CenturyLink, Spectrum Enterprise, Cogent Top Latest Ethernet Rankings

CenturyLink‘s acquisition of Level 3 Communications allowed the company to power its way to the top of Vertical Systems Group’s (VSG) year-end 2017 U.S. Incumbent Carrier Ethernet Leaderboard.

AT&T is in the No. 2 slot, followed by Verizon, Windstream and Frontier Communications. The leaderboard ranks incumbent telcos in order based on U.S. retail Ethernet port share. VSG calls this an industry benchmark for measuring Ethernet market presence.

Thanks to the Level 3 acquisition, CenturyLink moved up from the third position in the previous year, pushing AT&T from the top spot to No. 2. Frontier gained the fifth position for its initial entry into the incumbent carrier ranking.

Other incumbents selling retail Ethernet services in the U.S. market include Alaska Communications, Cincinnati Bell, Hawaiian Telecom and TDS Telecom.

CenturyLink also took the top spot on the year-end 2017 U.S. Carrier Ethernet Services Leaderboard, which included all top Ethernet providers.

Spectrum Enterprise topped the year-end 2017 U.S. Cable Multiple-System Operator (MSO) Ethernet Leaderboard, which ranks MSOs in order based on U.S. retail Ethernet port share.

In the No. 2 slot is Comcast, followed by Cox and Altice USA. Spectrum Enterprise’s success was driven by strong growth in fiber-based Ethernet connections.

Leading cable MSOs have made strategic commitments to deep fiber build-outs, aggressive service pricing, and market expansion to include midmarket and national enterprises, VSG said.

Spectrum Enterprise is the top cable MSO on the U.S. Fiber Lit Buildings Leaderboard, while Comcast had the highest organic growth rate of companies across all of VSG’s 2017 U.S. carrier Ethernet rankings.

The cable MSO segment also includes such companies as Cable One Business, RCN Business and WOW! Business.

Cogent moves to the top of the year-end 2017 U.S. Competitive Provider Ethernet Leaderboard. The company moved up due to the exits of Level 3, after the CenturyLink acquisition, and XO Communications, after Verizon’s purchase of XO’s fiber-optic network business. Level 3 and XO previously held the top two spots.

Zayo moves up to second from fourth and Sprint moves up to fourth from fifth. GTT attains the third position for its initial entry.

Hundreds of CLECs, local and regional providers, global and specialized carriers that operate fiber-based networks or utilize third-party network facilities compete in the U.S. Ethernet services market.

The competitive-provider segment also includes such companies as Birch Communications, Crowne Castle Fiber, Masergy, MegaPath and TPx Communications.