Mobile infrastructure must catch up with user needs and demands. Ubiquitous mobile computing is all around us. Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. As the power and capability of many mobile devices increases, the increased demand on networks. We watch more videos, and listen to music on our phones. Mobile Data Traffic To Grow 300% Globally By 2017 Led By Video, Web Use. Mobile network operators would have had an easier life if it wasn’t for smartphones and the flood of data traffic they initiated, and soon there will be also very many Internet of Things devices. Businesses and consumers want more bandwidth for less money.
More and more network bandwidth is being used by video: Netflix And YouTube Account For Over 50% Of Peak Fixed Network Data In North America. Netflix remains the biggest pig in the broadband python, representing 31.6% of all downstream Internet traffic in North America during primetime. In other parts of the world, YouTube is the biggest consumer of bandwidth. In Europe, YouTube represented of 28.7% of downstream traffic.
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2014 expects that Software Defined Anything is a new mega-trend in data centers. Software-defined anything (SDx) is defined by “improved standards for infrastructure programmability and data center interoperability driven by automation inherent to cloud computing, DevOps and fast infrastructure provisioning.” Dominant vendors in a given sector of an infrastructure-type may elect not to follow standards that increase competition and lower margins, but end-customer will benefit from simplicity, cost reduction opportunities, and the possibility for consolidation. More hype around Software-Defined-Everything will keep the marketeers and the marchitecture specialists well employed for the next twelve months but don’t expect anything radical.
Software defined technologies are coming quickly to telecom operator networks with Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV). Intel and rather a lot of telcos want networks to operate like data centres. Today’s networks are mostly based around proprietary boxes designed to do very specific jobs. It used to be that way in the server business too until cheap generic x86 boxes took most of the market. The idea in NFV is that low-cost x86 servers can successfully many of those those pricey proprietary boxes currently attached to base-stations and other parts of the network. This scents a shift in the mood of the telcos themselves. This change is one that they want, and rather a lot of them are working together to make it happen. So the future mobile network will have more and more x86 and ARM based generic computing boxes running on Linux.
With the introduction of Network Functions Virtualisation base stations will have new functions built into them. For example NSN has announced a mobile edge computing platform that enables mobile base stations to host data and run apps. Think of this as an internet cloud server that’s really close to the customer.
Hybrid Cloud and IT as Service Broker are talked about. Telecom companies and cloud service providers are selling together service packages that have both connectivity and cloud storage sold as single service. Gartner suggests that bringing together personal clouds and external private cloud services is essential.
The type of device one has will be less important, as the personal or public cloud takes over some of the role. The push for more personal cloud technologies will lead to a shift toward services and away from devices, but there are also cases where where there is a great incentive to exploit the intelligence and storage of the client device. Gartner suggests that now through 2018, a variety of devices, user contexts, and interaction paradigms will make “everything everywhere” strategies unachievable, although many would like to see this working.
“Internet of Things” gets more push. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. The concept of “Internet of Things” will evolve a step toward The Internet of Everything. Gartner identifies four basic usage models that are emerging: Manage, Monetize, Operate, Extend. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. The Industrial Internet of Things will be talked about. IoT takes advantage of mobile devices’ and sensors’ ability to observe and monitor their environments
Car of the future is M2M-ready and has Ethernet. Many manufacturers taking an additional step to develop vehicle connectivity. One such example is the European Commission’s emergency eCall system, which is on target for installation in every new car by 2015.
Smart Home Systems Are on the Rise article tells that most automated technology is found in commercial buildings that feature automated lighting that changes in intensity depending on the amount of sunlight present. Some of these buildings have WiFi incorporated into their lighting systems. There will be new and affordable technology on the market, but people today are still reluctant to bring automation to their homes.
1,803 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
OpenFlow Taps Into Mobile Nets
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320719&
More than 60 companies and 260 people are taking part in an effort to fine tune software-defined networking for mobile networks. The group aims to extend the OpenFlow protocol for use in carrier backhaul and core networks, as well as wireless campus nets for businesses.
“We will be complementary with work at the IEEE and 3GPP,” Serge Manning, chairman of the new wireless and mobile working group at the Open Networking Foundation (which manages the OpenFlow protocol) told us. “We want to improve performance but not mess up any of the existing interfaces.”
Discussions that started more than a year ago defined 17 use cases for OpenFlow. The group, which initially included China Mobile, Huawei Orange, Telefonica, and Goldman Sachs, narrowed down to three the targets in its charter. Other members now include Cisco Systems, NEC, Nokia Solutions and Networks, and ZTE.
Within a year, the group aims to define extensions to OpenFlow for mobile backhaul, core, and enterprise networks; draft best-practices for applying them; and show working prototypes, said Manning, a senior manager for corporate standards at Huawei.
Tomi Engdahl says:
S. Korea to spend $1.5 bn on 5G ‘movie-in-a-second’ service
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jBekWxsCFgE3HrGBOGdNi-QsFuJw?hl=en
Seoul — South Korea, already one of the most wired countries on earth, Wednesday announced a 1.6 trillion won ($1.5 billion) plan to roll out a next-generation 5G wireless service quick enough to download full-length films in a second.
