Latest news with #postpaid
Phone Arena
14 hours ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
Verizon agrees to change ad after T-Mobile complains to the NAD
The wireless business in the U.S. is so competitive that if you try to sneak something into an advertisement that might not be 100% verifiable, one of your rivals will swiftly take matters up with the National Advertising Division (NAD) industry watchdog. The NAD's job is to ensure that national ads are truthful and accurate. Recently T-Mobile spilled the beans on Verizon over the latter's ads mentioning its satellite texting service and the size of its network. The NAD decided that some of Verizon 's claims were supported but also recommended that the rest of the ad be made clearer so consumers can understand what Verizon is trying to say. For example, the NAD says that Verizon 's "conquering dead zones with satellite" isn't misleading but the carrier should have pointed out that the feature works only on select new phone models and under certain conditions. T-Mobile also took umbrage with Verizon calling itself "America's largest network." That claim is legit if Verizon is talking about the number of postpaid subscribers. However, T-Mobile fears that some viewing the ad might think that it refers to the geographic reach of Verizon 's network or its coverage area. The NAD recommended that Verizon clarify what it means by "largest." In a press release, the NAD wrote that Verizon 's use of the phrase "largest network" was ambiguous as it portrayed different things to different consumers. The NAD also said that it might not be clear to viewers of the ad that the term "postpaid phone connections" refers to Verizon subscribers. Last year T-Mobile ignored the infamous "snitches get stitches" saying and complained to the NAD about claims made by Verizon in commercials promoting the latter's satellite texting service. The NAD last year asked Verizon to discontinue or modify its ads related to its satellite texting service due to the complaint filed by T-Mobile . Verizon says that it will comply with the new recommendations made by the NAD which is a typical response from a company accused of misleading the public with its television spots. While the NAD does not have the legal heft to impose fines or get companies to change their ads, most firms will listen to its recommendations due to the fear that the case could be referred to the FCC. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Android Authority
23-05-2025
- Business
- Android Authority
Here's why I no longer recommend postpaid phone service in US
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Last summer, I wrote about how I feel that for many, prepaid is a better choice over postpaid, at least once you get past some of the biggest prepaid myths many average users still believe are true in the US. To be fair, at the time, I did admit there were still several reasons to consider signing up for postpaid over prepaid, including better options for device protection, payment plans, and more. A year later, I've changed my mind, and I can no longer in good conscience recommend postpaid for new users. The main reason for my change in tune is that several big prepaid carriers have risen up and shrunk the gap between prepaid and postpaid. Meanwhile, the big postpaid carriers have made a few pretty big changes over the last year or so that have further diminished their value. Is postpaid service still worth it over prepaid? 0 votes Yes, I still prefer postpaid NaN % No, but the convenience keeps me here NaN % No, I'm ready to switch NaN % I'm already on prepaid! NaN % Continued fees, price increases, and shaky promises Over the last several years, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have increased prices across the board. They've raised costs on legacy plans, inflated recovery fees, and in some cases, even reduced the autopay discounts. While some of these changes date back to around 2016–2018, the trend has only accelerated in the past year. And these aren't the only negative shifts: Verizon and AT&T have scaled back their streaming perks, though Verizon still offers some discounted partner bundles. All three have made cuts to customer support. T-Mobile has been especially aggressive — requiring customers to use their own devices in-store to manage plans, buy phones, and more. T-Mobile Tuesdays has lost much of its charm, and their price guarantee is now little more than a marketing ploy. AT&T and Verizon have moved to three-year financing terms to lock customers in longer. T-Mobile remains on two-year terms, for now. Postpaid has been slowly declining in overall value for about a decade. Meanwhile, prepaid has gone in the opposite direction. Prepaid has nearly closed the gap in many ways In the early days, the US prepaid market mostly served teens and those with poor credit or limited financial means. Over the last ten years — and especially since the pandemic — prepaid has grown up. Today, we're seeing prepaid services that can match or even exceed postpaid offerings in some areas. And while not all prepaid plans are created equal, several premium options now provide flagship devices, unlimited data, in-store support, insurance, and more. Let's take a look at the best prepaid carriers that give the big three postpaid providers a serious run for their money. Keep in mind, the focus here is on unlimited plans. Google Fi Wireless Joe Maring / Android Authority Once a standout for its flexible pricing and travel perks, Google Fi stalled for a bit, but its latest refresh puts it back on top for those who want a near-postpaid experience on T-Mobile's network. Pricing : $35-$65 per month, or as low as $23-$40 per line for four or more. : $35-$65 per month, or as low as $23-$40 per line for four or more. Data priority : Same priority as T-Mobile Experience plans. : Same priority as T-Mobile Experience plans. Unlimited cap : 30-100GB of high-speed data, 256Kbps after. : 30-100GB of high-speed data, 256Kbps after. Physical support stores : None. : None. Phone selection and promos : No