Verizon didn’t gain as analysts expected, T-Mobile may be to blame

Though Verizon activated a whopping 927,000 postpaid mobile devices in Q3 2013, it was off from the expectations of some analysts. It fell just shy of the 940,000 predicted by some, and a distant cry from the 1.047 billion others expected to see. Overall, Verizon is on track, but what’s with the mobile activation dip?

We can first point out that analysts are just that. They have no crystal ball, and no metric to gauge success or failure accurately. With that, we should also note that they do influence decision making, and that’s why we always make a point to hear them out. Expectations are always troubling, but the cause for missing them is sometimes right on point.

In this dip, Fierce Wireless points out that some analysts believe that T-Mobile is to blame for this slide by Verizon. In Q2 2013, Verizon had 941,000 postpaid customers. In Q3 2012, Verizon boasted 1.5 million postpaid accounts gained in the quarter. T-Mobile has continued to gain quarterly, netting 1.1 million customers in Q2 2013.

With AT&T building their network, and Sprint seeing an influx of capital from new owners Softbank, T-Mobile may not be the only competition Verizon can expect. Then again, Verizon doesn’t seem concerned. At a recent investor’s meeting, CEO Lowell McAdam noted they weren’t interested in being the price leader, and were happy with their trajectory.

Though carriers like T-Mobile have essentially decided to stop fighting Verizon’s war, they’re certainly making an impact. On the heels of Jump, every other carrier followed suit with their own opt-out-early scheme. McAdam was also complimentary of T-Mobile’s strategy, saying that if their customers wanted that type of wireless relationship, Verizon would be happy to switch.