BOB Joins Neutral Tandem Ethernet Exchange, COLT Joins CENX

By David Gross

In the last post, I mentioned that it should be a good week for Ethernet Exchange press releases with the LightReading Ethernet Expo event taking place now in New York, and I have a couple more to add.

First, Neutral Tandem announced BOB, or Business Only Broadband, as the first fixed wireless customer to come into its Ethernet Exchange.    BOB provides service in Chicago and New York.

Separately, CENX announced that Colt, a European telecom provider, had connected to its Ethernet Exchange in London.   CENX, Equinix, and Neutral Tandem (which is partnering with Telx for Ethernet Exchange services) are all rushing to announce customers as this service enters its second year.    And the competition is among companies who know each other well - CENX co-founder Ron Gavillet was also the co-founder of Neutral Tandem.

CENX Reaches 15 Million Ethernet Service Locations, Adds AboveNet as Partner

By David Gross

With LightReading's Ethernet Expo taking place today and tomorrow, I expected Carrier Ethernet Exchange news to burn the press wire this week, and CENX and AboveNet have not disappointed.   CENX announced that it has reached 15 million ESLs, or Ethernet Service Locations, on its network.    In order to reach such a high number, they are likely counting computers located in buildings where their member carriers provide Ethernet service.   They announced that they had reached 10 million in June.

Additionally, AboveNet announced that it is launching its Ethernet eXchange Hub for carriers that want to reach customers through its network, and that it will be co-located at both CENX and Equinix Carrier Ethernet locations in major markets, such as New York, Chicago, London, Washington, and San Francisco.   The company already offers standard Ethernet Exchange services in these large markets, but the Ethernet eXchange Hub will allow carriers to offer AboveNet services to their customers, not just to interconnect with the provider, which they can do now.   This new service will be available next quarter.

CENX Puts Out Another Ethernet Exchange Press Release, Where's Equinix?

By David Gross

It used to be a month wouldn't go by without a Carrier Ethernet Exchange press release, then a week, and now we're getting close to daily announcements of some kind or another.   This morning, CENX announced its service is now available in London, Hong Kong, Miami, and New Jersey, expanding its interconnection geography beyond New York, LA, and Chicago.   

Neutral Tandem (TNDM) announced last week that it was up to 14 markets,  more or less covering the top 14 U.S. MSAs from New York to Seattle.   And its international presence is being boosted by the "addressable" 85 POPs it acquired when it bought Tinet.   Of course, there is no such thing as an addressable POP outside of a press release, but the race is on, and the Neutral Tandem release was strong enough to get a response from CENX.

Telx has been quiet about its service for four days now, since announcing it had been nominated for an award.   I'd be surprised if we don't hear more from them soon.   Same goes for Equinix (EQIX).   Last week's revenue announcement was no reason to sit on the sidelines here.

Telx Ethernet Exchange Nominated For Award

By David Gross

If you think there have been a lot of press releases about Ethernet Exchanges in the last week, expect a lot more over the next month leading up to LightReading's Ethernet Expo.   Everyone in this market is trying to speak up and let it be known that they're the leader for this rapidly evolving service.

Telx hit the wire yesterday announcing that its service had been nominated, that's right nominated, hasn't won anything yet, for LightReading's "Leading Lights" award for best new telecom service.   While that's good for Telx, it has a very tough competitor in CENX, and will need to continue to work closely with its interconnection partner Neutral Tandem (TNDM) to reach additional POPs in markets where it doesn't have co-lo facilities.    And if they issue a PR for being nominated, can only imagine what they'll do if they win.

Neutral Tandem Accelerates Ethernet Exchange Rollout, Will Equinix Respond?

By David Gross

The service is still really less than a year old, but things are ramping up quickly in the Carrier Ethernet Exchange market.  Neutral Tandem (TNDM) announced today they had accelerated their deployment of Ethernet Exchanges, reaching 14 U.S. markets.   Additionally, through their Tinet acquisition, they can provide service in another 85 POPs throughout the rest of the world, including what the company describes as "hard-to-reach" countries.

This rapid deployment is clearly a response to CENX, which was co-founded by Neutral Tandem's own co-founder, Ron Gavillet, and has been signing up carriers left and right, including Cox Business last week, in addition to Verizon (VZ) and Level 3 (LVLT).   While Equinix (EQIX) has other things on their mind now, they will clearly have to figure out a strategy for Ethernet Exchanges very soon.   While this service differs from the marketplace of business-to-business cross-connects Equinix currently offers, they will either have to do something to get ahead of Neutral Tandem and CENX, take sides with either CENX or Neutral Tandem, or narrow the focus of the service to avoid becoming a second-tier provider in this area.

Telx, who is still sitting in registration, and could be awhile longer now that Equinix (EQIX) is tanking, has a partnership with Neutral Tandem to co-locate their own exchanges at seven of Neutral Tandem's U.S. POPs.   A similar partnership might not be a bad idea for Equinix.