Do you ever wonder just how many people are connected to the vast Verizon network, powering their daily lives with calls, texts, and internet? It's a massive number, and understanding it can give you a better appreciation for the scale of one of the largest telecommunications companies in the United States!
Ready to dive into the fascinating world of Verizon's subscriber base? Let's explore the numbers and break down who's using Verizon, from individuals to businesses, and across different services.
Step 1: Unveiling the Grand Total - How Many People Use Verizon?
Let's start with the big picture. As of March 31, 2025, Verizon is the largest wireless carrier in the United States, boasting a staggering 146 million subscribers. This figure encompasses all their wireless retail connections, which is a truly immense number of people relying on their network!
Think about it: that's nearly half the population of the entire United States connected to Verizon in some form or another. It's a testament to their extensive network coverage and diverse service offerings.
| How Many People Use Verizon |
Step 2: Dissecting the Wireless Dominance - Consumer vs. Business
While 146 million is the total, it's important to understand that Verizon's wireless subscribers are broadly categorized into two main groups: Verizon Consumer and Verizon Business. Each segment has its unique needs and contributes significantly to the overall subscriber count.
Sub-heading 2.1: The Verizon Consumer Group – Keeping Individuals Connected
The Verizon Consumer Group focuses on individuals and families, providing mobile phone services, internet, and other related solutions for personal use. As of Q1 2025:
Wireless Retail Connections: The Consumer group accounts for a massive 115.1 million wireless retail connections. This includes both postpaid and prepaid customers, as well as connections for devices like tablets and hotspots.
Wireless Retail Postpaid Connections: A significant portion of the consumer base, 94.9 million, are postpaid connections. These are customers who typically sign contracts and receive a bill at the end of their billing cycle.
Wireless Retail Core Prepaid Connections: Verizon also serves a substantial number of prepaid customers, with 19.0 million core prepaid retail connections. These users pay for their service in advance.
Broadband Connections: Beyond mobile, Verizon Consumer also provides broadband internet. They reported 10.2 million broadband connections, including 7.2 million Fios Internet connections.
This highlights Verizon's strong presence in the personal communications market, offering a variety of plans and services to meet diverse consumer demands.
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Sub-heading 2.2: The Verizon Business Group – Empowering Enterprises
Verizon Business caters to the communication and technology needs of businesses, from small businesses to large enterprises and even government agencies. As of Q1 2025:
Wireless Retail Postpaid Connections: The Business group contributed 30.9 million wireless retail postpaid connections. This indicates a strong reliance on Verizon's network for business operations, including employee phones, data devices, and IoT solutions.
Broadband Connections: Businesses also leverage Verizon's broadband services, with 2.4 million broadband connections.
Fixed Wireless Net Additions: A growing area for Verizon Business is fixed wireless access, with 109,000 net additions in Q1 2025. This shows their expansion into providing wireless internet solutions for businesses.
Public Safety Agencies: Notably, over 40,000 public safety agencies subscribe to Verizon Frontline, a specialized service dedicated to first responders.
This demonstrates Verizon's critical role in powering the digital infrastructure of businesses across various sectors.
Step 3: Beyond Wireless – The Broader Reach of Verizon's Services
While wireless is undoubtedly Verizon's largest segment, their reach extends to other vital services, particularly in the realm of internet.
Sub-heading 3.1: Fios Internet – Fiber Optic Power
Verizon Fios is a fiber-optic internet, TV, and phone service offered in select regions. While Fios TV subscribers have seen a decline, Fios internet remains a significant part of Verizon's portfolio:
As of Q1 2025, Fios internet connections reached 7.2 million.
Verizon added 45,000 Fios internet net additions in Q1 2025, showing continued, albeit slightly slower, growth.
The focus here is clearly on high-speed internet, which is a growing demand for both residential and business customers.
Sub-heading 3.2: Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) – The Wireless Broadband Frontier
Verizon is making significant strides in Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), which uses their 4G LTE and 5G networks to deliver home and business internet. This is a key growth area for the company:
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Total FWA subscribers surpassed 4.8 million as of Q1 2025.
Verizon added a strong 308,000 FWA net additions in Q1 2025.
The company aims to reach 8 to 9 million FWA subscribers by 2028, highlighting their commitment to this technology.
