Telecom trends for 2015

In few years there’ll be close to 4bn smartphones on earth. Ericsson’s annual mobility report forecasts increasing mobile subscriptions and connections through 2020.(9.5B Smartphone Subs by 2020 and eight-fold traffic increase). Ericsson’s annual mobility report expects that by 2020 90% of the world’s population over six years old will have a phone.  It really talks about the connected world where everyone will have a connection one way or another.

What about the phone systems in use. Now majority of the world operates on GSM and HPSA (3G). Some countries are starting to have good 4G (LTE) coverage, but on average only 20% is covered by LTE. 4G/LTE small cells will grow at 2X the rate for 3G and surpass both 2G and 3G in 2016.

Ericsson expects that 85% of mobile subscriptions in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa will be 3G or 4G by 2020. 75%-80% of North America and Western Europe are expected to be using LTE by 2020. China is by far the biggest smartphone market by current users in the world, and it is rapidly moving into high-speed 4G technology.

The sales of mobile broadband routers and mobile broadband “usb sticks” is expected to continue to drop. In year 2013 those devices were sold 87 million units, and in 2014 sales dropped again 24 per cent. Chinese Huawei is the market leader (45%), so it has most to loose on this.

Small cell backhaul market is expected to grow. ABI Research believes 2015 will now witness meaningful small cell deployments. Millimeter wave technology—thanks to its large bandwidth and NLOS capability—is the fastest growing technology. 4G/LTE small cell solutions will again drive most of the microwave, millimeter wave, and sub 6GHz backhaul growth in metropolitan, urban, and suburban areas. Sub 6GHz technology will capture the largest share of small cell backhaul “last mile” links.

Technology for full duplex operation at one radio frequency has been designed. The new practical circuit, known as a circulator, that lets a radio send and receive data simultaneously over the same frequency could supercharge wireless data transfer, has been designed. The new circuit design avoids magnets, and uses only conventional circuit components. The radio wave circulator utilized in wireless communications to double the bandwidth by enabling full-duplex operation, ie, devices can send and receive signals in the same frequency band simultaneously. Let’s wait to see if this technology turns to be practical.

Broadband connections are finally more popular than traditional wired telephone: In EU by the end of 2014, fixed broadband subscriptions will outnumber traditional circuit-switched fixed lines for the first time.

After six years in the dark, Europe’s telecoms providers see a light at the end of the tunnel. According to a new report commissioned by industry body ETNO, the sector should return to growth in 2016. The projected growth for 2016, however, is small – just 1 per cent.

With headwinds and tailwinds, how high will the cabling market fly? Cabling for enterprise local area networks (LANs) experienced growth of between 1 and 2 percent in 2013, while cabling for data centers grew 3.5 percent, according to BSRIA, for a total global growth of 2 percent. The structured cabling market is facing a turbulent time. Structured cabling in data centers continues to move toward the use of fiber. The number of smaller data centers that will use copper will decline.

Businesses will increasingly shift from buying IT products to purchasing infrastructure-as-a-service and software-as-a-service. Both trends will increase the need for processing and storage capacity in data centers. And we need also fast connections to those data centers. This will cause significant growth in WiFi traffic, which will  will mean more structured cabling used to wire access points. Convergence also will result in more cabling needed for Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, building management systems, access controls and other applications. This could mean decrease in the installing of special separate cabling for those applications.

The future of your data center network is a moving target, but one thing is certain: It will be faster. The four developments are in this field are: 40GBase-T, Category 8, 32G and 128G Fibre Channel, and 400GbE.

Ethernet will more and more move away from 10, 100, 1000 speed series as proposals for new speeds are increasingly pushing in. The move beyond gigabit Ethernet is gathering pace, with a cluster of vendors gathering around the IEEE standards effort to help bring 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps speeds to the ubiquitous Cat 5e cable. With the IEEE standardisation process under way, the MGBase-T alliance represents industry’s effort to accelerate 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps speeds to be taken into use for connections to fast WLAN access points. Intense attention is being paid to the development of 25 Gigabit Ethernet (25GbE) and next-generation Ethernet access networks. There is also development of 40GBase-T going on.

Cat 5e vs. Cat 6 vs. Cat 6A – which should you choose? Stop installing Cat 5e cable. “I recommend that you install Cat 6 at a minimum today”. The cable will last much longer and support higher speeds that Cat 5e just cannot support. Category 8 cabling is coming to data centers to support 40GBase-T.

Power over Ethernet plugfest planned to happen in 2015 for testing power over Ethernet products. The plugfest will be focused on IEEE 802.3af and 802.3at standards relevant to IP cameras, wireless access points, automation, and other applications. The Power over Ethernet plugfest will test participants’ devices to the respective IEEE 802.3 PoE specifications, which distinguishes IEEE 802.3-based devices from other non-standards-based PoE solutions.

Gartner expects that wired Ethernet will start to lose it’s position in office in 2015 or in few years after that because of transition to the use of the Internet mainly on smartphones and tablets. The change is significant, because it will break Ethernet long reign in the office. Consumer devices have already moved into wireless and now is the turn to the office. Many factors speak on behalf of the mobile office.  Research predicts that by 2018, 40 per cent of enterprises and organizations of various solid defines the WLAN devices by default. Current workstations, desktop phone, the projectors and the like, therefore, be transferred to wireless. Expect the wireless LAN equipment market to accelerate in 2015 as spending by service providers and education comes back, 802.11ac reaches critical mass, and Wave 2 products enter the market.

Scalable and Secure Device Management for Telecom, Network, SDN/NFV and IoT Devices will become standard feature. Whether you are building a high end router or deploying an IoT sensor network, a Device Management Framework including support for new standards such as NETCONF/YANG and Web Technologies such as Representational State Transfer (ReST) are fast becoming standard requirements. Next generation Device Management Frameworks can provide substantial advantages over legacy SNMP and proprietary frameworks.

 

U.S. regulators resumed consideration of mergers proposed by Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc., suggesting a decision as early as March: Comcast’s $45.2 billion proposed purchase of Time Warner Cable Inc and AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV.

There will be changes in the management of global DNS. U.S. is in the midst of handing over its oversight of ICANN to an international consortium in 2015. The National Telecommunications and Information Association, which oversees ICANN, assured people that the handover would not disrupt the Internet as the public has come to know it. Discussion is going on about what can replace the US government’s current role as IANA contract holder. IANA is the technical body that runs things like the global domain-name system and allocates blocks of IP addresses. Whoever controls it, controls the behind-the-scenes of the internet; today, that’s ICANN, under contract with the US government, but that agreement runs out in September 2015.

 

1,044 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wireless Links to Provide Automation & Enhanced Efficiency in Medical Apps
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1325931&

    Using FPRF devices, manufacturers can add a cost-effective enhancement to their equipment that will differentiate them from their competitors and improve medical care.

    Two recent events led me to write this article. I have written several times about field-programmable radio frequency (FPRF) devices that can become nearly universal wireless devices. I also had a two-week spell in hospital. This allowed me plenty of time to consider wireless applications on the hospital ward.

    It struck me that if each patient had their vital signs read, say, six times a day taking ten minutes each time, then this took the nursing staff 60 minutes per day per patient. The addition of a simple wireless link could kick-start the automation.

    So I wondered what were the problems preventing this happening? Proprietary instrumentation looks to be an obvious stumbling block. A range of major vendors produce the equipment and they may not think linking machines together is in their interest. Security is another paramount concern.

    The particular machine that the hospital actually used was fitted with a data interface connector in the form of a 15-way D-type RS-232 serial port. However, in the cluttered environments of a hospital ward, the thought of connecting cables into wall sockets each time is a non-starter. On the other hand, it does seem to offer the possibility of attaching an external wireless communications module with a bar code scanner as a “second-best” option.

    Implementing a wireless link
    Modern wireless systems provide reliable links that could connect the hospital equipment to a local computer. Bluetooth low energy (BLE), which is marketed as Bluetooth Smart, is an example where there are existing profiles for certain medical applications. The first major limitation of BLE is the range, which extends to 100 meters (330 feet) in theory, but which may — inside a building — be limited to just a single room in practice. The second issue is the risk of interference in the spectrum that it uses — the crowded 2.4000 to 2.4835 GHz band.

    A lower RF frequency, say below 1 GHz, offers a much better penetration of building materials. For this reason, the ISM bands of 915 MHz used in the Americas and 433.920 MHz in EMEA and other VHF/UHF frequencies used in Asia would provide a much superior range.

    A newly released FPRF device promises to be an ideal solution for the wireless component of the problem. This chip (part number LMS7002M) is user-programmable over an extensive range, from 100 kHz to 3,800 MHz, so it easily covers the frequencies of interest. In addition to a programmable frequency, the user also has real-time control of the bandwidth and gain.

    There are many options for the transmission modulation scheme. The simplest technique uses 2-bits per symbol and quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK)
    QPSK supports low data rate transfers and is robust under poor signal
    QAM provides a spectrally more efficient modulation scheme, but only under good SNR conditions

    The latest transmission scheme, however, is called Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO), which is a complex configuration that uses two or more antennas separated physically by a short distance. MIMO techniques improve the spectral efficiency and achieve a diversity gain that improves the link reliability.

    MIMO is supported by the LMS7002M and offers the reliability and signal integrity required for medical applications.

    The FPRF is controlled by a baseband chip. The primary function of the baseband chip is to accept the data from the vital signs equipment, time stamp it, and packetize it into Ethernet packets ready for transmission. The chip will encode or decode the I and Q data streams and load the LMS7002M via its JESD207 interface. It can program the FPRF via a SPI interface to set transmit and receive frequencies, gain, and bandwidth.

    The baseband function is typically achieved using a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), such as an Altera Cyclone V SE for cost-sensitive applications. These FPGAs feature a rich mix of logic, memory, and DSP functions, as well as either one or dual embedded ARM processors.

    Benefits for the hospital
    The reading and recording of vital signs using manual methods takes the nursing staff approximately 60 minutes per day per patient. In the ward where I was a patient, there are a total of 40 beds, meaning this activity consumes around 40 nurse/hours per day. If the automation can save even 25% of this time, then it is the equivalent of freeing up the overall nursing staff from 10 hours of activity per day. In turn, this can be directly translated into monetary savings.

