CHICAGO, May 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ --
As previously announced, TDS will hold a teleconference on May 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. CT. Listen to the call live via the Events & Presentations page of investors.tdsinc.com.
Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (NYSE:TDS) reported first quarter 2026 operating results.
"TDS Telecom and Array entered 2026 with momentum," said Walter Carlson, TDS President and CEO. "Both business units are making meaningful progress toward their strategic objectives. During the quarter, TDS Telecom expanded its marketable fiber service footprint to 1.1 million addresses, while Array continued to optimize its operations and secure healthy application volume."
"As part of our fiber growth strategy, we recently announced the acquisition of Granite State Communications in New Hampshire," continued Carlson. "Located adjacent to our existing operations, Granite State further expands our fiber footprint, adding approximately 11,000 additional fiber service addresses."
Highlights*
TDS Telecom
Executing on fiber broadband strategy
Delivered 40,000 marketable fiber services addresses in Q1 2026
Grew fiber connections, 10,900 residential fiber net additions
TDS Telecom revenues down 3%, reduced by $6 million due to divestitures of non-strategic assets
Expanding fiber footprint
Entered into agreement to acquire Granite State Communications in New Hampshire, 11,000 fiber service addresses; transaction expected to close in the third quarter of 2026
Array
Optimizing tower operations
Site rental revenues grew 92% year over year
Excluding the impact of DISH, continuing to grow tower tenancy and secure healthy application volume
Continuing to close pending sales of wireless spectrum
Closed on sale of certain 700 MHz wireless spectrum licenses for total proceeds of $74.8 million on May 5, 2026
*Comparisons are 1Q'25 to 1Q'26 unless otherwise noted.
TDS reported total operating revenues from continuing operations of $309.5 million for the first quarter of 2026, versus $290.4 million for the same period one year ago. Net income (loss) attributable to TDS common shareholders and diluted earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations were $129.3 million and $1.11, respectively, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $(23.2) million and $(0.20), respectively, in the same period one year ago.
On January 13, 2026, Array closed on the sale of certain 3.45 GHz and 700 MHz wireless spectrum licenses for $1,018.0 million and TDS recorded a book gain of $150.9 million ($114.7 million net of tax expense) during the first quarter of 2026.
Recent Development
On May 7, 2026, TDS delivered to the Array Board of Directors a letter setting forth a non-binding proposal to acquire all of the outstanding Array Common Shares that are not owned by TDS (the "Array Proposal"). A special committee of independent and disinterested directors of the Array Board of Directors has been formed to evaluate this proposal. For additional information on the Array Proposal, see TDS' Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2026.
2026 Estimated Results TDS' current estimates of full-year 2026 results for TDS Telecom and Array are shown below. Such estimates represent management's view as of May 8, 2026 and should not be assumed to be current as of any future date. TDS undertakes no duty to update such estimates, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. There can be no assurance that final results will not differ materially from estimated results.
TDS Telecom
Previous
Current
(Dollars in millions)
Total operating revenues
$1,015-$1,055
Unchanged
Adjusted OIBDA1 (Non-GAAP)
$300-$340
Unchanged
Adjusted EBITDA1 (Non-GAAP)
$310-$350
Unchanged
Capital expenditures
$550-$600
Unchanged
Array
Previous
Current
(Dollars in millions)
Total operating revenues
$200-$215
Unchanged
Adjusted OIBDA1 (Non-GAAP)
$50-$65
Unchanged
Adjusted EBITDA1 (Non-GAAP)
$200-$215
Unchanged
Capital expenditures
$25-$35
Unchanged
The following tables reconcile EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA to the corresponding GAAP measures, Net income or Income before income taxes. In providing 2026 estimated results, TDS has not completed the below reconciliation to Net income because it does not provide guidance for income taxes. Although potentially significant, TDS believes that the impact of income taxes cannot be reasonably predicted; therefore, TDS is unable to provide such guidance.
2026 Estimated Results
TDS
Telecom
Array
(Dollars in millions)
Net income from continuing operations (GAAP)
N/A
N/A
Add back:
Income tax expense
N/A
N/A
Income (loss) before income taxes (GAAP)
($15)-$25
$770-$785
Add back:
Interest expense
—
45
Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense
325
50
EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1
$310-$350
$865-$880
Add back or deduct:
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net
—
(590)
Short-term imputed spectrum lease income
—
(75)
Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1
$310-$350
$200-$215
Deduct:
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities
—
140
Interest and dividend income
5
10
Other, net
5
—
Adjusted OIBDA (Non-GAAP)1
$300-$340
$50-$65
Actual Results
Three Months Ended
March 31, 2026
Year Ended
December 31, 2025
TDS
Telecom
Array
TDS
Telecom
Array
(Dollars in millions)
Net income from continuing operations (GAAP)
$ 1
$ 180
$ 28
$ 172
Add back:
Income tax expense (benefit)
(2)
52
10
(31)
Income (loss) before income taxes (GAAP)
$ (1)
$ 232
$ 38
$ 141
Add back:
Interest expense
—
7
(7)
28
Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense
73
13
300
48
EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1
$ 71
$ 252
$ 331
$ 218
Add back or deduct:
Expenses related to strategic alternatives review
—
—
6
2
Loss on impairment of intangible assets
—
—
1
48
(Gain) loss on asset disposals, net
1
1
15
2
(Gain) loss on sale of business and other exit costs, net
2
—
(23)
—
(Gain) loss on license sales and exchanges, net
—
(157)
—
(6)
Short-term imputed spectrum lease income
—
(34)
—
(69)
Adjusted EBITDA (Non-GAAP)1
$ 74
$ 62
$ 330
$ 194
Deduct:
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities
—
40
—
174
Interest and dividend income
1
4
6
19
Other, net
1
—
5
—
Adjusted OIBDA (Non-GAAP)1
$ 71
$ 18
$ 319
$ 1
Numbers may not foot due to rounding.
