With speculation swirling around an impending acquisition of Carrier Ethernet access equipment specialist ANDA Networks Inc. , optical equipment company Ekinops SA has emerged as a potential suitor.

Following Light Reading's initial story Wednesday that ANDA is in takeover talks, Ekinops was suggested as a possible player in one of the shortest message board entries.

That suggestion fits in with additional information that came the way of the Light Reading.

Ekinops has a portfolio of optical transport products that the company pitches for multiple applications such as metro transport, backhaul aggregation and supporting business Ethernet services. What it doesn't currently have is an access play, which is where ANDA fits in as a natural extension.

And according to Heavy Reading senior analyst Stan Hubbard, the Carrier Ethernet access platform (CEAP) market is on a roll at the moment, having grown 38 percent year-on-year in 2010 to be worth $1.46 billion. Hubbard notes that ANDA is one of the leading players in the Ethernet-over-TDM access circuit sector. (See Carrier Ethernet Access Enters 2011 on a High.)

Ekinops isn't fessing up or denying anything at the moment. Vice President of global marketing Rob Adams told Light Reading, via email, that he "can't really comment at this time, particularly in light of the various rumors that are going around regarding ANDA."

ANDA, meanwhile, could not immediately be reached for comment.

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading