Verizon Wireless data ARPU up 63% year-on-year

Verizon Wireless posted impressive fourth-quarter results today with $10.1 billion in revenue, 2.3 million new net subscribers and data service ARPU up 63 percent year-over-year. The new net subs bring the carrier's total up to 59.1 million, just shy of Cingular, which added 2.4 million during the quarter bringing it to a total of 61 million. Each probably picked away marketshare from Sprint Nextel, which reported poor results for its fourth quarter.

Verizon Wireless beat Cingular on the data ARPU front as Verizon's ARPU hit $7.91 for the quarter, while Cingular's came in at $7.19. Like Cingular, Verizon Wireless had a great quarter for messaging: Verizon Wireless subs sent 17.7 billion text messages [1], which is an industry record. Verizon Wireless subscribers also sent 353 million picture/video messages in the quarter. By contrast, Cingular subs sent 12 billion texts and 180 MMS messages in Q4. Verizon Wireless customers also completed more than 78 million downloads of games, ringtones, ringback tones and other content.

For more on Verizon Wireless' Q4:
- see this press release [2]

ALSO: Daily iPhone rumor: Verizon declined iPhone offer because Apple wanted too much control over the distribution, pricing and other facets of the deal. Article [3]

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Verizon's Q3 gets a bump thanks to wireless. Article [4]