Carriers Blame the iPhone For Data Caps and Increased Upgrade Fees

[wraggster]

Bruised mobile carriers such as AT&T and Verizon are 'fighting back' against Apple's iPhone, despite the fact that the device has helped them eke out consistently higher average revenue (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443545504577567283530764706.html) per wireless subscribers since its launch. To hear the carriers tell it, the iPhone is a major inhibitor to their profits as last year they were 'only' generating wireless service profit margins in the 38% to 42% range. But ever since these beleaguered companies started 'fighting back' by implementing data caps, increasing fees for device upgrades (http://www.bgr.com/2012/08/06/iphone-data-caps-upgrade-fees-att-verizon/) and implementing longer waiting periods before users can switch devices, they’ve seen their wireless service profit margins surge. AT&T reported a 45% margin in Q2 2012 and Verizon reported a record-high 49% margin.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/08/06/169234/carriers-blame-the-iphone-for-data-caps-and-increased-upgrade-fees