Top Internet Backbone Companies Market share based on percentage of Internet service providers connected to a company's network MCI COMMUNICATIONS launched its commercial backbone service in 1994, after having helped build the NSFNET, the government-sponsored predecessor to the Internet. MCI's top Internet engineer, Vinton G. Cerf, co-invented the packet-switching protocol that is the basis of Net communications today. MCI has agreed to be acquired by WorldCom. Market share: 31% SPRINT started its commercial service in 1992 and now sells to both residential and business users. Sprint has filed complaints with both U.S. and European regulators over the Internet wallop of the MCI-WorldCom merger. Market share: 22% WORLDCOM When WorldCom bought Internet company UUNET Technologies in 1996, along with its parent phone company MFS Communications, WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers professed not to appreciate the Internet. Since then, WorldCom has become an Internet leader, gobbling up ANS Communications and CompuServe in 1997. Customers include America Online and Microsoft Network. Market share: 20% GTE entered the backbone business last year when it bought BBN, which helped build the first government-run Internet, ARPANET, in 1969. GTE, a critic of the MCI-WorldCom merger, filed an antitrust lawsuit opposing the deal. It offers service to 5,000 business customers and 500,000 dial-up residential users. Market share: 4% DATA: BUSINESS WEEK, BOARDWATCH MAGAZINE Return to main story

Updated July 9, 1998 by bwwebmaster
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