Mid-2021 U.S. Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD

Lumen retains #1 rank; COVID continues to stifle growth of Ethernet services

BOSTON, MA, September 2, 2021 – Vertical Systems Group announces that the following seven companies achieved a position on the Mid-2021 U.S. Carrier Ethernet Services LEADERBOARD (in rank order based on retail port share as of June 30, 2021): Lumen, AT&T, Spectrum Enterprise, Verizon, Comcast, Cox and Windstream. To qualify for a rank on this LEADERBOARD, network providers must have a share of four percent (4%) or more of the U.S. retail Ethernet services market.

Five network providers attained a Mid-2021 Challenge Tier citation (in alphabetical order): Altice USA, Cogent, Frontier, GTT and Zayo. The Challenge Tier includes providers with between 1% and 4% share of the U.S. retail Ethernet services market.

“Protracted effects of the pandemic throughout the U.S. continue to suppress expansion of Ethernet service installations. Commercial building workforce levels – a primary driver for bandwidth – remain lower than normal,” said Rick Malone, principal of Vertical Systems Group. “We continue to see strength in demand for Ethernet DIA and Ethernet-based wavelength services. Conversely, the shift to hybrid SD-WAN solutions is negatively impacting switched metro Ethernet and Ethernet access to MPLS services.”

U.S. Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD Mid-2021

Mid-2021 U.S. Ethernet Services Research Highlights

  • Lumen (formerly CenturyLink) has held first position on the U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD since year-end 2017, subsequent to the merger of CenturyLink and Level 3.
  • Cox advances to sixth position on the Mid-2021 U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD ahead of Windstream, which moves to seventh position.
  • Comcast had the highest port share growth in the first half of the year across all companies on the Mid-Year 2021 U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD.
  • The number of Challenge Tier companies drops to five from six as T-Mobile (includes Sprint) moves into the Market Player tier.
  • Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) continues to be the top performing Ethernet service. Customer demand for Ethernet DIA is driven by requirements for secure, high speed dedicated connectivity to data centers and cloud-based services, as well as for SD-WAN underlays.
  • Growth of the substantial U.S. base of E-Access to VPN services is waning as customers migrate from MPLS to SD-WAN. E-Access to VPN offerings provide connectivity to private IP/MPLS VPNs, gateways to SD-WAN services and Hybrid WANs.
  • Lumen and Verizon are the only U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD-ranked service providers with MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet certification to date.

The Market Player tier includes all providers with port share below 1%. Companies in the Market Player tier include the following providers (in alphabetical order): ACD.net, AireSpring, Alaska Communications, American Telesis, Armstrong Business Solutions, Atlantic Broadband, bSimplify, BT Global Services, Centracom, Cincinnati Bell, Consolidated Communications, Crown Castle Fiber, CTS Telecom, Douglas Fast Net, DQE Communications, ExteNet Systems, Fatbeam, FiberLight, FirstLight, Fusion Connect, Global Cloud Xchange, Great Plains Communications, Hunter Communications, Logix Fiber Networks, FirstComm, LS Networks, Masergy, MetTel, Midco, Momentum Telecom, NTT, Orange Business, Pilot Fiber, PS Lightwave, RCN Business, Segra, Shentel Business, Silver Star Telecom, Sparklight Business, Syringa, T-Mobile, Tata, TDS Telecom, Telstra, TPx, Transtelco, Unite Private Networks, US Signal, Veracity, Wave Broadband, WOW!Business, Ziply Fiber and other companies selling retail Ethernet services in the U.S. market.

Market shares for this LEADERBOARD are based on the number of billable retail Ethernet customer ports installed in the U.S. at mid-year 2021. Vertical Systems Group’s Ethernet port share analysis includes six service segments based on what network providers are offering and enterprise customers are purchasing as follows: Ethernet DIA (Dedicated Internet Access), E-Access to IP/MPLS VPN, Ethernet Private Lines, Ethernet Virtual Private Lines, Metro LAN, and WAN VPLS.

@Ethernet is available now exclusively by subscription to an ENS Research Program. Research data includes the market share detail that powers the U.S. and Global Provider Carrier Ethernet Services LEADERBOARD results. Contact us for more information and pricing.