The science ministry said it aims to implement the technology — about 1,000 times faster than the 4G services currently available — within six years.
“We helped fuel national growth with 2G services in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G around 2010. Now it is time to take preemptive action to develop 5G,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Countries in Europe, China and the US are making aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology … and we believe there will be fierce competition in this market in a few years,” it said.
Under the roadmap, a trial 5G service will be rolled out in 2017 and a fully commercial service in December 2020.
Priority will be given to developing key features for the new network, including Ultra-HD and hologram transmission as well as cutting-edge social networking services.
Related industries will be able to rack up sales of 5G-related devices and infrastructure equipment worth 331 trillion won from 2020 to 2026, the ministry estimated.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OCC tackles field testing of direct-attach links
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/occ-test-adapter.html
A new white paper from OCC explains how the company has tackled the complicated and less-than-rock-solid task of testing a direct-attach modified permanent link.
As we have covered in the past, the direct-attach or modified permanent link topology is one in which a horizontal cable is terminated to a plug—rather than an outlet—at the device end. That plug connects directly to the network device being served; in many cases that device is an IP camera or a wireless access point.
This outside-the-norm topology has prompted a test methodology that also is outside the norm. Typically, a direct-attach link is tested by using the permanent link adapter on the main test unit, and the channel adapter on the remote test unit.
“By utilizing the field plug test adapter, the poorly terminated plug is factored into the measurement and the true performance of the link is recognized.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFL reporter emphasizes importance of connectivity within stadiums
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/nfl-das.html
One of the six ways the league is planning to combat the trend, Breer said, is, “Pushing video boards.” Specifically, he noted, “It’s not just installing new, larger boards, and getting more of them in the stadium; it’s also programming them correctly. That means fantasy stats, and it means RedZone Channel, and it means breaking old norms to make sure the guy in Section 110 isn’t missing anything by leaving the couch.”
Another of the six ways hits the cabling industry in the DAS—distributed antenna system. Breer cited “Improving connectivity,” as another of the NFL’s tactics for improving the in-stadium experience. Breer explained, “It’s expensive and complicated for clubs to pull this off, particularly in older stadiums, but it’s absolutely, positively necessary , and will allow more programming through smartphones.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report finds datacom market surged in 2013; telecom lagged
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/lightcounting-datacom-telecom.html
Technology market research firm LightCounting reports that the market for optical components and modules posted 9% growth for the year with total sales exceeding $4.2 billion. The company projects a similar growth rate for the total market in 2014, but says the growing top-line numbers hide a lot of volatility.
Some market segments almost doubled in 2013, while others declined by a third. Growth in annual sales of datacom optical products accelerated, reaching 20% in 2013, compared to 16% in 2012.
However, the telecom optical components and modules market remains dormant, advancing by just 3% in both 2013 and 2012.
The new report finds that sales of Ethernet optical transceivers were up 37% in 2013, exceeding $1.3 billion, and will remain the largest market segment in 2014, although the growth rate is expected to moderate.
Shipments of 100 Gigabit Ethernet modules is expected to continue to ramp upwards in 2014, but growth in revenues will be modest, as competition among suppliers will push prices down.
Sales of 40 Gigabit Ethernet transceivers reportedly more than tripled in 2013, mostly due to strong demand from mega-data centers, operated by companies like Google. However, LightCounting believes the market for 40-GbE transceivers may be volatile in 2014, given that a small number of large customers are driving the demand for these products.
Optics continues to gain share in data center interconnects at the expense of copper, according to LightCounting. SFP+ 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) SR optical transceiver sales grew 26% in 2013 as 10GBase-T (100-m reach copper cable modules) remained on the fringes. SFP+ active optical cables (AOCs) are starting to compete with direct-attach copper cables for 1m to 5m connections.
“It is possible that the telecom market will have a better year in 2014,”
LightCounting believes that 100G will be a must-have technology in metro networks once 1G broadband access lines become commonplace and 10G becomes widely used in access aggregation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to minimize LAN failures using IIM systems
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/molex-iim-paper.html
The white paper contends that “it is a widely accepted statistic that 70% of LAN failure is attributed to cabling. [However], this does not mean organizations are purchasing faulty systems; on the contrary, modern cabling is a stable system which seldom fails”
“With this in mind it is surprising that the average LAN fails 20 times a year, for an average of four hours, affecting 40% of network users.”
network failures attributed to cabling “are effectively management failings in the form of poor control and documentation practices that must be addressed.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
4G Data Service in Cars Offers Amazing Potential, Familiar Challenges
http://www.cio.com/article/746808/4G_Data_Service_in_Cars_Offers_Amazing_Potential_Familiar_Challenges_
Audi plans to introduce 4G to the 2015 A3. Other carmakers are sure to follow. This will provide better vehicle diagnostics and analytics (along with better Wi-Fi for passengers), and though there are obstacles, they will sound familiar to anyone who works in IT.
At the recent L.A. Auto Show, Audi announced a new feature in automotive technology. It’s not as eye-catching as the rear spoiler on a Mercedes SLS AMG, but the 2015 Audi A3 will provide 4G service running at 100Mbps directly into the car.