    In situations where the vital signs monitor is permanently connected to the patient, such as in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the central control can command the equipment to take readings as required. This use model requires the local intelligence to monitor the wireless link for instructions

    Benefits for the equipment vendor
    Equipment manufacturers can add a cost-effective enhancement to their equipment that will differentiate them from their competitors. They can demonstrate that the innovation will provide boosts in both efficiency and in the standard of medical care provided by the hospital. In addition, any marginal increase in machine costs will be rapidly off-set by savings in nurse-hours.

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    First Fully Digital Radio Transmitter Built Purely From Microprocessor Tech
    http://radio.slashdot.org/story/15/03/05/2318257/first-fully-digital-radio-transmitter-built-purely-from-microprocessor-tech

    For the first time in history, a prototype radio has been created that is claimed to be completely digital, generating high-frequency radio waves purely through the use of integrated circuits and a set of patented algorithms without using conventional analog radio circuits in any way whatsoever.

    First all-digital radio transmitter
    http://www.cambridgeconsultants.com/media/press-releases/first-all-digital-radio-transmitter

    Cambridge Consultants demonstrates a world first in radio design

    Technology innovation firm Cambridge Consultants has successfully completed initial trials of the world’s first fully digital radio transmitter – a turning point in wireless design and a real enabler for the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) and 5G technology. It’s a radio built purely from computing power, using the same familiar digital technology you’d find in a computer microprocessor in your home or office.

    Unlike ‘software-defined radio’ (SDR), it’s not a mixture of analogue and digital components – for the first time, the radio is completely digital, which can enable new ways of using spectrum intelligently. The innovation is set to be hugely disruptive, like a previous Cambridge Consultants breakthrough – the development of the first single-chip Bluetooth radio, which led to the spinout of the global short-range wireless and audiovisual giant CSR.

    The latest breakthrough – codenamed Pizzicato – unlocks the potential of the IoT. It opens the door to a new dynamic way in which the predicted 100 billion IoT devices can operate together in a crowded radio spectrum. And it will enable the creation of 5G systems, with multiple radios and antennas.

    The Pizzicato digital radio transmitter consists of an integrated circuit outputting a single stream of bits, and an antenna – with no conventional radio parts or digital-to-analogue converter. Patented algorithms perform the necessary ultra-fast computations in real time, making it possible for standard digital technology to generate high-frequency radio signals directly.

    “Our first trial of the technology has created 14 simultaneous cellular base station signals,”

    “If we’re going to get high-speed broadband to every mobile phone in the world, we’ll need lots of tiny, high-performance radios in those phones. The radios will be squashed together in a way that analogue just doesn’t tolerate. Whereas a Pizzicato-like digital radio can follow Moore’s Law to smaller size and lower power consumption.

    Good radio spectrum is a scarce resource – only low frequencies (1GHz or lower) propagate well over distance or through walls, so they are in great demand. Greater efficiency requires the use of dynamic or ‘cognitive wireless’ techniques to sense the radio environment and switch parameters on the fly. This could give access to more of the estimated 90% of the allocated spectrum which is not in use at any one time.

    Making use of the higher carrier frequencies of 10GHz and beyond, however, will require techniques such as meshing and beamforming to circumvent the inherently poor range – and the analogue parts of radios are becoming an increasing bottleneck.

    World’s first fully digital radio transmitter built purely from microprocessor technology
    http://www.gizmag.com/digital-radio-transmitter-microprocessor-technology/36380/

    For the first time in history, a prototype radio has been created that is claimed to be completely digital, generating high-frequency radio waves purely through the use of integrated circuits and a set of patented algorithms without using conventional analog radio circuits in any way whatsoever. This breakthrough technology promises to vastly improve the wireless communications capabilities of everything from 5G mobile technology to the multitude devices aimed at supporting the Internet of Things (IoT).

    “If we’re going to get high-speed broadband to every mobile phone in the world, we’ll need lots of tiny, high-performance radios in those phones,” said Barlow. “The radios will be squashed together in a way that analog just doesn’t tolerate. Whereas a Pizzicato-like digital radio can follow Moore’s Law to smaller size and lower power consumption. It could also be programmed to generate almost any combination of signals at any carrier frequencies, nimbly adapting its behavior in a way that is impossible in conventional radios. It is early days for this technology, but we believe radio design has reached a turning point.”

    The Pizzicato digital radio was recently demonstrated at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ben Grubb / Sydney Morning Herald:
    Australian telco Telstra will offer customers similar access to their private phone metadata that law-enforcement has beginning April 1; prices start at AU$25

    Telstra backflips on refusing customer access to metadata
    http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/consumer-security/telstra-backflips-on-refusing-customer-access-to-metadata-20150306-13wv1g.html

    Telstra has become the first Australian telco to offer its subscribers similar access that law-enforcement and intelligence agencies have to their private phone metadata, backflipping on its previous position of refusing them access to it.

    Starting April 1, Telstra will give their customers access to a limited set of their “metadata” for a fee — information about who they’ve called, the time, location and duration. It does not include the content of a communication, such as the detail of what you said or wrote in an email or SMS.

    But the scheme won’t give customers access to information about another party to a communication with them, such as who called them (this information is collected though, and can be handed over to law-enforcement agencies).

    Still, the move will provide customers with much more access than they otherwise would’ve had through Telstra’s MyAccount portal or through their monthly bills, with information including “the actual location of the cell tower an outgoing call was connected to when the call was made” being made available.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    HP:
    HP CEO Meg Whitman on Aruba, NFV & The Future of Telecommunications — HP CEO Meg Whitman shares her thoughts on the technology trends impacting the telecommunications industry.

    #MWC15, NFV & The Future of Telecommunications
    https://ssl.www8.hp.com/hpmatter/content/mwc15-nfv-future-telecommunications

    Since the advent of the telephone nearly 140 years ago, we’ve seen technology—and the telecommunication industry’s application of it—progress by leaps and bounds. Today, we’re moving at warp speed to connect our devices, our homes, our businesses, and even ourselves.

    The future of telecommunications will not be limited to devices or broadband or satellite. This newfound connectivity will require all the technological resources in our arsenal to meet demand.

    A BLESSING AND A CURSE

    This exceptional level of connectivity is a both a blessing and a curse. Existing telecommunications infrastructure is struggling to keep up, not only with the pace of technological advancement, but also with the flood of data all this connectivity is generating.

    Legacy telecom infrastructure rolled out decades ago—or even just a few years ago—is already being outpaced by the exponential growth trajectory of the industry.

    Take, for example, the coming gigabit broadband revolution.

    OUT OF THE BOX AND INTO THE CLOUD

    If managed more efficiently, all this data provides a wealth of opportunity for telecom companies and their customers. But it will require smarter, faster and more flexible application of technology. HP’s solution to this fundamental challenge is in the cloud with Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).

    As HP telecom-sector expert Saar Gillai says, “cloudification” of the telecommunications industry is today’s equivalent of moving from static landlines to IP addresses. It’s a “sea change” in the way telecom services are provided and managed—one that will move us all to a much more agile and value-based space.

    WIRELESS-FIRST APPROACH TO CONNECTIVITY

    As mobility trends continue to transform the way we communicate, businesses of all sizes will need to take a wireless-first approach to connectivity.

    EXTRAORDINARY OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

    From where I sit, telecommunications is among the most rapidly evolving sectors I’ve ever seen. The speed of innovation, growth and demand at both the enterprise and consumer levels are astronomical—simultaneously raising enormous challenges and extraordinary opportunities for those companies agile enough to take advantage.

    And there’s so much more to come: just look at what’s happening inside the walls of HP Labs with The Machine – HP’s revolutionary new computing architecture that has the speed and resiliency to navigate the oceans of data created by the Internet of Things.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Kevin Rawlinson / BBC:
    European regulators delay plans to ban roaming charges until 2018; propose net neutrality rules allowing privileged access in some cases

    EU data roaming and net neutrality plans attacked
    http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-31748592

    European regulators have dropped plans to ban roaming charges and have proposed net neutrality rules allowing privileged access in some cases.

    They called for an “intermediate step” that would still allow carriers to charge more to use mobiles abroad.

    And net neutrality rules would bar discrimination in internet access, but allow prioritisation of some services.

    The proposals were a significant departure from those first floated in 2013, observers said.

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ericsson CTO: Spectrum will be more valuable than oil
    http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/ericsson-cto-spectrum-will-be-more-valuable-oil/2015-03-04?utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_campaign=rss

    BARCELONA, Spain–A top Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) executive believes that in the not-to-distance future, spectrum will become more valuable than oil. He also predicted that the industry will see a lot more investment in technologies that make spectrum use more efficient.

    Ulf Ewaldsson, senior vice president and group CTO at Ericsson, said that a large proportion of Ericsson’s $5 billion R&D budget is going to technologies that improve spectrum performance and keep data bit per hertz cost to a minimum. He also predicted that we will see a change in how many governments around the world handle spectrum allocation, noting that although the U.S. recently set a record with its $45 billion AWS-3 spectrum auction, other countries are talking about not doing auctions. “We are going to see the landscape change,” he said.

    In comments here at the Mobile World Congress trade show, Ewaldsson outlined several key areas for the company that he believes have the most opportunity. He noted that heterogeneous radio networks, where Ericsson has traditionally been strong, will continue to be a big focus for the company. He also said that Ericsson is working to expand network coverage and enhance the indoor network where approximately 70 percent of the wireless traffic occurs.

    He also said the company is focused on cloud IP and the transformation of the core network. Interestingly, he said that while he believes service provider SDN has been over-hyped in the past year, he does see an escalating convergence of the wired and wireless networks.

    But perhaps the most interesting area Ewaldsson touched on is the company’s work to drive wireless technologies into other industries, such as the automobile and home areas. He said that this will be particularly challenging because every industry has its own complex ecosystem.

    He revealed that studies from car makers show that one in two customers today would switch car brands to get connected car features in their automobiles. And he quoted an IEEE statistic that predicts that 75 percent of vehicles will be autonomous by 2024.

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    5G and the coming ‘tectonic’ shift in wireless
    http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/5g-and-coming-tectonic-shift-wireless/2015-02-24

    But as the industry now looks ahead to 5G, I find this transition shaping up to be very different from those of the past.

