C Spire Wireless today announced that its LTE 4G network is now available for the first time in several markets in Mississippi. C Spire said that residents of McComb, Brookhaven, Meridian, and Greenville, Miss., are the first who have access to its LTE 4G network. The four launch markets will be followed by 31 additional markets by the end of October, and six more by the end of this year for a total of 41 markets.
C Spire’s LTE 4G network will eventually use 364 cell sites to cover 2,700 square miles and 1.2 million POPs with LTE. C Spire advertises its LTE 4G network as “up to 10 times faster” than its 3G network. The first device able to access C Spire’s LTE 4G network is the Motorola Photon Q LTE 4G. The Photon Q (also sold by Sprint) costs $199.99 with a new contract and is available starting today. C Spire plans to also sell the Samsung Galaxy S III, which may be pre-ordered by interested customers, but is not yet available. Monthly plans cost the same as C Spire’s 3G plans. The Choice Data plan costs $60 per month and includes unlimited messaging, unlimited 3G/4G data, unlimited C Spire-to-C Spire mobile minutes, and 500 regular voice minutes.
Streaming video services require an extra monthly charge. C Spire Wireless’s LTE 4G customers are able to roam onto Sprint’s LTE 4G network, which launched earlier this year and will expand over time. C Spire expects that its customers will eventually have access to nationwide LTE 4G roaming.
