Network provider Verizon Wireless has announced its plan to expand its 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network to cover the greater Milwaukee area starting June 16.

The expansion will cover downtown, along Lake Michigan right from the northern suburbs of Thiensville & Mequon to the southern border of South Milwaukee & Cudahy, in addition to areas like Madison, Kenosha and Racine.

Verizon’s 4G LTE, which is up to 10 times faster than the company’s existing 3G system, will be available for mobile phones, mobile hotspots, laptop modems and tablet computer equipped with 4G.

Speaking on the topic, Verizon said, “As the first wireless company in the world to broadly deploy game-changing 4G LTE technology, Verizon Wireless is committed to building its 4G network with the same performance and reliability for which it has long been recognized.”

Users of the upcoming 4G LTE network will likely get average download rates of 5 to 12MB/s and average upload speeds of 2 to 5Mb/s. Different mobile broadband plans offering 4G speeds cost in the range of $20 to $80 per month.

According to Verizon’s claims, its 4G network currently covers one-third of the nation. The company has plans to offer 4G network service to every area that is currently under its 3G network by the end of 2013.

Sprint was the first network provider to offer next-generation data network when it rolled out its WiMAX-based 4G service previous year.