By Susan J. Campbell, TMCnet Contributing Editor

Telecom Brokerage (News - Alert) Inc. (TBI) has been a premiere master agent since 1991. The master agent services TBI provides give partners resources like back-office support, product training and consultations. TBI has preferred relationships with more than 50 network providers. 

Level 3 Communications, an international communications company based in Colorado, is one of the providers working with master agent TBI. Level 3 is one of six Tier 1 Internet providers in the world. Recently, an analyst with Oppenheimer and Co. Inc. said Level 3 is leading the way in consolidation.

According to this Channel Partners Online report, Level 3 survived and thrived after the telecom bubble burst 10-plus years ago, while many other companies had to declare bankruptcy. Level 3 has been in acquisition mode – buying a number of its former competitors including WilTel Communications in 2005. 

In 2006, Level 3 bought out Broadwing Corp., before it went on to take over Global Crossing (News - Alert) Limited, a company that had more than $6 billion in revenues in 2010.

Level 3 works with a number of master agent companies other than TBI. Telarus (News - Alert), a master agent from Utah is on the list. Telarus touts its relationship with Level 3 and believes that the services provided by Level 3 assists its agents in quoting the company’s products in real-time over Telarus’ GeoQuote system. 

The master agent also believes that Level 3’s services bring value because it provides the backhaul video services that more companies are relying on to communicate. Master agent Planet One Communications, a company from Arizona is another of the approved master agent companies that Level 3 works with. Planet One offers enterprise solutions to small and medium sized companies.

Master agents see particular value in Level 3’s overbuilt new DWDM, IP and private line switching layers. Technology deployments such as these have allowed for new, market-leading services such as the 10 GigE LAN PHY, as well as 40 Gbps wavelength services.

Level 3, a provider of several master agent companies, is looking at a variety of other telecoms that it might acquire to continue to expand its portfolio. XO Communications (News - Alert) makes the list as the company is a business-focused local exchange carrier. Further, Cogent Communications Group Inc. sells Internet services over fiber-optic, data-only networks. It provides services to Fortune 100 companies as well as small businesses. It reported revenues of around $305 million in 2011, and it is a possible target of Level 3. It’s also looking at a company close to home – tw telecom (News - Alert), an enterprise-focused provider of managed services.

As Level 3 continues to expand, TBI will need to boost support for master agent services, extending its reach into new areas to reach new partners.


Edited by Jamie Epstein