The benchmark is for multinational Ethernet network companies that have a 4% or higher share of retail ports at sites outside of their respective home countries, and ranks the companies based on its market presence in this area. The rank in order is a follows: Orange Business Services, AT&T, Colt, CenturyLink, BT Global Services, Verizon and NTT.
"With very slim margins separating the leading global service providers, Orange remains in first position, AT&T advances to second, and CenturyLink makes its debut," said Rick Malone, principal at Vertical Systems Group. "To serve this specialized global market, key providers are increasing deployments of higher speed Ethernet connectivity to MPLS, VPLS and cloud services, while transitioning customers to more dynamic, advanced SDN-based hybrid WAN and SD-WAN offerings."
In comparison to last year, Orange Business Group retains its top position on the leaderboard, whereas AT&T moves up to second displacing Colt from its former spot and shifting it down to third. CenturyLink is new on the list at fourth, owing to its recent acquisition of Level 3 Communications. In mid-2017 Level 3 was ranked fourth on the global provider leaderboard and CenturyLink was in the market player tier.
The challenge tier of global providers ranks companies with a share of between 2-4% of the market. Seven companies are included in the 2017, which in alphabetical order are: Cogent, Global Cloud Xchange, SingTel, T-Systems, Tata Communications, Telefonica Worldwide and Vodafone. Of the seven Global Cloud Xchange is the only new entrant to the challenge tier moving up from the market player tier.
Lastly there’s the market player tier which includes all global Ethernet providers with port share below of 2%. The companies named in the year-end 2017 market player tier, a in alphabetical order are: Bell, Bezeq, CAT Telecom, China Telecom, Chunghwa Telecom, Eir, Embratel, euNetworks, Exponential-e, Globe, GlobeNet, GTT, HGC Global, Indosat, Interoute, KDDI, Korea Telecom, KPN, Liberty Global, Masergy, PCCW Global, PLDT Global, Rogers, Rostelecom, Spark, Sparkle, Sprint, StarHub, TDC, Telekom Malaysia, Telia, Telin, Telkom South Africa, TelMex, Telstra, Vector, Virgin Media Business, Zayo as well as other providers selling Ethernet services outside their home country.
AT&T, Colt, CenturyLink, Verizon are the only companies listed on the global provider Ethernet leaderboard to hold MEF CE 2.0 certification. In the challenge tier SingTel, T-Systems, Tata, Telefonica and Vodafone also hold this certification.