    5G is much harder to define because it’s not just about air interface technology–in fact many assert that there won’t be an air interface change because 5G will just be the further advancement of LTE and LTE-Advanced. And 5G is not just about speed either. Instead the 5G discussions today are about network coverage (especially indoor coverage), reduced latency and very different business models.

    Analyst Chetan Sharma, president of Chetan Sharma Consulting, recently did a great job of outlining what he believes are the key performance goals surrounding the 5G discussion. Sharma says 5G will likely have the following:

    Less than 1 millisecond of latency
    (Almost) 100% network coverage
    1,000 times reduction in power consumption
    Very high reliability in all circumstances, especially indoor
    Deep indoor coverage
    30 times higher device density
    10-100x connected devices
    And significantly higher security requirements

    But perhaps more important than these performance goals, Sharma said he expects 5G to drive a “tectonic” shift in the wireless industry that will result in fewer mobile operators and dramatically different business models.

    What exactly will those business models be? Sharma said he thinks that the wireless industry will no longer be using a business model driven by usage and price but will instead will be forced to figure out how to make money from different services.

    5G is a topic that is getting a lot of buzz right now

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Custom waveforms development for 5G

    Keysight Technologies provides 5G mobile technology researchers with these new tools. The Signal Studio software, a new version of the N7608B enables customized waveform creation for 5G-applications development. It can be used to test, for example, coming up with 5G connections waveform candidates, such as FBMC signal (filter bank multicarrier), which is considered one of the most promising. Of course, the tool can also be generated OFDM signals variations. Test signals Signal Studio supports the production of microwave signal generator and the RF vector signal generator.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2527:kustomoituja-aaltomuotoja-5g-kehitykseen&catid=13&Itemid=101

    N7608B Signal Studio for Custom Modulation
    http://www.keysight.com/en/pd-2522618-pn-N7608B/signal-studio-for-custom-modulation?nid=-536902344.1119607.00&cc=FI&lc=fin

    Signal Creation

    Create custom filter bank multicarrier (FBMC) waveforms for 5G application
    Create custom OFDM and IQ waveforms for emerging wireless, 5G and aerospace/defense custom/proprietary applications
    Customize OFDM and IQ quick setups for applications such as DAB, DVB-T/H, DVB-SH, ISDB-T, SOQPSK, and DVB-S2X APSK
    Accelerate the custom signal creation process with an easy-to-use, parameterized graphical user interface

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    EU’s 5G Vision Gets Clearer, Still Fragmented
    Spectrum policy in hands of 28 ministers with ‘dollar sign in their eyes’
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1325940&

    BARCELONA, Spain — The EU Commissioner together with companies, including Alcatel-Lucent, NTT DoCoMo, Ericsson, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Thales Alenia Space, and other partners in the 5G Public-Private Partnership, have presented Europe’s vision of 5G technologies and infrastructure which, by 2020, will handle the massive growth of communication and wireless technologies used by humans and machines.

    The press conference with EU Commissioner Oettinger & CEOs on 5G was held on Tuesday in the Media Village of the Mobile World Congress. It was organized by the European Commission and the 5G Public-Private Partnetship (5G-PPP).

    In his opening remarks, Günther H. Oettinger, European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, praised the technological progress in several EU-funded projects such as METIS, 5GNOW, iJOIN, MIWEBA, CREW, EVARILOS also being showcased at Barcelona in the EU 5G Research Stand. 5GNOW has already achieved important results on new radio access technology, and METIS has delivered the main usage scenarios, associated technologies and architectures.

    Industry partners in Europe, such as Nokia and Ericsson, have also demonstrated the possibility to use higher frequency bands to reach user data rates above 1.2 Gb/s.

    Here is Europe’s 5G vision in more detail:

    Key drivers: Everyone agrees that 5G is a massive undertaking and will involve a new network complete with new services and capabilities. It will be a mix of existing and new technologies, and its creation will be critical to meet the explosion of new services on the Internet of Things, which requires connecting huge numbers of sensors and devices.
    Design principle: The infrastructure should be adaptive, sustainable and scalable. It has to be able to conserve power and allow the deployment of batteryless devices.
    Key technological components: 5G networks should encompass optical, cellular and satellite solutions. In order to make the best use of available infrastructure and spectrum it will need to incorporate technologies such as Software Defined Networking (SDN), Software Optimization Networks (SON), Network Functions Virtualization (NFV), Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) and Fog Computing (FC).
    Spectrum considerations: New spectrum will need to be allocated and governments should work together to make the necessary frequencies available at the same time in all markets. It will need strong cooperation between five continents to make the standard a reality.
    Timeline: Many European operators predict 5G commercial availability in 2020-2025.

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    TIA developing TSB to test installed copper cabling for 2.5G, 5G capability
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/02/tia-tsb-installed-copper-cabling-2-5-5-g.html?cmpid=EnlCIMMarch92015

    the IEEE is in the early stages of developing 2.5GBase-T and 5GBase-T specifications and the IEEE is targeting the installed base of Category 5e and Category 6 cabling to support 2.5 and 5GBase-T.

    In its PAR, TR-42.7 said the TSB it intends to publish will include test requirements needed to qualify installed cabling to support 2.5 and 5GBase-T. The TSB may also recommend mitigation procedures that could be used on installed systems.

    NBase-T adapter reference design for enterprise networks unveiled
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/03/nbaset-reference-design.html

    Tehuti Networks (Israel), a fabless semiconductor company focused on enabling mass adoption of multi-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) technology, has unveiled what it says is the industry’s first NBase-T adapter reference design, capable of reaching 2.5 and 5 Gigabits per second over 100 meters of legacy Cat 5e cabling.

    The Tehuti NBase-T reference design hosts the latest Tehuti TN4010 controller, an optimized 10GbE controller designed for low-power, low-cost, single-port applications. The TN4010 MAC is paired with the Aquantia AQR105 transceiver, a single-port, low-power, high-performance NBase-T PHY.

    Designed to support high-volume enterprise wireless local-area network (WLAN) OEM systems requiring multi-Gigabit Ethernet connectivity, such as 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless access points, Tehuti says its NBase-T adapter reference design offers a low-power, small form factor and low-cost solution, enabling pervasive NBase-T connectivity. NBase-T technology boosts the speed of broadly deployed twisted pair copper cabling up to 100m in length — well beyond the designed limits of 1 Gbps.

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Report: Gigabit FTTH driving record broadband sales
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/03/infonetics-gigabit-ftth.html

    Exploding interest in gigabit broadband helped create record sales of broadband aggregation equipment in 2014, according to Infonetics Research, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).

    With GPON equipment leading the way, global spending on broadband aggregation equipment jumped 9% percent in 2014, to $8.2 billion, the market research firm reveals in its upcoming PON, FTTH, and DSL Aggregation Equipment report. The year ended on a strong note, said the report, with sales of DSL, PON, and point-to-point fiber Ethernet equipment rising 7% sequentially in the fourth quarter of 2014 to $2.2 billion.

    “The strength in the broadband aggregation market is due to another record year for GPON equipment, as operators around the world seek a flexible, interoperable technology for offering higher-bandwidth speeds to their customers,” according to Jeff Heynen, principal analyst for broadband access and pay TV at Infonetics. “China leads in GPON spending, accounting for half of all GPON sales in 2014, while Latin America notched the largest increase in GPON spending, up 258%. Fierce competition in Brazil combined with key FTTH (fiber-to-the-home) projects in Mexico and Colombia helped expand GPON’s reach.”

    APOLAN expands into Europe
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/02/apolan-expands-europe.html

    At last week’s BICSI Winter Conference 2015 (Feb. 23-25), the Association for Passive Optical LAN (APOLAN), a non-profit organization committed to driving adoption and educating the market about the advantages of passive optical local area network (LAN) technology, officially announced the formation of its European Committee. Through the association, this new committee will expand local design, development, manufacturing, distribution, sales and installation expertise to entities in Europe who are choosing to replace copper-based LAN with passive optical LAN.

    The association says the primary objective for its European Committee is to advocate for the benefits of passive optical LAN, including money, energy and space savings, and educate the LAN industry about the global adoption of passive optical networks.

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    L-com pushes Icron’s USB extension technology at BICSI Winter 2015
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/03/lcom-icron-bicsi-usb.html

    L-com, a U.S. manufacturer and distributor of connectivity products, recently showcased a selection of Icron’s ExtremeUSB extenders at the 2015 BICSI Winter show (Feb. 23-25) in Orlando, FL.

    Specifically, Icron’s USB 2.0 Over LAN and USB 3.0 Over Fiber extension products were displayed by L-com. L-com says that Icron’s USB extension technology is quite relevant to its existing BICSI-oriented product lines, in that many USB-based applications require connection beyond the limitations of USB’s specified cable distance.

    Icron’s USB 2.0 Ranger 2304-LAN is a four-port USB 2.0 high-speed extension solution with the ability to connect USB devices such as flash drives, interactive whiteboards, keyboards and mice over a LAN using existing Ethernet cabling.

    The Ranger 2304-LAN supports USB 2.0 throughputs up to 480Mbps with extension up to 100 meters between network switches.

    Icron’s USB 3.0 Spectra series of extenders provide flexibility for varying distance USB 3.0 extension requirements. For short range operation, the USB 3.0 Spectra 3001-15 is a bus-powered copper cable that extends USB 3.0 at 15 meters while providing a full 5V, 900mA of current. If longer extension is required, Icron’s USB 3.0 Spectra 3022 extender system has the capability to extend up to 100 meters and beyond over multimode OM3 fiber-optic cabling. Both extenders support throughputs of 5Gbps and feature locking connectors per the AIA USB3 Vision specification.

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    IEEE to study new Base-T data rates for data centers and enterprise applications
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-23/issue-2/features/technology/ieee-to-study-new-base-t-data-rates-for-data-centers-and-enterprise-applications.html

    Observing the work of recent projects, one can see that IEEE 802.3 is continuing to expand the Ethernet ecosystem by providing standards that meet the needs of well-defined uses and applications. This is somewhat of a departure from the early days of Ethernet, which defined 10-fold data rate increases with every project driven by a “build it and they will come” paradigm.

    The IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Working Group recently fielded calls for interest (CFIs) for new data rates for the Base-T family of Ethernet PHYs forming two new IEEE 802.3 study groups as a result. One, driven by mounting bandwidth needs of wireless access points, will address Next Generation Enterprise Access Base-T PHY, and the second, for 25-Gbit/sec data transmission over balanced twisted pair cabling, or 25GBase-T, targeting enterprise data centers.

