Continued growth in T-Mobile USA’s prepaid subscriber base helped the operator achieve a net addition of 3,000 ‘branded’ subscribers during the three months ended 31 March.

It’s an impressive turnaround given that T-Mobile – the smallest of the four nationwide carriers in the US – registered a 349,000 overall net loss to its branded customer base (which excludes M2M and MVNO customers) during the previous quarter.

Quarter-on-quarter, T-Mobile reports a 22 per cent net increase in branded prepaid customers, to 202,000.

T-Mobile continues to bleed higher spending contract customers, but there are signs the haemorrhaging is being staunched. Net losses to the post-paid customer base were 199,000 during the latest quarter. That compares favourably with net losses of 515,000 (the previous quarter) and 510,000 (the three months ended 31 March 2012).

However, primarily due to an increase in MVNO customers, T-Mobile was able to boast an overall boost of 579,000 to its customer base, to 34 million, during the quarter.

T-Mobile released the preliminary view of Q1 2013 customer results only days after John Legere, chief executive, announced the operator had scrapped annual network contracts and replaced them with what he believes are much simpler monthly tariffs.

Apple’s iPhone 5 is also to become available in T-Mobile stores from 12 April.

Legere also has ambitions to roll out 2x20MHz LTE in 2014 and 2015, as opposed to the 2x10MHz being rolled out now. However, that will depend on whether or not T-Mobile can pool its spectrum with smaller rival MetroPCS.

Two proxy advisors recommended last week that MetroPCS shareholders should vote against a proposed merger with T-Mobile at a special meeting held on 12 April.

The proposed debt load of $21 billion is reportedly the biggest gripe that MetroPCS shareholders have with the deal, according to analysts.