Beech Tree News Network

More residents in Butler County now have access to 4G LTE, the most-advanced 4G network, on their Bluegrass Cellular mobile devices. As part of a system-wide 4G LTE development project, Bluegrass announced today that it has expanded its high-speed nationwide 4G LTE network into Welcome, Ky., the Butler County community near Morgantown, Ky.

The expansion means that customers in and around Welcome will now experience download speeds of up to 10 times faster than 3G, which affects everything from data speeds (i.e., streaming YouTube videos and posting Instagram pictures) to picture messaging.

Welcome is one of 75 new 4G LTE sites Bluegrass is set to launch by the end of 2015. Over the next year and a half, Bluegrass will complete the build-out of its high-speed 4G LTE network, bringing its core network from 80.7 percent 4G LTE (which translates to about 7,055 square miles in Central Kentucky and more than 620,000 people) to nearly 100 percent 4G LTE (about 10,300 square miles and 730,000 people). The accomplishment is a milestone for Bluegrass and puts the Kentucky-based company in a leading group of regional wireless carriers.

“Our engineers are committed to continually building and improving our network. It’s a project that never stops,” said Ron Smith, President and CEO of Bluegrass Cellular. “As a result, we have a 4G LTE network that’s as strong locally as it is nationwide. And it’s only getting better.”

Bluegrass’s 4G LTE expansion is made possible in part through Bluegrass’s partnership with Verizon Wireless. In 2010, Bluegrass became the first regional carrier to partner with Verizon’s LTE in Rural America (LRA) program. As a result of the partnership, Bluegrass is building a high-speed network in Central Kentucky that will be available to Verizon customers as well as its own. In return, Bluegrass Cellular customers have access to Verizon’s 4G LTE network throughout the entire United States.

“This is important news for our customers and for our region,” said Smith. “We’re working hard to bring 4G LTE into areas of Central Kentucky that might otherwise not have access to a high-speed network. Our investment, including our work with GetSetGo™ outside our core service area, is part of a bigger mission to broaden statewide access to the technology that’s redefining today’s standard of living.”

For the latest network announcements, including recent 4G LTE site activations, follow Bluegrass Cellular on Facebook at facebook.com/bluegrasscellular or on Twitter at twitter.com/bluegrasscell.

About Bluegrass Cellular
Headquartered in Elizabethtown, Ky., Bluegrass Cellular has been operating in Kentucky for over 20 years with 19 company-owned retail locations and more than 20 authorized agent locations. A pioneer in the wireless field in the state’s rural areas, Bluegrass was the first to offer digital cellular service to Central Kentucky in 1998. For more information on Bluegrass Cellular and for local store hours and information, visit bluegrasscellular.com or call 1-800-928-CELL. Follow Bluegrass Cellular on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bluegrasscell.