BELLEVUE (dpa-AFX) - Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Mobile US reported a surprisingly strong increase in the number of its contract customers in the fourth quarter. In net terms, this rose by 1.82 million, the company announced early Wednesday evening (local time) in Bellevue. For the full year, it added 6.4 million contract customers.

In after-hours trading, shares of T-Mobile rose one and a half percent in an initial reaction./he