Colt has secured the top rank as the top global Ethernet provider, surpassing Orange Business on Vertical Systems Group’s (VSG) year-end 2023 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD.
The service provider ascended to the #1 position on the 2023 Global Ethernet LEADERBOARD for the first time, up from second place last year. The assets acquired from Lumen were one key element helping the company expand its Ethernet services reach across the EMEA region.
Colt was joined by six other companies that attained a rank on the year-end 2023 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD (in order based on retail port share): Orange Business (France), Verizon (U.S.), AT&T (U.S.), BT Global (U.K.), NTT (Japan), and Cirion (Argentina).
Colt’s acquisition of Lumen’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) assets—which brought Colt 2,700 customers, including blue-chip corporations, leading enterprises, and public-sector customers—saw it expand the reach of its services via PoPs (Points of Presence) in Dubai, Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Kenya, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, and Turkey.
Rick Malone, Principal of Vertical Systems Group, said, “Colt ascended to the top rank in our Global Provider segment following key acquisitions and market growth beyond its Pan-European base.”
Provider shifts
As Colt ascended to the top position on the Global LEADERBOARD, Orange Business slipped to the #2 position after holding the first ranking for the previous two years.
VSG noted that service transformations and customer migration have impacted Orange’s Ethernet business.
Verizon and AT&T retain the #3 and #4 ranks, respectively. The latest port share results show a slim differential between these providers.
A notable addition to the LEADERBOARD was Cirion, which moved into the #7 and final position on the Global Ethernet LEADERBOARD, advancing from the Challenge Tier. The company acquired Lumen’s LATAM assets in 2022.
Eight companies attained a 2023 Challenge Tier citation (in alphabetical order): Cogent (U.S.), GCX [formerly Global Cloud Xchange] (India), GTT (U.S.), SingTel (Singapore), T-Systems (Germany), Tata Communications (India), Telefonica (Spain), and Vodafone (U.K.). The Challenge Tier includes companies with a share between 2% and 4% of this defined market.
Global growth
On a global basis, VSG found that growth for Ethernet provider ports was low in 2023.
The research firm said this was offset by customer upgrades to gigabit-speed Ethernet services to support cloud connectivity, AI workloads, plus other higher bandwidth applications.
“The geographic expansion of the Global Ethernet market continued in 2023, while several key domestic markets flattened,” Malone said.
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