Dobson Communications Corp. said it lost approximately 5,400 total subscribers during the first quarter of this year compared with 13,500 net customer additions during the first quarter of 2003. The carrier noted the customer loss was due to lower gross customer additions during the quarter, which fell from 75,000 last year to 68,700 this year and a slight year-over-year increase in customer churn from 1.8 percent to 1.9 percent.
Dobson did add approximately 20,500 customers during the quarter through the acquisition of the Michigan Rural Service Area 5 from Cingular Wireless L.L.C. and finished the quarter with more than 1.5 million total subscribers.
The carrier also reported that it has completed its GSM technology overlay plans in all of its cell sites in the continental United States, as well as adding 30 new GSM cell sites. It expects to overlay its Alaska markets during the second quarter and upgrade all its network with EDGE software by the end of July.
Dobson added that it was selling only TDMA handsets in the majority of its markets during the first quarter, and it started selling GSM handsets in select markets last month with plans to launch GSM/GPRS sales in all of its markets this summer.
