 5 with AT&T but just bought my mini with Verizon because of the previous lack of LTE here with AT&T. Well looks like I may have to return this because I am not impressed with Verizon's LTE speeds here. My iPhone is clocking double some times triple the speeds of my mini. It is cool that I can pop my unlimited AT&T data sim in my mini and have unlimited HSPA+ on my Verizon mini. If I get the AT&T mini AT&T can detect I'm using a iPhone sim if I choose to and shut my data down and send the notorious warning email. Two gig with Verizon for $30 tax free no activation fee, Or $35 after tax with AT&T for three gig with a $36 activation fee. Decisions..

[MXCO]

Yes! Tacoma, wa! I can finally head south of Seattle and get LTE

[steve-z17]

I just got it this week in the Provo-Orem area....it's so nice to have the fast speeds while driving around or when I can't access wi-fi! It's very stable too which kind of surprised me.

[quidam_brujah]

My iphone 5 on AT&T LTE gets about the same ping & throughput at my desk in the city of Chicago as my 3rd gen ipad with Verizon LTE.

I've been working on and off the last year with different areas of AT&T that are responsible for mobile wireless backhaul into their network. They've been buying a ton of backend gear from Cisco and others to support the increased demand that the new devices have made -- they're dropping gig links to cell sites now and using 10 gig and multiple 10 gig for backhaul. Expect those to be upgraded to 100 gig and 10 gig to the cell site. They've also had to make some fundamental changes to their architecture to support all this. Verizon is doing the same. Not to say I don't want them to add more or that they've been doing it exactly where needed but, it takes a while to turn a ship that big considering the bureaucracy it has.

This announcement is not surprising. Expect to see more of this stuff over time.

[bisayakid07]

Aw, no expansion in Georgia this time...

Where you at in GA? We are working in Savannah, Brunswick, Albany, Macon & Dalton until the end of this year...

[k.nitsua]

No California expansion, huh...

[iPogi]

Oh snap! Tacoma,Wa is on the map! It's
Not worth activating my i5 yet tho without the JB

[The6uest]

Where you at in GA? We are working in Savannah, Brunswick, Albany, Macon & Dalton until the end of this year...

Cool, good to hear! I'm in Conyers which has LTE in town, but I live in the northeastern corner which is just outside the range. Any plans to expand into the area between Conyers and Athens next year?

[thevmax]

Milwaukee, WI OH YAH