Yes, passengers will be able to tap in with iPads over a hotspot. More importantly, cars services such as 3D navigation will run much faster — especially when it comes to rendering maps along your route.
CIO.com asked industry insiders, automakers and analysts to find out how 4G data service in cars will work this year (and beyond). Once the infrastructure matures, there are some amazing possibilities — and a few new obstacles that only IT experts can resolve.
Rusty Lhamon, the director of machine-to-machine technology at T-Mobile U.S.A., says the 4G-connected car will provide a greater bandwidth for devices such as smartwatches, tablets and smartphones. Audio technology will improve, with better fidelity than today’s cars, while video chat features could allow a technician to call in
Twist says IT professionals will have to rise to the challenge and figure out how to make after-market systems, such as those from Delphi and OnStar, work with the latest 4G-enabled systems in newer cars. For example, for a video chat between cars, IT might need to develop standards for the connection and video format that works across multiple cellular carriers and car systems.
“The cellular-embedded module used in a car must meet automotive-grade standards, which have higher requirements than embedded modules for most consumer devices,” Lhamon says. “Auto-embedded modules are certified for operation in harsh and ‘mission-critical’ environments, requiring stringent compliance for operating temperature and reliability, among others.”
“The primary roadblocks for 4G LTE in the North American automotive market are licensing with mobile operator partners,”
Dirks says there are also technical challenges.
The Audi A3 will hit dealers next spring, and Ford, GM, and BMW will likely follow suit with high-speed offerings. (GM has announced it will move to 4G LTE with OnStar.)
Tomi Engdahl says:
The dumb state of the smart home
Consumers are ready to connect their homes, but their appliances aren’t
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/24/5336104/smart-home-standard-are-a-mess-zigbee-z-wave
Shane Dyer is surrounded by a dozen or so home appliances made by a dozen or so different manufacturers. In his hand is a smartphone running a stylish app that can speak with every single one of them. It can turn on and off a series of light bulbs, check in on a smoke detector, and even change the temperature of a nearby fridge. It’s a delicate, beautiful vision of the utopian smart home, and one that could hardly exist outside of his carefully crafted world.
But inside his utopia, Dyer is smiling. “We’re at the very beginning of seeing what connectivity means,” he says. As the CEO of Arrayent, one of a small group of companies that’s popped up to help smart appliances connect, Dyer is one of the few people who can pull off even this basic magic trick of connectivity right now. It’s a feat that seems so simple, but in reality is out of reach for all but the most dedicated homeowners right now.
Meet today’s connected home: a collection of appliances and home gadgets that offer enhanced functionality but won’t work together in concert unless you happen to buy them all from the same manufacturer — perhaps a Samsung fridge, a Samsung stove, a Samsung washer, and a Samsung dryer.
That’s not very smart. What the smart home really needs is one single way for appliances to speak with each other
Right now, there are two names at the forefront of standardizing the connected home: ZigBee and Z-Wave. Both are composed of similar wireless networking technologies, and both include languages that allow devices to share select information — such as temperature or whether a light is turned on or off — over their wireless networks. But while each technology has hundreds of products already supporting it, few of those are from major appliance manufacturers, and the modern smart home won’t get much smarter until the biggest names all agree on speaking the same language.
Unfortunately, there’s no sign that that will happen anytime soon, and some of the industry’s top figures don’t believe one standard will ever come to dominate.
Unlike Wi-Fi, Z-Wave is a proprietary system made and licensed by one company, meaning there’s money to be made from its success. Right now, that means Z-Wave has been able to tightly control how its devices talk to each other
Of course, Z-Wave’s biggest competitor disagrees all around. The marketing director for ZigBee Alliance, the organization that oversees the open standard ZigBee, discounts Z-Wave as even being a true competitor to his system on the grounds that it’s proprietary. And ZigBee’s CEO, Tobin Richardson, does see one smart home standard eventually winning out.
Right now, not all ZigBee products can communicate with each other, and that’s a major problem for what’s intended to be a standard. It’s a problem that the ZigBee Alliance is working on
Richardson has an optimistic outlook for the smart home and the ZigBee Alliance. “We’re already at one of the tipping points,” Richardson says. He notes that the adoption of connected appliances has been slow so far, partly because their aren’t many of them and partly because they weren’t easy enough to start using. “It has been a little messy,” Richardson says. “It’s getting cleaner.” He says that 2014 will bring more devices and increased compatibility, but ZigBee still has a long way to go before it sheds fragmentation. “I think you’ll start seeing that across the next 18 to 36 months.”
“[Interconnectivity] is a true barrier,” LG marketing director David Vanderwaal says. Right now, LG’s smart appliances can only talk with other LG appliances. It’s started to branch out by letting a third-party app control them too, but it’s a tiny step forward. “It will happen,” Vanderwaal says. “How it’s going to happen is the big question.”
Comcast, Verizon, Timer Warner Cable, AT&T, and other network providers actually hope to turn home automation into a new service category. They each sell pre-made packages of lights and thermostats and security cameras that all work together, and they’re happy to help monitor your home for around $40 per month. But for consumers, the idea of having to pay a subscription to solve an interoperability problem seems like a bad deal.
