Verizon Ends Q1 Postpaid Drought

Verizon just posted its first positive first-quarter postpaid phone customer gain since 2013, flipping a 289,000 loss last year into a 55,000 gain and raising its full-year guidance. But the momentum comes with a catch—service revenue growth fell short of targets, and average revenue per account dipped, partly blamed on credits issued after January’s major wireless outage. The big question: can Verizon keep adding customers without sacrificing profit, or is it just buying growth at lower margins?

Here’s the twist. While business lines drove the gains, consumer postpaid phones still lost 35,000 customers. Verizon is betting its “no more free lines” strategy—focusing on higher-value, multi-line accounts and cross-selling broadband—will pay off. Only one in five wireless customers also takes broadband, but those who do churn less and spend more, making convergence the next battleground. Meanwhile, new value bundles and cheaper home internet options could help fend off cable and AT&T, but risk cannibalizing premium revenues if not managed carefully.

Featuring insights from CEO Dan Schulman and deep analysis from Morningstar and New Street, this episode breaks down whether Verizon’s growth is real or just a well-packaged pivot—and what happens next if wireless revenue doesn’t bounce back.

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