Verizon is almost fixed in New York as AT&T announces LTE roaming in Canada on Rogers

Verizon’s problems with LTE capacity in NY are almost at an end, claimed CEO Lowell McAdam during an investor conference on Monday. Describing the issues as “a short-term blip,” he said the company was “now back to where we want to be.”

Verizon identified 49 cell sites in the New York area where capacity was insufficient, and said that all but seven of them had been strengthened.

AT&T, meantime, said that it has become the first U.S. carrier to offer international LTE roaming thanks to an agreement with Rogers Communications to allow customers access to LTE data when visiting Canada. The Rogers LTE network covers approximately 70 percent of Canada.

Roaming is not, however, cheap. For occasional use, you’re charged $15.36/MB. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Data Global Add-on packages at $30/month for 120MB, $60/month for 300MB or $120/month for 800MB. The two more expensive packages also give you 1GB of wifi usage where available.

Full AT&T press release below …

AT&T Customers Can Now Enjoy 4G LTE Wireless Speeds While Traveling in Canada

AT&T Is First U.S. Carrier to Offer International LTE Roaming

Dallas, Texas, December 09, 2013

AT&T* announced today that it has launched LTE roaming in Canada with Rogers Communications. The agreement with Rogers makes AT&T the first U.S. carrier to offer international LTE roaming.

AT&T has a broad selection of LTE devices. In fact, about 42 percent of AT&T postpaid smartphone customers use an LTE device.** With today’s announcement, AT&T customers roaming in Canada can use their existing LTE device to surf the web, download apps, upload content and more on Rogers LTE, Canada’s fastest LTE network.

“Our agreement with Rogers affirms our commitment to deliver superior international coverage to our customers,” said Bill Hague, executive vice president, International, Alliances and Integrations, AT&T Mobility. “AT&T customers already have access to the nation’s fastest, most reliable 4G LTE network while in the United States and now they can enjoy LTE speeds while roaming in Canada.”***

Rogers LTE delivers Canada’s fastest download speeds, enabling AT&T customers to stay connected while traveling north of the border. The Rogers LTE network reaches 70 percent of Canadians from coast to coast and continues to expand. This year alone, Rogers will expand its LTE coverage to 95 new markets.

AT&T customers can select from one of three Data Global Add-On packages that offer discounted rates in Canada and over 150 countries – 120MB for $30/mo; 300MB for $60/mo; and 800MB for $120/mo.

To learn more about AT&T’s discount roaming packages, including tips for selecting the best data package for your international travel needs, visit att.com/worldpackages.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**As reported in AT&T Earnings for 3rd Quarter 2013: About 42 percent of AT&T postpaid smartphone customers now use an LTE device; 70 percent use a 4G-capable device (LTE/HSPA+)

***4G LTE speed claim based on national carriers’ average 4G LTE download speeds. Reliability claim based on data transfer completion rates on nationwide 4G LTE networks. 4G LTE availability varies.