If you count yourself among the many Sprint users who purchased a 4G LTE handset in advance of the high-speed network’s official launch, today you can realize the full potential of your device. Sprint has activated their next-gen coverage in 15 cities spanning four states, extending from initial pilot markets of Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, and San Antonio. At the moment only folks residing in Georgia, Texas, Missouri, and Kansas have the pleasure of experiencing data speeds in the range of 6-8Mbps for downloads and 2-3Mbps for uploads, with more regions promised by the end of 2012.

Much to the dismay of residents like myself, Sprint has not passed along word of an activation of their network in Baltimore, though the city was listed among the initial lineup when the carrier unveiled its plans to rollout their LTE network. Check out the press release below for a full list of new 4G markets.

Sprint 4G LTE Launch Extends to 15 Cities Throughout Portions of Georgia, Kansas, Missouri and Texas

The all-new, high-speed data network rollout – known as Network Vision – spreads to communities surrounding Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio and is also now available in Waco, Texas

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), July 16, 2012 – Sprint (NYSE:S), the first national wireless carrier to introduce 4G service in 2008, today announced that it is delivering the speed and power of an all-new 4G LTE network to 15 cities surrounding the Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio markets. Because of an accelerated build schedule for the Network Vision program, Sprint will also launch a 4G LTE network for residents in and around Waco, Texas.

“Sprint and our vendors have been deploying Network Vision sites all across the country for the last several months and we are thrilled to deliver our new network to our customers today in and around Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, San Antonio and Waco,” said Bob Azzi, senior vice president-Network, Sprint. “This new network is performing extremely well and customers should find it consistent, reliable and really fast.”

Today, Sprint 4G LTE coverage can be found in the following areas and will continue to expand in the coming months:

Atlanta

Athens, Ga.

Calhoun, Ga.

Carrollton, Ga.

Newnan, Ga.

Rome, Ga.

Dallas

Fort Worth, Texas

Granbury-Hood County, Texas

Houston

Huntsville, Texas

San Antonio, Texas

Waco, Texas

Kansas City, Mo.-Kan.

St. Joseph, Mo.

For detailed 4G LTE maps, providing coverage information right down to the address, please visit www.sprint.com/coverage. Customers are encouraged to check back often, as the maps will be updated when coverage in these markets is enhanced.

Sprint plans to launch additional 4G LTE markets in the second half of 2012, which will be announced later this year. By the end of 2013, Sprint expects to have largely completed the build out of its all-new 4G LTE nationwide network – with an all-new enhanced 3G network – covering 250 million people across the United States.

Network Vision Means an All-New 3G & 4G Network

To better meet the growing voice and data demands of wireless customers, Sprint is building an all-new, nationwide 3G and 4G LTE network through the Network Vision program. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a picture or to check the Web, Sprint 4G LTE will make it faster.

Coupling the speed of 4G LTE with the industry’s only truly unlimited data plan for smartphones makes Sprint the best choice in wireless.* Additionally, the new network will provide significant enhancements to Sprint 3G service once the improvements are completed.

Customers are expected to experience better signal strength, fewer dropped/blocked calls, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better overall performance as the improvements roll out across the country. Sprint has a history of innovation, as it was the first national wireless carrier to offer 4G service with the launch of the Sprint 4G (WiMAX) network in 2008.

The launch of these 15 cities demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE portfolio and rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.

The Wireless Industry’s Most Customer-Friendly Data Plans

In today’s competitive wireless market, the value of unlimited has never been more apparent. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited data, texting and calling to and from any mobile phone in America while on the Sprint network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

Sprint continues the trend of delivering value to customers through its portfolio of 4G LTE-capable devices and unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint has already launched five 4G LTE-capable devices for less than $200 – HTC EVO™ 4G LTE ($199.99); LG Viper™ 4G LTE ($99.99); Samsung Galaxy Nexus ($199.99); Samsung Galaxy S® III ($199.99 for 16GB version); and Sierra Wireless™ 4G LTE Tri-Fi Hotspot, the nation’s first to support 4G LTE, 4G WiMAX and 3G ($99.99) (all pricing excludes taxes).

During the past several years, Sprint has been working hard to deliver the best customer experience. Recently, the American Customer Satisfaction Index ranked Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers and most improved in customer satisfaction, across all 47 industries, during the last four years.