    Thus, extending the useful life and data capacity of installed base of Category 5e and Category 6 twisted-pair cabling is a high priority because of the cost associated with retrofitting additional cables. Longer term, however, the access point uplink requirements will exceed 5 Gbits/sec, and 10GBase-T becomes the logical choice.

    Roadmap for 25/40GBase-T

    In contrast to data centers run by cloud service providers, which have already made the leap to 10GbE for server connections and are now eyeing 25GbE, enterprise-owned servers and data centers are still largely utilizing 1000Base-T connections for server access and just making the transition to 10GbE. There are significant differences between enterprise users and cloud service providers that influence their priorities in selecting networking gear. Base-T’s ability to run multiple speeds of Ethernet on the same infrastructure (connectors and cables) and use autonegotiation to select the best operating speed in common has helped enterprise users deploy additional capacity in an incremental fashion to meet IT needs on limited budgets.

    As bandwidth needs exceed 10 Gbits/sec, 25G/40G Base-T efforts will address enterprise server room and data center application requirements, using similar modulation techniques for the respective specifications. Largely based upon 10GBase-T signaling whose data rate has been sped up four times, the 40GBase-T project took a hard look at the 100-meter reach convention used for prior Base-T PHYs. With server-to-switch connections as the target use for 40GBase-T, 30-meter reach was seen as sufficient for installations using middle-of-row or end-of-row placement for switching equipment.

    Supporting this 30-meter-reach objective and the 40-Gbit/sec data rate, IEEE P802.3bq 40GBase-T Task Force has been collaborating with cabling standards organizations on defining Category 8 cabling specifications.

    The underlying technology enabling 10GBase-T has become a technology platform adaptable to new uses and data rates. The run rate of 10GBase-T ports in servers and switches is now at several million units per year and continues to grow.

    “One bit of excitement anticipated is the inclusion of 25GBase-T in a future draft,” Chalupsky noted. “The 25GBase-T Study Group has just generated the documentation necessary to add 25GBase-T into P802.3bq (the 40GBase-T project). If this documentation is approved by the IEEE Standards Board in March 2015, then P802.3bq will quickly add the specifications for 25GBase-T into the next draft with the goal of meeting the original P802.3bq completion schedule.”

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nothing says ‘Taliban’ quite like net neutrality, eh, EU Digi Commish?
    Oetti utters yet another thing that makes you go hmmm…
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/10/net_neutrality_enforcement_taliban_like_says_eu_digi_commish/

    Gaffe-prone Gunther is at it again. This time the EU Digi-Commissioner Gunther H-dot Oettinger has described the enforcement of “uniform” net neutrality as “Taliban-like”.

    Unsurprisingly digital rights activists have not been pleased at being compared with a fundamentalist organisation judged by the UN to be responsible for the massacre of thousands in Afghanistan.

    Nevertheless, for a man who rarely smiles, Oettinger seemed pleased with his analogy while speaking at a German Ministry of Finance event last Thursday (video link in German).

    “Here we’ve got, particularly in Germany, Taliban-like developments. We have the Internet community, the Pirates on the move, it’s all about enforcing perfect uniformity,” he said.

    “Net neutrality” is the phrase du jour in Brussels as national telco ministers finally came to an agreement on a draft law last Wednesday. Activists say the proposed law, as re-written by the EU’s council of national ministers, leaves the door open for a two-tier internet.

    Yet it does set out new rules on traffic management that ban blocking or slowing down specific content or applications, with a number of exceptions: for example, in situations where customers have requested spam blocking or to prevent cyber attacks. The draft also allows for “specialised services”.

    Confusingly, Oettinger seems to think that net neutrality will put lives at risk.

    “If you want to have real time road safety, our lives are at stake, this has to have absolute priority with regards to quality and capacity,” he said, reverting to a favourite topic – cars.

    One EU blog, Kosmopolito.org, went so far as to say that “giving him [Oettinger] the digital portfolio in the European Commission may have been Juncker’s biggest political mistake so far.”

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Intel SoCs it to ‘em with new D: Tiny but powerful
    Chipzilla reveals more on plan to stuff Broadwells in hyperscale data centre
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/09/intel_xeon_d/

    After some teasing late last year, Intel has taken the full wraps off the Xeon D: a system-on-chip (SoC) version of its data-centre darling that it hopes will excite hyperscale operators and those keen on very dense server rigs.

    The Xeon D will come in four and eight CPU core models, D-1520 and D-1540. Each will run two threads per core, at a list price of $199 and $581 respectively. The Broadwell 14nm microarchitecture powers both packages, and they are in production.

    Manufacturers are already picking them up for 50 designs, we’re told, for networking gear, back-end controllers of internet-of-things devices, storage systems, and more. It’s not targeted at core data centre gear – that’s for the Xeon E series – but it’s for the “edge” of the data centre.

    The new chips are proper Broadwell Xeons, so enterprise features like virtualisation extensions, trusted execution technology and encryption-speeding AES-NI are all present. There’s even some new inclusions in the form of a on-die power management system that can control power consumption without waiting for the operating system to dictate terms.

    While we’re on power consumption, the 1520 can do its thing with 25 watts of juice. The 1540 needs 40.

    The SoCs certainly have the grunt to pull off software-defined networking: both pack twin 10Gb ethernet, eight USB ports (four apiece of 2.0 and 3.0) and more PCIE lanes than you can poke a stick at (we think 28 was mentioned in the briefing).

    Intel seems unworried by overlaps with Atom SoCs, which it sees as having roles in less demanding machines. Nor does it feel that the market for conventional Xeons is at risk: the model Ds are plenty powerful, but aren’t designed to handle the weightiest transactional workloads.

    Intel Xeon D Launched: 14nm Broadwell SoC for Enterprise
    by Ian Cutress on March 9, 2015 8:00 PM EST
    http://www.anandtech.com/show/9070/intel-xeon-d-launched-14nm-broadwell-soc-for-enterprise

    It is very rare for Intel to come out and announce a new integrated platform. Today this comes in the form of Xeon D, best described as the meeting in the middle between Xeon E3 and Atom SoCs, taking the best bits of both and fitting into the market for the low-end server market prioritizing efficiency and networking. Xeon D, also known as Broadwell-DE, combines up to eight high performance Broadwell desktop cores and the PCH onto a single die, reduces both down to 14 nm for power consumption/die area and offers an array of server features normally found with the Xeon/Avoton line. This is being labeled as the first proper Intel Xeon SoC platform.

    This is the slide currently doing the rounds from Intel’s pre-briefings on Xeon D. This is showing the current top of the line Xeon D-1540, giving eight Broadwell cores for a total of sixteen threads.

    Speaking of networking, the SoC will have bandwidth for two 10GbE connections direct, which will work both in 1G and 2.5G modes. These are optimized for virtualization, allowing 128 Tx and Rx queues per port as well as SR-IOV and VMDq enhancements. With the integration on board, driver support should also be easier to manage rather than external controller solutions.

    The SoC also supports the more common server and enterprise aspects normally associated with this product range – virtualization, separate external system control and RAS (reliability, availability and serviceability).

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    David Post / Washington Post:
    The MPAA and the RIAA pressure ICANN to police the world’s domains for copyright infringement, a practice which would threaten the freedom of the Internet
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/03/09/icann-copyright-infringement-and-the-public-interest/

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Network tester gains LTE-A CoMP support
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4438837/Network-tester-gains-LTE-A-CoMP-support?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150310&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150310&elq=788b5a12c9ec429da0f81bad8ba60321&elqCampaignId=22010&elqaid=24710&elqat=1&elqTrackId=012f9afcffd343a085f3f3795ab15cf5

    The Aeroflex TM500 network test system from Cobham Wireless now supports Coordinated Multipoint (CoMP) transmission and reception, a feature introduced in 3GPP LTE-A Release 11 to improve network performance at cell edges. While the TM500 currently addresses cell-edge interference issues with Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC), the addition of CoMP allows mobile network operators to coordinate transmission and reception between different transmitting and receiving cells. It achieves this through the use of load balancing, coordinated scheduling, and the management of signal power and interference.

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Fiber-to-fiber repeater enables 10G backbone network upgrades over existing infrastructure
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/02/transition-10g-fiber-repeater.html

    Transition Networks has introduced its ION 4110, a protocol independent fiber-to-fiber repeater that supports data rates from 1 Gbps to 11.5 Gbps. This “any-rate to same-rate” device will allow IT managers to extend the reach of their high-speed backbone networks without the need to upgrade their fiber-optic cabling infrastructure, contends the company.

    “As enterprises upgrade wired access networks to 1 Gbps speeds and implement new multi-gigabit WiFi standards, backbone networks are becoming the choke point, driving the move to 10G in these uplink connections,” comments Tony LeFebvre, Director of Product Management for Transition Networks

    The company points out that, as faster networking technologies and speeds are established, additional cabling standards are introduced simultaneously to support them. Organizations deploying these new technologies are faced with two options: incur the expense of upgrading cable plants to the latest standards to support maximum transmission distances, or find ways to utilize existing cabling resources while still taking advantage of the new technologies. Transition says the ION 4110 repeats data signals and transmits them over the fiber cabling already available to organizations within their existing networks. This could include single mode fiber to multimode fiber applications, as well as multimode to multimode.

    The Telecommunications Industry Association has defined four grades of multimode fiber-optic cable (OM1 – OM4), each of which has different characteristics and transmission capacity. OM1 is a widely installed grade of fiber-optic cable; however, it limits 10 Gigabit Ethernet transmission distances to just 33 meters, compared to OM4 which can transmit 10 Gigabit Ethernet data up to 400 meters.

    Transition says the ION 4110 re-amplifies, reshapes and retimes (3R) fiber optic signals to restore wavelength integrity, ensuring that data can be repeated multiple times to meet all required network distances, regardless of the type of fiber installed in the network. The device features two ports for pluggable optics and is protocol agnostic, supporting any network standard with a data rate of between 1 Gbps and 11.5 Gbps. This includes 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Fibre Channel, OC192 SONET/SDH or course wave-division multiplexed (CWDM) networks.