One of the more elegant solutions is Smart Things, which sells a $99 hub that can talk to appliances over Z-Wave, ZigBee, and Wi-Fi. Once the appliances are wirelessly connected, Smart Things makes them all accessible and interactive online and through a smartphone app.
“We can, to some degree, make [standards] irrelevant to users,”
In fact, the importance of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to many of today’s most intelligent, stylish, and accessible smart devices — from the Nest thermostat to the August smart lock — suggests Dyer and Hawkinson may be right about their multi-standard approach
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T dismisses talk of a Vodafone takeover bid
http://www.theverge.com/2014/1/27/5349532/att-not-bidding-for-vodafone-uk
AT&T might want a piece of the European wireless market, but it’s not planning to bid for British firm Vodafone. The US carrier revealed today that it won’t make a takeover offer for Vodafone, following months of speculation that originated in October.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Datacenters Drive Network Shifts
Ethernet, Fibre Channel, IB all gear up in 2014
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320790&
Infiniband, Fibre Channel, and Ethernet will all see incumbent technologies give way to faster versions in 2014, according to a new report from Crehan Research.
This year more than 50% of Infiniband shipments will have the 56 Gbit FDR version, overtaking 40 G QDR, according to Crehan’s Data Center Switch Long-Range Forecast report. Similarly in Fibre Channel, 16 G will surpass 8 G, and in Ethernet 10 G will overtake Gigabit links to make up more than half of all shipments, the report said.
“A surge in investments in data center technologies recently,” is one of several factors driving the changes, said Seamus Crehan, president of market research company, speaking in an interview with EE Times.
In addition, the three technologies “are now at a stage where they are relatively mature enough and their pricing is attractive enough that they are often more attractive options than the older incumbent technologies [and] technologies with increased bandwidth are needed to handle ubiquitous connectivity and much richer features,” he said.
“These three technologies are not on the same cycle… It just worked out that all three are going to surpass this major milestone in 2014,” he added.
“10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) is finally on the verge of becoming the most popular data center switch port connection, after a long and sometimes rocky adoption curve,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Power Over Ethernet Group Forms
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1320732&
The Ethernet Alliance announced on Tuesday a new subcommittee to support Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE, the delivery of power over Ethernet cables — the same cables carrying data to a device — has promise for less power-hungry remote devices, such as wall-mounted cameras and in automotive advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
“There are a number of projects that happened in the IEEE, a host of projects that need basic marketing and awareness as well as interoperability,” said John D’Ambrosia, chairman of Ethernet Alliance in an interview with EE Times.
Four-pair PoE, delivering at least 49 watts, will enable uses not envisioned before because prior PoE generations did not have enough power to support it.
“The automotive market could significantly profit more than most from deploying standard Ethernet coupled with PoE,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sonera launches mobile data transfer limits
Sonera has been the Finnish operators, the one who has complained the loudest fixed-price mobile internet subscriptions cons of the business. Now, it introduces a new data limits to include subscription package.
For example, TeliaSonera’s CEO Johan Dennelind took last fall to change the pricing models. Calls and text messages can no longer be desired revenue because customers can use a fixed-price internet connection depends on functional services such as viestittelyyn talking. The network load increases, the income does not.
Along with Sonera, today’s mobile subscription package staggering amounts of data, the prices.
Source: Tietokone
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/sonera_tuo_siirtorajat_mobiilidataan
Tomi Engdahl says:
IBM Exploring Sale of Software-Defined Networking Business
http://recode.net/2014/01/28/ibm-exploring-sale-of-software-defined-networking-business/
A week after selling its server business unit to Lenovo, IBM is now exploring the sale of some of its networking assets and may be seeking as much as a $1 billion, sources familiar with the matter tell Re/code.
When Big Blue sold its x86 server unit to Lenovo in a deal worth $2.3 billion last week, included with the deal were several networking products — switches and other goods used to enable connections between servers.
Not included in the sale to Lenovo was another IBM product line focused on software-defined networking. IBM calls it Software Defined Network for Virtual Environments.
IBM is said to have informally approached several companies in the networking business
Tomi Engdahl says:
NFL to block mobile streaming video in Super Bowl stadium
Bandwidth hogs could prevent attendees from texting and tweeting.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/01/nfl-to-block-mobile-streaming-video-in-super-bowl-stadium/
Smartphone usage has skyrocketed at sporting events, as anyone who’s attended a recent game can tell you. Look around the stands and you’ll see fans checking stats, sharing pictures on social media, or just killing time between plays.
While stadiums have boosted cellular and Wi-Fi infrastructure to keep fans connected during games, there’s always the possibility that there won’t be enough bandwidth for everyone. That’s why on Super Bowl Sunday, the NFL is planning to block live streams of the game inside the stadium.
82,500-seat stadium will be able to handle 25,000 to 30,000 concurrent Internet users across cellular and Wi-Fi.
The Super Bowl restriction doesn’t mean live streaming is blocked at every NFL game.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Study: Modular Ethernet switches propel data center growth
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/crehan-modular-dc-switches.html
Strong shipment and revenue growth in the modular or chassis-based segment propelled the data center Ethernet switch market to new highs in 3Q13, according to a new report from Crehan Research.
