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AT&T U-verse catching up to Verizon FiOS subscriber base

AT&T could take the lead in the telco TV landscape by the end of 2013 -- albeit it will probably only be a slight lead at best, according to IHS iSuppli.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor

When it comes to telecommunications providers playing in the TV/video subscription space, Verizon is still considerably leading with its FiOS service. AT&T, meanwhile, continues to play second fiddle with U-verse.

However, according to a report published on Monday by IHS iSuppli, the race for subscribers is closing in.

IHS senior principal analyst Tom Adams predicted in the report that AT&T could take the lead in the telco TV landscape by the end of 2013 -- albeit it will probably only be a slight lead at best.

The stepping stones are already in place for AT&T as it added more video subscribers to U-verse during the fourth quarter of 2011 with 208,000 more members.

By comparison, Verizon only signed up 194,000 new FiOS subscribers. That's reportedly the 10th straight quarter in which AT&T has managed to exceed Verizon on that basis.

There are a lot of factors that could affect the fluxation of subscribers over the course of the next year, depending on everything from how much more these services expand geographically to even natural disasters, as cited in the report.

Of course, those rumors about Verizon planning a new video-on-demand service that could rival Netflix -- whether it is available to FiOS customers or not -- could figure in as well if they pan out.

Graph via IHS iSuppli

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