T-Mobile posts disappointing Q1 wireless subscriber numbers
To price satellite service at $10 a month
Increases annual adjusted EBITDA outlook
April 24 (Reuters) - T-Mobile TMUS.O added fewer wireless subscribers than Wall Street expected in the first quarter as rivals dialed up promotions in a saturating U.S. telecom market, leading to a more than 5% drop in overnight trading.
The report, the last among major U.S. telecom carriers this earnings season, underscored growing competition in a market where operators are leaning on price locks and bundled offers to woo customers as U.S. tariffs cloud the economic outlook.
Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile added 495,000 monthly bill-paying customers in the first three months of 2025, more than AT&T's T.N additions, while Verizon VZ.N lost subscribers in the period after warning of a hit from "off-season promotions."
Still, the figure fell short of FactSet estimates of 506,400 additions.
To shield its market share, T-Mobile's prepaid unit earlier this week unveiled four new plans that provide a five-year price guarantee and monthly charges as low as $25 per line. The company also has plans to launch its satellite-to-cell service, powered by SpaceX's Starlink, in July.
The final pricing for the satellite service would be $10 a month and T-Mobile will maintain that price for at least a year, CEO Mike Sievert said on a call with analysts.
On the tariffs front, Sievert said that T-Mobile is currently not seeing any material impact to its business.
If the tariffs lead to price increases for mobile handsets, customers would have to bear it, which could lead to a slowdown in upgrade rates, he added.
The company increased its 2025 adjusted EBITDA forecast to range between $33.2 billion and $33.7 billion, from its prior projection of $33.1 billion to $33.6 billion.
"T-Mobile set very conservative EBITDA guidance for the year because they were preparing to spend more on acquisition and retention to get the adds they want in a shrinking pool," said New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin.
In the first quarter, T-Mobile's revenue rose 6.6% to $20.89 billion, coming above expectations of $20.62 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.