Converge Digest

AT&T Q4 2025: Fiber + 5G Drives Growth as Free Cash Flow Rises

AT&T reported Q4 2025 revenue of $33.5 billion, adjusted EPS of $0.52, adjusted EBITDA of $11.2 billion, and free cash flow of $4.2 billion. For full-year 2025, AT&T posted revenue of $125.6 billion, adjusted EPS of $2.12, adjusted EBITDA of $46.4 billion, and free cash flow of $16.6 billion, while holding annual capital investment essentially flat at about $22.0 billion.  

The company tied its operating narrative to “converged” service adoption and access-network mix. AT&T said 42% of AT&T Fiber households also subscribe to AT&T wireless, and it pointed to Q4 net adds of 283,000 fiber subscribers plus 221,000 AT&T Internet Air subscribers as evidence that fiber and fixed wireless access (FWA) now operate as complementary engines for broadband growth. AT&T also disclosed 32.0 million consumer and business locations passed with fiber and said it will restructure segment reporting starting in Q1 2026 around “Advanced Connectivity” (domestic 5G + fiber), “Legacy” (copper-based services), and “Latin America” (Mexico wireless).  

For 2026–2028, AT&T forecast low-single-digit annual service revenue growth, adjusted EBITDA growth rising toward 5%+ by 2028, and free cash flow stepping up from $18B+ (2026) to $21B+ (2028). Management linked that outlook to continued 5G and fiber investment (capital investment of $23–$24 billion per year) and to two previously announced deals expected to close in 2026: the acquisition of substantially all of Lumen’s Mass Markets fiber business (expected in the first half of 2026) and the purchase of EchoStar spectrum licenses (AT&T said the spectrum deal targets a mid-2026 close). AT&T also reiterated its goal to power down most of its copper network by the end of 2029 as it migrates customers to fiber and 5G-based services.  

“We achieved or surpassed all of our consolidated full-year guidance for 2025,” said John Stankey, AT&T Chairman and CEO. “With new investments in spectrum and fiber, we’re set to win more customers in more categories and geographies across the U.S.”  

AT&T Wireless Subscribers, Churn & ARPU (Year-End)

End-of-period (12/31) values
Metric (Year-End) 2023 2024 2025
Total Wireless Subscribers (000s) 106,340 108,223 109,173
Phone Subscribers (000s) 88,713 89,966 90,844
• Postpaid Phone Subscribers (000s) 71,255 72,749 74,214
• Prepaid Phone Subscribers (000s) 17,458 17,217 16,630
Postpaid Phone Churn 0.84% 0.85% 0.98%
Prepaid Phone Churn 2.86% 2.61% 2.75%
Phone ARPU ($/month) $52.35 $52.92 $52.85
Postpaid Phone ARPU ($/month) $56.23 $56.72 $56.57
Prepaid Phone ARPU ($/month) $36.63 $36.99 $36.49
Source: AT&T Historical Segment Recast – Operating Volumes and Statistics (Wireless), page 4.

AT&T Internet Connections (Fiber & Fixed Wireless) – Year-End

End-of-period (12/31) values
Metric (Year-End, 000s) 2023 2024 2025
Total Internet Connections 9,215 10,939 13,128
Fiber Connections (Total) 8,824 9,928 11,088
• AT&T Fiber (Consumer) 8,307 9,331 10,406
• AT&T Business Fiber 517 597 682
Fixed Wireless Connections (Total) 391 1,011 2,040
• AT&T Internet Air (Consumer FWA) 93 634 1,497
• Business Fixed Wireless Access 298 377 543
% AT&T Fiber connections with AT&T Wireless 38.8% 40.0% 42.0%
Source: AT&T Historical Segment Recast – Operating Volumes and Statistics (Internet), page 5.

See AT&T Financial and Operational Trends

🌐  Analysis: The three-year subscriber data show AT&T’s access strategy consolidating around higher-retention, converged relationships, with postpaid wireless subscribers rising from 71.3 million in 2023 to 74.2 million in 2025 while postpaid churn stayed below 1% through 2024 and only ticked up modestly in 2025. At the same time, ARPU stability across both postpaid wireless (roughly $56–$57/month) and fiber broadband underscores that AT&T is prioritizing mix quality and bundle attachment over aggressive price-led growth, using convergence to defend revenue per user rather than relying on headline subscriber additions alone.

On the fixed side, the numbers highlight a dual-track broadband architecture: fiber remains the dominant growth engine, expanding from 8.8 million to 11.1 million connections between 2023 and 2025, while fixed wireless access scaled rapidly from a niche offering (391,000 connections in 2023) to a material second access rail at more than 2.0 million connections in 2025. The sharp rise in AT&T Internet Air—alongside steady growth in business fixed wireless—suggests AT&T is using FWA tactically to accelerate footprint expansion and customer acquisition where fiber economics or timelines are less favorable, while still anchoring long-term value in fiber-backed convergence, as reflected by the increase in fiber households also taking wireless from 38.8% to 42.0% over the period.

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