Over the past 4 years, the demand for fast mobile broadband (Internet accessed through a portable mobile device) has greatly increased. Fast mobile broadband is critical for communications in public safety and other sectors needing to connect while on the go.
LTE is a 4G wireless technology that allows for fast mobile broadband connections, and by tracking LTE deployment you can see the expansion of high speed mobile capability in the state of Utah. For this month’s map, LTE coverage is classified as maximum advertised speeds from any mobile provider of at least 6 Mbps download.
From October 2011 to October 2014, LTE coverage in Utah expanded by about 2,170%, from 1,485 square miles to 33,710 square miles. In October 2011, LTE was only available along the Wasatch Front (Davis, Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber Counties), and by October 2014, LTE was widely available in 26 counties, and all 29 counties had at least minimal LTE coverage.
This month’s map shows where and when LTE was deployed in Utah from any mobile provider since 2011, and this graph shows the percentage of LTE coverage in urban and rural areas increasing over time. Urban areas in Utah are now 100% covered by LTE, while rural coverage has been steadily growing. To view an individual mobile provider’s footprint, visit our interactive broadband map and use the Providers filter on the right.