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Telstra operates at least four clouds, says you use too many clouds
    Corporate ‘research’ is a fine thing because it always proves the commissioner is right
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/11/telstra_operates_at_least_four_clouds_says_you_use_too_many_clouds/

    Telstra Global Services is the billion-a-year enterprise services arm of Australia’s dominant carrier, Telstra.

    This turns into a press release proclaiming “Three’s A Crowd: Businesses working with too many cloud providers”.

    Which sounds Very Important, until one lets reality intrude in three ways.

    For starters, different clouds offer different qualities and many businesses will therefore find entirely sensible reasons for consuming services from multiple providers. The Reg regularly notices the same reference customers popping up at cloud gabfests: News Limited has put its name to case studies by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and has also gone on the record as a Google apps user. Plenty of other organisations will also be using multiple clouds for multiple reasons. It’s not hard to guess at their logic: some clouds are stronger in some areas than others; some offer features others can’t deliver; some may be present in useful and low-latency locations that others are not; and, working with multiple cloud providers could be a disaster recovery and/or resiliency strategy.

    The second reality is Telstra’s own, because it offers at least four clouds of which The Reg is aware. The company is an enthusiastic operator of hosted Microsoft Exchange, will soon become the Australian arm of VMware’s vCloud Air, operates its own cloud (based in part on Cisco products) and is also known to offer servers-as-a-service powered by Parallels. It’s not clear if Telstra offers unified account management across all of those offerings.

    Thirdly, surely what’s good for the goose is good for Telstra? If one cloud from one source is the right way to go, why the multiple products?

    Even with Telstra’s overlaps out of the picture, arguing that one cloud fits all remains an easily-contestible and shallow argument.

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Category 8′s 30-meter reach is not a stretch
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-23/issue-3/features/design/category-8-s-30-meter-reach-is-not-a-stretch.html

    The hand-in-glove relationship between Category 8 and 40GBase-T will have multiple applications in the data center.

    The specifications under development by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA; http://www.tiaonline.org) for Category 8 cabling systems-ANSI/TIA-568-C.2-1-are breaking the proverbial mold for TIA twisted-pair cabling specs in that the channel distance specified within the standard will be 30 meters, not the 100-meter distance specified in its predecessor standards and to which the industry has become accustomed. The reasoning behind a 30-meter channel is fairly straightforward, and the implications of that distance hold promise for the timeframe in which Category 8 cabling may be deployed and put to use in networks.

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    MEPs: Oi, Commish, where’d you get these broadband figures from?
    Access speeds in doubt as EU Parliament lumbers towards net neutrality
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/11/meps_ask_eu_commission_evidence_broadband_speeds/

    MEPs have told the European Commission that it needs to do more to ensure broadband roll-out across the continent – and to get its facts straight.

    In a resolution approved on Tuesday, the European Parliament said that former state-owned monopolies have a “staggering market share of over 80 per cent” of the next-generation broadband market, adding that the Commission should do more to enforce EU competition rules.

    “Limiting competition is unlikely to lead to more broadband investment, even in remote areas, as full coverage of basic broadband services has been achieved in Europe through a regulatory framework ensuring access to dominant operators’ networks,” says the Parliament statement.

    It also cast doubt on the Commission’s figures: in particular, end-user broadband speeds and the real level of infrastructure investment. MEPs said the Commission should be drawing up policy based on “correct, relevant datasets” from independent sources.

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Facebook’s ‘Wedge’ network switch will soon be on sale to all
    http://www.pcworld.com/article/2895252/facebooks-wedge-network-switch-will-soon-be-on-sale-to-all.html?null

    A network switch that Facebook designed for its own data centers will soon be on sale from Taiwanese manufacturer Accton Technologies, the latest sign of progress from the community hardware effort known as the Open Compute Project.

    Facebook set up the OCP about four years ago as a way for data center operators to collaborate on new hardware designs that they can then ask low-cost manufacturers to produce. Part of the goal is to get cheaper, more standardized hardware than what’s normally supplied by top-tier vendors like Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.

    Facebook is already using the top-of-rack switch, known as Wedge, in its own data centers, and it will be available to others in the first half from Accton and its OEM partners, said Jay Parikh, head of Facebook’s infrastructure division. Cumulus Networks and Big Switch Networks will provide software for it, and Facebook has put some of its own network software on Github for companies that want to “roll their own.”

    The company won’t make money from the switch, and it’s not getting into the hardware business. By making the specification open, it hopes other OCP members will make improvements it can benefit from, Parikh said. It’s basically an open source model for hardware.

    One of the OCP’s goals is to do away with “gratuitous differentiation”—add-on features from vendors that not all customers need but everyone has to pay for because they’re bundled with products. Those variations don’t only make products more expensive, they can also make it complex to manage multi-vendor environments.

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Finland lifted the hat, “you are at the forefront of mobile data use”

    The Finns are the best in the world in other than in the sauna sitting around: we have used mobile data knob for more than anywhere in the world.

    Finland beat the mobile data use, inter alia, the US, South Korea and Japan. It is also one of the few countries which are mainly offered unlimited data traffic at a fixed price.

    Tribute to Finnish operators, especially in the construction of a comprehensive mobile coverage here is not cheap, because the population density we have the lowest in Europe.

    Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/2015-03-11/Suomelle-nostetaan-hattua-%E2%80%9Dolette-k%C3%A4rjess%C3%A4-mobiilidatan-k%C3%A4yt%C3%B6ss%C3%A4%E2%80%9D-3217238.html

    Finland: The land of three thousand megabytes
    http://tefficient.com/finland-the-land-of-three-thousand-megabytes2/

    In our public industry analysis “Peak data” in sight? we use regulator data to identify Finland as the number 1 country in the world when it comes to mobile data usage, beating all the countries which typically are followed closely – USA, South Korea, Japan.

    Elisa carried almost as much mobile data on its network in 2014 as Vodafone did in Germany or Bouygues did in France. It’s just that Vodafone has close to eight times the customer base of Elisa. Bouygues – the French 4G first-mover – has a customer base close to three times Elisa’s.

    The average Elisa SIM used 2.9 gigabytes of mobile data per month in 2014.

    DNA – with 2.5 million SIMs – shifted as many terabytes in 2014 as Vodafone did in Italy. Vodafone’s Italian customer base is 10 times that of DNA. Each DNA SIM averagely used 3.5 gigabytes of mobile data per month in 2014.

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Ready made modem microwaves

    FPGA company Altera and Escape Communications have developed a complete modem solution for E and V-band microwaves. It allows you to quickly build link solutions such as mobile network backbone connections. Modem base Altera ARRIA series FPGA circuit, the host processor, an Ethernet port, as well as Texas Instruments AD and DA converters.

    The modem supports both copper and Ethernet connections

    Dial-up connection can be implemented both E and V at frequencies up to 256 QAM modulation. The channel width may be up to 500 megahertz, which is reached over 3 Gigabit data rates.

    Frequencies licensed as a modem to let 4096 QAM channel 112 MHz and 1024-QAM 224 MHz.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2529:valmis-modeemi-mikroaalloille&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    OpenSignal:
    State of LTE worldwide: South Korea has best coverage, US speeds rank among slowest overall

    The State of LTE
    http://opensignal.com/reports/2015/02/state-of-lte-q1-2015/

    We found that not all LTE networks are created equal, with big differences between countries and networks.

    Spain has the fastest mobile network speeds in the world, averaging 18 Mbps. Spanish network Vodafone ES comes out the fastest of our eligible networks, with impressive speeds of 25.2Mbps. Last year’s fastest country, Australia, has fallen to 14th with all of the networks recording similar speeds between 12-15Mbps. T-Mobile are the fastest network for LTE in the US, although US LTE speeds rank among the slowest in the world overall.

    Saudi Arabia is the slowest country for 4G LTE, with all three of its networks recording speeds below 5Mbps.

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    All what 5G technology need to know

    Anritsu marketing in Europe, the corresponding Jonathan Borrill evaluate the Barcelona Mobile World Congress that this year can be seen in a number of different 5G prototypes. According to the standard, they can not in any way be, for standardization will not begin until next year.

    Anritsu 5G-guide “Understanding 5G” you can download the company’s website

    https://www.anritsu.com/en-GB/Promotions/5G-guide/registration.aspx

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
    Netflix’s war with Internet service providers is over, but Comcast and AT&T still have congestion issues with Internet backbone operators GTT and Zayo

    Netflix war is over, but money disputes still harm Internet users
    AT&T won’t upgrade network without payment; Comcast is working to fix congestion.
    http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/netflix-war-is-over-but-money-disputes-still-harm-internet-users/

    When the months-long financial disputes between Netflix and Internet service providers ended last summer, a lot of network congestion problems that affected Internet consumers were cleared up.

    But that doesn’t mean network problems, including some caused by financial disputes, are a thing of the past. They just might be a bit less widespread, and they’re definitely getting less publicity. But they have a real impact on consumers trying to use Internet service, according to the Measurement Lab Consortium (M-Lab).

    Recent M-Lab data shows problems at interconnection points involving retail operators Comcast and AT&T and backbone operators GTT and Zayo. In some cases, the problems are more severe than the ones involving Netflix a year ago.

    AT&T is seeking money from network operators and won’t upgrade capacity until it gets paid. Under its peering policy, AT&T demands payment when a network sends more than twice as much traffic as it receives.

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Cuba allows rare free public Wi-Fi at Havana cultural center
    http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/cuba-allows-1st-free-public-wi-fi-at-havana-cultural-center/2015/03/12/b003d20c-c8cd-11e4-bea5-b893e7ac3fb3_story.html

    HAVANA — Cuba has allowed the launch of the island’s first known free, public Internet service at a Havana cultural center that quietly began offering open Wi-Fi in recent weeks.

    The service is slow compared with what Internet users are accustomed to in much of the world. But connectivity-starved islanders said it’s a boon that lets them access Facebook, read news of the world and communicate with friends and family overseas.

    “It is expensive, but the benefit is tremendous. … I have something that is great and powerful. I can share it, and I am doing so.”

    Cuba has some of the lowest connectivity rates on the planet, with dial-up accounts closely restricted and at-home broadband almost unheard of except in the case of foreigners who pay hundreds of dollars a month for the service in a country where the average salary is around $20 a month.

