AT&T and Verizon Communications still lead market share for carrier Ethernet, despite the ramped-up activities of competitive providers.
Vertical Systems Group has launched its U.S. Carrier Ethernet Leaderboard results for mid-year 2014, and based on retail ports, the two incumbents lead the pack. The other providers with four percent or more of billable port installations then rank as follows: tw telecom, CenturyLink, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Cox, Level 3 and XO.
The next, or Challenge Tier, includes all providers with between 1 and 4 percent share of the U.S. retail Ethernet market. The following seven companies attained a position in the mid-2014 Challenge Tier (in alphabetical order): Charter, Cogent, Integra, Lightpath, MegaPath Windstream and Zayo.
“Now beyond the hockey stick ramp stage, the U.S. Ethernet services market has entered a very healthy growth period,” said Rick Malone, principal at Vertical Systems Group. “During the first half of 2014, more new Ethernet customer ports were installed than during any previous corresponding period. Customers shopping for Ethernet services have a broader choice of companies with substantial Ethernet assets, including the 16 providers on the mid-2014 Leaderboard and Challenge Tier rosters.”
The research firm also said that a shake-up of the Leaderboard may be ahead, pending the outcome of merger activity for four of the top nine providers. In February, Comcast announced its intent to acquire Time Warner Cable; and in June, Level 3 announced an agreement to acquire tw telecom. Regulatory hurdles must still be cleared however.
Companies with Ethernet port share below 1% are in the Market Player tier. The Market Player tier includes the following providers selling retail Ethernet services in the U.S. market (in alphabetical order): Alpheus Communications, American Telesis, Bright House Networks, BT Global Services, Cincinnati Bell, Consolidated Communications, Earthlink Business, Expedient, FairPoint Communications, FiberLight, Fibertech, Frontier, Hawaiian Telecom, Lightower, LS Networks, Lumos Networks, Masergy, NTT America, Orange Business, RCN Business, Reliance Globalcom, Sprint, SuddenLink, Tata, TDS Telecom, TelePacific, US Signal, WOW!Business and other companies.
