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T-Mobile’s 3Q26 Earnings: Revenue per Account Drives Growth as Churn Increases and SpaceX Moves to Buy Spectrum T-Mobile Sold

Jason Leigh — Sun, 15 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

T-Mobile reported 3Q26 results on October 28, 2026, with total revenue growing 7% YoY to $23.6 billion. Service revenue was up 6%, buoyed by a 9% YoY gain in postpaid service revenue, which reached $16.3 billion in the quarter.

Postpaid accounts reached 35.0 million, up 3% YoY. Net account additions fell 31% from 396,000 in 3Q25 and slipped from 277,000 in 2Q26, against a guide of approximately 250,000. Postpaid account churn was 1.09%, up 10 bps QoQ. T-Mobile attributed the lower net additions to higher deactivations from broadband-only accounts, the temporary effect of its rate plan modernization, and a larger account base. It attributed higher churn to broadband-only accounts and the rate plan modernization.

In 3Q26, postpaid ARPA grew 1.8% QoQ and 4.2% YoY to $155.73. Through the first nine months of the year, postpaid ARPA is $153.53, up 3.4% YoY.

Net income grew 27% to $3.5 billion, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) grew 34% to $3.22. Core Adjusted EBITDA grew 11% YoY to $9.6 billion.

On the call, CFO Peter Osvaldik guided full-year service revenue of approximately $76.8 billion, slightly below the approximately $77 billion guided in July. 4Q26 organic postpaid service revenue growth is expected to be approximately 7%.

He guided to full-year postpaid ARPA growth of approximately 3.5%, up from 2.5% to 3%, and 4Q26 organic postpaid service revenue growth of approximately 7%. New guidance calls for approximately 1.0 million postpaid net account additions, the midpoint of the prior range of 950,000 to 1.05 million. Other guidance updates include:

-Core Adjusted EBITDA is now $37.35 billion to $37.45 billion, from $37.1 billion to $37.5 billion.

-Net cash provided by operating activities is $28.7 billion to $28.8 billion, from $28.4 billion to $28.8 billion.

-Adjusted Free Cash Flow is $18.7 billion to $18.8 billion, from $18.4 billion to $18.8 billion.

-Capital expenditures remain about $10.0 billion, and the effective tax rate is now 24% to 25%, from 25% to 26%.

On the operations front, T-Mobile announced that its sale of its 800 MHz spectrum licenses to Grain Management for $2.9 billion in cash and 600 MHz licenses valued at $690 million closed on August 10. Less than two months later, Grain agreed to sell the 800 MHz licenses to SpaceX, subject to regulatory approval. T-Mobile is entitled to 50% of the proceeds above Grain’s invested capital, certain expenses, and a specified return. The company also announced the close of its JV acquisition of fiber provider i3 on October 1^st.

In addition, on September 14^th, T-Mobile joined AT&T and Verizon in agreeing to form a joint venture (JV) targeted at eliminating wireless dead zones through pooled spectrum and satellite direct-to-device technology.

On the call, management said T-Mobile is building the first instances of Kinetic Edge, an edge infrastructure for physical AI, with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Management cited fiber penetration of about 20% after 12 months. It also cited targets of 15 million 5G broadband customers by the end of the decade and 3 million to 4 million fiber customers by 2030.

Finally, the call also highlighted the previously announced CFO transition with Osvaldik set to retire from his CFO role in February 2027 and will serve as a strategic advisor until July 2027. Jessica Uhl, who previously served as CFO of Shell, will take over the CFO reins as of February 2027. Both were joined on the call by Chief Enterprise Officer Chris Sambar, formerly of AT&T.

The iPhone Duo: Reshaping the Foldable Market and Strategic Priorities for Apple and Leading Vendors

Nabila Popal, Francisco Jeronimo, Ramon T. Llamas — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Perspective discusses Apple's first foldable iPhone, the iPhone Duo, which was released in stores on October 23, 2026, at $1,999, with preorders starting October 16. The Duo quickly saw demand outstripping supply worldwide. This document quantifies the Duo's effect on the worldwide foldable smartphone market, on Apple's own device revenue, and on the competitive order among foldable vendors; explains why ecosystem loyalty and tight hardware-software integration, not specifications, are driving demand; and compares the Duo's price and share position against Samsung, Huawei, Google, and Motorola across major foldable markets. IDC estimates the Duo will account for a small share of Apple's unit volume but an outsized and growing share of Apple's device revenue growth through 2030 while pushing the worldwide foldable category that was losing momentum back into double-digit growth.