    Authorities have opened hundreds of Internet salons where an hour online costs $4.50

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Jeff Baumgartner / Multichannel News:
    Google Fiber’s video subscriptions so far: 29,867 total, with penetration rates of 5% to 13%; highest number in Kansas City, Mo., with a 10.5% penetration rate

    Google Fiber Ended 2014 With 29,867 TV Subs: Report
    http://www.multichannel.com/news/technology/google-fiber-ended-2014-29867-tv-subs-report/388806#sthash.MfsYVi8A.dpuf

    Google Fiber is stirring fear among incumbent telcos and cable operators, but the provider has yet to make a big dent in the market, at least with respect to video, in the early going, according to new subscriber data uncovered by MoffetNathanson. – See more at: http://www.multichannel.com/news/technology/google-fiber-ended-2014-29867-tv-subs-report/388806#sthash.MfsYVi8A.dpuf

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    5G Challenges Ahead, Experts Say
    Costs and regulation yet to be determined
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1325941&

    A bevy of legal and economic requirements may temper a bit of the excitement around 5G cellular, according to speakers at the Mobile World Congress.

    5G is hoped to deliver as much as a 100x increase in throughput to 10 Gbits/second per connection, some links at new low latencies and many new services, some over yet-to-be-defined spectrum. Industry experts hope 5G cellular bands will range from below 6 GHz to 100 GHz.

    Standardization of the band below 6 GHz may occur in November at the ITU-R- sponsored World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC), but earlier comments from the ITU chair encouraged waiting until there was absolute consensus. At the same time, panelists at MWC agreed that the roll out and practical application of 5G technologies is more of a commercial proposition, begging the question of where the intersection of economics and long-term infrastructure lies for a 2020 deployment.

    Countries such as Japan and Korea are already working toward early adoption of 5G, 3GPP Chair Balazs Betenyi said. The requirements of those countries will need to be met, and influence of these early adopters is part of a unique feedback loop unheard of in older communications standards, he said.

    As host of the 2018 Winter Olympics, Korea has a tangible reason to invest in the new radio access networks and other infrastructure for 5G.

    The European commission will invest €700 million in 5G research and development over the next five years with the expectation that industry will match this contribution five times over to total €4.2 billion. During a panel discussion on 5G requirements, Moderator Dan Warren, GSMA director of technology standards, questioned how networks and operators plan to gain real revenue to offset investments.

    A continuous flow of software deployment and technical development, which Ewaldsson called an “evolutionary approach,” will be essential in convincing skeptical customers to upgrade and also provide revenue opportunities.

    Huawei Chief Mobile Officer Yang Chaobin added 5G should be easier to deploy and operate than previous comms generations. Multi-standard radio networks, the backbone of 5G, can operate different technologies on the same frequency. This not only solves issue of compliance, but decreases the burden of paying for new hardware.

    An audience member questioned how these multi-industry networks would comply with net neutrality

    Networks are currently not smart enough to support the equivalent of two Internets, said Chaesub Lee, director of standardization bureau ITU. The industry must figure out how to classify traffic beyond broadband and broadcast before it can discuss how to deliver massive data.

    “Our treatment of traffic is not a good system or smart enough to support all the business models…That’s a real world problem; these 5G networks should have enough capabilities to provide a smarter way to provide traffic management,” Lee said.

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Edward Snowden’s speech was ruined by a bunch of random people that joined in on his video call
    http://uk.businessinsider.com/edward-snowden-interrupted-at-futurefest-conference-in-london-2015-3?r=US

    Edward Snowden tried to take part in a panel discussion at a technology conference on Saturday — but was left embarrassed when his video call was repeatedly interrupted.

    Google Hangouts allow multiple people take part in online video calls. Snowden was in the video call using a Google profile under the name of “Ben,” but whoever set up the call hadn’t locked down the privacy settings. That meant that anyone could join — and they did.

    Snowden explained that governments use long words to describe mass surveillance, which he argues is a trick to make people accept widespread privacy violations. But then someone else joined the video call. They seemed surprised to be there, shouting “holy sh*t!”

    “Wanted to see/hear but not be heard,”

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Merkel urges closer tech ties with China
    http://www.zdnet.com/article/merkel-urges-closer-tech-ties-with-china/

    Summary:Angela Merkel has used the CeBIT event as a platform to advocate closer tech cooperation between China and Germany.

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel has urged closer high-tech cooperation with China as she opened major IT business fair CeBIT, for which China is the official partner country.

    “German business values China, not just as our most important trade partner outside of Europe, but also as a partner in developing sophisticated technologies,” Merkel said.

    “Especially in the digital economy, German and Chinese companies have core strengths … and that’s why cooperation is a natural choice.”

    Merkel was speaking at the opening of the CeBIT fair in Hanover, Germany, where more than 600 Chinese companies will exhibit their tech marvels this week, showcasing the country’s rise as an IT power.

    China’s information and communications technology has bucked the country’s wider slowdown in economic growth, and is booming in what is now the world’s biggest smartphone market with the highest number of internet users.

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Astronauts perform cable installation on International Space Station
    http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2015/03/international-space-station-cable-installation.html

    Between February 21 and March 1, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore (commander) and Terry Virts (flight engineer) performed cable installation tasks over the course of three spacewalks along the International Space Station (ISS). Dubbed by NASA as the “Cable Guys,” Wilmore and Virts ventured out of the ISS to attach power and data cables to the port and starboard sides of Pressurized Mating Adapter-2, NASA explained, “at the forward end of the Harmony module where the first of two International Docking Adapters will be installed later this year.”

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Why Google wants to replace Gmail
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2838775/why-google-wants-to-replace-gmail.html

    Gmail represents a dying class of products that, like Google Reader, puts control in the hands of users, not signal-harvesting algorithms.

    I’m predicting that Google will end Gmail within the next five years. The company hasn’t announced such a move — nor would it.

    But whether we like it or not, and whether even Google knows it or not, Gmail is doomed.
    What is email, actually?

    Email was created to serve as a “dumb pipe.” In mobile network parlance, a “dumb pipe” is when a carrier exists to simply transfer bits to and from the user, without the ability to add services and applications or serve as a “smart” gatekeeper between what the user sees and doesn’t see.

    Carriers resist becoming “dumb pipes” because there’s no money in it. A pipe is a faceless commodity, valued only by reliability and speed. In such a market, margins sink to zero or below zero, and it becomes a horrible business to be in.

    “Dumb pipes” are exactly what users want. They want the carriers to provide fast, reliable, cheap mobile data connectivity. Then, they want to get their apps, services and social products from, you know, the Internet.

    Email is the “dumb pipe” version of communication technology, which is why it remains popular. The idea behind email is that it’s an unmediated communications medium. You send a message to someone. They get the message.

    When people send you messages, they stack up in your in-box in reverse-chronological order, with the most recent ones on top.

    Compare this with, say, Facebook, where you post a status update to your friends, and some tiny minority of them get it.

    Why email is a problem for Google

    You’ll notice that Google has made repeated attempts to replace “dumb pipe” Gmail with something smarter. They tried Google Wave. That didn’t work out.

    They hoped people would use Google+ as a replacement for email. That didn’t work, either.

    They added prioritization. Then they added tabs, separating important messages from less important ones via separate containers labeled by default “Primary,” “Promotions,” “Social Messages,” “Updates” and “Forums.” That was vaguely popular with some users and ignored by others.

    This week, Google introduced an invitation-only service called Inbox. Another attempt by the company to mediate your dumb email pipe, Inbox is an alternative interface to your Gmail account, rather than something that requires starting over with a new account.

    Instead of tabs, Inbox groups together and labels and color-codes messages according to categories.

    But the bottom line is that dumb-pipe email is unmediated, and therefore it’s a business that Google wants to get out of as soon as it can.

    Say goodbye to the unmediated world of RSS, email and manual Web surfing. It was nice while it lasted. But there’s just no money in it.

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    FCC takes three-month pause to consider massive telecoms mergers
    Comcast, Time Warner, AT&T and DirecTV will just have to wait
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/16/fcc_takes_threemonth_pause_to_consider_massive_telecoms_mergers/

    The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced it’s pausing before making a decision over the proposed merger of Comcast and Time Warner Cable (TWC) and AT&T’s gobbling of DirecTV, citing legal issues.

    The agency planned to announce the results of its three-month review of both mergers at the end of March, but has stopped the clock for the moment because of an ongoing court case. The firms involved in the mergers don’t want to release records of video-programming contracts with suppliers and have gone to court to make their case that the FCC can’t publish the contracts.

    The pause will also allow all parties, both pro and anti the merger, more breathing space to make their case.

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    “.sucks” registrations begin soon—at up to $2,500 per domain
    Pricing raises accusations of “extortion” and “shakedowns.”
    http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2015/03/sucks-tld-to-accept-sunrise-registrations-soon-but-theyll-be-pricey/

    The number of generic top-level domains (gTLDs) available for use has climbed into the hundreds, and “.sucks” will soon be added to the list. However, angry customers eager to get their hands on brand-specific domains like “bestbuy.sucks” or “comcast.sucks” shouldn’t get their hopes up; according to MarketingLand, the domains will cost far more than most consumers will want to pay.

    Companies with registered trademarks will have to pay an astounding $2,499 to register their trademarked names in .sucks. Registration of non-trademarked names during the “sunrise” period (March 30 until June 1) before .sucks goes live will cost at least $199 per name, while the standard registration fee after June 1 rises to $249 per name.

    Companies are typically hyper-sensitive about brand usage, and few will want their .sucks domains under someone else’s control. The .sucks pricing scheme has led to outrage from many quarters, with MarketingLand’s writeup quoting several industry figures who use words like “extortion” and “predatory.”

    Reply
  37. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Netflix tells Australian ISPs how to tap its fat video pipes
    Video-on-demand outfit reveals download-enhancing peering plans ahead of local launch
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/17/netflix_tells_australian_isps_how_to_tap_its_fat_video_pipes/

    Netflix has announced that it is ready to work with Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to ensure its content reaches their subscribers quickly and at low cost by offering them “peering” arrangements.

    The video-on-demand outfit has posted on the Australian Network Operators Group mailing list, explaining it is “ available on the Equinix Exchange, Megaport and NSW-IX Sydney” and is “accepting routes”.

    That’s a big-ish deal for local ISPs, because peering means an ISP can hook straight into Netflix’s traffic rather than relying on a third party interconnect. That means faster data flows and ultimately a better customer experience.

