Carrier Ranking based on subscribers

Here's the top ten:

By the Numbers: Top Ten U.S. Wireless Service Providers - RCR Wireless News

Code:

Operator              Subsriber Base  Net Additions Total Churn Postpaid Churn     ARPU   Data ARPU     Revenues
AT&T Mobility 	        71.4 million 	   1.3 million 	        1.70% 	        1.20% 	        $50.18 	    $10.80 	$11.8 billion
Verizon Wireless 	67.2 million     1.5 million 	        1.19% 	        0.93% 	        $51.40 	    $11.94 	$11.7 billion
Sprint Nextel         	52.8 million 	    -1 million 	  	2.45% 	                                $56 	    $11.50 	$8 billion
T-Mobile USA 	       30.8 million 	      981,000 	        2.60% 	        1.70% 	        $51 	      $8.50 	$5.19 billion
Alltel Corp. 	               13.2 million 	      385,000 	        1.83% 	        1.34% 	        $53.64 	      $7.50 	$2.3 billion
U.S. Cellular 	         6.2 million 	        80,000 	  	1.40% 	                                $52.06 	                        $962.1 million
MetroPCS 	                 4.4 million 	      452,000 	        4.00% 	                                $42.22 	  	                $662 million
Leap Wireless 	        3.09 million 	      230,000 	        3.60% 	                                $44.98 	  	                $468.4 million
Centennial** 	              662,700 	        12,600 	        2.00% 	                                $70 	      $5.45 	$137.8 million
Rural Cellular 	              790,431 	            -274 	  	1.80% 	                                $77 	  	                $167.2 million

 

It's amazing how difficult it is to find subscriber numbers for a lot of the smaller carriers. These are the only other ones that I could find:

Code:

Cellular South                                       700,000
Cincinati Bell                                         579,000
SouthernLINC                                       275,000
Alaska Communications Systems   144,000
Bluegrass Cellular                               130,000
Plateau Wireless                                    63,000

 

I wouldn't be surprised to see Centennial the next carrier to be bought out by AT&T. It's a logical move. Their coverage fits perfectly into AT&T's here in Michigan. I also could see Verizon (after the RCC and Alltel buyouts) taking out some other CDMA carriers around here, like Thumb Cellular, Cellcom, Illinois Valley, etc, etc.

 

A Centennial purchase would also bring cellular coverage to AT&T Mobility for parts of Lousianna and Missisippi.

COtech

 

Wirelessly posted (Samsung SCH-U900 FlipShot: SCH-U900/1.0 NetFront/3.0.22.2.9 (GUI) MMP/2.0)

Who the heck cares about the little small bite carriers?

 

people that live in areas where only small carriers cover...and yes there are many areas like this still.