In concert with its partner King Street Wireless, U.S. Cellular on Thursday announced plans to expand 4G LTE services in parts of 14 states.
U.S. Cellular doesn't yet operate a 4G LTE network, but is launching one next month.
The mobile-phone operator said customers in more than 3,600 additional cities and towns will have access to its high-speed wireless offering by the second half of this year.
The new markets include select cities in Illinois, Iowa, Iowa, Maryland, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
U.S. Cellular also said it would introduce a new device: the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.
On Feb. 1, U.S. Cellular revealed plans to launch a 4G LTE network in March that would cover 25 percent of its customers and coincide with the introduction of the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer. The mobile operator said it would then introduce a Samsung 4G smartphone known as the Galaxy S Aviator. U.S. Cellular said the initial rollout includes select cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.
U.S. Cellular also plans to launch more 4G LTE smartphones throughout the rest of the year.
Chicago-based U.S. Cellular is offering 4G services in partnership with King Street Wireless, L.P., which holds 152 licenses of 700 MHz wireless spectrum in 27 markets.
