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Telephone & Data Systems Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 20 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 8 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Quarterly revenue rose on Array: Total operating revenues were $330.7 million in the fourth quarter, up from $295.3 million a year earlier. Array's quarterly revenue rose from $26.1 million to $60.3 million. Full-year revenue was $1,228.2 million. Source
  • Quarterly diluted EPS was positive: Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.32 in the fourth quarter, against $0.01 a year earlier, on net income attributable to TDS common shareholders of $37.2 million. Source
  • TDS Telecom revenue fell on divestitures: TDS Telecom operating revenues were $260,956 thousand in the quarter, down 1%, and $1,038,358 thousand for 2025, down 2%. Management said the 2025 divestitures affect year-over-year comparisons. Source
  • Array site rental revenue rose 51%: Array site rental revenue was $54,990 thousand in the quarter, against $26,019 thousand a year earlier. For 2025, Array total operating revenues were $162,961 thousand, up 58%. Source
  • Fiber net adds rose in quarter: Residential fiber net additions were 15,100 in the fourth quarter, against 13,600 a year earlier. The company reported 44,900 fiber net additions for 2025. Source
  • TDS Telecom Adjusted OIBDA rose in quarter: TDS Telecom Adjusted OIBDA was $83,726 thousand in the quarter, against $77,194 thousand a year earlier. For 2025 it was $318,893 thousand, against $340,340 thousand. Source
  • Free cash flow stayed negative for year: Free cash flow from continuing operations was $(54,178) thousand for 2025, against $(70,917) thousand, after $390,529 thousand of cash capital additions. Source

“2025 was a year of significant transformation for TDS,”

Walter Carlson, President and CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
TDS Telecom total operating revenues Sourcefull year 2026$1,015-$1,055 millionNew
TDS Telecom Adjusted OIBDA (non-GAAP) Sourcefull year 2026$300-$340 millionNew
TDS Telecom Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) Sourcefull year 2026$310-$350 millionNew
TDS Telecom capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026$550-$600 millionNew
Array total operating revenues Sourcefull year 2026$200-$215 millionNew
Array Adjusted OIBDA (non-GAAP) Sourcefull year 2026$50-$65 millionNew
Array Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) Sourcefull year 2026$200-$215 millionNew
Array capital expenditures Sourcefull year 2026$25-$35 millionNew
Long-term marketable fiber service address goal Sourcelong-term2.1 million addressesRaised

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Full-year 2026 estimates were provided for TDS Telecom and Array; the previous release gave 2025 estimates only. Source
  • Guidance raised: The long-term marketable fiber service address goal was increased by 300,000 addresses to 2.1 million. Source
  • New: The spectrum sale to AT&T closed in January 2026, for $1.018 billion; the November release had described it as previously announced. Source
  • New: Array modified its Adjusted Free Cash Flow metric to adjust for cash taxes paid in the quarter, for the three months ended December 31, 2025. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Quarterly revenue rose on Array: Total operating revenues were $330.7 million in the fourth quarter, up from $295.3 million a year earlier. Array's quarterly revenue rose from $26.1 million to $60.3 million. Full-year revenue was $1,228.2 million. Source
  • Quarterly diluted EPS was positive: Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.32 in the fourth quarter, against $0.01 a year earlier, on net income attributable to TDS common shareholders of $37.2 million. Source
  • Full-year EPS was positive: Diluted EPS from continuing operations for 2025 was $0.39, against a loss of $(1.24) in 2024. Net income attributable to TDS common shareholders from continuing operations was $48.2 million. Source
  • Spectrum lease income added to income: Short-term imputed spectrum lease income was $38.6 million in the quarter and $69.0 million for the full year, shown within other income. Source

TDS Telecom and Array results

  • TDS Telecom revenue fell on divestitures: TDS Telecom operating revenues were $260,956 thousand in the quarter, down 1%, and $1,038,358 thousand for 2025, down 2%. Management said the 2025 divestitures affect year-over-year comparisons. Source
  • Array site rental revenue rose 51%: Array site rental revenue was $54,990 thousand in the quarter, against $26,019 thousand a year earlier. For 2025, Array total operating revenues were $162,961 thousand, up 58%. Source
  • Array operating loss narrowed for year: Array reported operating income of $8,597 thousand in the quarter, against an operating loss of $(29,119) thousand a year earlier. The 2025 operating loss was $(92,532) thousand, against $(260,335) thousand. Source
  • Array Adjusted OIBDA was positive in quarter: Array Adjusted OIBDA was $22,219 thousand in the quarter, against $(16,037) thousand a year earlier. For 2025 it was $1,476 thousand, against $(51,099) thousand. Source

