T-Mobile US, Inc., often shortened as T-Mobile, is an American wireless network operator headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, U.S.[5] Its largest shareholder is multinational telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom AG, which, as of April 2023, holds a 51.4%[6] majority stake in the company.[7][8] T-Mobile US is the third-largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 117.9 million subscribers as of December 31, 2023.[9]
The company was founded in 1994 by John W. Stanton of the Western Wireless Corporation as VoiceStream Wireless. Deutsche Telekom then gained plurality ownership in 2001 and renamed it after its T-Mobile brand. T-Mobile US provides wireless voice and data services in the United States under the T-Mobile and Metro by T-Mobile brands (the latter was acquired via the purchase of MetroPCS in a reverse takeover in 2013, resulting in T-Mobile going public on the NASDAQ stock exchange), and also serves as the host network for many mobile virtual network operators. The company has annual revenues of around $80 billion.[5]
On April 1, 2020, T-Mobile and Sprint Corporation completed their merger, with T-Mobile now being the sole owner of Sprint, making Sprint an effective subsidiary of T-Mobile until the Sprint brand was officially discontinued on August 2, 2020, with the headquarters becoming T-Mobile offices.[10][11][12] As part of the merger, T-Mobile US acquired Assurance Wireless, the service subsidized by the Lifeline Assistance program of the federal Universal Service Fund.[13]
Verizon is an American wireless network operator that previously operated as a separate division of Verizon Communications under the name Verizon Wireless. In a 2019 reorganization, Verizon moved the wireless products and services into the divisions Verizon Consumer and Verizon Business, and stopped using the Verizon Wireless name. Verizon is the second-largest wireless carrier in the United States, with 144.8 million subscribers as of December 31, 2023.[4] It currently has the largest network in the United States with their LTE network covering 70% of the United States.[5]
The company is headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. It was founded in 2000 as a joint venture of American telecommunications firm Bell Atlantic, which would soon become Verizon Communications, and British multinational telecommunications company Vodafone.[6] Verizon Communications became the sole owner in 2014 after buying Vodafone's 45-percent stake in the company.[7]
It operates national 5G and 4G LTE networks covering about 99 percent of the U.S. population,[8] which in the second half of 2020 won or tied for top honors in each category of the RootMetrics RootScore Reports.[9] Verizon Wireless offers mobile phone services through a variety of devices.[10] Its LTE in Rural America Program, with 21 rural wireless carriers participating, covers 2.7 million potential users in 169 rural counties.[11] Verizon Wireless announced in 2015 that it was developing a 5G, or fifth-generation, network.[12] In 2020, 230 million people were able to access Verizon's 5G, or fifth-generation, dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology network;[13] by 2022, 200 million people were covered by Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network.[14][15]
AT&T, short for American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is a multinational telecommunications conglomerate based in the United States. Founded in 1885 as the original AT&T, the company has gone through numerous changes throughout its more than 135-year history. Today, AT&T is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world, providing a wide range of services including wireless, internet, and television to millions of customers. However, the question of who actually owns AT&T is a complex one that requires delving into the company's corporate structure and ownership.
AT&T is a publicly traded company, meaning that its shares are available for purchase on the stock market. This allows individuals and institutional investors to buy and sell shares in the company, thus becoming part owners of AT&T. As of the time of writing, AT&T's largest shareholders include a mix of institutional investors such as Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation, as well as individual retail investors who own shares through platforms like Robinhood and E*Trade.
In addition to individual and institutional investors, AT&T is also owned by its management team and board of directors. These individuals have a vested interest in the company's success, as their compensation is often tied to AT&T's performance. The management team, led by CEO John Stankey, is responsible for making strategic decisions that drive the company's growth and profitability, while the board of directors provides oversight and guidance on major corporate decisions.
One key aspect of AT&T's ownership structure is its complex network of subsidiaries and joint ventures. Over the years, AT&T has acquired a number of other telecommunications companies, such as DirecTV and Time Warner, which now operate as separate divisions within the larger AT&T corporate family. These subsidiaries have their own management teams and ownership structures, but ultimately they fall under the umbrella of AT&T Inc.
Another important aspect of AT&T's ownership is its shareholder activism. In recent years, some activist investors have taken a stake in the company and pushed for changes to its business strategy and corporate governance. For example, hedge fund Elliott Management acquired a significant stake in AT&T in 2019 and called for the company to revamp its operations and focus on core business areas. While AT&T ultimately reached a settlement with Elliott Management, the incident highlighted the influence that activist investors can have on a company's ownership and direction.
Despite its size and complexity, AT&T remains a publicly traded company with a diverse base of shareholders. This means that no single individual or entity can claim full ownership of the company, as it is beholden to the interests of its shareholders as a whole. While the largest shareholders may have significant influence over AT&T's operations, ultimately the company's ownership is spread out among a wide range of investors who have a stake in its success.
In conclusion, the question of who owns AT&T is not a simple one, given the company's status as a publicly traded entity with a diverse ownership structure. While institutional investors and the management team play a key role in shaping AT&T's strategy and operations, ultimately the company's fate is in the hands of its shareholders as a collective. As AT&T continues to evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing telecommunications landscape, its ownership structure will continue to be a topic of interest and speculation among investors and industry observers alike.