Time Warner Cable, Comcast threaten AT&T and Verizon Ethernet market status

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC), Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and other cable operators continue to make a dent in the Ethernet market, challenging incumbent telcos AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) as well as Level 3 Communications in the U.S. Ethernet market.

VSG Leaderboard for Carrier Ethernet services 2015The New York-based cable MSO, which is in the process of being acquired by Charter, took the top spot on Vertical Systems Group's 2015 U.S. Cable MSO Ethernet Leaderboard.

Cox, Charter, Lightpath and Bright House also retained spots on the U.S. Leaderboard as the top cable MSOs selling carrier Ethernet services.

It's hard not to notice the progress Time Warner Cable is making in the business market.

Driven by increases in high-speed data and voice subscribers and growth in wholesale transport revenue (including cell tower backhaul revenue), Time Warner Cable reported $864 million in business revenues, up 14.4 percent year-over-year from $755 million in the same period a year ago.

Time Warner Cable's fourth-quarter 2015 business data and wholesale revenue were $430 million and $128 million, up 19.1 and 14.3 percent year-over-year, respectively.

Vertical Systems Group says that a "market share realignment could occur" if Charter's bids for both Time Warner Cable and Bright House are approved later this year.

Not far behind Time Warner Cable was Comcast, a cable MSO that continues to expand its fiber and Ethernet footprints in a number of major metro markets.

Similar to Time Warner Cable, Comcast Business reported fourth quarter 2015 business services revenues of nearly $1.3 billion, up from $1.1 million in the same period a year ago. The cable MSO said during its fourth quarter earnings call that the business segment has exceeded a $5 billion revenue run rate, while maintaining 20 percent growth.

Comcast Business' Enterprise division has signed up over 20 large enterprise customers and has multiple eight-figure deals already signed.

Throughout 2015 Comcast announced network extensions into a number of key locations such as Minnesota's Twin Cities area, where it will extend services to 700 additional business customers, as well as Meyers Business Park in Chico, Calif., the East Bay region of California, Denver and New London County, Conn.

For more:
- see the release

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