Communication has always been a key factor for any business, whether it’s just to get your message out or to sell your products and services. Some of the largest telecommunications companies in the world have established their dominance over decades, but a couple of others have been able to accumulate billions of dollars in revenue, even though they have only been around for a short while.
There are several reasons why communication companies are important. From making it easy to pass crucial information across to others in real-time seamlessly to employing many people.
But what is the largest telecommunications company in the world? In this article, we will take a look at 10 of the largest communications companies in the world, what they do that makes them appealing to their users, and every other important fact about them.
#10. KDDI Corporation – $36.83 billion
KDDI Corporation is a Japanese telecommunications company formed in 2000 after DDI (Daini Denden Inc.), KDD (Kokusai Denshin Denwa) Corp, and IDO Corp merged. The company has its headquarters in Tokyo.
KDDI provides cellular services, data center services, cloud services, and security to businesses. It operates in Japan and several countries around the world. It provides services for both private individuals and businesses.
The company has more than 44,000 employees and is owned by Kyocera and Toyota. In 2020, KDDI generated total revenue of $36.83 billion, making it one of the largest communications companies in the world. In 2019, Forbes rated KDDI as the 21st top digital company in the world.
#9. Telefonica SA – $38.39 billion
Telefonica, S.A. is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. It is a Spanish telecom company with its headquarters in Madrid, Spain. Telefonica was founded in 1924 and has since established its position as a major telecom company.
It provides internet services and cellular services, including 5G technology, telephone services, and digital television to customers across Europe and the rest of the world. In 2021, Telefonica recorded a massive revenue of $38.39 billion. Its total assets worth €109.2 billion in 2021 also established its position as one of the largest telecom companies in the world.
Telefonica has several subsidiaries, including o2 Germany, Vivo, Telxius, and Movistar. As of 2021, Telefonica has more than 100,000 employees around the world.
Telefonica is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and is a 100% listed company. Telefonica has more than 1.5 million direct shareholders. Five of Telefonica’s major shareholders include BlackRock (6.702%), Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (6.072%), CaixaBank (5.251%), and Norges Bank (1.355%).
#8. Orange S.A. – $41.64 billion
Orange was formerly known as France Telecom S.A. The company has its headquarters in Paris, France. Orange is the tenth-largest telecommunications company in the world. It currently has more than 266 million users in the world.
Orange is a major European telecom powerhouse due to its large number of users and annual revenue. Orange offers a lot of services, including mobile phone service, landline, broadband, internet, and IPTV. Apart from being a communications giant, Orange also offers banking services.
According to Orange’s consolidated financial statements for 2021, the company realized an estimated revenue of $41.64 billion, establishing its position as a major European communications powerhouse. The French state and public investors own Orange. The French state currently owns 23% of Orange, while investors own the remaining 77%.
Orange currently has more than 130,000 employees and several subsidiaries. Some of Orange’s major subsidiaries include Orange Marine, Sonatel, Deezer, Orange Labs, Wanadoo, and Globecast.
Orange has also been involved in several humanitarian actions ever since the Orange Foundation (formerly known as the France Telecom Foundation) was founded in 1987. They have been involved in 400 yearly projects ever since its creation. Some of their projects include helping people dealing with autism, providing education for girls in developing countries, and supporting music.
#7. Vodafone – $42.91 billion
Vodafone is a British telecommunications company that was founded in 1991, with its headquarters in Newbury, England. The company currently operates across Europe and the rest of the world.
Vodafone provides services such as IPTV, IoT, internet, mobile money transfer, mobile, and telephone. In 2021, Vodafone’s revenue was around $42.91 billion. Apart from its massive revenue, Vodafone also has more than 95,000 employees across the world.
The company has several subsidiaries across the world, including Vodafone UK, KKTC Teslim, Unitymedia, and UPC. It has a primary listing on the London Stock Exchange and a secondary listing on NASDAQ.
#6. China Telecommunications Corporation – $53.24 billion
China Telecommunications Corporation is one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world. The company was founded in 1995 and is currently the largest fixed-line and third-largest mobile telecom company in China. It is a 100% Chinese state-owned company and offers services across China and the Philippines. The company has two headquarters located in Beijing and Shanghai.
China Telecommunications Corporation has several subsidiaries, including China Telecom and China Communications Services. China Telecommunications Corporation currently serves more than 215 million mobile customers across China. The company provides its services to individuals, government parastatals, and businesses. Some of its services include mobile services, fixed-line, IPTV, data transmission, and public security networks.
