soon we'll be back to bag phone size.
Posted on 04/22/2017 7:05:47 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
For the first time, the nation's largest wireless provider is losing customers faster than it can replace them.
It's a major milestone for Verizon, which on Thursday reported a net decline of 289,000 cellphone subscribers over the past four months.
Even though Verizon usually loses some cellular customers every quarter, it has historically lured enough back to be able to report growth in that part of its business. But recent months have seen hundreds of thousands of customers defect to competitors such as T-Mobile and Sprint, analysts say.
Things could have been even worse if Verizon hadn't suddenly reintroduced unlimited data plans in February, according to Verizon's earnings numbers. In the first six weeks of the year, Verizon lost nearly 400,000 wireless customers, according to its latest earnings report. But once the new plans became available, they helped blunt those losses by bringing in about 110,000 new subscribers, Verizon said.
Verizon's reluctance to bring back unlimited data and its sudden about-face this year reflect rising competition in the cellular industry that is forcing large incumbents to adapt. The telecom giant has long argued that consumers are willing to pay a premium for a quality wireless experience, in contrast to budget carriers such as Sprint.
But aggressive moves by smaller carriers to build out their networks are paying off, said Roger Entner, an industry analyst with Recon Analytics, meaning that such companies as T-Mobile are chipping away at Verizon's network advantage. In a recent federal auction of wireless airwaves, T-Mobile emerged as a major beneficiary, spending $8 billion to acquire rights to radio spectrum it will use to expand its mobile Internet capacity.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
soon we'll be back to bag phone size.
I think that that guy is a prime reason for Verizon losing customers. The current advertising campaign he “stars” in is very effective.
Can you hear that? :-)
In my area VZW has poor in building service. I used to have them but switched to ATT due to price and coverage. They still try to lure me back and but have yet to upgrade their coverage while ATT has.
That pin you heard dropping was the JackBoot of telcoms dropping on your tender trailing anatomy.
If cell service ever came to this holler, I doubt I would bother and just continue my current dilligaf.
Verizon is expensive and has the best coverage. Glad to know that Walmart’s phone, Page Plus, uses the Verizon coverage.
I had T-Mobile for ten years and then moved to Metro PCS on the T-Mobile coverage. Fine for $30 a month.
Getting the seniors in my family off Frontier cable tv is impossible. They watch about 15 channels (Fox, Hallmark, OAN, KCET, etc.) and pay for 500. Sad.
I have Sprint. I’ve had it for about 15 years. I have a plan they don’t even offer anymore. Basically unlimited everything. I’m very happy with the service.
We have had Virgin Mobile unlimited for 8 years without a single problem.
Verizon used to be GTE. They've dumped almost all the old GTE into Frontier. For landlines, about all they have left now are the old Baby Bells of NYNEX and Bell Atlantic. Because they are sure that New England will be a stronger growth market than is Texas and the rest of the Sunbelt.
I will say that Verizon FIOS was a bit more reliable than Frontier FIOS, although Verizon managed to unintentionally cut off service one time to an entire city of a quarter of a million folks.
As for Verizon wireless, they have only fully owned that since 2014. Before that, almost half of Verizon Wireless was owned by a British company.
Buy a phone on eBay, have a pre-paid service send you a SIM card. Easy peasy.
The trick is Social Media. You put your complaint on their Facebook or Twitter site and you get an agent who can work with you and return calls. It's not just a one and done conversation where they can forget about you because they will never talk to you again...
Around 3 years ago, I bought a pretty nice cell phone which was refurbished. I didn’t read the fine print and it turned out it would only work with a Wal-Mart plan which was $45 a month.
It has been sitting up unused since then. Maybe every six months I charge it and the battery is still good.
Could I possibly get a new SIM card and use, say tracfone with it?
I recommend that you try Consumer Cellular.
DW and I are happy with them.
As soon as my son is on his own and paying for his own plan, I'm done with those crooks."
Sometimes there is a rational negative view about something.
This is insanity, you merely have a negative mind. If they were this bad, they wouldn't even be in business. Either that or you are smart and every single verizon customer is an idiot.
If you experience depression in your life or feel that an inordinate number of bad things either happen to you or come into your life, you need look no further than your own hypnotized mind.
I just got held talk hostage by a guy who works at a home store ... he sounded just like this. Talked my ear off about negative stuff in his life for 20 minutes. Wow. People cause themselves so much suffering.
It's a beautiful world out there Jack!
Verizon is the only reliable service on middle of Arizona/Mexico border area. They reach where others do not. They are corporate pigs in every way though.
THEN...Verizon didn't operate or own FIOS anymore, they sold it to Frontier. LOUSY service, even worse customer service. After our contract expired, it took me three months and five trips to the Frontier office to get rid of the land line we never needed but were now being charged for and what had cost $150 for FIOS was now north of $225 for Frontier! Finally got that straightened out and our TV/Internet bill is around $150 and cell service with Verizon is $126. In June, I'll be able to drop the smart pad service which will only help a little.
The irony is not only did I used to work for GTE/Verizon, but we probably watch Netflix more than cable TV channels! It certainly is a racket.
Anyone know a way my Mom can JUST get basic cable TV (she doesn't need voice or internet) and her new apartment only contracts with SPECTRUM and they don't really have a decent price for those who only want basic TV?
They don’t suck. God just quit making more spectrum which is a limited commodity.
That is like yelling at the clouds for bringing rain. There is no harvesting more E M waves.
Go to Walmart and switch to Straight Talk. Ask them which phones use the Verizon towers. You can get unlimited for $45 (about $50 after taxes and fees).
I’ve been using prepaid since 2012 and have never looked back.
You have to buy your phone upfront though. For me, I use an old Iphone 5. I have even changed to battery in it to keep it going and that’s a pain in the butt to do on Iphone. But I can get the complete battery kit for $10 free shipping on eBay so it’s worth it.
“Don’t forget Bell Atlantic too.”
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Nynex also.
.
Competition is always good for the consumer.
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