Sprint extends LTE coverage to 41 new markets

New markets in Philadelphia, Portland, Ore., and Oakland, Calif., expand the high-speed wireless network footprint to 151 markets.

The Evo 4G LTE is just one of the Sprint phones that can't access LTE in many big cities.

(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)



Sprint has expanded the footprint of its 4G LTE coverage with the addition of 41 new markets across the U.S., the wireless carrier announced Monday night.



The carrier, which lags behind Verizon Wireless with its LTE network, added markets such as Philadelphia, Portand, Ore., and Oakland, Calif., bringing the footprint of Sprint's high-speed wireless network up to 151 markets.



While the update brings long-awaited network access to Brooklyn and the Bronx, the rest of New York -- Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island -- is still without coverage. Sprint hasn't said when the rest of the city would get access, only saying the network would grow "in the coming months."

The company started work on building its LTE network later than its rivals, and has also been juggling a full overhaul of its network to modernize the equipment. As a result, many customers who buy Sprint 4G LTE smartphones have had to wait it out until the service comes to their locales.



"Our new 3G and 4G LTE network provides improved wireless service, and is also expected to help Sprint meet its commitment to reduce total energy demand and the company's carbon footprint by 20 percent by 2017," Sprint Vice President Bob Azzi said in a statement.



Here's the list of cities that Sprint announced today:

Baraboo, Wis.; Beaver Dam, Wis.; Brownsville/Harlingen, Texas; Bronx/Brooklyn, N.Y.; Columbus, Miss.; Durham, N.C.; Dyersburg, Tenn.; Faribault/Northfield, Minn.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Fitchburg/Leominster, Mass.; Flint, Mich.; Ft. Lauderdale/Pompano Beach/Deerfield Beach, Fla.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Greenville, N.C.; Greenwood, Miss.; Holland, Mich.; Homosassa Springs, Fla.; Jackson, Tenn.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Kokomo, Ind.; Laredo, Texas; Lebanon, Penn.; Morgan City, La.; Nacogdoches, Texas; Nashville, Tenn.; Oakland, Calif.; Ocala, Fla.; Palm Coast, Fla.; Philadelphia; Ponca City, Okla.; Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda, Fla.; Portland, Ore.; Rocky Mount, N.C.; Saginaw, Mich.; Salinas, Calif.; Springfield, Mass.; Tusla, Okla.; Tupelo, Miss.; Wausau, Wis.; and Wilson, N.C.