Verizon Is Losing Subscribers Again

Core Viewpoint - Verizon's recent performance indicates a troubling trend in subscriber growth, with significant losses in the first quarter of 2025 following a brief gain at the end of 2024 [1][8] Subscriber Performance - In the first quarter of 2025, Verizon added 1.7 million consumer wireless retail postpaid phone subscribers on a gross basis, but this represents a 1% decline year over year, resulting in a net loss of 356,000 subscribers [2] - The company lost 194,000 net consumer retail postpaid phone subscribers in the first quarter of 2024, despite gaining 367,000 subscribers in the fourth quarter of 2024, indicating a volatile subscriber base [3] Revenue Trends - Total wireless service revenue for Verizon rose by 2.7% year over year, despite the ongoing subscriber losses [3] Customer Retention Strategies - Verizon introduced a three-year price lock on wireless plans to improve customer retention, although this excludes fees and perks associated with the plans [4] - The company also guarantees that existing customers can access the same promotions on new phones with trade-ins as new customers, which may increase costs but aims to reduce churn [5] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like AT&T are also implementing customer-friendly policies, such as bill credits for service outages, which may limit the effectiveness of Verizon's new strategies [6] - The industry is seeing a trend towards customer-first policies, which could dilute the impact of Verizon's initiatives on subscriber growth [6] Economic Considerations - The potential impact of tariffs on smartphones could increase costs for Verizon's free phone offers, and an economic slowdown may lead consumers to downgrade plans or seek cheaper alternatives [7] - Verizon's position in a potentially slowing economy, combined with its need to catch up with competitors, presents challenges for future subscriber growth [8]