In 2019, China Telecommunications Corporation generated a revenue of over $53.24 billion, securing its status as one of the largest telecommunications companies in the world.
#5. Nippon Telegraph & Telephone (NTT) – $82.71 billion
The Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Company is a Japanese telecommunications company. It has its headquarters in Tokyo, Japan. It is the fourth-largest telecommunications company in the world based on revenue. As of 2022, NTT is the third largest publicly traded Japanese company.
The company offers IT services, fixed-line telephone services, mobile phone services, broadband, cable television, and internet television to its users. In 2021, the company generated a profit of over $82.71 billion. NTT currently has a market cap of $96.8 billion.
NTT currently has more than 300,000 employees and has several subsidiaries, including NTT Data, NTT Docomo, NTT Research, NTT Urban Development, NTT East, and NTT West.
#4. Deutsche Telekom – $102 billion
Deutsche Telekom is a German telecommunications company formed in 1995. The company has its headquarters in Bonn, Germany. In 2020, it recorded a revenue of $102 billion, making it the biggest telecommunications company in Europe in terms of revenue.
The German telecommunications company provides services such as mobile and fixed-line telephony, broadband, digital television, and IT services. 31.9% of Deutsche Telekom is owned by the Federal Republic of Germany (14.5% directly and 17.4% through the government bank KfW), while the remaining 68.1% is owned by investors.
In terms of employees, Deutsche Telekom, with over 226,000 employees, is one of the biggest in the world. Deutsche Telekom has several subsidiaries across the world, including T-Systems International GmbH, Magneta Telekom Austria, T-Mobile Czech Republic, and Slovak Telekom.
#3. China Mobile – $105.67 billion
China Mobile is a large Chinese telecommunications company. It is the largest wireless carrier in China, with more than 945 million subscribers as of 2021.
The company was founded in 1997 and provides services such as internet television, digital television, broadband internet, mobile telephony, and fixed-line telephony. Its revenue in 2019 was over $105.67 billion.
China Mobile currently has more than 456,000 employees. It also has subsidiaries such as CMHK, Zong, and CMLink. The company is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is currently the world’s largest mobile network based on subscribers.
#2. Verizon Communications – $133.61 billion
Verizon is an American telecommunications company. It has its headquarters in New York City, USA. It offers services such as cable television, internet, mobile phone, internet, telematics, IPTV, and landline.
In 2021, Verizon recorded a massive revenue of $133.61 billion. Its total assets of over $366.60 billion make it one of the largest communications companies in the USA and across the world in general.
Verizon Communications has two major divisions — Verizon Consumer and Verizon Business. It also has several subsidiaries, including BlueJeans, Visible, and TracFone Wireless. In Q4, 2020, Verizon was the largest wireless carrier in the US, with 120.9 million subscribers.
Apart from its prowess in the telecommunications industry, Verizon is a leading philanthropic organization. The company donates about $70 million every year to nonprofit organizations to make positive changes in the world. Some of their philanthropic efforts are aimed at energy management, education, and domestic violence.
#1. AT&T – $168.86 billion
AT&T is an American company. Its headquarters is in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world’s largest telecommunications company in terms of revenue and currently ranks as the third largest provider of mobile phone services in the US, with 101.8 million subscribers as of Q2, 2022.
In 2021, AT&T generated over $168.86 billion and currently has more than 200,000 employees. It has three major divisions — AT&T Communications, AT&T Corporation, and AT&T Mexico.
With its massive revenue of $168.86 billion in 2021, AT&T was ranked 13th on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest US corporations.
AT&T provides services such as internet, mobile phones, fixed-line telephones, satellite television, data services, cloud services, and security and managed network services.
Summary of the 10 Largest Telecommunications Companies in the World
| Rank | Company |
|---|---|
| 1 | AT&T – $168.86 billion |
| 2 | Verizon – $133.61 billion |
| 3 | China Mobile – $105.67 billion |
| 4 | Deutsche Telekom – $102 billion |
| 5 | NTT – $82.71 billion |
| 6 | China Telecommunications Corporation – $53.24 billion |
| 7 | Vodafone – $42.91 billion |
| 8 | Orange – $41.64 billion |
| 9 | Telefonica – $38.39 billion |
| 10 | KDDI Corporation – $36.83 billion |
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