T-Mobile, the self-styled 'Uncarrier,' definitely isn't unprofitable, and it delivered solid first quarter 2016 results at the expense of rival AT&T. Credit: Steve Marcus/ Reuters T-Mobile, historically better at making big talk than big money, is now doing both. On Tuesday, the “Uncarrier” announced a tidy first quarter 2016 profit that more than met Wall Street’s expectations. The company brought in $1 billion in cash from operations and earned $0.56 cents a share, compared to a loss of $0.09 per share during the same period last year. That’s obviously great for T-Mobile shareholders, but it’s also good news for T-Mobile customers. The company shook up the wireless market with a number of trend-setting innovations, notably the end of the odious two-year contract, along with various price cuts and an easier upgrade process. Some analysts had worried that the company was spending too much money in attempts to lure new subscribers and suggested T-Mobile would have to cool it. The impressive first quarter profit should quiet those critics, though it’s possible, of course, that the great quarter was a blip. T-Mobile steals droves of AT&T, Verizon and Sprint customers The company’s turnaround can largely be attributed to a significant haul of new customers. T-Mobile added 2.2 million customers during the year’s first quarter, bringing its total subscriber base to 65.5 million. And 877,000 of the newbies are in the profitable post-paid category, which means they pay for T-Mobile’s regular phone service, as opposed to the company’s off-brand prepaid categories that drive less revenue. Many of the customers who ported their numbers to T-Mobile from another carrier were AT&T defectors, according to CEO John Legere, who spoke during a conference call with analysts and reporters. Wireless carriers always suffer “churn,” or the movement of customers on and off their subscriber rolls, but this quarter T-Mobile was way ahead. For every T-Mobile customer that defected to AT&T, 1.75 AT&T customers left for T-Mobile, according to the company. Verizon Wireless and Sprint also lost more customers to T-Mobile than they gained, but those ratios were lower. It’s hard to determine why exactly more people flocked to T-Mobile during the first quarter, but one likely guess is the company’s unique Binge On offering, which lets customers stream video without eating up their data allotments. Related content Opinion Consumers love to hate the companies that deliver pay TV and broadband A survey of thousands of consumers shows that a lack of competition and u201cabysmalu201d customer service make cable companies and ISPs the most disliked industries in the country. By Bill Snyder May 24, 2017 3 mins Broadband Consumer Electronics Opinion Get ready to say goodbye to T-Mobile A Japanese conglomerate wants to buy T-Mobile and merge it with Sprint. What a disaster for consumers that will be. By Bill Snyder May 12, 2017 4 mins Small and Medium Business Consumer Electronics Mobile Opinion Cunning hack attacks built-in Windows anti-malware software Quick action by Google and Microsoft appears to have put out the fire. But it’s another reminder that running old versions of Windows can be dangerous. By Bill Snyder May 10, 2017 2 mins Small and Medium Business Malware Windows Security Opinion How to survive a move when your ISP can’t go with you Moving is a huge hassle, but hereu2019s a two-step solution that will keep you connected to the Internet without busting your budget. By Bill Snyder May 05, 2017 4 mins Internet Consumer Electronics Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe