TDS Sees Small Rise in First Quarter Broadband Subscriptions

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2025 – TDS Telecom said in an earnings call Friday that it added almost 3,000 broadband subscribers in the first quarter. The company attributed its slow growth to harsh weather conditions.

TDS, an internet service provider serving 35 states, reported in its Friday earnings call that it added 2,800 broadband subscribers in the first quarter, up from only 300 net adds in the previous quarter. The company gained 8,300 subscribers from fiber markets, but lost 5,500 who were subscribed to DSL and cable technologies.

TDS, based in Madison, Wis., serves about 555,800 broadband subscribers. The company set an ambitious goal of passing 154,000 additional addresses with fiber in 2025, an objective they did not quite keep pace with. TDS reported passing 14,000 new locations with fiber during the first quarter.

“The addresses that we launched this quarter, 14,000, were significantly lower than prior quarters,” TDS CFO and Vice President of Finance Kristina Bothfeld said. “Our expansion markets are primarily in Wisconsin and the Pacific Northwest, and therefore are impacted by seasonality. Now that we have moved beyond the winter months, we expect construction activity and address delivery to accelerate.”