Covad

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Covad Communications Company was a San Jose, California-based U.S. telecom provider founded in 1996. It offered broadband internet and voice services for businesses, including DSL, VoIP, T1, web hosting, and security, sold directly and through partners like EarthLink and Speakeasy. By 2006 Covad had about 530,000 subscribers, making it the 16th-largest U.S. ISP.

Covad was the first company to offer a national DSL service. It later added ADSL2+ technology, with speeds up to about 15 Mbps, using equipment such as Samsung Acemap and Nokia D50 DSLAMs. In 2008 Covad was acquired by private equity firm Platinum Equity.

In 2010 Covad merged with Speakeasy and MegaPath to form a single company called MegaPath, combining voice and data services. The new company launched Ethernet-over-Copper services in Los Angeles, up to 20 Mbps, followed by DS1-based Ethernet.

In 2011 MegaPath announced plans for national expansion. In January 2015, Global Capacity bought MegaPath’s wholesale and direct-access business, including Covad assets, completing the acquisition.

The Covad name came from possible acronyms such as Combined Voice And Data or Copper Over Voice And Data.