In advance of the new iPad rollout, AT&T has announced plans for an expansion of its 4G LTE footprint to almost a dozen new markets, from St. Louis to Baton Rouge.

AT&T's 4G network is coming to: St. Louis; Naples, Fla; Bloomington, Lafayette, and Muncie, Ind.; Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.; Akron, Canton and Cleveland, Ohio; and Bryan-College Station, Texas. AT&T will also extend its New York City rollout to Staten Island.

The network will roll out in those cities in April, May, and early summer, AT&T said today.

AT&T's 4G LTE network went live in late 2011, adding 15 markets last year. In January, it was added to the New York City metro area, Austin, Chapel Hill, Los Angeles, Oakland, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Jose. At this point, the network is operational in 28 markets. For more, see PCMag's Hands On With AT&T's 4G LTE Network in Boston.

At its iPad event last week, Apple said its new iPad will operate on AT&T's and Verizon's 4G LTE networks. On the AT&T iPad, you can get 250MB for $14.99 per month, 3GB for $30, or 5GB for $50.

The debate over what constitutes 4G, meanwhile, continued recently when iPhone 4S smartphones updated to iOS 5.1 displayed the "4G" icon, despite the fact that Apple smartphones are still technically 3G. Why did this happen? AT&T considers its HSPA+ network – a speedy upgrade to AT&T's HSPA-based "3G" network – a "4G" network.

For more on iOS 5.1, see PCMag's review and the slideshow below. Also check out PCMag's hands on with the new iPad.

Editor's Note: This story was updated to clarify that AT&T 4G LTE is rolling out to 11, not 12, markets. Staten Island is an extension of the existing New York market.