Meridian Network Research
Promise TrackerNo. 3 · Q3 2026
Promise Tracker · Business connectivityData to 30 September 2026
Credits got richer where satisfaction was weakest
Three of the seven national providers we track raised dedicated internet credits this quarter, and all three sit at the bottom of our Report Card. Installation intervals barely moved
1Dedicated internet commitments
Availability commitments did not change this quarter. Credit terms did. Two national carriers and one cable operator issued new SLA versions between July and September, each raising the credit owed for a four hour outage, and none changed the availability figure the credit is measured against.1
| Provider | Availability | Credit at 4 hrs | Version | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National carrier A | 99.99% | 10% | Jan 2026 | 72 |
| National carrier B | 99.99% | 15% | Aug 2026 | 68 |
| National carrier C | 99.9% | 25% | Jul 2026 | 64 |
| Cable operator D | 99.99% | 10% | Mar 2026 | 75 |
| Cable operator E | 99.95% | 20% | Sep 2026 | 66 |
| Fiber provider F | 99.999% | 15% | Nov 2025 | 79 |
| Fiber provider G | 99.99% | 10% | Feb 2026 | 77 |
Source: published provider service level agreements and product guides, FCC and state commission filings, Meridian Network Research version archive
Source: published provider service level agreements and product guides, FCC and state commission filings, Meridian Network Research version archive
2Installation intervals
No provider changed a published Ethernet or wavelength interval this quarter. The spread between providers remains wide: off net Ethernet ranges from 45 to 90 business days, and the three providers with the shortest on net intervals are also the three best scored on installation in the Report Card.2
| Provider | Ethernet on net | Ethernet off net | Wavelength | Install score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| National carrier A | 30 | 60 | 45 | 6.8 |
| National carrier B | 35 | 75 | 60 | 6.1 |
| National carrier C | 40 | 90 | 60 | 5.7 |
| Cable operator D | 20 | 45 | 45 | 7.4 |
| Cable operator E | 30 | 70 | 50 | 6.3 |
| Fiber provider F | 20 | 50 | 40 | 7.6 |
| Fiber provider G | 25 | 55 | 40 | 7.3 |
Source: published provider product guides and SLA schedules, Meridian Network Research 2026 Business Connectivity Report Card
3Promotions at quarter end
Promotions cluster with the richer credits. The three providers that raised credits had 15 of the 21 promotions live on 30 September, mostly waived installation charges and discounts on three year terms.
Source: provider promotion pages captured at quarter end
4Against our Report Card
5What to watch next quarter
Whether National carrier A follows with a new credit schedule, any change to published wavelength intervals as new long haul routes open, and the 2027 Report Card questionnaire, which will ask buyers for the first time how often credits were paid without a claim.
How this tracker is built
- Terms are taken only from documents a provider publishes or files, and every version is archived with its effective date
- Credits are compared at a single four hour outage on a standard dedicated internet circuit, before any account specific terms
- Scores come from the latest Report Card and are not adjusted between editions
Approved for subscribersElena MarshPrincipal Analyst, Enterprise Networks · 9 October 2026
1 Credit at 4 hrs is the published credit for one continuous outage of four hours in a month, as a share of that circuit's monthly recurring charge.
2 Intervals are published standard intervals in business days from order acceptance, not observed delivery times.