Telecom Ramblings

On Monday we learned that Carl Icahn made a bid for Broadview Networks, the northeastern CLEC with several hundred on-net buildings. The initial approach was rebuffed, although it could easily be followed up on. But if not, what other telecom assets might Icahn be interested in buying? [Read more →]

Lots to catch up on in the CDN sector this week, which has been relatively quiet lately otherwise: [Read more →]

Here’s a quick look at several interesting items from the metro space: a brand new build from Achelea, a victory in the firefighter vertical by Optimum Lightpath, and a hybrid fiber/microwave network for a school district by Conterra: [Read more →]

While the short term focus is always on the next generation of the technology we already know about, it’s the brand new stuff that is still at the ‘far out’ stage that could really change things someday. Recently NIST and collaborators at Stanford have been showing off a prototype device for splitting photon beams that some say is a big step that could help turn quantum fiberoptics into reality.  [Read more →]

Several interesting items from outside the US already this week that are worth a look: [Read more →]

In another move that belies the widespread expectation of a quick Icahn sale, XO Holdings (news, filings) this morning said it has taken the 100G plunge with a nationwide deployment. The company says it is the first network operator to deploy the technology nationally, as other early adopters have taken a more piecemeal approach. [Read more →]

Late last week, Vertical Systems Group put out its Mid-Year 2012 US Business Ethernet Leaderboard, measuring the marketshare by port for providers across the sector.  Rather than look at a single graphic, here’s the last three such leaderboards from VSG side by side: [Read more →]

Google may aim to do no evil, but it can certainly handle a few pink slips. The company has confirmed that it is cutting 20% of Motorola Mobility’s workforce, and closing as much as a third of its offices worldwide.  [Read more →]

Birch Communications (news) made its 16th acquisition in recent years this morning, announcing an agreement to purchase Daystar Communications.  The move follows a refinancing just last month that replenished the company’s coffers and paved the way for [Read more →]

Level 3 Communications (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) says it has signed a multi-year agreement with Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC, news), expanding its relationship with the giant cable MSO. They will be helping to expand Time Warner Cable’s network as well as to deliver additional core infrastructure services.     [Read more →]

While much of the talk with respect to XO in recent quarters has been about a likely sale, it appears that the company’s owner, billionaire Carl Icahn, may have decided to go in the opposite direction. According to an SEC filing last week, an affiliate of Icahn Associates called High River made a bid for Broadview Networks, which recently announced plans to restructure through a voluntary bankruptcy. [Read more →]

This quarter’s data update for my competitive telecom trends pages is complete with the exception of Zayo, for whom it was the end of a fiscal year and hence we’ll have to wait a few weeks yet.  AboveNet’s data moves to the background since its purchase by Zayo, but to replace it I’ve added Integra Telecom which has added both recent financials and also metro fiber maps to its website.  And here’s a first look at a new chart of the ratio of Net Debt to Annualized Adjusted EBITDA across the sector: [Read more →]

Some quick notes on several items from alternative providers before everyone leaves for the weekend: [Read more →]

CenturyLink (NYSE:CTL, news, filings) and Windstream (NYSE:WIN, news, filings) each reported earnings this week. The two former primarily rural ILECs have each been evolving toward business services and the cloud, but for Q2 it was CenturyLink the market was happy with while Windstream took a hit. [Read more →]

This article was authored by John C. Tanner, and was originally posted on telecomasia.net.

Location-based services have always had problems with indoor accuracy, as GPS only works when you’re outside where the satellites can see you. Finnish company IndoorAtlas says the solution may be all around you. Literally. [Read more →]

NTT Communications (NYSE:NTT, news, filings) added more infrastructure expansions to this weeks news yesterday and today on either side of the planet. [Read more →]

Over on IP Carrier, Gary Kim posted a nice graphic illustrating the growing effects of over-the-top messaging on SMS revenue country-by-country across Europe for the last three years. But I’m struck by how many still phrase this phenomenon as caused by OTT messaging. OTT messaging is the response to the problem, not the cause. [Read more →]

Currency headwinds and a final bit of fallout from the Megaupload incident slowed down growth at Cogent Communications (NASDAQ:CCOI, news, filings) in the first quarter, as the company priced its dividend payment at [Read more →]

A quick survey of some of the other news from network operators from this week, including a contract win for XO, two for Level 3, some more M2M from DT, and cloud progress for NTT: [Read more →]

Faster routes between the Far East and Europe have been a recurring theme lately. With NTT’s traditional Asian strength and its expansion plans in Europe, improving its connectivity between the two is obviously a priority. Indeed, today NTT Communications (NYSE:NTT, news, filings) took action to add a new route and significantly lower latency on its global backbone between London and Hong Kong. [Read more →]

Investors may soon have another datacenter REIT on their hands. CyrusOne, the carrier neutral colocation division of Cincinnati Bell, has filed with the FCC in preparation for an initial public offering as a real estate investment trust.  [Read more →]

Lots of interesting news from the metro fiber sector in the past day or two, let’s take a quick look: [Read more →]

Primus Telecommunications Group (NYSE:PTGI, news, filings) made another M&A move this morning, but in the other direction this time. They announced the acquisition of Globility Communications, a Canadian CLEC that they already held a big stake in.  But perhaps more importantly, they announced new metro fiber buildout plans to go with it. [Read more →]