As indicated in the graph above, the report shows that after some past under-performance compared to other major data center Ethernet switch segments, modular data center switches posted a second consecutive quarter of robust growth.
“A strong upgrade cycle in server access Ethernet switches has driven demand for modular Ethernet switches in data-center network aggregation and core deployments,”
next-gen product introductions will start to drive data center networking beyond the current 10-Gigabit era.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Emulex unveils 10/40-GbE network adapters for virtualized, enterprise and cloud data centers
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/emulex-1040-gbe-adapters.html
Emulex (NYSE: ELX) has unveiled its OneConnect OCe14000 family of 10Gb and 40Gb Ethernet (10/40 GbE) network adapters and converged network adapters (CNAs) for virtualized, enterprise and cloud data centers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
802.3 Ethernet standards-development projects target PoE, NG-EPON
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/01/new-ethernet-dev-projects.html
the new Industry Connections activity aims to engage global industry in discussion of the next-generation Ethernet Passive Optical Network (NG-EPON).
the IEEE 802.3 Industry Connections NG-EPON Ad Hoc has been launched to explore the market potential and technology options for an NG-EPON operating at data rates beyond 10 Gigabit per second (10Gbps).
Equipment vendors and network operators, particularly in Asia and North and South America, are interested in exploring the technologies available for the next generation of EPON.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LA TV stations will share a single channel in hopes of creating new 4G spectrum
http://gigaom.com/2014/01/28/la-tv-stations-will-share-a-single-channel-in-hopes-of-creating-new-4g-spectrum/
Summary:
A new pilot project in LA will test the feasibility of broadcasting consolidating their transmissions onto fewer channels. If it works it could persuade TV stations to part with their airwaves in the upcoming incentive auction.
The two stations are waiting on a final FCC approval
Assuming it works without a hitch, the pilot may convince broadcasters to consolidate their transmissions and submit a portion of their airwaves for auction.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A new standard promises to bring order in the Internet of Things
Internet of Things is used internationally abbreviated IoT (Internet of Things). The reference architecture is drawn up with international standard. The fear is that without the explanatory standard may arise from many separate networks of objects that do not work together seamlessly.
The aim is also to get the plug and play functionality, a component connection and removal would be as Simple as that.
Proposal for a standard (ISO / IEC NP 19654) is currently being circulated for the first, which will last until March.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/uutisia/standardi+lupaa+tuoda+jarjestyksen+esineiden+internetiin/a963575
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cloud, schmoud, says Cisco: The IoT needs ‘FOG COMPUTING’
Borg forks Linux to create hybrid server/router ‘IOx’ operating system
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/29/cisco_forks_linux_as_iot_operating_system/
Cisco is looking to wrap more of the Internet of Things in its warm embrace, announcing that it’s going to create a Linux-plus-IOS mashup to run IoT apps at the network edge.
Designated IOx, the “fog computing” (Cisco’s term) operating system is being pitched as a way to deal with data coming from IoT devices. For example, an application running on an edge router could pre-process data coming from a network of thousands of sensors to make the data volumes manageable.
In other words, the Borg wants to turn its routers into router-plus-application-server. The owner of the putative sensor network, for example, would avoid having to park a Linux server behind the edge router to process incoming data from the network.
Since the applications would run under IOx/Linux rather than IOS, third parties and end users will be able to write their own software for Internet of Things operations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile data in Finland grew last year by almost 60 percent. In four years, the traffic has more than quintupled. Exponential growth stagnation is no sign.
ICT industry association FiCom , according to statistics compiled by the 2013 January-June, mobile data in Finland were transferred to 67,000 terabytes.
Behind the growth of smartphones and tablets, especially the rapid growth. Tablet sales in Finland grew last year by almost a factor of 2.5, and the smartphone trade increased by a fifth.
Mobile traffic is growing big in Finland about the same rate globally.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/uutisia/mobiilidata+kasvaa+60/a963654
Tomi Engdahl says:
Does the operator have to answer your security? F-Secure and Nokia Siemens Networks believe so
Security company F-Secure and network equipment manufacturer Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) have agreed to cooperate. The companies plan to develop a proactive anti-malware solutions for mobile operator level.
Companies expect consumers to expect that the service provider is responsible for information security and respects rejects to mobile malware.
F-Secure says the survey results indicate that 69 percent of consumers believe service provider to be responsible for the security measures.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/pitaako+operaattorin+vastata+laitteesi+turvallisuudesta+fsecure+ja+nsn+uskovat+niin/a963810
Tomi Engdahl says:
Submarine Cable Map 2014
http://submarine-cable-map-2014.telegeography.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bitcloud developers plan to replace the Internet with a better version
Have plans to ‘decentralize the Internet’ away from ISPs
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Computer_Systems/Standalone_Mobile/Bitcloud_developers_plan_to_replace_the_Internet_with_a_better_version.aspx
According to BBC, the minds behind Bitcoin are aiming to use those same methods to provide services that are for the moment controlled by ISPs (Internet Service Providers)
Like myself, Bitcloud is emphatically not down with ISPs being greedy, censor-loving moneygrubbers—which is why they’re proposing that, as with Bitcoin, individuals take over the Internet trade as opposed to corporations.
