Verizon lost 398,000 wireless customers in the first six weeks of the year, though it reversed the trend by offering an unlimited plan. Eric Thayer/Getty Images

Text size

It’s now clear why Verizon suddenly decided to offer an unlimited plan in February. The company had no choice.

Verizon lost 398,000 wireless customers in the first half of its latest quarter, the company said in its earnings report this week. Once Verizon turned on its unlimited plan, the bleeding stopped. After the mid-February unlimited launch, Verizon managed to add 109,000 of its high-value subscribers -- a category the company refers to as “retail postpaid phone connections.”