Overview:

• In a series of decisive moves to reverse its subscriber loses in the past few quarters, Verizon has abandoned the “profit over volume” strategy, sacrificing near-term ARPA growth to prioritize customer net additions.
• Verizon led the ‘Big 3’ carriers with a 16% YoY growth in no-trade discount amounts and showed the largest decline in trade-required discount amounts, falling 27% YoY.
• By heavily subsidizing smartphones and reducing plan prices, Verizon is betting that the lock-in effect of strong promotions for both single and multi-line accounts will outweigh the initial profit loss and stabilize its churning base.
• This pivot could reignite a subsidy war among the Big 3 in 2026, though relying on new line offers or those with no strings attached carries some risk of attracting customers with lower credit, which comes with its own set of potential problems.

Published Date: December 2025