Telecom companies such as Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile are among the top dividend payers in the U.S. Earlier this month, AT&T said it plans to return more than $40 billion to shareholders over the next three years through dividends and share repurchases. T-Mobile's latest shareholder return program is in addition to the $19 billion announced in September 2023, running through Dec. 31 this year.