T-Mobile US added a net total of more than 1 million customers for the second quarter in a row, including 672,000 for its T-Mobile and MetroPCs brands. The earnings report this morning is the latest sign of growth for the company as T-Mobile attempts to upend the wireless business with a series of initiatives that challenge longstanding industry approaches.
The additions bring the Bellevue-based company to more than 45 million subscribers overall – still No. 4 in the U.S. behind Sprint, AT&T and Verizon, but growing faster than those larger competitors.
T-Mobile’s revenues were $6.69 billion, with a net loss of $36 million, compared with a net loss of more than $7.7 billion in the same quarter a year ago. The company said it sold 5.6 million smartphones, up from 4.3 million in the second quarter of this year, attributing the increase in part to the launch of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C.
In a statement CEO John Legere attributed the growth to the company “fixing the things that drive customers crazy.”
T-Mobile most recently introduced international data roaming at no extra charge, and free data up to 200/MB a month for the iPad Air and other tablets. Previous initiatives include the unbundling of device and wireless charges, so that customers can pay off the price of the phone over time. The company also rolled out a program called JUMP! (Just Upgrade My Phone) that allows customers to upgrade their phones twice a year with a $10/month subscription fee.
