AT&T's U-verse gains subs; Verizon's FiOS adds more

AT&T signed up 38,000 new U-verse customers in the second quarter of this year--a rate of nearly 3,000 a week--for a total of 51,000. Verizon netted 167,000 new subs for FiOS TV--nearly 14,000 a week--for a total 515,000. 

Both big Bells laid out the TV numbers in their second quarter earnings reports last week. AT&T made $2.9 billion on revenues of $29.5 billion, up from $1.8 billion on $15.8 billion a year ago. Verizon made $1.7 billion on revenues of $23.3 billion, compared to $1.6 billion earned on $21.8 billion a year ago.

The companies are nearly neck and neck on cell phone subscribers, with AT&T at 63.7 million and Verizon Wireless at 62.1 million. Wireline generates the biggest single chunk of revenue for both companies, but the segment has been in decline for some time. With wireless competition poised for unprecedented growth when the 700 MHz spectrum becomes available, television represents the future of phone companies.

For more:
- AT&T's 2Q release is here
- Verizon's 2Q is here
- Yardley, Pa.-based Gartner Research Director Patti Reali's blog is here
- PC World presents a hands-on comparison of the two telco TV services in this article