This week, MegaPath said it has become the largest provider of on-net Ethernet over Copper (EoC) services in the United States.

So far, the carrier has built to more than 500 central offices in a number of major markets; that’s up from 200 in September 2011, the same month MegaPath said it would reach more than 680 central offices by June 2012. A MegaPath spokesman told Channel Partners on Thursday the company continues "aggressively adding" to its EoC footprint.

EoC is an important technology, as use of the copper plant to deliver Ethernet can overcome lack of fiber availability. However, EoC is subject to distance limitations; as a rule, a customer must sit within 12,000 feet, or about two miles, of a central office to take advantage of the service. Channel partners need to remain aware of this caveat, among others, when selling EoC.

Nonetheless, MegaPath’s ongoing EoC expansion is good news for its channel partners. More central offices mean more sales opportunities, as a number of end users need fast bandwidth (MegaPath’s EoC offers symmetrical speeds up to 45mbps) but can’t get fiber Ethernet. Or, they’re tired of expensive T1s and bonded T1s EoC tends to cost less than those access methods.

The SMB and enterprise markets are demanding more affordable ways to get high bandwidth, and Ethernet is delivering a reliable and secure solution at a breakneck pace,” said Dan Foster, president of business markets for MegaPath, in a press release.

Some ideal verticals for EoC include health care, education and professional services.

To date, MegaPath’s EoC serves 19 markets, including Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. MegaPath started deploying Ethernet in 2010 when Covad, which had merged with MegaPath, launched in the Los Angeles market. The carrier is using the ADTRAN Total Access 5000 multiservice platform for its EoC deployments.