In the end of 2015 there were 3.2 billion people online. 67% of Americans now have broadband at home, compared to 70% in 2013, and 13% connect via smartphone only vs 8% in 2013; smartphone penetration in US at 68%. The share of Americans with broadband at home has plateaued, and more rely only on their smartphones for online access. We can see downtick in home high-speed adoption has taken place at the same time there has been an increase in “smartphone-only” adults – those who own a smartphone that they can use to access the internet, but do not have traditional broadband service at home. The American broadband market is notoriously oligopolistic with the majority of citizens offered limited choice, especially at the high-speed end, complete with high monthly fees.
Fixed Internet speeds increase – even without fiber to every house. We will start to see more 1Gbps Internet connections – and not all of them need fiber (2014 was the year of “fiber everywhere”). For example Comcast ‘rolls out’ ‘world’s first’ DOCSIS 3.1 modem, pumping 1Gbps over existing cable. It should, in theory, be quick and easy to get 1Gbps broadband to your home using DOCSIS 3.1, but I expect we will see only very few experimental roll-outs of the service in 2016. The beauty of DOCSIS 3.1 is that it is backwards compatible.
Mobile networks continue to lead the way when it comes to connecting people for the next generation of communications: Mobile subscriptions are now at 7.1 billion globally, and more than 95% of the world’s population are now within reach of a mobile network signal. Mobile cellular subscriptions have overtaken fixed phone subs, mobile broadband subscriptions and households with Internet access. This development most probably causes expectations that Network jobs are hot so salaries are expected to rise in 2016 as especially wireless network engineers, network admins, and network security pros are needed.
There are still some 350 million people globally who have no way of Internet access, mobile or otherwise, and there will be some race to get connections to at least some of those people. High stakes in broadband satellites race as building a satellite network and associated ground-based facilities and user terminals to provide Internet access to even the remotest and poorest parts of the world will be a huge technical, regulatory, and business challenge. Data versions of low Earth orbiting (LEO) satellite networks started appearing in the late 1990’s, followed with mobile telephony via LEO satellites, but never managed to deliver on the hype—partly because of technology constraints or poor business models. Over years there have been huge technology advances in satellites: they can now be made much smaller and lighter, so launch costs are significantly lower. Also component costs associated with the different terminals and handsets have plummeted. These factors have clearly helped the business proposition, but there are still challenges.
There will be new radio frequencies available for wireless communications thanks to WRC-15 Spectrum Decisions: In addition to confirming the use of the 700 MHz band (technically 694 to 790 MHz) for mobile broadband services in ITU Region 1, which includes Europe, Africa, the Middle east and Central Asia, delegates also agreed to harmonize 200 MHz of the C-band (3.4 to 3.6 GHz) to improve capacity in urban areas and used in small cells, and the L-band (1427-1518 MHz) to improve overall coverage and better capacity. So the mobile broadband sector now has, at least in the short to medium term, three globally harmonized bands. There was also decision for spectrum to be used for wireless avionics intra-communications (WAIC).
5G gets started. Just five years after the first 4G smartphone hit the market, the wireless industry is already preparing for 5G: cell phone carriers, smartphone chip makers and the major network equipment companies are working on developing 5G network technology for their customers. There are still many challenges as 5G infrastructure must be able to serve the billions of internet-connected objects of small appliances in addition to large consumers of information.700MHz harmonization is a key feature in operators’ plans to begin rolling out 5G services and C-band is also likely to be used for 5G. After 2016 to get the fastest promised 5G speeds very high frequency bands that will need to be deployed for 5G services, mainly above 24 GHz.
5G will not only be about a new air interface with faster speeds, but it will also address network congestion, energy efficiency, cost, reliability, and connection to billions of people and devices. Many believe that a critical success factor for 5G will be a fully revamped TCP/IP stack and a group of major vendors has put forward an open source TCP/IP stack OpenFastPath they say is designed to reinvigorate the ancient and rather crusty protocol. Cyber security research will be important important in 2016 as 5G networks will be critical infrastructure, on top of which for example. transport, industry, health and the new operators set up their business around 2020. Growing network virtualization functionality and programmability are both an opportunity and a threat to security. Keep in mind that everything connected to the Internet can, and will be hacked.
