AT&T Inc, the largest provider of both local and long distance telephone services, wireless service, and DSL Internet access in the United States, announced on Tuesday it recorded an increase in its quarterly profit and the main factor that contributed to it was the company’s strong growth in the wireless business.

The San Antonio, Texas-based phone company said it reported a first-quarter profit of $3.46 billion or 57 cents per share, a significant increase from $2.85 billion or 45 cents a share in the same quarter a year earlier.

According to the profit report released on Tuesday, AT&T, the exclusive U.S. carrier for Apple Inc's iPhone, posted a revenue increase of 6.1 percent to $30.7 billion.

Excluding items, such as the costs linked to the merger and severance charges for recently-announced layoffs, United States largest phone company’s stock grew 74 cents per share, up from 65 cents a share earning during the same quarter of the past fiscal year. The increase matched the average Wall Street estimate as compiled by Reuters Estimates.

AT&T also said it added 1.3 million net wireless subscribers during the past quarter up 8.7%, including 705,000 new postpaid subscribers. Earnings at the company’s wireless unit nearly
doubled to $2.9 billion, while revenue climbed 18%.

At the end of the quarter, AT&T had 71.4 million subscribers.

The average revenue per user, a very important measure in the telecom industry, climbed 2% to $50.18, the company said.

“Revenue growth continues to ramp, we have good momentum across key growth areas, major cost initiatives are on track, and our operational results reinforce the confidence we have in our outlook,” the company’s chief executive, Randall Stephenson, said.