NEW YORK-Verizon Communications and SBC Communications Inc. held onto their respective first- and second-place rankings for profitability for 2000, according to research from Standard & Poor’s.
Deutsche Telekom-which was not listed on RCR Wireless News’ stock chart in 2000 and therefore not among the major players-pulled into third place as a net income leader, displacing WorldCom Inc., which dropped a notch to fourth. British Telecommunications plc, which ranked fourth last year in this category, moved down into fifth place.
DT also took the No. 1 spot in terms of profit growth, while Alltel Corp. and China Unicom Ltd. retained their respective rankings of second and third, according to this benchmark.
Information about year-to-year percentage changes in profitability were unavailable from many of the major players in this year’s rankings, including AT&T Wireless Group, which ranked first last year.
There was a marked increase in losses for several of the largest wireless carriers, of which tigent Inc. in the prior year’s rankings.
Teligent Inc. ranked 44th among net income leaders last year and 37th among revenue leaders in last year’s standings. The fixed-wireless carrier did not place in any category of this year’s rankings, which comprise a total of 33 telecommunications service providers. Teligent is currently restructuring under Chapter 11 bankruptcy law.
TeleCorp PCS Inc. retained third place in terms of revenue growth, while Triton PCS Holdings Inc. moved up two rungs on the ladder into fourth place.