Furthermore, Bitcloud is also toying with the idea of ‘WeTube,’ a decentralized replacement for Youtube, Netflix, Hulu, Soundcloud, and Spotify
Individual net users contributing bandwidth would gain rewards such as Bitcoins, or the network’s proposed currency Cloudcoins, in proportion to the amount of bandwidth they’d given.
The Bitcloud team admits that the project is still in its beginning stages, and is still searching for developers and programmers to contribute
Tomi Engdahl says:
Presto! Want a bigger bedroom? You need a robotic house
UCLA trains architects to design buildings that move and adapt to our needs
https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245932/Presto_Want_a_bigger_bedroom_You_need_a_robotic_house
Think the Internet of Things and the idea of smart homes is all about having your smartphone talk to your car and your refrigerator message you when you’re out of milk?
Think again. Actually, think bigger.
The University of California at Los Angeles has a graduate-level program focused on teaching architects how to design intelligent robotic buildings.
The Internet of Things just got a whole lot bigger.
“This is definitely upping the definition of smart home or smart building to a whole new level,” said Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group. “In fact, these aren’t just smart homes – they’re dynamic homes. Now the Internet of Things includes walls, doors and mechanical systems.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Implementing Ethernet-Based Smart Grid Technologies in with SoC FPGA—HSR and IEEE 1588 PTP
http://www.rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103445?utm_source=Pubpress&utm_medium=email&utm_term=+Implementing+Ethernet-Based+Smart+Grid+Technologies+in+with+SoC+FPGA%E2%80%94HSR+and+IEEE+1588+PTP+&utm_content=RTC+E-Newsletter+-+January+2013&utm_campaign=1401_enewsletter_rtc_dmp
The implementation of HSR and IEEE 1588 PTP protocols using an Altera Cyclone V SoC running the Linux operating system can be used both in new designs and when modernizing existing devices. The chip integrates an FPGA fabric and an ARM-based hard processor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
M2M Communications – There is a Better Way.
http://www.rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103446?utm_source=Pubpress&utm_medium=email&utm_term=+M2M+Communications+%E2%80%93+There+is+a+Better+Way.+&utm_content=RTC+E-Newsletter+-+January+2013&utm_campaign=1401_enewsletter_rtc_dmp
For controlling simple devices connected to local networks and also accessed via the Web, simplicity is the best approach.
Tomi Engdahl says:
So, What is the Difference Between Smart Energy and the Smart Home?
http://www.rtcmagazine.com/articles/view/103444?utm_source=Pubpress&utm_medium=email&utm_term=+So%2C+What+is+the+Difference+Between+Smart+Energy+and+the+Smart+Home%3F+&utm_content=RTC+E-Newsletter+-+January+2013&utm_campaign=1401_enewsletter_rtc_dmp
There are at least three different networks that will be used inside the home. Not all of them have the same purpose. Indeed, not all of them serve the direct interests of the home owner.
So, the connected home is the home connected to the Internet that allows those in the home to share and distribute content, downloading or uploading it, or just consuming it. Usually a connected home has a connection point (gateway, router, set-top box) and an in-home distribution system, which can be wired or—way more popular among children—wireless Wi-Fi.
a whole class of small devices in our homes that are not connected to the Internet. This class of devices, often called “sentrollers” (sensors, controllers and actuators), make our lives secure, comfortable and convenient and can be split into several categories
We are rapidly heading toward a time when all of these sentrollers or the devices containing them will be connected to a home console, or connected directly to the Internet. And by using our smartphones or tablets as a consoles, we will be able to monitor, manage and control them from any place in the home, or over the Internet from anywhere in the world. The, “Honey, I forgot to lock the backdoor, oh my,” will be something from the past. You will be able to pull out your smartphone, access your home control dashboard and remedy the situation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Over one third of video played on Russia’s 3G networks still suffers from stalling
http://www.operasoftware.com/press/releases/mobile/2014-01-30
Opera’s cloud-based mobile-video-optimization unit, Skyfire, has found that 37% of all videos that play on Russia’s 3G networks suffer from stalling and rebuffering, resulting in frustrated users and high video abandonment rates.
The cumulative data clearly shows that Russia’s mobile networks have to be improved in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for mobile video from users.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chaps propose free global WiFi delivered FROM SPAAAACE
‘Outernet’ plan would use cubesats to beam MOOCs and Wikipedia to the world
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/03/chaps_propose_free_global_wifi_delivered_from_spaaaace/
Free WiFi is an idea that just won’t go away, with a new proposal calling for it to be made available to everyone in the world via. satellite.
This arrangement is dubbed an “Outernet” by a band of chaps who have floated an idea of how to build one, namely by sending aloft a swarm of tiny satellites that would beam down a subset of the internet that will “bypass censorship, ensure privacy, and offer a universally-accessible information service at no cost to global citizens.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC says US telcos can start moving to IP-based calling, but in baby steps
Old-school phone networks not disappearing just yet
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/01/30/fcc_telco_experiments_announced/
The Federal Communications Commission has given the official go-ahead for US telcos to experiment with scrapping their traditional, analog phone networks in favor of internet-based alternatives.
Thursday’s announcement made clear that the technology trials will be entirely voluntary and that customers will be able to opt out.
