BOSTON: #BICS--Leading research consultancy and market diligence firm ATLANTIC-ACM delivered its 2026 Global Wholesale Service Provider Excellence Awards. The awards are based on ratings from 460+ unique wholesale buyers who provided ~1,700 carrier specific evaluations of service level and product quality for their current providers.

The awards are determined from survey responses by current wholesale buyers, who rated their providers on service quality and product performance.

ATLANTIC-ACM introduced the Global Wholesale Report Card survey in 2000 to offer wholesale providers competitive customer experience, benchmarking data along with insights on shifting purchase dynamics and buying priorities.

Network Performance remains the primary consideration for global wholesale customers when buying services, followed by Price, Network Security, Service Delivery, and Customer Service.

Respondents indicated that Data Center Connectivity (Waves, Dark Fiber, and Ethernet), Last-Mile Data Access services (Ethernet, Broadband, Private Line, etc.), and Wireless will remain the primary drivers of future spending among wholesale buyers, while Voice Services are expected to see a modest decline. Wholesale demand is shifting toward high-security and foundational infrastructure: while DDoS Mitigation and Data Center Interconnection lead in current adoption, Cloud Managed Network Security and Dark Fiber show the highest future purchase intent, signaling a strategic move toward secure, high-capacity connectivity. Nearly half of legacy TDM users expect to disconnect by 2028, predominantly migrating to Ethernet and Broadband solutions as businesses prioritize high-bandwidth alternatives over aging circuit infrastructure.

ATLANTIC-ACM gives awards across two carrier groups, Large Service Providers and Midsized Service Providers, which are segmented based on total estimated wireline revenue. ATLANTIC-ACM recognizes the top Large Service Providers and Midsized Service Providers in each major operational category, as well as the highest combined average for quality and price ratings (value) in data and voice.

The 2026 winners for Large Providers are:

• NTT: Brand
• Telefonica: Customer Service and Data Value
• Verizon: Service Delivery, Network Performance, Billing, and Voice Value
• Vodafone: Sales Reps

The 2026 winners for Mid-Sized Providers are:

• Arelion: Brand, Billing, and Customer Service
• BICS: Network Performance
• Cogent: Service Delivery
• iBASIS: Sales Reps
• Sparkle: Data Value
• TELUS: Voice Value

About ATLANTIC-ACM

ATLANTIC-ACM is a leading strategic advisory and market diligence consulting firm to the telecom and technology sectors, helping operators and investors navigate changing market dynamics, economies, and technologies since 1991. For more information, visit ATLANTIC-ACM's website at http://www.atlantic-acm.com

Fonte: Business Wire