Research outfit MoffettNathanson warned Verizon was facing something of a double-whammy due to competition from cable operators and mobile rival T-Mobile US, as it summarised the current state-of-play in the US market.

In a research note, the company noted Verizon had largely been unsuccessful in a bid to avoid being dragged into a promotional tit-for-tat with AT&T, while T-Mobile was offering faster data rates than its rivals along with a reliable mid-band network.

Bloomberg reported Verizon’s Q2 post-paid net additions of 12,000 was well short of the 167,000 predicted by analysts.

MoffettNathanson noted bankruptcy was the most likely outcome for Dish Network’s wireless play, a factor worked into its outlook on the satellite service provider in the form of analysing the value of its spectrum.

The company also noted cable players Comcast, Charter Communications and Altice USA were taking an increasing share of net subscriber additions, forcing mobile operators to offer cheaper tariffs, “none of which have succeeded in stemming the tide of cable’s accelerating momentum”.

An overall slowdown in mobile subscriber growth is also pressuring operators.

The company predicted “AT&T and Verizon may have further to fall”.