• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026

1

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’

2

The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families

3

Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
TechPointCloud

All That Unlimited Mobile Data Is Eating Into Wireless Profits

By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Aaron Pressman
Aaron Pressman
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 4, 2017, 10:17 AM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Competition among the major wireless carriers remains intense, which is great for customers but might be less great for stock investors.

Wireless customers have gotten numerous opportunities to lower their bills over the past few months. During the first quarter, T-Mobile eliminated added fees and taxes from its unlimited data plans, and Sprint slashed the price of its unlimited plan to just $90 for up to five lines. Meanwhile, Verizon finally caved from the pressure and debuted its own unlimited plan, while AT&T cut the price of its unlimited plan and opened it to all customers—not just its paid TV subscribers.

All of those opportunities will promote “customer rightsizing,” which is Wall Street-speak for signing up for plans that cost less per month. That’s along with a big decline in overage revenue, the dreaded fees that the carriers collect when a customer goes over their monthly data allowance, notes Mike McCormack, an analyst at Jefferies.

“It should come as no surprise that wireless remains fiercely competitive,” McCormack wrote in a report this week cutting his 2017 profit estimates for AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile simultaneously.

All of the carriers have turned to unlimited data plans to try to attract more customers as overall growth in the U.S. market slows to a crawl. AT&T and Verizon also have been making acquisitions to diversify more into video and advertising markets, while Sprint and T-Mobile have led the charge on cutting prices to keep sales growing. But all of the various tactics are starting to hit bottom line profitability, it now appears.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

And that’s bad news for investors. Shares of Verizon, which report first quarter results on April 20, have lost 8% so far this year compared to the 5% gain in the S&P 500 Index. A big part of that loss followed the carrier’s January 24 report on fourth quarter results, when Verizon conceded that competitive pressure would prevent any revenue growth this year.

In his new report, McCormack said competition would also hurt profits and Verizon (VZ) would earn $3.85 per share, a penny less than it made last year and down from the analyst’s earlier estimate of $3.92.

AT&T, which will report its first quarter results on April 25, has seen its shares fall 2%. While it works to secure its acquisition of entertainment giant Time Warner (TWX), which has yet to be approved by regulators, AT&T (T) will also feel the competitive pressure in wireless, McCormack wrote. He cut his adjusted profit estimate for 2017 to $2.90 per share, down from his prior estimate of $2.95 though still representing a modest 2% gain from last year.

Shares of Sprint, the smallest of the big four, have gained 3% in 2017. While concerns about deep price cutting have worried some investors, the stock price has been buoyed by merger speculation under the new Trump administration. Sprint (S) will lose an adjusted 17 cents a share this year, worse than McCormack’s prior estimate of an 11 cent loss but still an improvement in 2016’s 27 cents per share of red ink.

T-Mobile (TMUS) had done the best in the wireless market over the last few years, and its stock price is the only one of the four to beat the S&P 500, with an 11% rise so far this year.

But even T-Mobile will take a hit, according to McCormack. He cut his estimate to $1.20 per share from $1.44. Both are less than the $1.72 the carrier earned last year.

About the Author
By Aaron Pressman
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

The week that changed AI: Inside Trump’s Anthropic crackdown, and how a phone call from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy triggered the chaos
AIAnthropic
The week that changed AI: Inside Trump’s Anthropic crackdown, and how a phone call from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy triggered the chaos
By Sebastian Herrera and Beatrice NolanJune 18, 2026
5 hours ago
Half of U.S. adults under 50 get health information from influencers who mostly aren’t medical professionals, Pew finds
HealthSocial Media
Half of U.S. adults under 50 get health information from influencers who mostly aren’t medical professionals, Pew finds
By Mia OsmonbekovJune 18, 2026
7 hours ago
LaShonda Anderson-Williams, chief customer and commercial officer at Salesforce, speaking at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo: Stuart Isett/Fortune)
Future of WorkBrainstorm Tech
How to run a company when the AI agents vastly outnumber the humans
By Alexei OreskovicJune 18, 2026
9 hours ago
LinkedIn research says half of C-suite leaders are flying blind on AI—and its CBO says they can’t fix it the way they’re trying
Future of WorkLeadership
LinkedIn research says half of C-suite leaders are flying blind on AI—and its CBO says they can’t fix it the way they’re trying
By Nick LichtenbergJune 18, 2026
9 hours ago
Sanders stands at a podium with a poster that reads "fight oligarchy"
PoliticsBernie Sanders
‘Make AI work for ordinary people’: Bernie Sanders wants to pay you $1,000 every year from a government stake in AI companies 
By Jacqueline MunisJune 18, 2026
11 hours ago
Exclusive: Son of pro-crypto New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raises $30 million to launch a derivatives exchange
CryptoPolitics
Exclusive: Son of pro-crypto New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand raises $30 million to launch a derivatives exchange
By Ben WeissJune 18, 2026
12 hours ago

Most Popular

Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
Success
Anne Hathaway says she was spammed with ChatGPT-written thank you notes after hiring for a recent role: ‘Nobody on that list gets that job’
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 18, 2026
22 hours ago
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
Economy
The affordability crisis is so bad that, for the first time ever, both mom and dad are working full-time in most American families
By Jacqueline MunisJune 17, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 18, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 18, 2026
16 hours ago
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
Big Tech
Hundreds of Stanford students walked out of their grad ceremony to protest Google CEO’s commencement speech. It wasn’t all about AI
By Tristan BoveJune 15, 2026
4 days ago
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
Success
Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer publicly dismissed Chrome as a 'rounding error'—but Google’s CEO says he used the jab as fuel to win the browser-wars
By Preston ForeJune 17, 2026
2 days ago
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
Success
'Work hard, stay loyal, and the system will reward you': the Boomer credo is a Gen X betrayal and a Millennial pipe dream
By Nick LichtenbergJune 16, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.