With Verizon already touting its 4G LTE roll-out and AT&T claiming that LTE is currently available in 47 markets around the country, third-place wireless competitor Sprint needs to do everything it can to compete. Over the weekend, the company finally flipped the switch on its LTE network, but unless you live in some parts of Texas, Georgia and Missouri, you’ll probably still be waiting.

This morning, Sprint announced that LTE coverage is now available in the following areas:

GEORGIA:
Athens
Atlanta
Calhoun
Carrollton
Newnan
Rome

TEXAS:
Dallas
Fort Worth, Texas
Granbury-Hood County, Texas
Houston
Huntsville
San Antonio
Waco

MISSOURI:
Kansas City (also Kansas City, KS)
St. Joseph

Sprint says it will launch LTE in more unspecified markets during the second half of 2012. It hopes to have built out most of its LTE network by the end of 2013.

As LTE becomes more widely available, and as wireless users push these networks to the limit with streaming video and audio, it will be interesting to see if Sprint stands by its unlimited data offering. The company is currently the only of the four major U.S. wireless providers to offer unlimited data plans that do not cap users’ download speeds or charge overage fees.

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