U.S. Cellular to offer 4G LTE service by year-end

U.S. Cellular said it plans to offer 4G LTE service in the Corridor by year-end in partnership with King Street Wireless.

The Chicago-based wireless provider said Cedar Rapids is one of the first markets in a rollout of the 4G LTE service that will include Des Moines, Davenport, and the Wisconsin cities of Milwuakee, Madison and Racine.

The service offers significantly faster data speeds when browsing the web, accessing e-mail, playing games and viewing videos to customers with 4G LTE devices and service than existing 3G services.

U.S. Cellular plans to offer the 4G LTE service to 25 percent of its customers spread across two dozen markets before the holiday season, CEO Mary Dillon said. In addition to Iowa and Wisconsin, they include markets in Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.

U.S. Cellular will introduce 4G-enabled equipment in the first phase of the deployment and continue expanding its 4G offerings through 2012.