Looking ahead: Top questions for new CEOs at T-Mobile and Verizon

T-Mobile and Verizon will both have new leaders in 2026, and the industry is already weighing what that means for US telecom. Incoming T-Mobile CEO Srini Gopalan and Verizon CEO Dan Schulman inherit mature 5G networks, slowing subscriber growth and rising cost pressure. Their choices on network investment, pricing, and customer support will set the tone for the next phase of competition.

Key unknowns include how aggressively they will spend on network upgrades, whether they will push new bundles or keep trimming costs, and how they will treat customer service after years of cutbacks and automation. Their responses will shape not only how these two companies compete with each other, but also how much room smaller rivals and cable operators have to grow in the US wireless market.