AT&T has come clean with its third quarter earnings today, and on paper, it seems like big ol' Number Two doesn't have much to complain about as far as cash flow goes. EPS comes in at 54 cents, 4 cents more per share than the consensus estimate; revenue was up from the prior quarter (though down a bit from the same quarter a year ago) and they clocked in 2 million net adds, 1.4 million of which were postpaid. That now leaves AT&T with a staggering 81.6 million subs, 6.7 million more than a year ago. Meanwhile, 4.3 million new phones were activated on the network --
3.2 million of which were iPhones, AT&T's best quarter ever for iPhone activations -- which might actually be perceived as a bad sign for the company seeing how it stresses how heavily reliant it is on Apple's baby for customer conquests. Data continues to be a heavy focus with data-focused revenue up 33.6 percent from the same period last year, and for everyone's sake, we hope that every cent of that revenue is going
right back into the network.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Really? @ Oct 22nd 2009 1:21PM
Hmm that explains why there service is so commically bad.
Yankees368 @ Oct 22nd 2009 1:24PM
That network is going to implode soon.
aoi tsuki @ Oct 22nd 2009 2:11PM
Definite conjecture here, but it'll be interesting to see how AT&T intends to keep iPhone subscribers once they lose exclusivity of the device and it appears on Verizon. Whether Verizon's network is actually faster than AT&T's or whether the latter is simply suffering from network congestion we don't know, but undoubtedly the lack of the latter will result in much faster network usage once on Verizon. Sure, Verizon's making a big deal out of Android now, but that'll change once the iPhone is about to hit.
i would've expected AT&T to have quietly started building up their stable of Android phones by now, which De la Vega mentions in a very recent interview (http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=7D04F480-1A64-6A71-CE92332AED968E41).
Asia @ Oct 22nd 2009 2:20PM
And you have confirmation the iPhone is going to Verizon? Logically, the earliest we'll see an iPhone on Verizon is 2014/2015. It'll be Apple's 4G capable iPhone once Verizon is done rolling out their LTE network.
aoi tsuki @ Oct 22nd 2009 3:28PM
@Asia
Might wanna look up the word "conjecture".
i never specified a timetable for anything, nor did i say that Verizon would be the only carrier outside of AT&T to have the iPhone in the US. Also, last i heard, Verizon was looking at a major rollout of LTE in 2013/2014, not a year later as you specified. Perhaps i'm wrong on that as i don't keep up with Verizon, but i haven't seen anything that says otherwise after performing a quick search. Whether Apple releases a CDMA iPhone now to get more iPhones in hands or whether they wait for LTE is something only they know.
Asia @ Oct 22nd 2009 5:14PM
Sorry, to be quite honest I didn't even see you say that =x. I presumed you were thinking the iPhone would make a more recent appearance than what you've stated in your second post mainly from reading this line: "Sure, Verizon's making a big deal out of Android now, but that'll change once the iPhone is about to hit." If either of our LTE time estimations are correct, that still leaves Android with at least a 3-5 years reign on Verizon's network. Also, I forget the source of my information, but we know it will take a few years for Verizon to complete the LTE rollout. So, even if they start next year no phones will hit the market until it's complete simply because no one is going to purchase a phone on an incomplete network. Also, given Verizon's current grudge towards At&t and the iPhone, I think it's safe to say it will be a while yet before we see the possibility of the iPhone coming to Verizon's network. I think we're both of the same mindset, though.
aoi tsuki @ Oct 22nd 2009 3:36PM
Edit: "major rollout of LTE in 2013/2014" should read "having LTE in most markets by 2013/2014".
preachaman @ Oct 22nd 2009 4:27PM
im tired of hearing Verizon is better than at&t because there not I live in West Virginia and Verizon has the worst service here at least at&t can broadcast over mountians... and sorry but if you've seen the theres a map for that add you will realize Verizons chance of getting the Iphone is about as must chance as I have to become the Preisdent of the US. anyways final words are im not an Iphone fan by any means and personally I think at&t has relied to heavily on it and I'm dissapointed with them for giving the shaft to other phones which is where I will say Verizon has been more phone friendly if you will they released the Omnia which I had gotten the Euro version being on at&t and they did not get it like they were suppose to and they will be getting the omina 2 which at&t will not be getting and I will say that Verizon was smart enought to leave the original design for the touch diamond 2 instead of changing it like at&t did with that forsaken Pure lol
Asia @ Oct 22nd 2009 5:15PM
So, you're saying the validity of Verizon's entire network is at stake somewhere in West Virginia because your own experience has been less than stellar there? I'll send Verizon an e-mail immediately so they can resign their #1 spot.
New_to_this @ Oct 22nd 2009 5:47PM
Apple went to Verizon before they approached AT&T with the iphone and Verizon turned them down. Bad move by Verizon. Now they have ads saying what the iphone can’t do. Bad move by Verizon if they want the iphone….they don’t.
Both Verizon and AT&T have pro’s and con’s. The iphone is the best selling phone on the market today; therefore anyone on Verizon’s network is going to want Verizon to get the phone.
If the iphone was exclusive to Verizon we would have the exact same comments/complaints we have today, just reversed. People like to bitch, rarely do they compliment.
egoviri @ Oct 22nd 2009 6:12PM
By the way, the Apple to Verizon for the iPhone story is a myth. That story has exploded since it's inception and has been portrayed and lauded as truth.
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2009/03/13/stewart-slams-cramer-with-apple-video/
Now back to the comical comment bashing that AT&T usually gets.
gomobile @ Oct 22nd 2009 6:08PM
Mr. de la Vega implied that AT&T’s beefed-up network will made iPhone customers want to stay with it, regardless of exclusivity. “Even if we lose the iPhone exclusivity, we’re going to probably be the only ones that have a speed of 7.2 that these phones can work on,” he said. “So they’ll work in our network faster than on anybody else’s network.”
Reading between the lines since the current exclusivity aggreement ends end of 2010 will they will try to get an revised contractual exclusive on 7.2 iphones or they'll launch 7.2 before anyone else. Contractually this sounds bold and expensive move, but strategic smart cherry picking. Either way the competition, FCC forcoming net neutrality decision, the consumers ability to churn after 2 years and new phones, drives and benefits consumers with better tech at lower pricing.
Its a win-win for the consumer, consolidation kills markets.
Snowake425 @ Oct 22nd 2009 9:23PM
To: GoMobile
Im not understanding where people get the idea that the contract ends in 2010, I have no idea where this information is being leaked or being given to. The iphone has a 5 year conclusive deal. started in 2007 + 5 equals 2012. So if anything, they will sell another model in 2010 and 2011 etc. Im sure their are some guidelines in the contract, where AT&T has to meet quota or something like that between the two companies, but I just dont get it! Anyway, I have the iphone 3G and had Nokia N97NAM with 3.5 support. I noticed quite a difference on the 3.5G, going back to the iphone 3G, just makes it seem slow, im glad the improvements have hit the Seattle Area, WA
gomobile @ Oct 23rd 2009 12:20PM
Snowflake425
I got that exclusivity comment from the Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/10/22/att-on-iphone-exclusivity-dropped-calls-and-net-neutrality/
Snowake425 @ Oct 23rd 2009 4:57PM
Neither company has disclosed, and it's expected, but that's false info, checked with AT&T and it's a 5 year deal