Brace Yourself for Higher Cellphone Bills in 2018

Cheap wireless plans might be harder to find in 2018. The two most aggressive US wireless carriers, Sprint Corp and T-Mobile US Inc,  are signaling they will scale back discounting this year after a failed attempt to combine their businesses. Sprint, the No. 4 carrier by subscribers, said that it would only chase new customers it considers profitable. No. 3 T-Mobile said it will also be more selective with the deals it offers as it focuses on boosting cash flow while still expanding its customer base. The forecast “takes into account our desire to balance growth and profitability,” Chief Financial Officer Braxton Carter said, adding that T-Mobile’s push into rural areas would provide enough new sign-ups to “afford us the opportunity to be less promotional in existing markets.”