Telecoms Consider Fee Hikes, as Fierce Price War Plays Out

The wireless price war may have reached detente. After years of slashing prices, offering stunning promotions and undercutting each other to grab new subscribers in a market that has reached near saturation, the four largest U.S. wireless carriers have reported second-quarter results that suggest prices have stabilized. Some operators are even talking about how price rises could be in the future. For all carriers, the average revenue per user, a metric used to calculate how much the carriers earn from their subscribers, has plateaued after dropping steadily since late 2013, according to data from UBS Group AG. In the second quarter, the metric fell to $50.20, down from $60.70 in the third quarter of 2013, but only down slightly from $50.40 in the first quarter, according to UBS data. The stabilization of pricing comes at a time when carriers are facing big investments and slowing revenue growth.