Verizon places customer engagement and brand loyalty at the top of its priority list. Toward that end, Verizon increased its penetration in existing markets and ended the year at 41% for internet and just under 36% for video in 2014.
“The foundation of our continued success is network excellence, which is the hallmark of the Verizon brand,” Fran Shammo, Chief Financial Officer for Verizon, said during Thursday’s fourth-quarter financial results conference call according to Seeking Alpha. “We believe that steady and consistent network and platform investments provide the foundation for innovative products and services, which will fuel profitable growth.”
Strategically, Shammo noted that Verizon’s most notable accomplishment was completing the transaction for full ownership of Verizon Wireless.
“We closed the deal in late February, providing immediate earnings accretion and full access to the cash flows of what we believe is the best Wireless asset in the world,” he said. “Throughout the year, we continued our steady and consistent investment in our networks and platforms, which are critical to driving profitable growth in the future. Our strong cash generation enabled us to invest $17.2 billion of capital and returned value to shareholders through dividend payments, which totaled $7.8 billion for the year.”
As Shammo said, “Our industry is strong and demand is growing with customers using wireless and broadband even more and in different ways than ever 
before. Our competitive position is very strong and we are well-positioned from a strategic standpoint to capitalize on these market trends. In wireless, we had another exceptional year of quality connections, growth, and profitability.”