"Apple's Duo will stay a niche, ultra-premium device yet drive the majority of iPhone revenue growth through 2030. In addition to igniting growth in a stagnating category, Apple is on a trajectory to become the number 1 foldable player in shipment share and to contribute over half of the category's value by the end of 2027, outpacing every Android and HarmonyOS vendor combined. This level of disruption is unprecedented for any one model launch since the first iPhone," said Nabila Popal, senior director, Worldwide Consumer Devices, IDC.

Verizon completes Thames Freeport multisite private 5G, one of Europe's largest implementations

Alejandro Cadenas — Fri, 13 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

On November 10, Verizon Business and Thames Freeport announced completion of a multisite private 5G platform across five industrial sites in the UK's Thames Freeport corridor, one of Europe's largest private 5G implementations. Tenants include DP World London Gateway and Logistics Park, Ford Dagenham and the Port of Tilbury, each running an independent network core for data sovereignty. Trials of AI-driven use cases such as vehicle damage detection and digital truck processing are under way. IDC believes the deployment makes Verizon's strongest case yet that private 5G can be sold as a managed, multisite service rather than a one-off campus project. The commercial proof still lies ahead: the release does not disclose contract value or application revenue, and all networks rely on a single supplier whose business is being sold. Buyers and rivals should treat Thames as the benchmark to match, and plan for supplier continuity in all upcoming tenders.

IDC MarketScape: Worldwide eSIM Management Platforms 2026 Vendor Assessment

John Gole, Alejandro Cadenas, Jitesh Bhayani, Jason Leigh — Thu, 12 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC MarketScape evaluates vendors providing eSIM management platforms to communications SPs worldwide. These platforms help communications SPs manage eSIM provisioning across consumer devices, travel eSIM services, and IoT, going beyond provisioning to deliver the orchestration and digital connectivity enablement, including integration with operators' business systems, that each segment requires. The study analyzes vendors' capabilities, strategies, and positioning, giving communications SPs a structured framework to assess offerings across these layers and segments.

"The eSIM market is entering a critical period of acceleration, with midmarket devices, travel eSIM services, and SGP.32 all raising volumes and expectations at once. Provisioning remains the foundation, but orchestration and digital enablement are where communications SPs will win or lose, and the platforms that prove themselves in production now will define what comes next," said John Gole, Director, IoT and Mobility at IDC.

Max Starlink: Limits to Growth of Starlink Satellite Broadband and Competitive Analysis and Financial Viability

Simon Baker — Tue, 10 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Presentation looks at the prospects for growth of the SpaceX Starlink satellite broadband service. From the perspective of potential technical restraints to growth in terms of spectrum, and then a deployment scenario as the system transitions to larger higher-powered satellite and the Starship Super Heavy Booster launch system, the document outlines a growth perspective for Starlink. It further analyses the financial viability of Starlink based on its satellite broadband revenues, which represent its key service offering.

The competitive advantage of Starlink over its rivals OneWeb and Amazon Leo are presented in terms of system capacity and deployment costs.

The Starlink system is at a relatively early stage of development, and despite the disclosures around the SpaceX IPO in June 2026, there are many questions about its future direction and its internal costs. The approach of this document has been to hypothesize a likely direction and provide a more detailed analysis around this hypothesis.

Salesforce Announces Slack Frontline: Connecting Frontline Workers and Headquarters in One Operating System

Aly Pinder, Wayne Kurtzman, Robert Parker — Sun, 08 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Market Note highlights the recent news of Salesforce's new product, Slack Frontline.

"Frontline and service teams are often an enterprise's most visible link to customers and assets, yet too often they lack real-time insights at the point of service," states Aly Pinder, research vice president, Aftermarket Services Strategies, IDC. "Connecting technicians to knowledge, experts, and agentic guidance gives organizations a better chance to achieve first-visit resolution."

IDC Survey: What Is the Interest in Foldable Smartphones Worldwide?

Ramon T. Llamas — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey examines consumer interest in foldable smartphones and in foldable iPhones, based on an August 2026 online survey of smartphone owners in 16 countries (n = 6,283).

About 4 in 10 respondents say they will buy a foldable when they replace their phone, with intent highest in China (70%) and among hardcore/enthusiast and power users, who account for more than half of those planning to buy.