iPhones, but excellent deals on flagship and mid-range Pixel and Galaxy devices that are hard to beat. : No iPhones, but excellent deals on flagship and mid-range Pixel and Galaxy devices that are hard to beat. Customer service : Marginally slower or less responsive customer service compared to postpaid. : Marginally slower or less responsive customer service compared to postpaid. Device payment plans and insurance : Google Fi Wireless has no insurance options, but there are payment plans. : Google Fi Wireless has no insurance options, but there are payment plans. How it stands out: Google Fi is best known for its outstanding international data plans, which at the highest-end outperform all postpaid alternatives while costing less. Metro by T-Mobile Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Metro offers a similar experience to its parent company, with perks like T-Mobile Tuesdays and a price lock, but at lower network priority and with more of a budget slant. Pricing : $40-$60 per month, or as low as $25-$35 per line for four. : $40-$60 per month, or as low as $25-$35 per line for four. Data priority : Lower priority data than all postpaid T-Mobile plans. : Lower priority data than all postpaid T-Mobile plans. Unlimited cap : 35GB full speed, then unlimited deprioritized data : 35GB full speed, then unlimited deprioritized data Physical support stores : Over 6,000 locations. : Over 6,000 locations. Phone selection and promos : Free or cheap phone promos on popular budget or older flagship devices. : Free or cheap phone promos on popular budget or older flagship devices. Customer service : Should be similar to T-Mobile and other postpaid providers. : Should be similar to T-Mobile and other postpaid providers. Device payment plans and insurance : Metro offers both payment plans and insurance options. : Metro offers both payment plans and insurance options. How it stands out: Metro is basically the closest thing to T-Mobile's postpaid service in terms of user experience, despite lower network prioritization. Cricket (AT&T) Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Cricket is more than just a budget brand — it arguably beats AT&T in perks, thanks to free Max streaming on premium plans. It also had decent upgrade plans, in-store support, and more. Pricing : $55-$60 per month, or as low as $25-$32 per line for five. : $55-$60 per month, or as low as $25-$32 per line for five. Data priority : The Highest unlimited plan offers the same priority as mid-range or higher AT&T postpaid plans, while the cheaper plan has lower priority, like AT&T's entry-level plans. : The Highest unlimited plan offers the same priority as mid-range or higher AT&T postpaid plans, while the cheaper plan has lower priority, like AT&T's entry-level plans. Unlimited cap : Truly unlimited, though it may see lower priority in times of congestion. : Truly unlimited, though it may see lower priority in times of congestion. Physical support stores : Over 4,000 locations. : Over 4,000 locations. Phone selection and promos : Free phone upgrades are typically mid-range or lower, but there are some higher-end promos where you'll pay notably less than standard retail, such as the Moto Razr 2024 for just $99. : Free phone upgrades are typically mid-range or lower, but there are some higher-end promos where you'll pay notably less than standard retail, such as the Moto Razr 2024 for just $99. Customer service : Very similar to AT&T and other postpaid providers. : Very similar to AT&T and other postpaid providers. Device payment plans and insurance : Cricket offers both payment plans and insurance options. : Cricket offers both payment plans and insurance options. How it stands out: You'll get a similar experience to AT&T for less, while also getting extras you wouldn't find on AT&T postpaid, like Max streaming on the high-end plan. Total Wireless (Verizon) Total has evolved into Verizon's answer to Cricket and Metro, offering solid family pricing and optional perks, but with less storefront presence. Pricing : $40-$60 per month, or as low as $23-$27 per line for five. : $40-$60 per month, or as low as $23-$27 per line for five. Data priority : base plan has Verizon's lowest priority data, while Total plans have unlimited higher priority data that matches mid-range or higher Verizon postpaid plans. : base plan has Verizon's lowest priority data, while Total plans have unlimited higher priority data that matches mid-range or higher Verizon postpaid plans. Unlimited cap : Truly unlimited, though it may see lower priority in times of congestion. : Truly unlimited, though it may see lower priority in times of congestion. Physical support stores : Over 800 locations. : Over 800 locations. Phone selection and promos : Free or cheap phone promos on popular budget or older flagship devices. : Free or cheap phone promos on popular budget or older flagship devices. Customer service : Considered a bit lower than Verizon proper, though it's probably the closest thing to Verizon postpaid. : Considered a bit lower than Verizon proper, though it's probably the closest thing to Verizon postpaid. Device payment plans and insurance : Total doesn't offer payment plans, but it does have optional insurance. : Total doesn't offer payment plans, but it does have optional insurance. How it stands out: Total is best for families as the discounts are substantial. It also offers Disney Plus Premium with select plans, so that's a nice extra too. Visible (Verizon) Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority Visible trades frills for simplicity. It's online-only, no stores, but it gives you a surprisingly premium network experience at a low price. Pricing : $25-$45 per month. : $25-$45 per month. Data priority : base plan has Verizon's lowest priority data, while the rest have Verizon's highest priority. : base plan has Verizon's lowest priority data, while the rest have Verizon's highest priority. Unlimited cap : Truly unlimited. : Truly unlimited. Physical support stores : None. : None. Phone selection and promos : Free and discounted pricing on many mid-range