By 
We wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam let out a slight chuckle after T-Mobile’s unCarrier shenanigans netted them 1.6 million subscribers last quarter. The nation’s largest carrier has just announced that they’ve trumped that number by 100,000 by adding 1.7 million net subscribers in Q4 2013, bringing them to 4.1 million net postpaid additions on the year.
Some other food for thought from the company’s financial presser:
- 102.8 million connections (including postpaid, prepaid and more) — 4.7% increase year-on-year.
- 70% of consumers on smartphones by end of 2013 — 3% increase quarter-on-quarter.
- 4G LTE reaches 97% of American population — that’s 305 million people in over 500 markets
- $21.1 billion in total revenue, including $17.7 billion from service revenues alone — 5th straight quarter with 8% growth in revenue.
- $81 billion total / $69 billion service revenues on the year — up 6.8% and 8.3% year-on-year, respectively.
There are a lot more details to be had at the source link, but that’s about the end of the juicy bits. Not all of Verizon’s changes have been popular. In fact, you might argue that a vast majority of them haven’t been. But the company must be doing something right to be experiencing such healthy growth quarter after quarter and year after year. Perhaps a big, reliable network is the single most important thing a carrier can offer, because no matter how expensive Verizon gets, folks still flock to Big Red.
[via Verizon]
With all that many new subscribers and money, all Verizon does is coming up with more ways to rip off and taking away people’s freedom. I know business is a business, but where is the line between corporate greed and healthy practice of free market?
Like every industry.. Nonexistent.
C’mon man lets not act like T-Mobile is running a non-profit organization. Every company is all about making that money. What would you say if Verizon lowered their rate and killed off T-Mobile? Looks like Verizon is a lose-lose situation.
I wouldn’t be so mad if Verizon didn’t come up with an idea to transform the internet into cable subscription.
If enough people jump ship from att & verizon then they will seriously have to consider lowering their rates and that wouldn’t be such a bad thing for the consumer. Choice is a good thing provided you have good choices available. It’s like threatening your cable company with dish or directv. You watch how fast they lower your bill!
The problem is it isn’t really a “free market”. There’s 4 major carriers and a few smaller ones. It’s not like you or I could just start a new carrier tomorrow and compete with the big 4 with better prices and services. Anywhere there’s limited competition, greed goes largely unchecked. See the cable industry, the banks, telephone and DSL, etc.
There is always the no-contract companies: e.g. PagePlus, Selectel Wireless and BYO Wireless – all using Verizon’s networks. Then there is ChitChat Mobile, Straight Talk, AIO, Consumer Cellular…the list goes on and on. There are sooooo many options out in the “free market”. No one person is forced to accept a 2-year contract. No-contract is where it is at!
A lot of those new customers likely have company discounts, I have a discount available through my company of 17% if I decided to switch to Verizon which I have no intention of doing. Currently with Sprint and get good coverage in Atlanta area, job doesn’t require travel and I only go out of state for vacation and see no need to be overcharged when it isn’t necessary.
I had a 27% discount through my employer. I left Verizon a year ago for T-Mobile and I’m still paying one third of what I paid for Verizon WITH my huge discount. Crazy!
On October 17th they announced they had 101.2 million. Doing the math tells me they lied.
When the contract on my GS3 ends this summer, I have every intention of leaving Verizon for T-Mobile, and I’m pretty sure I won’t be the only one. Curious to see what happens when all of us GS3 reorder people get to the end of that contract, hoping to see a large exodus from Big Red.
Why wait till summer. I guess you never heard that T-mobile will pay your ETF. So jump ship already.
I plan on leaving Verizon for T-Mobile also.
Come join us and our crazy yet awesome CEO :D
Besides why wait? t-mo will pay your ETF.
I’m very familiar with T-Mo, I was with them a short time before I joined Verizon. Besides the better coverage I regret leaving T-Mo.
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$1?!?! That’s f#*+ing insane! Where do I sign up???
its called living in an area where the only service that works is verizon so i have no choice.
corporate discounts help too.
PagePlus is a great option.
Grandpa told me a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus all the people flocking to verizon. Big network is a selling point but is it really important? Say you live in Dallas. Does it really matter to you that verizon has great coverage in North Dakota? Would that sway you to sign up with big red? Most people only want or need coverage in their immediate area. So any network that provides good service in that area would work for them.
The real key that was missed is advertising. Verizon spends more than any other carrier. Just watch a ball game and count them! All those ads eventually work.When you pound it into peoples heads about how big your network is eventually they believe that it is a big deal.
Where I work in San Diego T-Mobile struggles to get a good data signal while Verizon does reasonable. And sprint has yet to add full coverage of 4g LTE to San Diego while Verizon has had it for a while now. Until T-Mobile and sprint improve their signal, I’m probably gonna stick with Verizon.
#uck Verizon.. they its a lie
If you want to still use the Verizon network and enjoy some extra money, try either PagePlus, BYO Wireless or Selectel Wireless – all no-contracts or prepaids using Verizon’s network! I have been with PagePlus for two years, using an smartphone. I have 1200 minutes, 3000 text and 500 MB data = $30 and that INCLUDES taxes and fees.