T-Mobile posts record subscriber growth but losses bigger than expected

28 Oct, 2014

WASHINGTON: T-Mobile US Inc on Monday posted record subscriber growth in the third quarter on the back of aggressive marketing campaigns, but booked wider-than-expected losses due to the cost of integrating its MetroPCS network.

The fourth-largest wireless carrier in the United States has turned around years of subscriber losses with aggressive campaigns and discounts in recent quarters.

In the latest quarter, it added a record 1.4 million postpaid customers who pay for service after use. It now expects to bring in 4.3 million to 4.7 million customers in 2014, up from a prior estimate of 3 million to 3.5 million.

Revenue rose 10 percent to $7.35 billion, in line with Wall Street forecasts of $7.4 billion.

Service revenues grew 10.6 percent in the quarter for the carrier, which is expected to lead the industry in growth. Average billings per postpaid user also rose to a record, up 4.2 percent to $61.59.

The carrier reported a third-quarter loss of 12 cents per share, bigger than a loss of 5 cents per share in the same period a year earlier as it shut down incompatible MetroPCS networks in Boston and Las Vegas.

T-mobile shares rose 0.04 percent to $28 after closing at $27.99 on the New York Stock Exchange.

Copyright Reuters, 2014

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