Not much improvement at Sprint Nextel, the struggling no. 3 wireless carrier: While Sprint's (S) rivals all grew last quarter, Sprint lost 1.3 million net subscribers, and swung to a $326 million Q3 loss on falling revenue.
On a positive note, Sprint said its customer service metrics were getting better, and that more than 9% of customers who sign long-term contracts upgraded their phones in Q3 -- meaning they had to extend their contracts. Sprint also said its gross subscriber additions would "stabilize" in Q4. But the company still has a long way to go.
And a bit of actual good news: The FCC approved Sprint's WiMax merger/spinoff with Clearwire (CLWR) this week, so Sprint execs have one less headache to worry about on their road back to profitability.
See Also:
New Wireless Deals, Tech To Shake Up Industry... Maybe, Someday
FCC Approves Sprint's $14.5 Billion Clearwire WiMax Deal
Sprint Nextel Not Getting Rid Of Nextel After All