BEDMINSTER, N.J.-Verizon Communications Inc. said its wireless division added more customers during the recently completed fourth quarter than the 803,000 net customer additions reported for the third quarter of last year and that it did not see any weakening in customer demand for its service.
“We had a very good quarter in the third quarter,” said Larry Babbio, vice chairman at Verizon, during a Salomon Smith Barney conference this week. “We did not see any slowdown in the fourth quarter. So our fourth quarter should come in better than our third quarter when we take a look at net adds.”
Analysts have said they expect both Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile USA Inc. to lead the industry in customer additions for the fourth quarter, that Nextel Communications Inc. and AT&T Wireless Services Inc. will meet expectations and that Sprint PCS and Cingular Wireless L.L.C. would report disappointing results.
“Any indication you might have gotten of softness from other players in the industry, my sense is that it’s unique to them or it’s a result of a relationship they may have had with one of the other carriers,” Babbio noted.
