AT&T barks back and takes the top spot as the nation's #1 carrier

posted by John V. / Jan 27, 2011, 3:01 PM

AT&T barks back and takes the top spot as the nation's #1 carrier

In their ongoing quest to see who can reign supreme in the US market, AT&T came back barking and took the top spot as being the nation's number one wireless carrier.

For a while there, Verizon has kept a slight lead over its closest competitor, but after adding 2.8 million new customers in the most recent quarter, it has enabled AT&T to tally in at 95.5 million customers and supplants Big Red as the new big dog in town. In contrast, Verizon's stable currently stands in at a respectable 94.1 million customers, but as we near the inevitable launch of the iPhone 4 for them, it's going to be yet another gun battle at the O.K. Corral.

Thanks partly to the 4.1 million new iPhone activated on AT&T's network this past quarter, the carrier has to be happy about a lot; despite no longer having exclusivity on the beloved iPhone. Regardless, we'll look forward to see how things will shape up now that Apple's pride and joy is being offered by another rival carrier.

via SlashGear

FEATURED VIDEO

Options

69 Comments

1. narley

Posts: 357; Member since: May 14, 2009

um ya AT&T you can bask in this glory for hmmmm...... another two weeks. Enjoy.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:00 PM 9

9. Tre-Nitty

Posts: 470; Member since: Nov 16, 2010

So At&t is gonna lose at least 1.5 million customers in 2 weeks? You guys are hilarious. You do realize that At&t still offers the iphone 4(better version) and that you can even get a refurb iphone 4 for $99 with At&t. I guess At&t isn't gonna activate any iphone/smartphone users after 2 weeks. Keep reaching buddy.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:58 PM 2

13. tragichero

Posts: 163; Member since: Jan 07, 2011

duh... i what way is att iphone better... no unlimited data for new customers.. no hotspot.... no facetime chat without wifi... crappy customer service and crappy signal... keep drinking the koolaid trenitty!

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:01 PM 2

18. Tre-Nitty

Posts: 470; Member since: Nov 16, 2010

If you mean in what way, I can still talk/surf at the same time and it's faster imo. Now i've had no problems with signal or customer service, maybe others have but I haven't. btw that hotspot is gonna cost you an additional $20 a month on top of that 1 option $30 unlimited plan and you can't facetime without wifi on iphone 4 vz either if im not mistaken. At&t also has tons of mobile hotspots for free. See i'm not downing vz im simply telling y'all that you sound stupid when you say things like what Narley said.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:16 PM 2

43. Sniggly

Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

Ah, but there isn't just one data plan option. And there will soon be more. Of course more data is going to cost more, it will cost more on AT&T if it's ever introduced. And how many times do you REALLY, REALLY need the talk/data at the same time? Not often. And with LTE that won't be an issue anymore anyway.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 9:20 PM 0

45. jherz6

Posts: 217; Member since: May 23, 2008

A btw it wont I have unlimited data and pay nothing extra for hotspot. Narley is just making a true statement, in that once vzw releases the iphone lets see who is number one. Even AT&T is estimating a 26% loose in there present customers and about 41% in new customers.

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 12:01 AM 1

15. heyitzme

Posts: 87; Member since: Jan 03, 2011

Oh they'll definitely continue to activate phones but there are many people that have been waiting years for the verizon iphone and perfer Verizon's service over at&t but stay with at&t because they were iphone exclusive so with people leaving at&t for verizon iphones that's a +2 for each subscriber to verizon

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:05 PM 5

20. Tre-Nitty

Posts: 470; Member since: Nov 16, 2010

Like I stated before, I could care less how many customers vz adds, they still have issues just like every other provider. People need to stop acting like they are perfect. My main point is that if people thought At&t's coverage was that bad, nothing would keep them on At&t. It's simply overblown.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:23 PM 4

22. heyitzme

Posts: 87; Member since: Jan 03, 2011

Nonsense. The iphone kept alot of people with at&t. Now they have options when it comes to the phone and even if your OPINION is that at&t's service is better that won't stop millions of subs changing from at&t to Verizon

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:29 PM 5

32. hawk62

Posts: 320; Member since: Nov 21, 2009

So everyone that has att, has an iphone? Really?

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 5:42 PM 2

59. Immature unregistered

HAWK62 IS A FAGGOT

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 2:39 PM 0

35. Verizon

Posts: 22; Member since: May 14, 2010

Have you actually ever had to talk and surf the web at the same time? If yes i would like an example.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 6:23 PM 1

37. TowaniZ unregistered

I could. Just the other day I was talking to a friend. We arranging a date for an outing. I'm with Verizon(of course). I just took a laps and said "Let me check my schedule."(I can check my work schedule on my phone over the companies network with access to the internet/Data. Of course I could not because at the same time, I was talking to my friend. It's not drastic for me. I would just wait until I was at my comp. for a outing as unimportant as this one. But I could see how that would be important to the "Multi-tasking/Business oriented" types.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 7:02 PM 1

49. GSM1900user unregistered

There are lots of example: 1) use Webex to view presentation and do conference call (very handy for people on the road), 2) talk and email, 3) talk and look up address from google map, 4) talk and look up traffic information, weather, air traffic, etc...

