After first launching their 4G LTE network in Montgomery and Mobile nearly two years ago, Verizon Wireless announced Wednesday the company’s high-speed network is now complete across the state. Nationally, Verizon’s 4G LTE network is available in 497 markets, covering 287 million people.

Since 2010, the company has invested more than $340 million on its network in Alabama, with a substantial portion of that supporting its 4G LTE rollout.

To celebrate this network milestone, Verizon announced “4Gs,” or four grants, to Alabama organizations. Grants were given to the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund, Ready Alabama’s Be Ready Camp, the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Request for Proposals from the Verizon Foundation.

“We were the first wireless provider to introduce 4G LTE to Alabama just two years ago, and now more than four million Alabamians have access to our blazing fast network, which reaches beyond the state’s major cities into rural Alabama,” said Jonathan LeCompte, president of the Georgia and Alabama region for Verizon Wireless. “With a wireless network that offers speeds comparable to broadband cable Internet, our customers are discovering how 4G LTE revolutionizes the way we communicate.”

Numbers reveal that Alabama consumers and businesses are taking advantage of the new network.

In Alabama, data traffic on the network increased nearly 325 percent from 2012 to 2013. And although smart phones and tablets account for a large portion of the 4G LTE usage, the network is increasingly being used for machine-to-machine connectivity in industries such as healthcare, transportation and logistics as well as providing broadband solutions in rural areas.

“Verizon has shown itself to be a good corporate citizen by supporting our long-term tornado recovery efforts and our ongoing natural disaster preparedness through Serve Alabama,” Gov. Robert Bentley in a press release. “Verizon is also working to help victims of domestic violence by connecting them with valuable resources. I appreciate Verizon’s continued support for the people of Alabama.