AT&T Posts 5.2 Percent Profit Gain
AT&T Inc. added fewer contract wireless customers in the first quarter than it did in the three preceding periods and trailed Verizon Wireless, as smartphone purchases slowed after customers rushed to buy new iPhones at the end of last year. AT&T added 187,000 lucrative contract customers in this year’s first three months, compared with the 501,000 that its biggest rival reported last week. All told, Dallas-based AT&T boosted its customer rolls by 726,000, just below Verizon Wireless’s 734,000.
