Telecom Companies provide essential services for businesses everywhere. Depending on a business’s needs it may utilize services such as internet and data services, wired and mobile phone services, and other types of communication technologies.
Telecom companies come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on your business, one type of telecom company might be a better fit than others.
In this article, we will explore the different types of telecom companies, things you should consider when working with telecom companies, and also provide a list of some of the top telecom companies in America that your business can utilize.
Types of Telecommunication Companies
Not all telecom companies offer the same types of services. Typically, telecom companies can be divided into three categories:
- cellular/mobile telecom companies;
- internet/landline telecom companies; and
- a combination of both mobile and wired communication solutions.
Some businesses choose to work with a full-service telecom provider while others work with a combination of vendors to serve their unique needs. Outside of internet/landline connections or cellular services, telecom companies may also offer services such as cloud-based collaboration solutions, VoIP, and network security solutions.
Considerations When Working With Telecom Companies
When you look under the hood, the telecom industry can be quite complex. Between confusing vendor contracts, inconsistent billing tactics, and hidden fees, it’s challenging for the average customer to manage this expense category. Unfortunately, due to this complexity, businesses everywhere are overcharged and underserved without realizing it.
To optimize spending, avoid being subject to overcharges, and ensure your vendor is following its contractual terms, it takes expert-level knowledge in this industry. Ultimately, to manage this cost category effectively with any telecom vendor, we recommend working through a telecom services audit with a team of professionals.
Top Telecom Companies
1. AT&T
- Annual revenue: $171.76 Billion
- Number of employees: 243,350
- Headquarters: Dallas, Texas
As a holding company, AT&T provides a wide range of communications services in the US and around the world, including data/broadband internet services, local and long-distance telephone services, wireless communications, managed networking, and digital video services. AT&T is currently the largest telecommunications company and provider of mobile phone services in the U.S.
2. Verizon
- Annual revenue: $128.29 Billion
- Number of employees: 132,200
- Headquarters: New York City, New York
Verizon offers various communication services, including local and long-distance voice services, wireless voice and data services, video communications products and services, data center and cloud services, and more. Verizon is currently putting much focus on 5G and IoT technologies. Currently, Verizon 5G is available in 2,700+ cities across the U.S. and a major expansion is to be expected in the coming years.
3. Comcast Corporation
- Annual revenue: $103.56 Billion
- Number of employees: 190,000
- Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
With a powerful fiber-optic network, Comcast Corporation offers a variety of wired and wireless communication services that can help businesses of all sizes meet their telecommunication needs. Comcast is also the nation’s largest cable TV company in the U.S. and the third-largest home telephone service provider. Comcast’s high-speed internet and reliable phone services make it a major competitor in this industry.
4. T-Mobile US
- Annual revenue: $68.397 Billion
- Number of employees: 75,000
- Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington
As the second-largest wireless carrier in the US, T-Mobile has over 108.7 million subscribers. Having recently completed its merger with Sprint Corporation, T-Mobile is focused on growth and bringing innovative services to its customers. Additionally, T-Mobile has award-winning customer service and some of its services include wireless data and voice, television and streaming, 5G internet, and more.
5. Charter Communications
- Annual revenue: $43.634 Billion
- Number of employees: 96,100
- Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut
Charter Communications is dedicated to providing outstanding entertainment and communications offerings while maintaining a high level of service. As a fast-growing cable operator, broadband internet provider, and telephone services company, Charter serves well over 30 million customers across the US.
6. Lumen Technologies
- Annual revenue: $23.4 Billion
- Number of employees: 45,000
- Headquarters: Monroe, Louisianna
Formerly known as CenturyLink up until November 2020, Lumen Technologies offers a range of business services including high-speed internet, landline solutions, and VoIP. Lumen also provides managed network services, cloud solutions, and security solutions for many types of businesses. Customers also enjoy Lumen’s 24/7 technical support to resolve any connection issues.
7. Cox Communications
- Annual revenue: $21 Billion
- Number of employees: 20,000
- Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Cox Communications offers businesses several internet, phone, and cloud-based services. In the past 10 years, Cox Communications has invested over $15 billion to update its internet and phone infrastructure and it plans to invest another $10 billion in the coming years to bring the best service possible to its customers.
8. Altice USA
- Annual revenue: $9.9 Billion
- Number of employees: 8,900
- Headquarters: Long Island City, New York
Serving more than 4.9 million customers in 21 states, Altice USA is committed to bringing its customers the products and services they need to optimize their businesses. Service offerings include internet, voice, data, and a number of mobile solutions. Altice continues to innovate and aims to bring its services to more areas across the country.
9. Frontier Communications Corporation
- Annual revenue: $8.1 Billion
- Number of employees: 16,300
- Headquarters: Norwalk, Connecticut
Frontier is a leading communications provider, offering telecommunication services across 25 states. Its phone, internet, cloud, and networking services connect millions of consumers and businesses. Frontier is focused on building digital infrastructure across the country with advanced fiber-optic network solutions.
10. Windstream Communications
- Annual revenue: $5.12 Billion
- Number of employees: 11,870
- Headquarters: Little Rock, Arkansas
As a leading provider of technology solutions and network communications, Windstream offerings include high-speed broadband, internet, phone service, and digital TV packages. Depending on the size of your business, Windstream can bundle services to fit your unique telecommunication wants and needs.
How to Save Money on Telecom Costs
Since there’s a lack of transparency around billing in the telecom industry and vendors frequently don’t follow their own contracts, customers often overpay for their telecom services. Even if a customer wants to request more information about their telecom bills and contracts, it’s unlikely that they’ll understand the complex language provided by their telecom company. Furthermore, many businesses think their billing department is monitoring this cost category but, unless they are industry experts, errors and overcharges will go unnoticed.
If your business uses a high volume of telecom services, the only way to truly optimize costs is to have a team of experts take a look at your contracts and invoices. At P3 Cost Analysts, we specialize in telecom billing auditing to find our clients the savings they deserve on telecom costs.
During an audit, we will thoroughly analyze your customer service records, vendor tariffs, contracts, and terms and conditions to find any errors and overcharges. On average, we help our clients save 15%–30% on their telecom expenses.
On top of conducting a comprehensive audit of your telecom expenses, we monitor your invoices on an ongoing basis to make sure that you are continually receiving the savings your business qualifies for. We also ensure that your vendor is following any agreements or new contracts that we helped put in place. With our access to the most relevant industry pricing information, we make sure that your costs are at or below industry standards.
Furthermore, the telecom billing audit process is risk-free. There’s no upfront cost for you. We simply share in the savings we find when going through the audit and we work hard to deliver these savings ASAP.
Optimize Your Telecom Spending Today
As you can see, there are many different companies to get your telecom services from. Some offer a full suite of services while others specialize in either cellular/mobile services or internet/landline services. Not all of the telecom providers listed above offer their services in all 50 states. Depending on your location, you may be restricted to using certain telecom providers. However, you’ll be able to find a telecom provider that will fit the needs of your business.
Whichever telecom company you decide to work with, it’s important to consider how to optimize your spending in this cost category. Customers overpay for telecom services all of the time due to a lack of transparency in the industry and inconsistent pricing tactics. The only way to truly know if you’re being charged fairly is by working through a telecom expense audit with a trained team of professionals. Doing so will allow you to eliminate unnecessary fees, evaluate your bills in comparison to market trends, and obtain refunds due to past billing errors.