FWA is becoming an increasingly important alternative to traditional wired broadband, especially in areas where fiber optic deployment might be less feasible.
Step 4: The Network Backbone – Coverage and Technology
The sheer number of subscribers wouldn't be possible without a robust and far-reaching network. Verizon has invested heavily in its infrastructure:
4G LTE Network: Verizon's 4G LTE network covers over 99% of the U.S. population. This widespread coverage has been a cornerstone of their success.
5G Network: Verizon continues to expand its 5G footprint.
By 2024, 250 million people were covered by Verizon's 5G Ultra Wideband network, which offers faster speeds.
Their broader "5G Nationwide" network, which often leverages Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) with 4G, aims to provide widespread 5G access.
These network investments are crucial for retaining existing subscribers and attracting new ones, especially as demand for higher speeds and lower latency grows.
Step 5: Understanding Subscriber Dynamics - Churn and Growth
The number of subscribers isn't static; it's a dynamic interplay of new additions and customer churn (when customers leave the service).
Wireless Postpaid Phone Net Losses (Consumer): In Q1 2025, the Verizon Consumer group reported 356,000 wireless retail postpaid phone net losses. This indicates a competitive market where customer retention is a constant challenge.
Wireless Retail Postpaid Net Additions (Business): In contrast, Verizon Business saw 94,000 wireless retail postpaid net additions in Q1 2025, including 67,000 postpaid phone net additions. This suggests stronger growth in the business segment.
Broadband Growth: Despite some challenges in wireless, broadband remained a growth area, with Verizon adding 339,000 internet customers in Q1 2025.
These trends illustrate that while the wireless market is highly competitive, Verizon is finding growth in other areas like broadband, particularly with Fixed Wireless Access.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Verizon Subscribers
Here are 10 related FAQ questions to further enhance your understanding of Verizon's customer base:
Tip: Reread key phrases to strengthen memory.
How to find the total number of Verizon subscribers?
You can typically find the most up-to-date total subscriber numbers in Verizon's official quarterly earnings reports or their investor relations section on their corporate website. Industry analysis firms also provide these figures. As of Q1 2025, it's 146 million wireless subscribers.
How to differentiate between Verizon's consumer and business subscribers?
Verizon itself reports its subscriber numbers segmented into "Verizon Consumer Group" and "Verizon Business Group." Consumer subscribers are individuals and families, while business subscribers are companies, organizations, and government entities.
How to understand postpaid versus prepaid subscribers for Verizon?
Postpaid subscribers pay for their service after they use it, typically on a monthly bill, often with a contract. Prepaid subscribers pay in advance for their service, offering more flexibility and no long-term commitment. Verizon clearly differentiates these in their financial reports.
How to get details on Verizon Fios internet subscribers specifically?
Verizon's earnings reports break down Fios internet connections separately from their wireless connections. As of Q1 2025, Fios Internet accounted for 7.2 million connections.
How to learn about Verizon's Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) subscriber growth?
QuickTip: Ask yourself what the author is trying to say.
Verizon regularly updates on their Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) subscriber numbers during their quarterly earnings calls and in their financial releases. This is a stated growth area for them, with goals to reach 8-9 million subscribers by 2028.
How to know Verizon's network coverage for its subscribers?
Verizon provides coverage maps on its official website, allowing you to check specific areas. They also frequently announce their population coverage percentages for 4G LTE and 5G in press releases and reports.
How to understand subscriber churn rates for Verizon?
Churn rate refers to the percentage of subscribers who discontinue their service. Verizon reports churn rates (e.g., postpaid phone churn) in their financial disclosures, indicating how many customers they are losing or retaining.
How to see how Verizon's subscriber count compares to other carriers?
To compare Verizon's subscriber count with competitors like AT&T or T-Mobile, you would need to consult the latest earnings reports from each respective company, as these numbers are dynamic and change quarterly.
How to access historical Verizon subscriber data?
Historical subscriber data for Verizon can be found in their archived financial reports, SEC filings (like 10-K and 10-Q forms), and on financial news websites that track telecommunications industry trends.
How to interpret subscriber "net additions" and "net losses" for Verizon?
"Net additions" indicate the total number of new subscribers gained minus those who left during a specific period. "Net losses" mean more subscribers left than joined. These figures show the growth or contraction of a particular service segment.