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With Verizon Wireless set to launch LTE services imminently, the existing US 4G operator, Clearwire, is racing to keep ahead. It announced at the weekend that it has crossed the milestone of covering 100m POPs, coming close to its ambitious target of 120m for 2010, and matching Verizon's own plans of reaching the 100m mark this year.

The latest growth was achieved with the switch-on of WiMAX networks in Los Angeles, Miami and three Ohio cities - Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus. Clearwire will also launch in the San Francisco Bay Area just before the year is out, on December 28. All these markets will get the Clear-branded services, even though the WiMAX carrier recently said it was putting less focus on its own retail offerings, at least temporarily, as part of a cost cutting program as it seeks new financing.

All the markets will also see the launch of the 'Sprint 4G' WiMAX and 4G/3G offerings, which ride on the Clearwire network. Sprint has additionally launched its service in Washington DC, six months after Clearwire went live there.

As well as the San Francisco area, Clearwire is expected to turn on its network in several other markets by the end of the year, though not necessarily launch its Clear services there. Its total coverage is now 103m POPs in 68 markets.

Verizon says it will launch its LTE service in December in 38 markets plus more than 60 airports, covering almost 110m POPs. Verizon Communications' CEO Ivan Seidenberg said earlier this month that Verizon's first LTE smartphone will be available in February, months earlier than the company had previously indicated. Samsung has already produced an LTE featurephone for MetroPCS, which is already live, and has hinted at a 4G version of its Galaxy S smartphone, which already has a WiMAX model, Epic 4G, for Clearwire. Motorola, however, is widely expected to be Verizon's first partner, readying an LTE/Android smartphone codenamed Etna, which is reported to run on the Tegra2 processor from Nvidia.

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