Trading places: AT&T, Verizon, and the battle for the middle market

AT&T and Verizon are both trying to grow beyond their traditional large-enterprise base and win more business from mid-sized companies, but new data shows mixed results.

According to Recon Analytics research on US business customers, AT&T now leads among mid-sized firms that spend more on connectivity, while Verizon holds a stronger position in the broader small-business segment. Both carriers are pushing managed services, security, and cloud connectivity to deepen relationships and reduce churn, yet customers still report uneven experiences across sales, onboarding, and support. The study suggests neither operator has locked up the middle market, and both will need to improve basic service delivery, not just add new products, if they want to pull customers away from rivals.