Sprint Corp. has touted adding new wireless connections for six straight quarters. What it didn’t say until now is that many of those gains were free lines or existing customers that switched services, the Wall Street Journal reported. With its proposed merger with T-Mobile US Inc. under pressure, the wireless carrier told regulators this week that its performance isn’t as strong as it appears and it will struggle to operate as a stand-alone company. The recent gains in so-called postpaid connections — a closely watched measure of monthly accounts not paid in advance — were driven by free lines given to existing Sprint customers, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing dated Monday. The tally also includes tablet connections and customers switching their phones from Sprint’s prepaid services.
