Even in the world of burgeoning wireless technology, Ethernet, the wired big brother, is still maintaining its stronghold among many businesses. While the ‘being set in their ways’ argument could have some weightage to it, it is more about performance, security, and scalability that makes Ethernet the clear winner among all forms of internet accessibility methods. However, the bigger question is which business internet service provider you should choose. That is what we have tried to compare for you in this post.

Ethernet has its own niche. When it comes to reliable connection, lowest possible latency, minimal unauthorized usage, and time-sensitive internet requirement, you can’t rely on the small-office WiFi. No industry giant can bear the loss of even a second due to an internet outage. On top of that, the confidentiality requirement is so high that they can’t bear the risk of using the public internet.

If you are working in a data center with 100 computers, all accessing content-rich applications including VoIP simultaneously, you are bound to find Ethernet enabling them. Further, if the scale of operation is so high that you operate from multiple locations, you need a certain peace of mind that all locations are up and running. Ethernet gives you just that.

Therefore, if your usage falls in any of the above categories, you require a reliable Ethernet connection. Below is a list of top Ethernet service providers in 2021.

Top 4 Business Ethernet Service Providers In 2023

Although Ethernet is a niche market, there is still enough competition for even the established players in the market; each offering competitive products and battling over QoS (Quality of Service). Below Ethernet service providers are the best in the industry that will go to any lengths in providing you the best possible services.

1.  AT&T As Business Ethernet Service Provider

AT&T has two offerings, the Switched Ethernet On Demand and the Dedicated Ethernet and Network Transport. Unlike other players, this is the simplest form of offering in the Ethernet domain. If you are a newbie in the market and don’t know whether you need to go for Ethernet and which one is best for you, AT&T is the way to go.

1. AT&T As Business Ethernet Service Provider

The Switched Ethernet On Demand is the best way to experience the Ethernet without a long-term commitment. You get Dynamic bandwidth-on-demand, so you can switch it on whenever you expect your usage to be higher. Along with that, you get intra-office and inter-office traffic prioritization. The fiber infrastructure ensures optimized traffic routing, and mission-critical inter-office traffic prioritization helps you be at the top of your game in all your locations.

Coming to the best part, you pay only for the amount of bandwidth you use. This is the factor that makes this on-demand plan the best of both worlds. You don’t have to overhaul your setup every time your bandwidth requirement varies, but you don’t have to bear the costs of idle time.

Once you have tried the on-demand variant and figure out that Ethernet is the best option for you all around the year, you can request a quote for their Dedicated Ethernet Services. Within this, you will get all the options offered by other competitors.

  • AT&T Dedicated Ethernet: Two Office Connectivity

    • 1Gbps, 10 Gbps & 100 Gbps speeds
    • Highly secure internet access
  • AT&T Ultravailable: Fully managed Multi Office Networking

    • Up to 400gbps speed
    • Ideal for mid to large scale businesses
  • Ethernet Private Line Service –WAN

    • National Connectivity
    • Two Location Connectivity
    • Highly Secure, Minimal Unauthorized Access
    • 1Gbps, 10 Gbps & 100 Gbps speeds

2.  Verizon As Business Ethernet Service Provider

Similar to its biggest competitor AT&T, Verizon also offers switching and dedicated offerings. It is one of the top business Ethernet service providers that brings all your traffic on a single secure network across all your locations.

Verizon offers some of the best Ethernet services with the below benefits:

  • Flexible Configuration: You get to choose between the IP and Non-IP based services for varying data types. This enhances network traffic routing and makes your internet faster. You can even connect the Ethernet and your Private IP.

Flexible Configuration

  • Dynamic Bandwidth: Similar to AT&T’s switched Ethernet, even Verizon offers pay as you use offerings.
  • Cost Benefits: Monthly costs can be brought down depending upon your need. If you only have two locations, you should go for the point-to-point Ethernet plan. However, if you operate from multiple locations, you can experience economies of scale through their multi-point offering.
  • Speed Variants: You get to choose any speed between 1 Mbps and 10 Gbps.
  • Support & Backup: The offering includes built-in backup that reduces your downtime and recovers your networking without causing much loss of time

Various Verizon Ethernet Offerings:

  • Ethernet Dedicated E-Line:

    • A point-to-point (Two locations) or point-to-multipoint (Multiple locations) offering
    • Minimal latency with predetermined paths.
    • Three protection options
    • Speeds up to 1Gbps
  • Ethernet Switched E-LAN Global:

    • Global Ethernet service
    • Any-to-any connectivity
    • E-LAN EVCs for directing routing schemes
  • Ethernet Switched E-LAN Local:

    • Verizon ILEC fiber-based network service
    • Multipoint connection
    • 10 Mbps to GigE/Full speeds
    • The cost-effective service
    • Streamlining traffic between LAN and WAN to boost application performance
  • Ethernet Switched E-Line Global:

    • Point-to-point connections
    • Pay as you use
  • Ethernet Switched E-Line Local:

    • Fiber-based, metropolitan area LAN
    • Multi-location Connectivity
    • 10, 100, or 1,000 Mbps Speeds

Although Verizon offers local and global offerings, it has the maximum speed limitation of 10 Gbps, unlike AT&T, which offers 100Gbps. Therefore, Verizon is ranked lower than AT&T in business Ethernet service provider rankings as of 2021.