    Reply
  38. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Anatomy of a Globe-Spanning Google Outage
    March 12, 2015 // 03:11 PM EST
    http://motherboard.vice.com/read/anatomy-of-a-globe-spanning-google-outage?trk_source=recommended

    On Thursday morning, many—perhaps millions—of people around the world, from Brazil to France, faced what could be best described as a modern-day nightmare.

    As it turns out, the 20-minute outage was caused by a simple mistake made by an Indian internet service provider that snowballed all over the world and ensconced at least 28 other ISPs, making Google unreachable for “millions” of people, according to Doug Madory, a researcher at internet monitoring firm Dyn.

    And, most likely, it was all caused by a human mistake.

    “It’s a big internet,” Madory told Motherboard. “There’s a lot of engineers doing a lot of work and it comes down to people typing commands into routers and if they make a mistake, routes leak out and traffic can be misdirected.”

    In a blog po​st, Madory explained that the mistake was a “routing leak,” which happens when a network provider mistakenly sends its internal routing tables to other peered networks, redirecting internet traffic the wrong way.

    n this case, Indian ISP Hathway mistakenly published routes to 300 GoogleIP addresses, to its backbone provider Bharti Airtel, which in turn passed these routes to “the rest of the world,” according to Madory. At least 28 ISPs, including major ones like Level 3, Cogent, Orange and Pakistan Telecom, took those routes, in some instances over their direct links to Google, and incorrectly directed traffic through Hathway, creating the outage.

    In many cases, these mistakes don’t even get detected if they don’t knock off a giant like Google, Madory said.

    Routing Leak briefly takes down Google
    http://research.dyn.com/2015/03/routing-leak-briefly-takes-google/

    Reply
  39. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Operators are in trouble

    There is no telecommunications operator easy. Subscribers prefer to use only mobile applications and cloud services. Somehow, users should be able to charge for their services online.

    Comptel wants to help operators in this new strategy. Comptel launched a new Nexterday-vision for the mobile trade show in Barcelona. President and CEO Juhani Hintikka, the vision was very well received.

    The operator faces challenges from many directions. This trend is reflected in the States, for example, in the fact that the so-called. Customer OTT (over-the-air) is rapidly increasing. – There’s subscribers to purchase access services such as Google. Traditionally, the operator is required only the last mile,

    Operators spend huge amounts of money to build networks. Europe LTE penetration is 50 per cent of the money has sunk a lot, and there is still much more to build. – Infra getting ready applications such as video streaming services. Now, the operator needs to be changed, these investments into cash,

    Traditionally, telecommunications software market size was about one-tenth of network markets, but the relationship is changing rapidly.

    - Everything online can be virtualized, virtualized, Hintikka believes.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2564:operaattorit-ovat-vaikeuksissa&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  40. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Denmark has the fastest mobile web

    The Danes are enjoying the fastest mobile internet connections – On average mobile phone data will be 22.3 megabits per second.

    Figure is based on the Finnish Netradardin application of measurements made. Netradar application is developed at Aalto University School of Communications and Networking Department. The application works in all possible mobile platforms.

    Denmark after the second is the list of Singapore, where mobile Internet Average speed of 16.9 megabits per second. Switzerland speed of 16.6 megabits, Norway 14.8 megabits and South Korea 13 megabits per second.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2562:tanskassa-on-nopein-mobiilinetti&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  41. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Matlab can now simulate from the antenna to bits

    Swedish Mathworks has introduced this year, the first update of Matlab and Simulink your tools. Now they are successful wireless system testing from the antenna to a digital bit far.

    New features help designers to develop wireless devices that use usieta antennas, smart antenna and advanced reception algorithms.

    In addition, Matlab and Simulink support 2015a versions of the software-based, ie SDR radios. It allows for LTE and other waveforms OTA testing of air of testing.

    Matlab and Simulink new versions in addition to Mathworks brought four new tools for developers. Antenna Toolbox can be used to design, analyze and visualize the antenna elements.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2553:matlab-osaa-nyt-simuloida-antennista-bittiin&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Matlab home page
    http://se.mathworks.com/

    Reply
  42. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Full-duplex radio frequency doubling capacity

    5G networks required 10 times more base stations 10 times more frequencies and 10 times higher data rate, in order to reach 1000-fold increase in capacity. The American researchers, the innovation can facilitate the achievement of the objective significantly.

    Columbia University’s communications plant is known to have developed the world’s first full-duplex-type radio circuit. It is able to transmit and receive data on the same frequency at the same time a carry.

    Columbia researchers team is the first to have demonstrated the two-way radio operation of the circuit in practice. The results presented at ISSCC conference in San Francisco.

    According to scientists, the greatest challenge in two-way radio transceiver is generated by the transmitter echo cancellation.

    Two-way radio has been studied and examined closely in Finland. It is, for example, one part of the 5G research project, which has already been launched in Finland.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2563:full-duplex-radio-kaksinkertaistaa-taajuuskapasiteetin&catid=13&Itemid=101

    Reply
  43. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Lasers for Communications: Optical injection locking brings back direct-modulation telecom lasers
    http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-51/issue-03/world-news/lasers-for-communications-optical-injection-locking-brings-back-direct-modulation-telecom-lasers.html?cmpid=EnlLFWMarch172015

    While direct modulation of a semiconductor laser’s drive current enables fiber-optic communications at speeds of around 2.5 Gbit/s, higher-speed operation using direct modulation has historically been confounded by frequency chirp, forcing commercial 10 Gbit/s systems to use an external electro-optic modulator. For increased capacity (100 Gbit/s and beyond), coherent systems were recently commercialized that also use external electro-optic modulators to deliver complex modulation formats.

    New research from the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC; England) and Eblana Photonics (Dublin, Ireland), however, has skirted this historical limitation through a modulator-free, optical-injection-locking method that brings the benefits of direct modulation back to the modern coherent telecommunications network.

    Today’s high-speed in-phase-quadrature (IQ) modulation formats (such as quadrature amplitude modulation, or QAM) are modulated on an optical carrier using expensive, bulky, and difficult-to-integrate lithium niobate (LiNbO3) IQ modulators. While indium phosphide (InP), silicon (Si), and gallium arsenide (GaAs) modulators are currently being researched, their performance is poor compared to LiNbO3.

    The Southampton modulation-free scheme uses optical injection locking (OIL) and direct modulation to enable high linearity, reduced power consumption, small footprint, easy integration, and cost-effective QAM transmitters. Direct modulation can also benefit any nontelecommunications applications that depend on controlling the phase properties of laser beams, such as coherent beam combination in fiber lasers.

    Reply
  44. Tomi Engdahl says:

    I expected something like this to happen, this this happened sooner than I expected:

    This App Lets You Piggyback Facebook’s Free Internet To Access Any Site
    http://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/03/17/1246245/this-app-lets-you-piggyback-facebooks-free-internet-to-access-any-site

    In countries like Zambia, Tanzania, or Kenya, where very few have access to the Internet, Facebook is bringing its own version of the net: Internet.org, an app that gives mobile users free access to certain sites such as Google, Wikipedia and, of course, Facebook. While the initiative has clearly positive goals, it’s also been criticized as an “imperialistic” push for Facebook colonies, where novice Internet.org users will grow up thinking their restricted version of the web is the real internet.

    To fight against that possibility, a 20-year-old developer from Paraguay is working on an app that tunnels the “regular” internet through Facebook Messenger

    This App Lets You Piggyback Facebook’s Free Internet to Access Any Site
    http://motherboard.vice.com/read/this-app-lets-you-piggyback-facebooks-free-internet-to-access-any-site

    20-year-old developer from Paraguay is working on an app that tunnels the “regular” internet through Facebook Messenger, one of the services free to use on Internet.org’s app. This allows Internet.org users to establish a link to the outside, unrestricted internet, circumventing restrictions.

    “I hope to provide an alternative access to the Internet (or the rest of it)—or at least raise concern about the disadvantages of this type of campaigns,” Insaurralde tells Motherboard. “Giving access to just a few sites in a country that historically had bad connectivity and very high costs sounds like a bad joke.”

    The app, called Facebook Tun​nel, is still in the prototype stage, but Insaurralde says he tested it with his own smartphone and Internet.org app—and it works. All he needs now, he says, is to port the app from Linux to other platforms and make a working client.

    The app essentially takes advantage of Facebook Messenger’s protocol, establishing a link between an Internet.org user with limited Internet access, and someone who has an unrestricted internet connection. The person with the unfettered internet connection routes his access to the other person with limited access, acting as a proxy.

    “You could establish a list of friends, or select friends, who will allow you to browse the internet through them—like trusted people,” Insaurralde tells Motherboard.

    This is not a completely novel idea. Apps like Lante​rn or Goo​gle’s uProxy use a similar approach to help people that live in countries with heavy internet censorship, such as China or Iran, to establish a peer-to-peer connection with someone on the outside world who acts as proxy to the unrestricted Internet.

    Reply
  45. Tomi Engdahl says:

    What Is 5G, and What Does It Mean for Consumers?
    http://recode.net/2015/03/13/what-is-5g-and-what-does-it-mean-for-consumers/

    In a few years, you may be able to download a full-length HD movie to your phone in a matter of seconds rather than minutes. And video chats will be so immersive that it will feel like you can reach out and touch the other person right through the screen.

    At least, that’s what the wireless companies envision for the future of mobile. While many parts of the world are still awaiting the rollout of 4G networks, the telecom industry is already looking ahead to the next generation of cellular technology, called 5G.

    It was a big topic of discussion at the Mobile World Congress show last week, where companies like Nokia Networks, Huawei and Ericsson talked about what each is doing in the area of 5G and the possibilities it will create.

    But as an emerging technology, there are a lot of questions surrounding 5G. What is it exactly? How will it work? How will it affect consumers?

    I asked industry experts, as well as companies like Nokia and Huawei, for their takes on 5G. Most agreed: The technology is still a long way from becoming a reality, but it has the potential to completely change the way we interact with wireless devices, from the smartphones in our pockets to the cars we drive.

    5G is the name being given to the next generation of wireless networks (this is the fifth generation, hence 5G), but beyond that, it’s hard to define.