1
EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are defined as net income from continuing operations adjusted for the items set forth in the reconciliation above. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are not measures of financial performance under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in the United States (GAAP) and should not be considered as alternatives to Net income or Cash flows from operating activities, as indicators of cash flows or as measures of liquidity. TDS does not intend to imply that any such items set forth in the reconciliation above are infrequent or unusual; such items may occur in the future. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA as measurements of profitability, and therefore reconciliations to Net income are deemed appropriate. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted OIBDA are useful measures of TDS' operating results before significant recurring non-cash charges, nonrecurring expenses, gains and losses, and other items as presented above as they provide additional relevant and useful information to investors and other users of TDS' financial data in evaluating the effectiveness of its operations and underlying business trends in a manner that is consistent with management's evaluation of business performance. Adjusted EBITDA shows adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and accretion, gains and losses, while Adjusted OIBDA reduces this measure further to exclude Equity in earnings of unconsolidated entities and Interest and dividend income in order to more effectively show the performance of operating activities excluding investment activities.
Conference Call Information TDS will hold a conference call on May 8, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. CT.
Access the live call on the Events & Presentations page of investors.tdsinc.com or at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/890846584
Before the call, certain financial and statistical information to be discussed during the call will be posted to investors.tdsinc.com. The call will be archived on the Events & Presentations page of investors.tdsinc.com.
About TDS Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS) provides broadband, video, voice and wireless services through its TDS Telecom business. Array leases tower space to tenants and provides ancillary services, holds noncontrolling interests in primarily wireless operating companies and holds certain wireless spectrum licenses. Founded in 1969, TDS is headquartered in Chicago.
Visit investors.tdsinc.com for comprehensive financial information, including earnings releases, quarterly and annual filings, shareholder information and more.
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: All information set forth in this news release, except historical and factual information, represents forward-looking statements. This includes all statements about the company's plans, beliefs, estimates, and expectations. These statements are based on current estimates, projections, and assumptions, which involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that may affect these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: whether any transaction related to the TDS non-binding proposal delivered to the Array Board of Directors to acquire all of the outstanding Array Common Shares not owned by TDS will be accepted, rejected, consummated, or abandoned; whether any such transaction, if accepted or completed, will result in additional value for TDS or its shareholders and whether the process could result in adverse impacts on TDS' businesses; the manner in which Array's remaining business is conducted; strategic decisions regarding the tower business; whether the additional spectrum license sales to T-Mobile and the previously announced spectrum license sale to Verizon are consummated; whether Array can monetize its remaining spectrum assets; intense competition; economic and business risks associated with fixed rate annual escalators on colocation revenue contracts; Array's reliance on a small number of tenants for a substantial portion of its revenues; the ability to attract people of outstanding talent throughout all levels of the organization; TDS' lack of scale relative to larger competitors; inability to protect TDS' real estate rights, with respect to land leases; changes in demand, consumer preferences and perceptions, price competition, or cost; advances or changes in technology; impacts of costs, integration issues or other factors associated with acquisitions, divestitures or exchanges of properties and/or expansion of TDS' businesses; the ability of the company to successfully construct and manage its networks; difficulties involving third parties with which TDS does business; uncertainties in TDS' future cash flows and liquidity and access to the capital markets; the ability to make payments on TDS and Array indebtedness or comply with the terms of debt covenants; conditions in the U.S. telecommunications industry; the value of assets and investments, including significant investments in wireless operating entities that Array does not control; the state and federal regulatory environment, including changes in regulatory support received and the ability to pass through certain regulatory fees to customers; pending and future litigation; cyber-attacks or other breaches of network or information technology security; control by the TDS Voting Trust; disruption in credit or other financial markets; deterioration of U.S. or global economic conditions; and extreme weather events. Investors are encouraged to consider these and other risks and uncertainties that are more fully described under "Risk Factors" in the most recent filing of TDS' Form 10-K, as updated by any TDS Form 10-Q filed subsequent to such Form 10-K.
For more information about TDS and its subsidiaries, visit: TDS: www.tdsinc.com TDS Telecom: www.tdstelecom.comArray: investors.arrayinc.com
TDS Telecom
Summary Operating Data (Unaudited)
As of or for the Quarter Ended
3/31/2026
12/31/2025
9/30/2025
6/30/2025
3/31/2025
Residential connections
Broadband
Incumbent Fiber
130,200
127,300
123,500
121,200
119,700
Incumbent Copper
84,200
91,200
102,000
106,500
112,600
Expansion Fiber
168,500
160,600
150,700
141,800
133,200
Cable
179,100
182,800
186,100
188,200
190,200
Total Broadband
561,900
561,900
562,400
557,700
555,800
Video
107,200
111,500
114,300
116,500
118,700
Voice
216,900
228,900
242,200
248,700
256,900
Wireless
5,300
3,300
2,200
1,600
900
Total Residential connections
891,400
905,600
921,100
924,500
932,300
Commercial connections
166,500
173,900
180,300
184,300
187,600
Total connections1
1,058,000
1,079,500
1,101,300
1,108,800
1,119,900
Total residential fiber net adds
10,900
15,100
11,200
10,300
8,300
Total residential broadband net adds
100
4,500
4,600
3,900
2,800
Residential fiber churn2
1.3 %
1.2 %
1.5 %
1.1 %
0.9 %
Total residential broadband churn
1.8 %
1.6 %
1.7 %
1.5 %
1.3 %
Residential revenue per connection3
$ 66.41
