Is T-Mobile US Taking Share Mostly from Prepaid Providers?

At least so far, it is hard to see the margin-reducing or revenue-reducing impact of the U.S. mobile marketing wars on Verizon Communications.  And though we will know more shortly, some have argued it likewise has been difficult to detect the negative impact of U.S. mobile marketing wars wars on AT&T.

Some would note that Sprint saw a 14 percent quarter over quarter drop in average revenue per account (ARPA) to $132 per month, largely due to its "Cut Your Bill in Half" promotion, in the first quarter of 2015.

T-Mobile US, on the other hand, saw its ARPA increase by four percent quarter over quarter  to $121 per month.

Meanwhile, AT&T saw its ARPA stay flat at $143 per month, while Verizon saw a five percent drop to $143 per month, some estimate, though ARPA had grown by six percent in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Though thinking might change after AT&T announces its first quarter earnings, so far it appears that T-Mobile US in substantial part has been growing at the expense of other prepaid service providers, and not primarily at the expense of AT&T, Sprint or Verizon.

In fact, some believe that, at the end of the first quarter of 2015, all four national carriers gained accounts at the expense of prepaid providers. Tablet account additions complicate the picture, though.