“We completed the largest transaction in our history with the sale of our wireless business,”

Walter Carlson, President and CEO

Fiber, connections and customers

  • Fiber net adds rose in quarter: Residential fiber net additions were 15,100 in the fourth quarter, against 13,600 a year earlier. The company reported 44,900 fiber net additions for 2025. Source
  • Expansion fiber grew, cable and copper fell: Expansion fiber connections reached 160,600 at year-end, up from 126,100. Cable fell to 182,800 from 191,500, and incumbent copper to 91,200 from 116,900. Source
  • Connections fell after divestitures: Total connections were 1,079,500 at year-end, against 1,126,300 a year earlier. Management said 2025 divestitures reduced connections by 19,400, including 7,700 residential broadband connections. Source
  • Fiber addresses reached 1.06 million: Marketable fiber service addresses at TDS Telecom were 1.06 million at year-end, as reported in the release. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • TDS Telecom Adjusted OIBDA rose in quarter: TDS Telecom Adjusted OIBDA was $83,726 thousand in the quarter, against $77,194 thousand a year earlier. For 2025 it was $318,893 thousand, against $340,340 thousand. Source
  • Telecom depreciation rose 7% in quarter: Depreciation, amortization and accretion at TDS Telecom was $76,720 thousand in the quarter, up 7%, and $300,196 thousand for 2025, up 11%. Source
  • Telecom recorded a gain on exit costs: TDS Telecom recorded a $17,886 thousand gain on sale of business and other exit costs in the quarter, against $49,108 thousand a year earlier, and $23,121 thousand for 2025. Source
  • Array overhead costs fell: Array selling, general and administrative expenses were $15,381 thousand in the quarter, down 35%, and $84,444 thousand for 2025, down 18%. Array cost of operations rose 13% in the quarter. Source

“These actions strengthened our balance sheet and positioned the company for sustainable growth.”

Walter Carlson, President and CEO

Demand and tenancy at Array

  • Colocations and tenancy rose in quarter: Array colocations reached 4,572 at year-end, up from 4,517 at September 30. The tenancy rate was 1.03, up from 1.02. Source
  • T-Mobile committed site minimum included: Array's colocation count and tenancy rate include a T-Mobile MLA committed site minimum of 2,015. Interim Sites, up to 1,800 under the MLA, are excluded. Source
  • Owned tower count held steady: Array owned 4,450 towers at year-end, against 4,449 at September 30, with the colocation count shown beside it. Source
  • Residential broadband churn rose modestly: Total residential broadband churn was 1.6% in the fourth quarter, against 1.4% a year earlier. Residential fiber churn was 1.2%, against 1.0%. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Free cash flow stayed negative for year: Free cash flow from continuing operations was $(54,178) thousand for 2025, against $(70,917) thousand, after $390,529 thousand of cash capital additions. Source
  • Fourth-quarter share repurchases: The company repurchased 1,765,863 Common Shares for $67.4 million in the fourth quarter. Full-year repurchases of TDS Common Shares totaled $108.1 million. Source
  • Special dividend paid in February: A $10.25 per share special dividend was paid on February 2, 2026. Array dividends paid to noncontrolling public shareholders totaled $358,579 thousand in 2025. Source
  • Debt repaid and cash balance: The company repaid $150 million of Export Development Canada debt in January 2026. Cash and cash equivalents were $765,952 thousand at December 31, 2025, against $363,612 thousand a year earlier. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Array now a standalone tower company: Management described a tower company launched in 2025, now operating as Array, following the 2025 transactions described in the release. Source
  • 2026 focus on fiber and Array: For 2026 the company intends to invest in TDS Telecom's fiber expansion and to support co-location and profitability initiatives at Array. Source
  • Fiber deployment in 2025: The company grew fiber net additions by 44,900 in 2025 and deployed 140,000 new marketable fiber service addresses over the year. Source

Coming up, as management said on 20 February 2026

  • Pending spectrum transactions to close: Management expects to close its pending spectrum transactions, and to pursue further monetization of remaining spectrum. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Total broadband connections Source561,900
Total residential broadband net adds Source4,500
Residential fiber net adds Source15,100
Residential fiber churn Source1.2%
Total residential broadband churn Source1.6%
Residential revenue per connection Source$65.95
TDS Telecom capital expenditures Source$154,904 thousand
Total connections Source1,079,500

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Management said the income tax impact cannot be reasonably predicted, so it does not provide income tax guidance. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The AT&T spectrum sale, described as previously announced in the November release, closed on January 13, 2026. Source
  • Not stated: The November release gave 2025 TDS Telecom estimates; the February release reports actual 2025 results and does not state a comparison.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.