Verizon Communications posted a smaller quarterly profit on Monday but revenue rose due to wireless subscriber growth and its purchase earlier this year of rural wireless operator Alltel.

Its profit fell to $3.16 billion, or 52 cents per share, compared with a profit of $3.4 billion, or 66 cents a share, in the same quarter a year earlier.

Revenue rose to $26.86 billion from $24.1 billion and compared with analysts' average estimate of $26.846 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

On Friday Verizon, the biggest U.S. mobile service, said it added 1.1 million wireless subscribers in the quarter. Its biggest rival AT&T Inc said last week that it added 1.4 million net new customers.

Share were flat at $31.50 in premarket trading after an early 1.3-percent rally.

(Reporting by Sinead Carew; Editing by Derek Caney)

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