US mobile giant AT&T Mobility has announced that it has turned on its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in Anchorage, Alaska, beating chief rival Verizon Wireless to the punch. Scott Meyers, director of sales for AT&T Mobility in Alaska, commented: ‘We continue to see demand for mobile internet skyrocket, and our 4G LTE network in Anchorage responds to what customers want from their mobile experience – more, faster, on the best devices’. AT&T has also confirmed simultaneous launches in Bridgeport (Connecticut), Omaha (Nebraska), Bakersfield (California), Syracuse (New York), Modesto (California) and Jacksonville (Florida).
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, Alaska is the only US state not yet covered by Verizon’s 371-city LTE network, which currently covers 75% of the population. In August 2010 it filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to acquire the LTE-suitable 700MHz C Block spectrum permit covering Alaska from Triad, a designated entity that purchased the licence during the FCC’s 700MHz 2008 spectrum auction. Triad originally paid around USD1.8 million for the concession.