Google Maps, Dean Drobot, en.edatv.news Alarm bells ring at Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T: they have reasons to fear the worst
The three major operators are seeing how other companies have been gaining ground on them in recent times
Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T are going through a complicated time. These three major telecommunications companies in the United States are starting to sound the alarm. They're losing customers at a worrying rate, and everything indicates that non-traditional competitors are quickly gaining ground.
For a long time, these three companies dominated the mobile market. Nowadays, more and more consumers are showing distrust toward them.
Many are choosing more affordable and flexible alternatives. This is the case with mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) and cable companies that now also offer mobile services.
Prices doom Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile
One of the main reasons behind this change is the increase in prices. In recent months, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have raised their rates. This has caused discontent among users, who are now looking for more accessible options.
In contrast, MVNOs and cable companies offer cheaper plans and bundled packages with home internet. This is more convenient for many people.
The figures from the first quarter of 2025 are clear. Cable companies such as Charter Communications, Comcast, and Altice USA added a total of 886,000 new mobile lines. This figure even surpasses the 804,000 they achieved last year in the same period.
The most surprising thing is that they're no longer limited to competing only in the most affordable segment. Now they're also attracting premium customers, with advanced plans and device upgrade options.
Charter, for example, gained 514,000 mobile lines in just three months. It thus surpassed T-Mobile, which achieved 495,000, and AT&T, with 324,000. Meanwhile, Verizon lost 289,000 customers in that same period.
Comcast also showed strength, with 323,000 new customers, and Altice gained 49,000 more. Altogether, the three major cable companies closed the quarter with more than 19M active mobile lines. Even Cox, which only began offering its mobile services in all its markets in January 2023, already has 200,000 lines.
In total, the cable sector now represents 18% of all new mobile lines added in the industry. Although T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T still have a larger share in gross volume of new users, cable's progress is remarkable when looking at net growth. In fact, Charter, Comcast, and Altice together accounted for about 58% of the net new postpaid lines in the market in the first quarter.
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