The narrative surrounding the trade war instigated by the Trump administration’s tariffs is still unfolding.
While President Trump’s import tariff overhaul could have a seismic impact on service providers, it will be US consumers themselves who feel the lion’s share of near-term pain. Addressing that pain point will be a key go-to-market concern. As consumer cost concerns rise, US telco service providers are doubling down on price assurances in customer-facing messaging.
Verizon proactively instituted a three-year price guarantee on its myPlan mobile and myHome internet offerings, joining competitors such as T-Mobile and AT&T in offering spend certainty to the US consumer market.
Assurance will be key
Charles Garret, a Principal Analyst at GlobalData, noted that ‘assurance’ will be a key theme in the US consumer services sector in 2025.
“Verizon has recently revised its policies and messaging to concentrate more on maintaining price points and enhancing the perceived value of its services, which includes cost assurance. Given the current economic climate and the intensified scrutiny on household finances, Verizon’s strategy is particularly astute. This approach also stands in favourable contrast to T-Mobile’s diluted ‘Price Lock’ for mobile services and the tendency among cable competitors to implement price hikes after the first year of promotional rates.”
As providers lock rates on current plans, it is likely that adjustments to pricing on legacy plans will occur, especially if tariffs persist beyond their use as a mere bargaining tool.
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However; it is important to note that these adjustments are part of the typical annual pricing strategy of service providers. Furthermore, where major wireless operators have already initiated legacy plan price increases in the early months of 2025, this could be seen as a strategic move in anticipation of the tariff announcement. Such foresight may enable them to delay further pricing actions that might otherwise increase the likelihood of customer turnover.
Cost and service assurance will continue to gain prominence in US consumer service operators’ competitive positioning over the course of 2025, as consumer cost concerns invite operators to introduce increasing amounts of price assurance on the service side. Any operator that hasn’t put some muscle behind its assurance messaging should do so forthwith, keeping in mind that assurance can mean extra transparency.