    The ambiguity around 5G is because it’s still largely a concept at this point, and the wireless industry hasn’t settled on any standards around the new network. But it’s looking to achieve some key goals with 5G:

    Significantly faster data speeds: Currently, 4G networks are capable of achieving peak download speeds of one gigabit per second, though in practice it’s never that fast. With 5G, this would increase to 10Gbps.
    Ultra-low latency: “Latency” refers to the time it takes one device to send a packet of data to another device. Currently with 4G, the latency rate is around 50 milliseconds, but 5G will reduce that to about one millisecond. This will be particularly important for industrial applications and driverless cars.
    A more “connected world”: The Internet of Things (wearables, smart home appliances, connected cars) is expected to grow exponentially over the next 10 years, and it will need a network that can accommodate billions of connected devices. Part of the goal behind 5G is to provide that capacity, and also to be able to assign bandwidth depending on the needs of the application and user.

    What will 5G allow me to do that I can’t right now with 4G?

    But 5G is much more than just faster data speeds on your mobile devices. It also opens the door to a lot of different consumer and industrial applications and uses — some of which seem unbelievable now because they’re so futuristic.

    With 5G, sensors placed along the road would be able to instantly relay that information back to your car (this is where having low latency is important), so it could brake earlier and avoid another accident.

    At MWC, Ericsson showed how 5G could be used to control heavy machinery from a remote location. Inside the booth, attendees strapped on an Oculus Rift headset and were able to remotely control one of two real diggers to move dirt either outside the conference hall or one thousands of miles away in Sweden.

    What are the challenges facing 5G?

    One of the big challenges facing 5G is standardization. There are already multiple groups working to come up with standards around interoperability, backward compatibility with older technologies (4G, 3G), and making sure the network will be future-proof. While many companies agree that a global standard is needed, whether they’ll be able to come together and agree on one is another story.

    Building the infrastructure for 5G is also a huge task, with issues around spectrum and installing new antennas. 5G is likely going to rely, at least in part, on higher-frequency bands. There is more space in those airwaves available, but at such high frequencies, signals can’t travel nearly as far as they can over the frequencies used for 4G, resulting in a poor connection.

    Both Huawei and Nokia agreed that 5G can’t cost too much more than what consumers are paying now for 4G; otherwise, no one’s going to adopt the technology.

    Reply
  46. Tomi Engdahl says:

    What Reporters Need to Know About Covering Net Neutrality
    With news audiences moving online, journalists have a vested interest in coverage of this complicated topic
    http://niemanreports.org/articles/what-reporters-need-to-know-about-covering-net-neutrality/

    The media doesn’t cover “slow flow” particularly often or particularly well, despite the obvious public interest. Water pressure makes for a difficult story. Most people don’t understand how it works; it uses specialized and complex technology; and it involves arcane rules. Plus, some of the private water companies also happen to own some of the biggest news outlets.

    Replace water flows with Internet speeds, and you capture some of the challenges journalists face in covering “net neutrality,” the idea that Internet service providers (ISPs) should not be allowed to limit the speed at which data flows through their networks or be permitted to charge more to heavy users.

    The points of contention are many and complex.

    Publishers of video and animated content, from Netflix to video game makers, are concerned since they use a high level of bandwidth. Media companies worry because the Internet is increasingly where the audience is, and some have said they support net neutrality. TV news outlets face an additional conflict. NBC is owned by Comcast, a corporation that also owns an ISP. CBS and ABC, along with its corporate partner ESPN, are also delivering live programming, especially sports, via the Internet.

    These concerns are not just theoretical

    Net neutrality is a fascinating story “masked with acronyms and bone-crushing technicalities,” says Susan Crawford, a Harvard Law School professor and net neutrality advocate. Juggling these angles and competing interests creates challenges for reporters, including, given the potential free speech issues, whether to advocate for a particular outcome.

    Journalists who are not activists when it comes to free expression, including preserving the open Internet, “can’t really call themselves journalists,” according to Dan Gillmor, a professor at Arizona State’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

    Reply
  47. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Enabling industrial Ethernet on existing wiring
    http://www.controleng.com/single-article/enabling-industrial-ethernet-on-existing-wiring/a9619f91684ed1db6249790560c78ecd.html

    Product Exclusive: PCN Technology’s InterMax addresses the repurposing of Profibus, Modbus, Data Highway, and Blue Hose serial networks and is designed to be installed between IP automation equipment and existing serial wiring to turn the copper wire into an industrial Ethernet network.

    PCN Technology’s InterMax addresses the repurposing of Profibus, Modbus, Data Highway, and Blue Hose serial networks. By installing PCN InterMax modules between IP automation equipment and the existing serial wiring, the user has transformed the copper wire into a state-of-the-art industrial Ethernet network. It has become a Virtual Cat 5 cable. Intermax supports a wide range of networking architectures including peer-to-peer, multi-drop, and point-to-point networks. It also has a simultaneous dual-protocol transport option that allows legacy serial networks to remain operational, if needed.

    Intermax has a speed of 10/100 BASE-T at 2000 ft and can operate from a distance of up to 10,000 ft. Three RJ45 ports per device are available as well as a DIN-Rail mounting. Intermax has a 24 Vdc power supply and can be used in tough industrial environments with an operating range from -20 to 60 C.

    Reply
  48. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Sit back and let someone else manage your telephony
    Voice as a service has arrived
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/18/sit_back_and_let_someone_else_manage_your_telephony/

    If you are a small company, it takes a certain amount of time and effort to maintain a phone system. This is not a huge problem as the system sits in the corner and gets on with its job most of the time; you have to fiddle with it only to set up new extensions or change the names on items when people leave or join.

    For a medium to large organisation with several offices, though, managing your telephony is more of a chore. Plus you have the cost of maintenance contracts, software and hardware upgrades, and potentially even consultancy when you get third parties in to tie your systems together so your multi-site setup can work as a coherent entity.

    So why not let someone else take on the hassle of managing your phone setup?

    It’s complicated

    Phone systems are much less costly than they used to be but they are no less complex.

    Even if you have completed the courses, though, will you have done enough hands-on system maintenance to gain the knowledge and confidence you need to do, say, a software upgrade on your Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CUCM) when a new release comes out?

    The answer is probably no.

    The wonderful thing about phone systems is that they are designed to be bulletproof and stable. You can be pretty certain that when you hit “Reboot” the system will be back up at some point in the nearish future (though some systems’ reboot times redefine the word “interminable”).

    Also phone systems are not inherent to the operation of the underlying infrastructure of your company.

    Bulletproof stability means that you can manage things from afar. I have dealt with service providers who visited my site only when we moved office; everything else was done over a secure VPN or dial-up connection.

    A service provider once set up a multi-site IP voice configuration on my worldwide phone system estate without having to visit any of the sites. Remote management is the order of the day so voice technology is perfect for a vendor to install and manage for you.

    Having said all that, there is the question of whether you need to have an on-site phone system at all. used to have two offices with a reasonable WAN connection between them and one site had no phone system at all. The handsets simply registered against the PBX at the other site and the users didn’t know the difference.

    Why, then, shouldn’t you put the whole caboodle in the cloud and be done with it? After all, if you have a managed service why not let the vendor house it in a supplier-run data centre, with all the uptime guarantees that brings, instead of in your grotty little comms cupboard?

    At the time the service provider couldn’t offer it but that has since changed.

    Even two or three years ago IP Voice in the cloud was not feasible for a couple of reasons.

    First, most of the commercial phone systems’ clustering protocols couldn’t cope with the systems being more than a few tens of milliseconds apart in terms of the response time between devices.

    Second, the vendors’ software and licensing models just didn’t work in the cloud. To be financially viable a cloud service needs to be able to multi-tenant a single system, rather than having an individual one for each client, and it needs a licence model that means it can make some money out of it.

    More importantly, in the last couple of years the PBX vendors have really sorted out their software models so that providers can start offering us services they can make money from.

    Commercial phone systems are complex things to manage. Unless you can maintain a significant level of in-house expertise you should seriously consider using a service provider to manage your setup.

    Reply
  49. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Cisco posts kit to empty houses to dodge NSA chop shops
    Kit sent to SmallCo of Nowheresville to avoid NSA interception profiles
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/03/18/want_to_dodge_nsa_supply_chain_taps_ask_cisco_for_a_dead_drop/

    Cisco will ship boxes to vacant addresses in a bid to foil the NSA, security chief John Stewart says.

    The dead drop shipments help to foil a Snowden-revealed operation whereby the NSA would intercept networking kit and install backdoors before boxen reached customers.

    The interception campaign was revealed last May.

    “We ship [boxes] to an address that’s has nothing to do with the customer, and then you have no idea who ultimately it is going to,” Stewart says.

    “When customers are truly worried … it causes other issues to make [interception] more difficult in that [agencies] don’t quite know where that router is going so its very hard to target – you’d have to target all of them. There is always going to be inherent risk.”

    Cisco has poked around its routers for possible spy chips, but to date has not found anything because it necessarily does not know what NSA taps may look like, according to Stewart.

    Greenwald alleges NSA tampers with routers to plant backdoors
    Snowden’s muse spruiking a book
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/13/greenwald_alleges_nsa_tampers_with_routers_to_plant_backdoors/

    Reply
  50. Tomi Engdahl says:

    WiFi calls are widely being used

    Operators have always hated taking place over a variety of network voice applications, such as Skype. In their view, it shrinks the hedän traditional income sources of supply. Now the situation is clearly changing. Operators have to provide voice services over a Wi-Fi network.

    This development has already begun. T-Mobile offers Wi-Fi calls to the United States as part of the it’s production palette The operator has supported the transition of subscribers to your smartphone that supports Wi-Fi calling.

    In a way, operators can not do anything on development: When the terminals start a wider support for Wi-Fi calls – iOS 8 will support them, as well as Samsung’s latest models – the operator can really just jump on the bandwagon.

    Wi-Fi calls, has its own challenges- One problem is the movement of the Wi-Fi network to another different network.

    Solution to this problem can be used to VoLTE-speech and EPDG gateway (evolved Packet Data Gateway). It offers the opportunity to move to a Wi-Fi and LTE networks.

    Another problem is the availability of Wi-Fi voice.
    Subscribers should also find Wi-Fi networks more easily.

    Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2566:wifi-puhelut-tulevat-laajalti&catid=13&Itemid=101

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