Share rankings shift for Verizon, Colt and AT&T as a result of tightening competition in the global Carrier Ethernet segment

BOSTON, MA, September 3, 2015 – Vertical Systems Group’s Mid-Year 2015 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD results are as follows (in rank order based on retail port share): Orange Business (France), BT Global Services (U.K.), Colt (U.K.), AT&T (U.S.), Verizon (U.S.), Level 3 (U.S.) and NTT (Japan). The industry’s benchmark for multinational Ethernet network market presence, the Global Provider LEADERBOARD ranks companies that hold a 4% or higher share of billable retail ports at sites outside of their respective home countries.

Competition in the Global Provider segment tightened in the first half of 2015, with LEADERBOARD rankings shifting for three companies. Verizon dropped to fifth position from a rank of third overall at the end of 2014. Colt moved into third position from fourth in 2014, while AT&T moved up to fourth from fifth position.

The Challenge Tier of Global Providers includes companies with share between 2% and 4% of this defined market. Seven companies qualify for the Mid-2015 Challenge Tier (in alphabetical order): Cogent (U.S.), Global Cloud Xchange (India), SingTel (Singapore), T-Systems (Germany), Tata Communications (India), Telefonica Worldwide (Spain) and Vodafone (U.K.).

“Amid the backdrop of global economic uncertainty, solid growth in Ethernet deployments was sustained throughout the world in the first half of 2015,” said Rick Malone, principal at Vertical Systems Group. “Because Carrier Ethernet is considered a strategic technology and cost saving measure by most global enterprises, we don’t forecast a significant drop off in deployments in the second half of the year even if economic conditions remain sluggish.”

The Market Player tier includes all Global Providers with port share below 2%. Companies in the Mid-2015 Market Player tier are as follows (Note – in alphabetical order): Bell Canada (Canada), Bezeq (Israel), CAT Telecom (Thailand), CenturyLink (U.S.), China Telecom (China), China Unicom (China), Chunghwa Telecom (Taiwan), Easynet Global Services (U.K.), Eircom (Ireland), Embratel (Brazil), euNetworks (U.K.), Exponential-e (U.K.), Globe (Philippines), GlobeNet (Brazil), GTT (U.S.), Hutchinson Global (Hong Kong), Indosat (Indonesia), Interoute (U.K.), KDDI (Japan), Korea Telecom (Korea), KPN International (Netherlands), Liberty Global (Netherlands), Masergy (U.S.), PCCW Global (Hong Kong), PLDT (Philippines), Rogers (Canada), Rostelecom (Russia), Softbank Telecom (Japan), Sparkle (Italy), StarHub (Singapore), Symphony (Thailand), TDC (Denmark), Telecom Italia (Italy), Telecom New Zealand (New Zealand), Telekom Malaysia (Malaysia), Telenor (Norway), TeliaSonera (Sweden), Telin (Singapore), TelkomSouth Africa (South Africa), TelMex (Mexico), Telstra (Australia), Vector (New Zealand), Virgin Media Business (U.K.), XO (U.S.), Zayo Group (U.S.), and other providers selling Ethernet services outside their home country.

MEF CE 2.0 certification has become particularly significant to facilitate Ethernet deployments across multiple service networks. As of mid-2015, the following Global Provider companies offer Ethernet services that have received MEF CE 2.0 certification:

• Four of the seven Global Provider LEADERBOARD companies: Colt, AT&T, Verizon and Level 3.
• Two of the seven Challenge Tier companies: SingTel and Vodafone.
• Twelve Market Player companies: China Telecom, Globe, Indosat, Interoute, Liberty Global, PCCW Global, PLDT, Sparkle, Telecom Italia, TeliaSonera, Telin and Telstra.

Detailed Ethernet share results plus in-depth share analysis are available now exclusively through Vertical Systems Group’s ENS (Emerging Networks Service) Research Programs.