FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Nov. 14, 2012  /PRNewswire/ -- Verizon Wireless announced today customers in and around Fayetteville and Lumberton will have access to its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) network in more places when the company expands its coverage area on Nov. 15. The planned expansion will offer more than 60,000 additional customers access to the high-speed wireless network to download books, music and apps in seconds and full-length feature movies in minutes in Columbus, Hoke and Robeson counties.

Verizon first made 4G LTE available in Fayetteville and Lumberton in May 2011. Coverage at that time extended to Aberdeen, Eastover, Fort Bragg, Hope Mills, Lumber Bridge, Pinehurst, Pope Air Force Base, Raeford, Red Springs, Rockfish, Southern Pines, Spring Lake, St. Pauls, Vander and Wade.

"Our 4G LTE network in and around Fayetteville provides speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G for surfing the Web, downloading files, streaming music and video, and staying in touch with family and friends," said Jerry Fountain, president for Verizon Wireless' Carolinas/Tenneessee region. "We understand that the way people communicate and do business is constantly evolving, and we're committed to offering innovative solutions for wireless communication to local businesses, schools, members of the military and families."

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network covers roughly 4 out of 5 people in the U.S.—more 4G LTE coverage than all other networks combined. In North Carolina, the company currently offers 4G LTE to 87 percent of the population, with coverage in the following markets and many of the surrounding areas:

• Asheville
• Burlington
• Charlotte
• Durham
• Fayetteville
• Goldsboro
• Greensboro
• Greenville
• Hickory
• High Point
• Kinston
• Jacksonville
• Lumberton
• Morehead City
• New Bern
• Raleigh
• Roanoke Rapids
• Rocky Mount
• Washington
• Wilmington
• Wilson
• Winston Salem

Verizon Wireless has introduced numerous 4G LTE-enabled devices, including smartphones, tablets, personal Wi-Fi hotspots and more since the network launched in December 2010. Customers can choose from the largest selection of 4G LTE devices available from any carrier, including the recently announced Windows Phone 8X by HTC and Nokia Lumia 822, which run on the innovative new Windows Phone 8 operating system from Microsoft. HomeFusion Broadband, another solution made possible by the Verizon's 4G LTE network, offers high-speed, in-home Internet access for residential broadband, particularly where Internet options are limited or are not currently available.

In real-world, fully loaded network environments, customers using Verizon's 4G LTE should experience average data rates of 5 to 12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2 to 5 Mbps on the uplink. For more information and a current list of all Verizon's 4G LTE markets, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's largest 4G LTE network and largest, most reliable 3G network. The company serves nearly 96 million retail customers, including 90.4 million retail postpaid customers.  Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 75,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD).  For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

SOURCE Verizon Wireless