Among respondents who did not rule out a foldable (n = 4,448), 33% would absolutely consider a foldable iPhone and 41% say it depends on the price, with Apple owners the most receptive (45%). Casual and regular/everyday users are the most price dependent, and Chinese respondents are the most likely to wait for an announcement before deciding (24%). Suppliers can use these findings to plan regional launches and pricing, and to identify which owners of competing brands are open to a foldable iPhone.

IDC’s Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker Taxonomy, 2026

Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC study provides a comprehensive overview of and definitions for the mobile phone market. The definitions provided in this document represent the scope of IDC's mobile phone research. This taxonomy outlines market segmentations and measurement methodologies for the mobile phone industry, including classification by technology, vendor, geography, and revenue metrics.

"IDC's mobile phone taxonomy presents a standardized and detailed framework of the mobile phone market," says Ryan Reith, program vice president for IDC's Mobile Phone, Personal Computing Device, Wearable, and Augmented/Virtual Reality Trackers. "The taxonomy document serves as a guideline for users to better understand and use IDC mobile phone research," he adds.

Orange 3Q26 Results: Orange Delivers Solid Revenue Growth and Raises EBITDAaL Target

Ghassan Abdo, Jan Hein Bakkers — Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

On October 27, 2026, Orange published its financial results for September 30, 2026. In the third quarter, group revenue reached €12,191 million, up 3.6% on a comparable basis, and EBITDAaL (EBITDA after leases) reached €4,140 million, up 4.6%, with a margin of 34.0% (up 0.3 percentage points). After EBITDAaL growth of 4.8% in the first nine months, Orange raised its 2026 growth guidance to more than 4.5% (previously more than 4%). The Middle East and Africa (MEA) remained the primary contributor to group growth (+14.2%), while retail services increased 3.3% and wholesale revenue declined 5.1%. Orange's nonstandard eCAPEX (economic CAPEX) was €1,712 million (-2.5%) and represented 14.8% of revenue over nine months, in line with the target of around 15%.

By segment, the Middle East and Africa generated revenue of €2,401 million (+14.2%) and remained the largest contributor to growth. Europe 6 (Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova) reported revenue of €1,896 million (+5.3%), supported by growth in convergent offers. Spain, which has been fully consolidated since June 2026, generated revenue of €1,910 million (+3.5% on a comparable basis), on the back of strong growth in equipment sales. France reported revenue of €4,363 million (+0.5%), while Orange Business reported revenue of €1,717 million (-2.5%).

During the quarter, MasOrange was renamed Orange España. Orange reiterated that the joint acquisition of SFR with Bouygues Telecom and Free–iliad, announced in a memorandum of understanding signed on June 6, 2026, remains on track to close in the second half of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals and pending rulings in proceedings brought by the Altice France works council. In October 2026, the company signed a letter of intent with Deutsche Telekom, Telefónica, and Vodafone to explore a joint bid for mobile satellite services (MSS) spectrum in Europe. In Poland, its FiberCo with APG completed the acquisition of Nexera, while Totem's tenancy ratio reached its 2026 target of 1.5 tenants per site.

IDC Survey: Canadian Consumer Wireline Services Survey Results, 2026 — Indicators on Internet Services Trends

Praveen Datta — Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:00:00 GMT

This IDC Survey highlights data associated with the consumer responses to an annual survey by IDC Canada's consumer research group. The August/September 2026 survey of ~2,000 Canadian consumers was conducted to understand the current and future adoption plans for a variety of consumer services and related products. The goal of these surveys is to identify/measure Canadian consumer interest, ownership, usage, satisfaction, and future potential for consumer services.

IDC asked Canadian consumers about their adoption of internet access services. Consumers were asked to relate their satisfaction with and likelihood to recommend their internet service provider. They were also asked whether they planned to increase, maintain, or decrease their level of internet service and why they would decrease for those who would. In addition, Canadian consumers were asked what speed of internet service they currently subscribe to and whether they would be interested to switch providers to increase their internet speed and whether they would be willing to pay more to increase their bandwidth. Consumers were also asked to indicate where they believed problems with their Wi-Fi were occurring and whether they would be interested in fee-based services that improved their W-Fi service.

Cuts by various demographic and service factors (age group, gender, and internet service provider) are shown where relevant. However, there is more data available from the survey than what is presented in this document. Those interested should reach out to their IDC representative for more information.