Wireless carriers added postpaid phone customers at a blistering rate during the pandemic year of 2021. T-Mobile (NASDAQ: TMUS) added 2.9 million postpaid phone customers, a 32% increase over the prior year, while AT fared even better, with 3.2 million postpaid phone net adds. Verizon struggled in comparison but still added customers over the course of the year.

The wireless business is now slowing down. AT&T is gaining subscribers at a much slower rate, and Verizon is losing subscribers. T-Mobile, the smallest of the three, is holding up much better. But the bottom line is that the three wireless carriers are going to have to fight tooth and nail to win subscribers in a much tougher environment.

T-Mobile is having the most success navigating the slowdown. The company tacked on 760,000 postpaid net customers in the second quarter, outpacing its rivals by a long shot, and its postpaid phone churn was the best in the industry for the first time ever. The company has built a reputation over the years as a cheaper and generally friendlier alternative to AT and Verizon, and that's clearly resonating with customers.

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Source Fool.com