Heightened interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) and of Everything (IoE) will continue in 2016. IoT networks heat up in 2016 as low-power wide area networks for the Internet of Things have been attracting new entrants and investors at a heady pace with unannounced offerings still in the pipeline for 2016 trying to enable new IoT apps by undercutting costs and battery life for cellular and WiFi. There are many competing technologies in this field, and some will turn out to be winners and some losers. Remember that IoT is forecasted to be 50 billion connections by 2020, so there is lots of business opportunities for many IoT technologies.
2016 will be another booming year for Ethernet. Wi-Fi is obviously more convenient than wired Ethernet cables for average mobile user. But Ethernet still offers advantages — faster speeds, lower latency, and no wireless interference problems. Ethernet matters a lot with desktop PCs, laptops at desks, game consoles, TV-streaming boxes, and other devices – like when building backbone networks and data centers. Assuming it’s easy enough to plug the devices in with an Ethernet cable, you’ll get a more consistently solid connection. Yes, Ethernet is better.
The augmented global demand for data centers is the key driver for the growth in Global Ethernet Switch and Router Market 2016-2020.25G, 50G and 100G Ethernet is finding it’s place in in the Data Center. Experts predict that the largest cloud operators will shift to 100G Ethernet fabrics while cost-efficient 25G and 50G will remain the workhorses for most of the other well-known data-center companies.The increasing usage of advanced technologies, such as 10GbE ports, by enterprises and universities for educational and official purposes, is a significant factor in the enterprise and campus segment. The key players in this segment will be Arista Network, Brocade Communications, Cisco, Dell, HP, Huawei and Juniper Network. The 2015 Ethernet Roadmap shows a roadmap for physical links through 2020 and looks into the future terabit speeds as well.
I expect 2016 will be a year of widespread product adoption around 2.5 and 5 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) bandwidth over twisted-pair copper cabling (2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T) as transition to next generation 802.11ac Wave 2 access points will drive significant demand for 2.5G ports. Enterprise operators are looking to fill the gap between 1G and 10G over this legacy unshielded twisted-pair copper cabling (Category 5e/Category 6) that is installed all over. IEEE 802.11ac is 3x faster and 6x more power efficient than its predecessor, 802.11n, while remaining interoperable with 802.11n. Rapid adoption of 802.11ac is run by fact that tablets and smartphones are becoming ubiquitous in the workplace.
Driven by IEEE standards, Ethernet hits the road in 2016: A new trend emerging in the automotive market in 2016 is the migration of Ethernet, a tried-and-true computer network technology, into connected cars. The proliferation of advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) features in many vehicles is also expected to expand Ethernet use. The completion of IEEE 100BASE-T1 and 1000BASE-T1 standards are both expected. The emergence of the 1000BASE-T1 standard in mid-2016 provides a roadmap for automotive Ethernet evolution. Ethernet, starting in 2016, will be seen as the dominant in-vehicle network backbone.
Prepare for the PAM4 phase shift. PAM4 (four-level pulse-amplitude modulation) will be coming to wider use in 2016 because we all the time need faster communications links between ICs inside devices. NRZ won’t work at 56 Gbps and it seems that PAM-4 is the way to go as PAM4 doubles the bit rate for a given baud rate over NRZ. At 56 Gbps, 400 Gbps Ethernet can be realized with four lanes of PAM4 but might require eight 28 Gbps lanes with NRZ. PAM-4 is also gaining traction in 28 Gbps links. The bad news is that PAM4 trades off bandwidth for SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) meaning it is more sensitive to noise and timing skew than NRZ. PAM4 does bring SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) to the forefront of design issues. With four voltage level and three eyes, PAM4 requires new design techniques for recovering embedded clocks and for identifying bits in symbols. PAM4 will be used mainly on copper links, but it can be also used with fiber optic links, which has it’s own set of challenges. These and other issues are forging new techniques for how to measure and simulate PAM4 signals.