plans. : Free and discounted pricing on many mid-range plans. Customer service : Visible only offers online-based customer service. : Visible only offers online-based customer service. Device payment plans and insurance : Visible offers both device financing and insurance options. : Visible offers both device financing and insurance options. How it stands out: Google Fi is best known for its outstanding international data plans, which at the highest-end outperform all postpaid alternatives while costing less. Prepaid has a lot to offer, including big savings In 2025, the differences between prepaid and postpaid aren't as large as you might think. Premium prepaid carriers now offer device financing, insurance, in-store support, unlimited data, streaming perks, and more. Even phone deals aren't exclusive to postpaid anymore. Google Fi often gives away phones like the Pixel 9a via 24 monthly credits. Total Wireless has also offered high-end devices like the Motorola Razr for free with only a three-month commitment. What are you really missing when you switch to prepaid in 2025? Ryan Haines / Android Authority As much as prepaid has improved, there are still trade-offs. Especially on the lower end, prepaid plans can't match everything postpaid offers. Here's where postpaid still has the edge: Device financing is often simpler . You'll typically find a wider range of devices, there's no use of a third-party like Affirm. You'll also find more trade-in offers in the postpaid world, though there are a few prepaid exceptions. . You'll typically find a wider range of devices, there's no use of a third-party like Affirm. You'll also find more trade-in offers in the postpaid world, though there are a few prepaid exceptions. Promo and credits are going to be better . Not only are there more trade-in options, but you'll find more free phone offers and other special promos on postpaid. . Not only are there more trade-in options, but you'll find more free phone offers and other special promos on postpaid. No Upgrade Early or similar features . While some high-end postpaid plans let you upgrade your phone early by trading it in for a new one, you won't find any programs that quite match this in the prepaid world. . While some high-end postpaid plans let you upgrade your phone early by trading it in for a new one, you won't find any programs that quite match this in the prepaid world. Network speed is better on postpaid, typically . There are now prepaid carriers that offer the same high priority level as postpaid, but the truth is that there are other network management factors beyond just QCI at play. Even these higher-priority prepaid plans will be slightly lower than mid-range or higher postpaid plans. . There are now prepaid carriers that offer the same high priority level as postpaid, but the truth is that there are other network management factors beyond just QCI at play. Even these higher-priority prepaid plans will be slightly lower than mid-range or higher postpaid plans. Domestic roaming is often better on postpaid . Although there are international options that rival or exceed postpaid, you'll often find that postpaid has better roaming agreements within the US. This isn't always true, though. . Although there are international options that rival or exceed postpaid, you'll often find that postpaid has better roaming agreements within the US. This isn't always true, though. Customer service is allegedly better. Let's be honest, in-store customer service and even online and phone-based options have gone downhill across the board. While postpaid might still have the edge here, it's a marginal one at best. There are likely a few other things, but those are the biggest advantages. The thing, though, is that there are workarounds for almost all these things: Financing may require using a third-party service like Affirm, and insurance might not be bundled, but they're still available. While promos are less frequent, you can still score great deals with the right timing or carrier. Early upgrades aren't built in, but prepaid savings often free up cash, and you can also resell and upgrade your phone manually. There's not as much you can do about the rest, but also keep in mind the gap here isn't that big either. Sure, Visible Plus or US Mobile might see slightly lower speeds and performance than mid-range or higher postpaid, even if they have the same higher priority data, but honestly, the difference is small enough you wouldn't notice it outside a speed test. Domestic roaming might not be as good, but you should do your homework as you'll likely find a prepaid carrier that covers you in most of the same locations, even if not quite as well. Some carriers like Google Fi do have limited roaming agreements with Verizon and others in select areas, even if these aren't well-advertised. There are also smaller roaming partners that can help with some of the rural gaps, too. Ultimately, postpaid is more convenient by a wide margin, while prepaid requires you to get a little creative or go through a few more steps to reap the rewards of major savings. Postpaid vs prepaid: Which should you choose? Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority If you care about convenience enough to pay through the nose for it, postpaid is still the better choice. You're not going to find a 1:1 match in the prepaid world. Still, for most people, prepaid is more than 'good enough' —it's the smarter choice. The experience has improved so much that switching now feels like a logical step for most users outside of niche use cases, such as corporate accounts. Of course, legacy customers are an important exception. If you grandfathered into a decent postpaid plan and are still happy with it despite recent legacy plan price increases, there's no real reason to consider switching to prepaid. You'll likely still save money, but the gap between the service provided will be larger with many of these older plans.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS (IST:TCELL) Q1 2025 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Revenue ...
