sprint-logoT-Mobile isn’t the only carrier adding customers. Surprisingly, Sprint too just laid down positive results, adding 58,000 new subscribers during the fourth quarter. Analysts had expected a loss of about 83,000 subscribers, according to Reuters.

In total, the company, which sold an 80 percent stake to Softbank last year, had 53.9 million platform subscribers, its highest total ever.

In a press release, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse said that the company is “building a foundation for future success.” The company is still losing tons of money, and it is not adding new customers at the pace of other rivals. It posted a $1 billion net loss during the quarter. That was down from $1.3 billion during the same period in 2012. Its operating loss was $576 million for the quarter, which was a 22 percent improvement.

Revenue of $9.1 billion for the quarter exceeded Wall Street estimates.

Sprint, which last year acquired Bellevue-based Clearwire after a long bidding war with Dish Network, has been discussed as a potential bidder for T-Mobile. But reports yesterday indicated that Sprint — the third largest carrier in the U.S. — might not go after T-Mobile because of regulatory pressures. (You may recall that regulatory pressures also killed AT&T’s $39 billion bid for T-Mobile in 2011).

“I believe that further consolidation in the U.S. wireless industry outside of the big two, AT&T and Verizon because they’re so large, would be healthy for the competitive dynamic of the industry, would be better for the country and better for consumers,” Hesse said in a conference call.

Shares of Sprint are up more than 42 percent in the past year. The company said it expects earnings earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of between $6.5 billion and $6.7 billion in 2014, and total capital expenditures of $8 billion.

T-Mobile plans to post its quarterly results on Feb. 25th. In a press release touting preliminary results last month, T-Mobile said it expects total net customer additions of 1.6 million in the quarter, which compares to a loss of 32,000 customers in the fourth quarter of 2012. It also expects prepaid net customers additions of 112,000, outpacing the additions at Sprint by almost two to one.

“Our Un-carrier moves have clearly upended this industry,” said T-Mobile CEO John Legere in a press release last month.

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