Cloud Scale Networking term will be seen. The virtualization of networks, storage, and servers is reshaping the way organizations use IT. Cloud computing plays an essential role in this process as cloud delivers the additional capacity required to satisfy growing demand to an enterprise or small business from a third party. The amount of data volume carried by networks has exploded. Cisco estimated last year that by 2017, data centers will handle some 7.7 zetabytes of IP traffic, two thirds of which would be on account of cloud computing. Total global data centre traffic is projected to triple by the end of 2019 (from 3.4 to 10.4 Zettabytes). Legacy, tiered, network designs can be replaced with scalable flat network topologies. They can be future-proofed using open, scalable SDN and NFV platforms. The network is cloud computing’s final frontier, at technology, people and process levels. Service providers seek to reduce costs, create new business opportunities, and introduce new services more quickly.
The “software-ization” of Telco and increasing use of pen-Source Networking will continue in 2016. In 2015, the adoption of OpenStack, OpenDaylight, OpNFV for software and services, and Open Compute for hardware will supported more virtualized, more open source network computing platforms and architecture. The trend will continue. SDN provides control to the enterprises and carriers on the complete network through a single logical point, thereby simplifying the network design and operation. The traditional, one-vendor, proprietary solution is transitioning to solutions involving many suppliers – and this offers customers with significant cost savings and performance optimization. Growing network virtualization functionality and programmability are both an opportunity and a threat to security. Keep in mind that everything connected to the Internet can, and will be hacked.
After COP21 climate change summit reaches deal in Paris there will be also interest in thinking how clean our networking is. It is being reported that communications technologies are responsible for about 2-4% of all of carbon footprint generated by human activity. The needs for communications and faster speeds is increasing in this every day more and more connected world – penetration of smart devices there was a tremendous increase in the amount of mobile data traffic from 2010 to 2014. When IoT is forecasted to be 50 billion connections by 2020, with the current technologies this would increase power consumption considerably. The trend to look for greener technologies is tackling first mobile networks because of their high energy use. Base stations and switching centers could count for between 60% and 85% of the energy used by an entire communication system. More and more facilities, especially big names like Google, Amazon and Microsoft, have looked to renewable energy.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
5 Challenges for 25G Ethernet
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330531&
Here’s a list of the five biggest challenges facing the new generation of 25G Ethernet products in hopes they will be addressed sooner rather than later.
Not supporting or disabling auto-negotiation: The importance of auto-negotiation (Aneg) to 100G interoperability was acknowledged by making it mandatory to be fully compliant to IEEE 802.3 Clauses 92 and 93. The more recent 25G standard also mandates Aneg.
Not supporting Aneg could result in both links not resolving at the maximum mutually supported rate or the inability to link at all. Aneg also serves as the critical precursor step to training which optimizes the electrical signaling to offset the negative effects of the channel.
Two different, yet similar specifications: The 25G/50G Consortium’s work put IEEE 802.3by on the fast track for standardization. Thanks to the 25G/50G Consortium, there were 25G capable devices before the IEEE standard was complete.
However, just because a solution is compliant to one does not make it compliant to the other. In fact, it is likely that a device won’t initially be compliant to both.
Inconsistent use and understanding of cable/module information: EEPROM information located on modules and cables was supposed to help a device understand basic channel properties such as length, loss or module type. Some manufacturers have leveraged that information to lock out other manufactured products. Others have misinterpreted the data.
Understanding of the specification and compliance: Due to the nature of the technology, the IEEE 802.3 specification for 25G is a dense and complex document.
Diverse applications and marketing confusion: This is a great problem to have. There are many emerging applications for 25 Gigabit Ethernet, from the hyper-scale data center to cloud applications and campus deployments. This is a natural evolution of the Ethernet roadmap and shows a commitment to break with old paradigms that are no longer relevant, such as always increasing the data rate by 10 times.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telco Revamp is a Soft Opportunity
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1330514&
Massive changes are taking place in telecom networks which will power growth in smartphone use and the next big things.
The digital transformation is attractive for many reasons. It reduces capex by shifting to virtualization technologies so carriers can replace dedicated, single-function systems with general purpose servers. On top of these servers, they can run virtual machines that replicate the functions of the old systems, making it easier to scale and shift functions as needed.
Using virtual machines, carriers can begin to offer more services in a fail-fast mode, lowering barriers for creating new services. That’s key because carriers need to find new services customers want to use as they become more blasé about the non-novel smartphone offerings.
As carriers shift toward servers, it’s not a great time for their top tier vendors. These companies are busy redefining themselves as software companies, professional service providers and network operations specialists, much like IBM did in the 1990’s when their hardware market became commoditized.