“When adoption of new technologies reaches critical mass, many providers may ask the FCC for permission to cease offering those legacy services,” the FCC’s filing explains.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quote of the Day: 5G does not solve all problems
Operators face major challenges. User data volumes grow exponential rate, but no one would want to pay for mobile data.
- The large capacity of data networks, however, may not work as sure, but which are significantly less costly.
Operators should learn the joint use of existing mobile networks and WLAN.
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=906:paivan-sitaatti-5g-ei-ratkaise-kaikkia-ongelmia&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
NSN’s VoLTE voice moves to 3G network
A fully IP-based LTE network, the voice has been surprisingly difficult to challenge for device manufacturers and operators. What happens when an LTE cell coverage end?
NSN will have achieved the demo where video call created in LTE network created will move the call voice transmission to 3g/2g-network without interruption .
Source: Elektroniikkalehti
http://www.elektroniikkalehti.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=920:nsn-n-volte-puhe-siirtyy-3g-verkkoon&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) says that the physical-layer protocol aspects of G.fast — which is expected to be the technology that brings the ability to support 500 Mbps or more to copper-based broadband access networks — have reached the stability required to initiate the standard’s approval procedure.
The final specification is expected to address three speed/reach scenarios: 500 Mbps at 100 m (300 ft); 200 Mbps at 200 m; 150 Mbps at 250 m.
G.9701 receive final approval in conjunction with ITU-T G.9700
Source: http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/12/itu-gfast-finalized.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
New bill would restore net neutrality pending FCC action
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/3/5375002/new-bill-would-restore-net-neutrality-pending-fcc-action
A new pair of bills have been introduced to the Senate and House to protect Net Neutrality after a circuit court ruling struck down the FCC’s previous rules earlier this month. A permanent solution will ultimately come from the FCC, which is still considering its next action
Tomi Engdahl says:
Iridium’s satellite hotspot will get you online nearly anywhere on Earth
http://www.engadget.com/2014/02/04/iridium-go/
Globalstar’s Sat-Fi won’t be the only game in town for satellite hotspots. Iridium has unveiled the Iridium Go, a hotspot that lets up to five WiFi-equipped devices hop on the internet, send texts and make phone calls from just about anywhere on the planet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A resident of talking by mobile phone outdoors from strong wind and cold weather is a common sight in the center of Helsinki on the other edge of the fishing harbor in new houses. A few kilometers from the Finnish city center mobile phone network does not work inside the house at all, or it is very weak.
Low-energy houses have become a communication problem.
Radio waves capabilities to penetrate the concrete is low, but traditionally the waves have come through the windows of homes. New energy saving glass windows of the houses have a surfaces of a metal membrane that blocks most of the the entrance of radio waves though windows.
Residents’ anger in addition to causing poor reception telephone operators and the cost of housing companies. The most expensive would be to solve the problem simply by building more base stations.
Operators are throwing the ball to the designers of houses and housing companies. Keeping the radio waves in when designing and building the house would be lower cost than building new areas full of base stations.
“By the time the problem has already arisen, there is little bit late and unequivocal no easy solutions,”
Source: Tietokone
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/kannykka_ei_tahdo_kuulua_energiataloissa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco: The U.S. officially enters the gigabyte era of mobile data consumption
http://gigaom.com/2014/02/05/cisco-the-u-s-is-officially-in-the-gigabyte-era-of-mobile-data-consumption/
Summary:
Average mobile data use in North America nearly doubled in 2013 to 1.38 GBs a month leading the world. The U.S. isn’t the biggest data hog — that would be Japan — but LTE is driving consumption.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Utah bill would stop regional fiber networks from expanding
Bill seen as gift to incumbent ISPs who are threatened by UTOPIA fiber network.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2014/02/utah-bill-would-stop-regional-fiber-networks-from-expanding/
Kansas isn’t the only state considering legislation that would limit the growth of government-funded broadband networks that threaten incumbent Internet service providers.
the bill seems to be directed at UTOPIA, the Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency, a consortium of 16 cities that operates a fiber-to-the-premises broadband network
UTOPIA’s network is open access, allowing private Internet service providers to sell broadband over the fiber.
“Because our network is open, the incumbent telecoms are welcome to join our network, but have elected not to,” UTOPIA says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Demystifying 40 Gigabit Ethernet Physical Layer Interfaces in Data Centers
By Rita Horner, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager, SerDes, Synopsys
http://www.synopsys.com/Company/Publications/DWTB/Pages/dwtb-data-centers-2014Q1.aspx?elq_mid=5235&elq_cid=303473
As 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GE) is adopted in greater numbers in the data centers worldwide, IT managers are realizing that they are still not able to meet the ever increasing demand for higher bandwidths, and are instead transitioning to 40 Gigabit Ethernet (40 GE) earlier than they had originally planned.
