Verizon expands its 4G LTE network in North Carolina

Early in the week, AT&T made news with its proposed acquisition of T-Mobile that would significantly bolster its coverage map in the state over the next few years.

Verizon apparently doesn't want to make its local customers wait.

It announced today an additional 59 markets that would benefit from its 4G LTE network that is currently deployed in Charlotte. Joining the Queen City with 4G today are Asheville, Fayetteville, Greensboro/Winston-Salem/High Point, Raleigh-Durham and Wilmington.

After today's announcement, Verizon claims at least 147 cities in the country will have access to 4G.

Currently, only the HTC Thunderbolt, released last Thursday, is the only consumer smartphone to take advantage of the new network. Previously, Verizon released two USB modems from Pantech and LG that use the 4G network.

Here are all the cities that now has some 4G goodness:

· Phoenix, Ariz.

· Los Angeles, Calif.

· Oakland, Calif.

· San Diego, Calif.

· San Francisco, Calif.

· San Jose, Calif.

· Denver, Colo.

· Washington, D.C.

· Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

· Jacksonville, Fla.

· Miami, Fla.

· Orlando, Fla.

· Tampa, Fla.

· West Palm Beach, Fla.

· Athens, Ga.

· Atlanta, Ga.

· Chicago, Ill.

· West Lafayette, Ind.

· New Orleans, La.

· Baltimore, Md.

· Boston, Mass.

· Detroit, Mich.

· Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.

· St. Louis, Mo.

· Las Vegas, Nev.

· New York, N.Y.

· Rochester, N.Y.

· Charlotte, N.C.

· Akron, Ohio

· Cincinnati, Ohio

· Cleveland, Ohio

· Columbus, Ohio

· Oklahoma City, Okla.

· Philadelphia, Pa.

· Pittsburgh, Pa.

· Nashville, Tenn.

· Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas

· Houston, Texas

· San Antonio, Texas

· Seattle/Tacoma, Wash.

Additional areas to be covered by Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network in 2011 include:

· Decatur, Ala.

· Huntsville, Ala.*

· Mobile, Ala.*

· Montgomery, Ala.*

· Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.

· Fort Smith, Ark.

· Little Rock, Ark.*

· Tucson, Ariz.

· Bakersfield, Calif.

· Fresno, Calif.

· Modesto, Calif.

· Sacramento, Calif.

· Salinas-Monterey, Calif.

· San Luis Obispo, Calif.

· Santa Barbara, Calif.

· Stockton, Calif.

· Colorado Springs, Colo.*

· Fort Collins, Colo.

· Fairfield, Conn.

· Hartford, Conn.

· New Haven, Conn.

· Daytona Beach, Fla.

· Fort Myers, Fla.

· Gainesville, Fla.*

· Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.*

· Pensacola, Fla.*

· Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla.*

· Tallahassee, Fla.*

· Augusta, Ga.*

· Hilo, Hawaii

· Honolulu, Hawaii*

· Kahului-Wailuku, Hawaii*

· Lahaina, Hawaii*

· Davenport, Iowa

· Iowa City, Iowa

· Boise-Nampa, Idaho*

· Bloomington/Normal, Ill.

· Carbondale, Ill.*

· Champaign, Ill.

· Rockford, Ill.

· Springfield, Ill.

· Fort Wayne, Ind.

· Indianapolis, Ind.

· Lafayette, Ind.

· Wichita, Kan.*

· Louisville, Ky.

· Baton Rouge, La.*

· Hammond, La.*

· Springfield, Mass.

· Worcester, Mass.

· Hagerstown, Md.

· Flint, Mich.*

· Grand Rapids, Mich.

· Lansing, Mich.

· Saginaw-Bay City, Mich.

· Starkville, Miss.

· Asheville-Henderson, N.C.

· Fayetteville-Lumberton, N.C.*

· Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, N.C.*

· Raleigh-Durham, N.C.*

· Wilmington, N.C.*

· Fargo, N.D.

· Omaha, Neb.

· Albuquerque, N.M.

· Las Cruces, N.M.

· Santa Fe, N.M.

· Reno, Nev.

· Albany, N.Y.

· Ithaca, N.Y.

· Syracuse, N.Y.

· Dayton-Springfield, Ohio*

· Lima, Ohio

· Toledo, Ohio

· Tulsa, Okla.*

· Portland, Ore.

· Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.

· Erie, Pa.*

· Harrisburg, Pa.

· Johnstown, Pa.

· Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Pa.

· State College, Pa.*

· Charleston, S.C.*

· Columbia, S.C.*

· Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.*

· Hilton Head, S.C.*

· Sioux Falls, S.D.*

· Chattanooga, Tenn.*

· Clarksville, Tenn.*

· Cleveland, Tenn.*

· Dyersburg-Union City, Tenn.

· Jackson, Tenn.

· Kingsport-Johnson City, Tenn.-Bristol, Va.*

· Knoxville, Tenn.*

· Memphis, Tenn.*

· Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas*

· Bryan-College Station, Texas*

· El Paso, Texas

· Temple-Killeen, Texas

· Provo-Orem, Utah*

· Salt Lake City-Ogden, Utah*

· Olympia, Wash.*

· Centralia, Wash.*

· Spokane, Wash.

· Charleston, W.Va.*

· Madison, Wis.*

· Milwaukee, Wis.*

* Indicates a metro area previously announced in 2011