Top telcos continue to adapt

Article Excerpt

In the past few years, Verizon and AT&T have aggressively expanded their wireless and high-speed Internet networks. That has attracted new users and helped offset falling revenue from traditional phones. But new challengers continue to emerge, like low-cost wireless service from Google and video-streaming services like Netflix, which threaten their fibre optic TV offerings. In response, both AT&T and Verizon are buying up companies that should help them compete— and keep raising their dividends. VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS INC. $47 (New York symbol VZ, Conservative Growth and Income Portfolios, Utilities sector; Shares outstanding: 4.1 billion; Market cap: $192.7 billion; Priceto- sales ratio: 1.5; Dividend yield: 4.7%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.verizon.com) gets 70% of its revenue and 95% of earnings from its 108.6 million wireless subscribers. The other 30% of revenue and 5% of earnings comes from its wireline business, which serves 19.5 million traditional phone customers and 26.4 million high-speed Internet and digital TV users. In 2014, the company bought the 45%…