Thirteenth Verizon Rural LTE Network Turned Up, Courtesy of Matanuska

Verizon Wireless said this week that Alaska’s Matanuska Telephone Association launched its 4G LTE network in July, bringing the total of Verizon LTE in Rural America partner networks that have launched LTE service to 13. The LTE in Rural America program enables rural wireless carriers to lease upper C-block 700 MHz spectrum from Verizon, enabling the partners’ customers to roam on Verizon’s nationwide LTE network and to use many of the same devices that Verizon offers.

In a blog post and infographic, Verizon Wireless also took the opportunity to highlight milestones that the company’s LTE in Rural America program has achieved, including:

• LTE in Rural America partners now cover nearly 1.8 million people and more than 41,000 square miles – an area larger than the state of Kentucky

• Nearly 100,000 Verizon Wireless customers roam on LRA networks every day

• When all of Verizon’s 20 LRA partners complete their networks, they will cover 2.8 million people and about 179,000 square miles – an area larger than the states of California and Maryland combined

• LRA partners are in 158 counties in 14 states

It has been about a year and a half since the first LTE launches from Verizon in Rural America partners.

In addition to Matanuska, other Verizon LRA partners that have launched LTE service include Pioneer, Cross, Bluegrass Cellular, Cellcom, Thumb Cellular, CTCI, Appalachian Wireless, NorthwestCell, Chariton Valley, Strata Networks and Chat Mobility. The latter launched two networks, bringing the total number of networks to 13.

LRA partners that are still in the process of constructing their networks include Copper Valley Telecom, S and R Communications, Nemont, Mid-Rivers Wireless, KPU, Carolina West Wireless and CellularOne.