This article describes the different supported interfaces from the port side to the backplane within a 40 GE system
Tomi Engdahl says:
The anatomy of a network switch: an eight-port, gigabit glitch
Brian Dipert -January 23, 2014
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4427448/The-anatomy-of-a-network-switch–an-eight-port–gigabit-glitch
Tomi Engdahl says:
There’s something rotten in the state of online video streaming, and the data is starting to emerge
http://gigaom.com/2014/02/06/theres-something-rotten-in-the-state-of-online-video-streaming-and-the-data-is-starting-to-emerge/
Peering disagreements aren’t fun or consumer-friendly, but they might be the reason consumers’ video streams are suffering.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Gadget Freaks Rejoice: CES Highlights Impressive Inventions
http://www.designnews.com/author.asp?section_id=1362&doc_id=271002&cid=nl.dn17&dfpPParams=htid_66,industry_consumer,bid_30,aid_271002&dfpLayout=blog
Mother can keep track of your daily activity and movement, and reports back to you with updates and reminders.
Mother works with Motion Cookies, which are a family of small sensors that can be attached to most objects to detect and understand movements of objects and people.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LA building’s lights interfere with cellular network, FCC says
The agency cited the owner of the building for using faulty fluorescents
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/020714-la-building39s-lights-interfere-with-278576.html
When a certain Los Angeles office building lights up, it’s a dark day for nearby cellphone users, according to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
Fluorescent lights at Ernst & Young Plaza, a 41-story tower near the heart of downtown, emit frequencies that interfere with the Verizon Wireless 700MHz network, the agency said
The interference comes from the ballast, a transformer in the lighting fixture, according to the FCC citation.
“All of this electronic equipment could potentially interfere with mobile phones, but care is put into the design to avoid these problems occurring in practice,” Marshall said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix performance on Verizon and Comcast has been dropping for months
Latest Netflix data shows some ISPs struggling, while Google Fiber soars.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/02/netflix-performance-on-verizon-and-comcast-has-been-dropping-for-months/
Tomi Engdahl says:
EU network tech boss: Europe to take the lead on 5G (thanks, Huawei)
Chinese firm’s investments triumph for the single market
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/02/11/steelie_neelies_sidekick_europe_to_take_the_5g_lead/
At the 5G@Europe Summit on Monday, the head of network tech at the EC’s DG for Comms Networks, Content & Technology, Thibaut Kleiner, said Europe would “lead” the way with 5G, leading to growth in the IT sector and the economy at large.
The Munich event was heavily sponsored by Huawei
Tomi Engdahl says:
Solutions for Millimeter Wave Wireless Backhaul
http://www.eeweb.com/news/solutions-for-millimeter-wave-wireless-backhaul
The backhaul plays a critical role in the telecommunications network, comprising the intermediate links between the core, or backbone network, and the small subnet- works at the edge of the entire network. In microwave mobile or wireless networks, there are three types of backhauls: macro- cell, small cell and femtocell.
Today, operators have a number of different backhaul technologies to choose from, one of which is called E-band. It presents a particularly enviable option due to its high capacity and potential economic benefits. Available worldwide, E-band point-to-point, line-of-sight microwave radios—also known as millimeter wave (mmWave) radios—operate in the unlicensed 57-64 GHz frequency band at data rates up to 1 Gbps, and in the lightly licensed 71-86 GHz frequency band and 92-95 GHz frequency band at data rates up to 10 Gbps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Molex zCD™ Interconnect Solves Next-Gen Data Transmission Requirements
Compact form-factor zCD connector delivers data rates scalable up to 400 Gbps
http://www.molex.com/molex/news/display_news.jsp?channel=News+In+Brief&channelId=-8&oid=1501
The Molex zCD interconnect system will transmit 400 Gbps data rates (25 Gbps over 16 lanes) with excellent signal integrity, electromagnetic interference (EMI) protection and thermal cooling properties.
Tomi Engdahl says:
More 1876 than 1995
http://radar.oreilly.com/2014/02/more-1876-than-1995.html
Jim Stogdill explains how the Internet of Things is more on par with the Industrial Revolution than the digital revolution.
In terms of the Internet of Things, we have reached that same point of critical mass.
As the Internet subsumes physical objects, the rate of change is accelerating, observes Stogdill. “Today, stable wireless platforms, standardized software interface components and cheap, widely available sensors have made the connection of virtually every device — from coffee pots to cars — not only possible; they have made it certain.”
“I see the Internet of Everything as the next step,”
“Everyone will be affected by this collision of hardware and software, by the merging of the virtual and real,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comment at http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/02/11/0120256/why-the-internet-of-things-is-more-1876-than-1995
The one, single biggest weakness with the whole IoT-movement is the lack of any sorts of standards. Devices from one manufacturer use this protocol to talk to one another, the devices from another manufacturer use another protocol, neither of them can communicate with one another, and to top it off many devices even within a single manufacturer’s own line of products don’t know how to communicate amongst themselves. This means a huge, tangled mess of dozens of controlling applications and physical control-panels and whatnot, and it’s all ripe with security-issues, too. With no standards or anything there’s no logical way of controlling all of your IoT-devices in a unified way, let alone to control their security and updates.
on average, every household in the future had e.g. approximately 50 IoT-devices in their homes
“WIFI-power-drain just within the United States alone — a definitely non-neglibigle amount.”
However, you’d again need some sort of a bridge for bringing the WIFI-devices and Bluetooth-LE-devices together, and again, you’d need sane standards in order to come up with such bridges.