May 10, 2006 Manchester, NH -- The market intelligence firm Renesys reports that Sprint, Level 3, and MCI WorldCom are the leaders in a current ranking of the world's fastest growing Internet service providers.
A product of the firm's market intelligence service, the Renesys "Customer Growth Index" identifies and ranks carriers in North America, Europe, and Asia as a function of change in transit presence over one month for each geographic market.
The firm says that, as an objective measurement, the survey tracks the change of the carriers' customer base index as reported on March 31, 2006. According to the firm, market breakdowns of each provider are also examined in order to fully understand the sources of growth that are driving the competitive expansion of global Internet service providers.
Among the firm's findings:
-- Sprint was the fastest growing transit provider to European and South American autonomous systems in Q1 2006; the carrier also showed "good growth" in Asia, but was "flat" in North America.
-- Level 3 was the second-fastest growing transit provider to North American and European networks (behind MCI WorldCom and Sprint, respectively), and ranked in the top ten for growth in 93 countries worldwide.
-- MCI WorldCom (UUNet) had the fastest worldwide growth among the top 10 carriers in the first quarter, and was fastest growing provider in North America and Asia, while ranking second in South America. The carrier led in the United States, Hong Kong, Malaysian, and Taiwanese markets, and ranked "a very close second" in China.
-- AT&T was the third fastest growing autonomous system in the U.S. in the quarter, behind MCI WorldCom and Level 3; however, the firm says the carrier's growth outside the U.S. exhibits "no particularly strong trends."
-- Verio had significant first-quarter growth in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Significantly, the carrier ranked as the largest transit provider in Asia, and the fourth-fastest growing, despite a minimal presence in China.
-- Teleglobe topped the growth list in Canada, France, and India, and posted top ten rates growth in 63 different countries.
"The Customer Growth Index is another example of just how powerful Renesys' market intelligence can be for Internet service providers worldwide," comments James Cowie, co-founder and CTO of Renesys. "The findings show that there is a significant level of volatility in the service provider market especially in Asia, where the greatest expansion opportunities exist."