3.  Comcast As Business Ethernet Service Provider

Another big name in the Ethernet market is Comcast. It offers the full suite of Ethernet services for you to choose from, depending upon your usage and requirements.

Various Comcast Ethernet Offerings:

  • Ethernet Network Services: In this service, you connect all your multiple sites to the Comcast network, and to reach your network, the incoming site also connects via the Comcast network.

Ethernet Network Services

    • A point-to-multipoint (Multiple locations) offering
    • Minimal latency service
    • 2Gbps to 100Gbps Speed variants
    • VLAN implementation without Comcast interference
    • WAN experience with faster LAN Data Transmission Rates
  • Ethernet Dedicated Internet: In this service, you connect your business premise directly to the Comcast Internet Point Of Presence via a POP router. The connection can’t get more direct
    • Synchronous upload and download speed
    • Minimal latency service
    • Scalable bandwidth 1Mbps to 100Gbps Speed variants
    • Reliable and Secure Network
    • Nationwide coverage
    • SLA’s
    • Static IPs
    • Internet Backup using Ethernet over Copper (EoC)
    • 24/7 Priority Support
  • Ethernet Private Line: Secure, high-performance point to point connection between two sites
    • Dedicated Connectivity
    • Secure & Private Network bypassing the public internet
    • Scalable bandwidth 2Gbps to 100Gbps Speed variants
    • 24/7 Priority Support
  • Ethernet Virtual Private Line: Replaces Traditional TDM Private Lines, Frame Relay or ATM Layer 2 VPNs, and IP VPNs.
    • Dedicated Connectivity
    • Multipoint Connectivity
    • Secure & Private Network bypassing the public internet
    • Scalable bandwidth 2Gbps to 100Gbps Speed variants
    • 24/7 Priority Support

Comcast’s offerings are better than Verizon’s when it comes to speed. It can provide up to 100Gbps; however, its nationwide only presence ranks it lower on the top business Ethernet service providers ranking because Verizon becomes a better option for multinational companies.

4.  Frontier As Business Ethernet Service Provider

Finally, the last business Ethernet service provider to make the list is Frontier. A renowned name in the industry offers industry-standard services; however, it ranks 4th in this niche because of its limited offerings and bandwidth capacity. These limitations can be summarized as follows:

  • There is no mention of the global presence of Frontier Communications as of 2021. Therefore, it is meant only for businesses with a nationwide presence
  • The bandwidth scalability is limited to 10Gbps, similar to Verizon but lower than AT&T and Comcast

 Various Frontier Ethernet Offerings:

Various Frontier Ethernet Offerings

  • EPL (Ethernet Private Line)

    • Point-to-point two locations connectivity
    • Ideal for mid-sized companies
  • EVPL (Ethernet Virtual Private Line)

    • Multi-point connectivity with hub-and-spoke configuration
    • Ensuring only hub and spoke communication
    • No spoke to spoke communication
    • Ideal for businesses with more than two locations requiring centralized control over assets and resources
  • EP-LAN (Ethernet Private Local Area Network)

    • Multi-point connectivity with hub-and-spoke configuration
    • Ensuring hub and spoke communication
    • Ensuring spoke to spoke communication
  • EVP-LAN (Ethernet Virtual Private Local Area Network)

    • Multi-point connectivity with hub-and-spoke configuration
    • Ensuring hub and spoke communication
    • Ensuring spoke to spoke communication
    • Each spoke can have networks that can also connect to the EVP-LAN

Wrapping Up The Best 4 Business Ethernet Service Providers In 2021

So above are our top picks for best business Ethernet service providers in 2021. Although these offer somewhat similar offerings, AT&T is best in all three parameters of bandwidth scalability, on-demand Ethernet offering, and global presence. The other three lag behind in one or the other parameters, but that doesn’t mean that their offering lacks QoS. They have their own niche within the Ethernet niche.

However, as technology keeps evolving, newer plans, better technology, and better services spring up now and then. It is always advisable to go for the latest and best in the market at the time of your purchase. You can even seek help from industry experts and advisors. CarrierBid offers such advice free of charge. If you need help with the selection or need a customized solution, give us a call or fill our web form. We will be happy to help you.

Call us at

1-888-706-5656

for immediate service or fill out the
form and we’ll be in touch right away.

  • Please describe how we can help:
    What services are you considering to drive your business higher?
    What challenges are you currently facing?