Randall Stephenson

CEO
AT&T

Stephenson was appointed to the position in 2007, running the world's largest telecommunications company at a time when carriers are under assault from tech companies, and AT&T's gamble on the iPhone is paying off. Born in Oklahoma City, he is a longtime phone guy. He began his career with Southwestern Bell Telephone in 1982 and progressed through a series of leadership positions, including an assignment in Mexico City as SBC International's director of finance, overseeing SBC's ownership interest in Teléfonos de México. In 1996, he was named controller for SBC Communications.

Posts With Randall Stephenson

T-Mobile or Not, AT&T Sees Wireless Growth Ahead

Ina Fried in Mobile on January 26 at 7:10 am PT

Despite having to pay a huge breakup fee in the wake of its failed T-Mobile bid, AT&T sounds an optimistic note about 2012. It also takes some shots at the FCC.

The Case AT&T Will Make to Congress for the T-Mobile Deal

Arik Hesseldahl in News on May 10, 2011 at 1:08 pm PT

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow to testify that his company’s proposed $39 billion takeover of T-Mobile is a good thing for everybody.

Mr. Smith Getting Company as ATT, T-Mobile, Sprint, Apple and Google All Head to Washington

Ina Fried in Mobile on May 6, 2011 at 5:00 am PT

The heads of AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile are all scheduled to appear at a hearing Wednesday to discuss AT&T’s plan to buy T-Mobile USA. Meanwhile, representatives of Google and Apple are slated to testify before the same Senate subcommittee a day earlier to discuss privacy issues as they relate to location-based data on mobile devices.

AT&T Chief Sees Divestitures in T-Mobile Deal

Roger Cheng, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in News on March 30, 2011 at 10:10 am PT

AT&T Inc. Chief Executive Randall Stephenson said he expects some divestiture of customers and wireless spectrum as the company marches through the approval process to close its acquisition of T-Mobile USA.

ATT Wraps Self in Flag, Says T-Mobile Deal Essential to U.S. Competitiveness

Ina Fried in Mobile on March 21, 2011 at 4:55 am PT

AT&T outlined its rationale for the T-Mobile purchase–as well as why regulators should approve the deal–in an early morning conference call on Monday.

Just in Time for the Weekend, ATT and RIM Announce Executive Departures

Ina Fried in Mobile on March 4, 2011 at 2:05 pm PT

AT&T announces its CFO is retiring, while the BlackBerry maker announces its chief marketing officer is leaving for personal reasons. They both thought Friday afternoon might be a good time to let you know this.

And Since We Still Don’t Allow iPhone Tethering, We Can Guarantee That Wi-Fi-Only iPads Won’t Overload Our 3G Network

John Paczkowski in Mobile on March 3, 2010 at 7:10 am PT

Here’s the real reason AT&T was able to offer such a breakthrough price on data plans for Apple’s iPad in the U.S.: The carrier doesn’t expect many people to buy them.

AT&T Activates 3.1 Million iPhones in Q4

John Paczkowski in Mobile on January 28, 2010 at 6:28 am PT

Widespread criticism of AT&T’s network performance hasn’t had much impact on the company’s financials. Reporting fourth-quarter earnings this morning, the carrier posted a 26 percent increase in profit, fueled by solid growth from the wireless business for which it is so often lambasted. What’s more, AT&T said it activated 3.1 million additional iPhones, the device believed responsible for many of its network woes.

Yahoo Can Relax a Little (But Just a Little)–This Year's BoomTown Obsession Might Have to Be AT&T

Kara Swisher in News on January 4, 2010 at 7:03 am PT

Of all the major issues to think about in the digital sector over the next year, perhaps the most important to focus on will be the mobile space. That’s why the swirl of controversy around the inability of AT&T to maintain a reliable network for users of the Apple iPhone is perhaps the flashpoint story of the coming year. In other words, dropped calls and glitchy apps are more than just annoying–see my video after the jump–they’re holding back a key spark of future innovation for computing.

AT&T Activates Record 3.2 Million iPhones in Q3

John Paczkowski in News on October 22, 2009 at 5:05 am PT

How badly does AT&T want to renew its iPhone exclusivity contract with Apple? Pretty damn badly. Posting third-quarter earnings that topped Wall Street expectations this morning, AT&T said it activated a record 3.2 million iPhones during the period. Of those, 40 percent were for customers new to the carrier.