Telecom Ramblings

Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) closed the books on the Crowe era with their first quarter 2013 numbers.  I wasn’t expecting much, and I got what I expected – although with differences in the details of course.  Revenues were rather weak, but costs and those apparent synergies were back on track keeping EBITDA in the expected range.  Here’s a tabular look with some context: [Read more →]

Infinera also posted its first quarter earnings yesterday, and like Akamai they made investors quite happy.  The company’s DTN-X entry into the 100G market hit the streets a bit less than a year ago after long anticipation, and three quarters later it is clearly driving things forward – with forward meaning increased guidance: [Read more →]

Akamai followed up a weak fourth quarter with a stronger than expected first quarter performance.  The cloud CDN provider checked in with revenues substantially above both guidance and estimates, and matched their forecast for non-GAAP earnings per share while the street was just looking for $0.46.  Here are their numbers in some context: [Read more →]

I suppose that’s what you get when you outperform so consistently.  The quarterly numbers reported today at Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX, news, filings) were steady, right within their narrow guidance range for revenue and a little above for EBITDA, but came in light compared to those pesky analyst estimates and the stock is down sharply after hours in response.  Here’s a quick table of the relevant data with some context: [Read more →]

Several interesting items from the metro and regional fiber segment this week: [Read more →]

With two bids now for the company, Sprint’s Q1 numbers have less urgency than normal. With their LTE buildout underway and the Nextel shutdown this coming quarter as well as the whole Softbank/Dish/Clearwire brain teaser in the background, beating overall expectations demonstrates some real focus.  Sprint posted revenues of $8.79B and a loss per share of $0.21, both of which were better than expected. [Read more →]

In the networking equipment segment, Juniper Networks (NASDAQ:JNPR, news, filings) kicked off earnings season wits first quarter of 2013 results.  Revenues were within the guided range, although slightly lower than composite analyst expectations.  However earnings per share of $0.24 were stronger, boosted by three cents by a retroactive R&D tax credit.  But as usual it was guidance that most people focused on.  Here’s a quick table with some context: [Read more →]

Time for a quick roundup of news today from EarthLink, CenturyLink, Orange Business, and Dialogic: [Read more →]

The other Reliance is in the news this morning with a deal for substantial undersea connectivity to Singapore. Reliance Jio, the new 4G entrant in India owned by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries, has followed up the fiber sharing deal with his brother Anil’s Reliance Communications by dealing for more fiber with another rival. [Read more →]

The network infrastructure vendor Xtera is on the move beneath the waves this week, with both a new contract and a new product hitting the news. [Read more →]

GlobeNet, the international submarine capacity arm of Brazil’s Oi, announced the completion of its buildout between Tuckerton, NJ and St.David’s Bermuda. The 1,350km cable system will take over duties for Segment 5 of the company’s ring connecting the east coast of the US to key points in South America. [Read more →]

Reliance Communications may have reached the endgame in terms of monetizing its Globalcom division, but the game itself is still shifting. The Indian carrier acknowledged today that it is working on a deal, but it’s not with Batelco anymore despite previous rumors. [Read more →]

This will be a big earnings week, as companies across the sector offer up their Q1 numbers.  Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) will be one of those, coming off a decent growth but disappointing EBITDA quarter in Q4 but with a newly minted/promoted CEO.  I have had several folks ask me where I think their numbers will come in, and I have to say it has been a hard one for me to get a handle on.  But nevertheless, here’s the usual table with my guesses: [Read more →]

We have another job listings this week from the midwestern-based fiber builder and operator Unite Private Networks to go with the one that was already still active and one from AireSpring as well. [Read more →]

Lots of short but interesting items this week from across the industry. Here’s a quick look at some from the metro fiber community: [Read more →]

Seaborn Networks checked off another few boxes yesterday on its to-do list for the new submarine cable system hooking up the US with Brazil they’ve been working on. They’ve now lined up additional connectivity options in the New York metro area and established their primary gateway location down in Sao Paolo, Brazil. [Read more →]

With all the hoopla over buying out Vodafone’s interest in Verizon Wireless, the company’s Q1 earnings report kind of snuck up on us. Not that it matters though, because when you’re big enough the surprises tend to cancel each other out. With earnings per share of $0.68, Verizon (NYSE:VZ, news, filings) beat analyst estimates by $0.02, while revenues were [Read more →]

Lots of interesting global news from this week, here’s a quick survey of items from euNetworks, Tata, Sprint, Epsilon, Equinix, and IX Reach: [Read more →]

According to Google’s blog today, the Kansas City and Austin metro areas are going to get a second new Gigabit sibling out in Utah. Google Fiber and Mayor John Curtis have announced plans to bring the search giant’s fiber initiative to Provo, Utah. And this time their plans are getting an inorganic boost. [Read more →]

This article was originally posted on telecomasia.net.

China is moving a step closer towards large scale of commercial IPv6 adoption, as the three major telecom operators have begun upgrading their networks from IPv4. [Read more →]

According to a NY Times article today, the top antitrust enforcer in the Justice Department told the Senate yesterday that indeed, it is necessary to keep too much spectrum from falling into too few hands. Testifying before a Senate subcommittee, he backed the notion of a ‘spectrum screen’ in the interest of promoting competition when it comes to [Read more →]

Here’s a quick look at some network news from US-based operators this week, with contracts for Comcast Business and Level 3, a product move by XO, and an expansion by Hurricane Electric: [Read more →]

The pan-European fiber operator Interoute became the latest operator to take the 100G plunge in an announcement today. Their choice of gear will surprise nobody, with Infinera’s DTN-X and its 500Gbps super channels taking the prize. [Read more →]