Verizon Tops Sprint In LD Customers

Communications Today, Jan 9, 2003

Verizon Communications [NYSE: VZ] has surpassed Sprint [NYSE: FON, PCS] to become the third-largest long-distance service provider in the U.S., according to market research firms the Yankee Group and TNS Telecoms. The two firms released surveys showing that Verizon provided long-distance service to more households than Sprint in 2002, but that Sprint finished ahead of Verizon in terms of revenue from residential customers. The latter result indicates that many of the new customers that Verizon has attracted aren't heavy long-distance users. AT&T [NYSE: T] remains the largest long-distance carrier with WorldCom's MCI unit ranking second.

Expect the trend of traditional long-distance service providers losing ground to the Regional Bell Operating Companies to continue as the RBOCs win additional approvals to offer the service in their home territories.

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