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 12:44 AM 1

69. RS9568

Posts: 13; Member since: Jun 22, 2010

2 hour conference call and I need to game cast my Lakers.

posted on Jan 31, 2011, 8:12 PM 0

50. saneok

Posts: 78; Member since: Oct 01, 2009

Tre-Nitty I agree with you

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 3:25 AM 0

53. narley

Posts: 357; Member since: May 14, 2009

its called an ETF. ha ha

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 9:10 AM 0

64. Worf, Son of Moag unregistered

What they fail to mention here is how AT&T acquired some of those customers. First, they finally integrated all the (reluctant) former ALLtel trust customers that the FCC handed them for free after the Verizon buyout. Second, they offered a few million sheep the opportunity to upgrade early to an iPhone4, so they ended up staying instead of leaving. So, yeah, they may have added a few subs, but they wouldn't be the biggest if it wasn't for a few freebees added into the mix. Based on their customer service alone, they wouldn't even have a network. I love the people that dog Verizon on it's size and say it's all because "who Verizon bought-out", but in the end it's both of the two big carriers doing the same things. Newsflash: You are running out of competition to buy. Now you have to rest on your own laurels. I'd bet heavier on Verizon's track record versus AT&T on this one. Kaaplaa!

posted on Jan 29, 2011, 11:27 AM 0

34. BobbyTaba

Posts: 316; Member since: Aug 11, 2010

In the next 2 years its gonna become 104 million for verizon and 85 million for att

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 6:06 PM 0

61. cj100570

Posts: 204; Member since: May 12, 2009

They don't even have that long to be #1. here's a little light being shed on those numbers;http://phandroid.com/2011/01/28/verizon-were-still-bigger-than-att-me-i-agree/

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 3:16 PM 1

2. Justplaindave unregistered

Noone likes a monopoly. I feel bad for all those folks who don't live in a good AT&T coverage area but want an iPhone. Now's their chance to have their cake and eat it, too.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:02 PM 1

3. ribbonsalmark

Posts: 84; Member since: Jan 06, 2011

Congrats AT&T. #1 in most customers. Now if you weren't ranked dead last in customer support we would have something wouldnt we.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:08 PM 8

6. Tre-Nitty

Posts: 470; Member since: Nov 16, 2010

Blah, Blah, Blah same boring joke. At&t has never given me a problem and I have VZ for work and it's downright terrible and extremely slow. Stop sucking VZ tit and realize At&t is going nowhere and they are #1 again. If so many people thought At&t service sucked as bad as people claim, they would lose customers in droves but instead they just added 4.1 million to overtake your beloved VZ. They are both good in certain areas but I think At&t is better. Like jeffdabeat always says, pick whatever works best for you.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:37 PM 2

10. VChad unregistered

Where do you work? AT&T Headquarters? The only spot in the US with spotty V-Coverage.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:58 PM 4

19. Tre-Nitty

Posts: 470; Member since: Nov 16, 2010

No, I don't work in Dallas or Atlanta. I work primarily in the Tampa Bay area. So come with the next joke. Don't get mad at me because vz is 2nd place, like you get some kinda incentive if they are #1. If they provide good service to you i'm happy for you but with the laptop and cell phone they provide for us at work, they are complete trash. At&t has people who think the same thing. Get over it, vz doesn't have the perfect network, not even close but they do have a slow network. That's a fact. Look it up.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:20 PM 4

4. MrJazzPurr27 unregistered

I don't think the Iphone 4 will blow up like everyone thinks it will when it hits verizon, but then again it may will b/c of word of mouth. But the question is will it have the same issue ATT had with network cludder and oh yeah That Antenna issue again is everyone going to get a free case b/c of it, or was that solution solved?

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:12 PM 2

14. tragichero

Posts: 163; Member since: Jan 07, 2011

solved!

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 4:03 PM 1

62. clevername

Posts: 1436; Member since: Jul 11, 2008

Was never solved. The new antenna design is to accommodate the CDMA radio. Not a fix.

posted on Jan 29, 2011, 2:06 AM 0

5. Cell Guy unregistered

The one thing to remember on the Verizon Iphone is that it cant work worldwide. Its not 4g so its half the speed of at&t's network. And one of the most important issues is you can't do the multitaking that apple commercials first showed. like being on a call and emailing or searching something online or ANYTHING that involves 2 things at once. Sorry guys, America's oldest and largest communications company is back to 1.

posted on Jan 27, 2011, 3:23 PM 2

47. jherz6

Posts: 217; Member since: May 23, 2008

That may be true but neither is the AT&T version of the iphone its the iphone 4 not 4g. As far as AT&T being number 1 lets see what happens after the tenth.

posted on Jan 28, 2011, 12:11 AM 1

view all comments