Revenue: TRY48 billion, 12.7% year-on-year growth. EBITDA: TRY21 billion, 19% year-on-year increase, with a margin of 43.7%. Net Profit: TRY3.1 billion. Postpaid Subscribers: Increased by 153,000 quarter-on-quarter, 1.6 million year-on-year. Mobile Churn Rate: 1.7%. ARPU Growth: 15.9% this quarter. Fiber Customers: Added 30,000 net fiber customers. Residential Fiber ARPU: 17.7% year-on-year growth. Digital Business Services Revenue: TRY4 billion, 23% year-on-year increase. Data Center and Cloud Revenue: 48% growth this quarter. Techfin Segment Revenue: TRY667 million, driven by Paycell's 47.8% year-on-year growth. CapEx to Sales Ratio: 20.2% in Q1 2025. Total Cash Position: Increased to TRY108 billion. Gross Debt: Increased to TRY151 billion. Net Debt: TRY17 billion, with a 0.2 times leverage ratio. FX Debt and Assets: USD3.4 billion FX debt and USD3.5 billion FX denominated financial assets. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 8 Warning Signs with IST:TCELL. Release Date: May 09, 2025 For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. Turkcell Iletisim Hizmetleri AS (IST:TCELL) achieved a 12.7% year-on-year growth in top-line revenue, reaching TRY48 billion. The company reported an EBITDA of TRY21 billion, marking a 19% increase year-on-year, with a robust margin of 43.7%, the highest first-quarter margin in the last decade. Turkcell gained 153,000 postpaid and 30,000 fiber customers in the first quarter, demonstrating the success of its value-focused strategy. The Techfin segment revenues surged by 31%, and data center and cloud revenues grew by 48%, reflecting strong momentum in strategic areas. Turkcell's cash position increased to TRY108 billion, supporting debt service for the upcoming three-year period, and the company maintained a low leverage ratio of 0.2 times. The company faced increased competition in the mobile market, which intensified starting in May 2024 and continued into 2025, impacting subscriber growth. Turkcell experienced a net loss in prepaid subscribers due to reduced usage from tourists and competitive postpaid offers. The fixed broadband segment saw a slight rise in churn due to the transition to 12-month contracts and price adjustments. Despite strong financial performance, the company is cautious about revising its guidance due to significant macroeconomic conditions and uncertainties. Turkcell's deferred tax expense increased due to differences in inflationary accounting principles, impacting the income statement. Q: Can you explain the gap between your price hikes and revenue growth, and provide an update on the 5G process? A: We achieved a 13% revenue growth in Q1, driven by diverse services and a strong subscriber base. Competition intensified, but we focus on ARPU growth rather than just subscriber numbers. Regarding 5G, the spectrum auction is expected this year, with services anticipated in 2026. We are committed to building our 5G infrastructure using local technologies. Q: Given your strong start to the year, do you plan to update your guidance? What was the CPI assumption for your guidance? A: It's too early to revise our guidance due to macroeconomic uncertainties. We are sticking to our initial guidance. Our CPI assumption was 30.5% for year-end, but we have revised it to 35% due to current developments. Q: Could you provide more insight on your subscriber numbers and strategy for postpaid subscribers? A: Our postpaid net additions decreased due to aggressive competitor campaigns. We focus on postpaid growth and profitability. In the fixed segment, we added 30,000 fiber subscribers, but experienced some churn due to price adjustments and contract changes. Q: What are your data center CapEx plans and overall ambitions in this area? A: We are committed to increasing investments in data centers and cloud services. The data center market is dynamic, and we anticipate significant growth driven by AI and hyperscaler investments. We aim to make Turkey a regional data center hub. Q: Can you explain the increase in deferred tax expense and its future impact? A: The increase in deferred tax expense is due to differences in inflationary accounting principles. We don't expect significant tax effects in future quarters, but it depends on these differences. Q: How do you manage currency volatility and what are your growth prospects? A: We have a strong balance sheet and manage FX risk effectively. Our net FX position is TRY76 million, and we use hedging instruments prudently. We are focused on strategic investments in fiber and data centers, expecting higher growth rates in the future. For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
