As our recent Q2 2014 earnings reflected, business services continue to accelerate for Comcast as we near an almost $4 billion annual run-rate. A key engine in that growth is Ethernet, and based on a new mid-year market share report from a leading analyst firm, we are firing on all cylinders in our "Ethernet everywhere" strategy. 

Vertical Systems Group (VSG) is recognized worldwide as a leading market research firm and its U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD – issued twice per year – is the industry’s foremost benchmark for measuring Ethernet provider market share. In the 2013 U.S. LEADERBOARD, Comcast Business was ranked for the first time in eighth position and noted as the fastest growing Ethernet provider during last year. 

In just the first six months of 2014, Comcast Business jumped up to sixth position in VSG’s recently issued mid-year 2014 U.S. Ethernet LEADERBOARD and is now the #2 MSO in terms of Ethernet services. VSG noted that more Ethernet ports were installed during the first half of 2014 than during any previous corresponding period. 

We are seeing that demand from a variety of market segments and applications, beyond the legacy view of Ethernet only being needed by large enterprises in office towers. In 2014, we’ve announced diverse Ethernet wins with a range of customers, including: 

  • Nautilus – the global fitness company is using Comcast Business Ethernet services as the backbone of its cloud strategy.

 

  • The Field Museum – Chicago’s world famous natural history museum is using Comcast Business Ethernet to support more pervasive Wi-Fi and interactive exhibit technologies.

 

  • Jim Ellis Automotive Group – the auto group is connecting its 14 dealerships around metro Atlanta with Comcast Business Ethernet for access to its private cloud, to accelerate online sales and increase Wi-Fi capacity.

 Our growth and success with Ethernet is largely driven by the fact that too many businesses have had to rely on T1s or DSL because they had no other option. As noted in my Ethernet predictions for 2014, network reach and service availability are critical, which is why we are proactively expanding our fiber network to make Ethernet available to more business, including recent expansions in Vermont, Connecticut, Washington and Texas.