Covad

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Covad Communications

Type	Private company
Founded	1996
Headquarters	San Jose, California
Key people	Charles E. Hoffman, CEO
Industry	Telecommunications
Products	VOIP, DSL, Wireless
Website	www.covad.com

Covad Communications Group is an American provider of broadband voice and data communications. As of Q3 2006, the company had 530,000 subscribers, and ranked 16th largest ISP in the United States.^[1]

The company offers DSL, Voice over IP, T1, Web hosting, managed security, IP and dial-up, and bundled voice and data services directly through Covad's network and through Internet Service Providers, value-added resellers, telecommunications carriers and affinity groups to small and medium-sized businesses and home users. Covad broadband services are currently available across the nation in 44 states and 235 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and can be purchased by more than 57 million homes and businesses, which represent over 50 percent of all US homes and businesses. Corporate headquarters is located at 110 Rio Robles San Jose, CA 95134.

Covad was recently acquired by private equity firm, Platinum Equity. Platinum Equity is a mergers, acquisitions, and operations company.

The name Covad is derived from acronyms which have varied over time, including COmbined Voice And Data, Copper Over Voice And Data and, in its earliest form, COpper Value Added.

Covad has recently invested in the new technology ADSL2+ which exceeds the limitation of the current Nokia DMT8 DSLAMS. The upgrade allows speeds up to 15/1 Mbit/s.