AT&T 4G LTE rolls out to small cities you've never heard of

AT&T is putting more 4G LTE coverage on the map, announcing that it will roll out its faster data speeds to 50 additional small cities by the end of the year.

This includes blips on the radar such as East Stroudsburg, Penn., which has an estimated population of 10,000 people, as well as larger cities like Amarillo, Texas and its 190,000-plus residents.

Many of the small cities on AT&T's 4G LTE list aren't immediately recognizable, meaning that high-speed data is finally coming to "everyday America," not just major metropolitan areas.

The full list of AT&T's new, 4G LTE-bound cities include Fairbanks, Alaska; Kauai, Hawaii; Twin Falls, Idaho; and Fargo, N.D. in the west. In the east, cities like Sandusky, Ohio; Selma, Ala.; and Pottsville, Penn., are part of the 50, too.

Better AT&T 4G LTE coverage

The carrier's 4G LTE speeds reach 225 million people and 370 markets right now. By the end of the year, those numbers are expected to increase to 270 million people and 400 markets.

That's a step in the right direction for AT&T. While we found that AT&T has the best 4G LTE data speeds in our tests this month, it lacked consistent coverage compared to the slower-but-steady Verizon.

Having newly minted 4G LTE cities on the map should also help as more smartphone owners upgrade to LTE-capable devices.

The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, for example, are supposed to be revealed on Sept. 10, and could usher in millions of new 4G LTE owners around the country.

• What's after LTE? Perhaps an LTE Advanced iPhone 5S or LTE-A Galaxy S4.