SOUTHFIELD — Verizon Wireless announced today that Marquette, Michigan, will become the 400th market to receive high-speed mobile broadband service with the expansion of its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network on October 18. The company will also expand to Monroe, Allegan and Ionia counties.
With this statewide expansion, the company reaches a significant milestone, having invested $2 billion in its Michigan network since the company was formed in 2000.
“For the past 12 years, Verizon Wireless has worked tirelessly and invested relentlessly in our network from Marquette down to Monroe—and most cities and towns in between,” said John Granby, president–Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region, Verizon Wireless. “With our 4G LTE expansion this month, we continue to pave the way in bringing Michiganders the most advanced wireless technology.”
With the new and expanded areas, the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network will be available in 417 markets across the United States, surpassing its goal to cover 400 markets by the end of 2012. The company also announced that 4G LTE service will be launched in Petoskey by the end of the year.
On Thursday, Oct. 18, customers who visit or live in the newly expanded areas will be able to surf the Web, stream music and video, and stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues, all with speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.  For businesses using the network, the increasing spread of broadband connectivity provides the most sophisticated wireless capabilities for economic advancement.
With the expansion of Verizon’s network across the state, residents can also take advantage of HomeFusion Broadband, a high-speed Internet solution that can be installed at homes for people who live in areas with limited options.
In real-world, fully loaded network environments, Verizon Wireless’  4G LTE customers in the coverage area should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits (Mbps) per second on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink.
Verizon first introduced its 4G LTE network in Michigan in late 2010 to parts of Oakland and Macomb counties. Since then, the company has expanded its 4G LTE network to include the following markets:  Ann Arbor, Battle Creek, Bay City, Flint, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, metro Detroit, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, Muskegon, Port Huron, Saginaw and Traverse City. The company plans to offer full nationwide coverage everywhere it has 3G coverage today by the end of 2013.