Here are a few items on their wish lists:
Virtualization, NFV and VNFs, including MANO solutions
SDN and SON solutions
IoT platforms, narrowband solutions
5G-ready technologies
Media and content integration
Solutions for handling video with aplomb
Big data analytics
And help with a digital transformations from the core network to the customer experience
Vendors that most closely match their offerings to the telco’s needs will get the most market traction.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Helsinki came to 2.4 terabytes of network nodes
Network and data center company Equinix opens in Helsinki new Internet interconnection point, which will start operations in the first quarter of 2017. Node combines Finnish and Nordic companies to the global network in the 2.4 terabytes of capacity.
Around the world, there are now 22 Equinix Internet Exchange connection point that take advantage of a global network of more than 145 data center. The points of interconnection are the hubs of the Internet, connecting separate networks with each other and allow the traffic between them.
Helsinki’s new exchange point that Finnish companies and organizations better international connections as well as more choice in the market.
The world’s Internet traffic has increased in the last four years, more than 33 per cent a year
IP-based traffic, in turn, is projected to grow by 22 percent over the next three years and almost triple in the years between 2015-2020
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5139:helsinkiin-tuli-2-4-terabitin-verkkosolmu&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Generate PAM4 signals for receiver compliance testing
http://www.edn.com/design/test-and-measurement/4442694/Generate-PAM4-signals-for-receiver-compliance-testing?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20160929&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20160929&elqTrackId=91a2de3ae691473198c57d29c502d0a9&elq=290ef1896d4b4691ac581df3b4812a16&elqaid=34086&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29797
As EDN has reported over the last two years, 56 Gbit/s links are moving to PAM4 signaling as a way to overcome channel bandwidth issues. As this modulation technique takes hold, you’ll need to generate variety of signals to test receivers under varying distortion conditions. Stress testing a receiver can help you understand a receiver’s weaknesses and measure its tolerance to various signal impairments.
PAM4, with its four-level signal modulation—compared to two-level signal modulation (PAM2), most commonly referred to as NRZ—avoids the signal degradation caused by the increased bandwidth. PAM4 succeeds by transmitting two bits per symbol. For a given data rate, cuts the bandwidth in half as opposed to NRZ.
While a PAM4 signal experiences more ISI (Intersymbol interference) than a PAM2 signal at a given baud rate, it experiences much less at a given data rate.
Figure 2 shows block diagram of a test setup that can generate differential PAM4 signaling. It uses two serial digital-pattern generators, two active programmable pre(de)-emphasis amplifiers, two passive microwave combiners, and two phase-matched cables after the combiners.
To generate a PAM4 test signal, we designate one of the pattern generator/active amplifier pairs as the MSB, which provides an output amplitude twice as large as that from the other pair (designated as LSB). The resulting signal will meet all the electrical PAM4 signaling and transmitter performance parameters as specified in the standards for different symbol/data rates.
The use of two serial pattern generators lets us combine two uncorrelated data signals together, providing the flexibility to separately program the data patterns for the MSB and LSB. The active programmable pre(de)-emphasis amplifiers provide an easy way to introduce required (for PAM4 receiver testing purposes) signal alterations to both the MSB and LSB.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EU wants to fast internet across Europe – gives warning to countries
European Commission, which urges to implement the rules in order to reduce the cost of deployment of high-speed electronic communications networks. The rules are intended to increase the existing telecommunications network infrastructure sharing and re-use.
The remark was received by 19 EU countries (including Finland).
The rules are expected to reduce the cost of deploying high-speed Internet connections of up to 30 per cent. The Commission has proposed a target that, by 2025, all schools, universities, research institutes, transport hubs, public service providers and digital technology-dependent businesses should have access to very high-speed, connection Gbit.
2020 target is that 5G would be commercially available in at least one major city in each EU country.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/suomi-sai-viimeisen-varoituksen-eu-haluaa-nopean-netin-kaikkialle-eurooppaan-6586766
Tomi Engdahl says:
Elisa’s new service hook: calls abroad, the domestic prices
Elisa introduced a Wi-Fi and 4G telephony for commercial use on the first telecom operator in Finland.
Telecom operator Elisa provides telephone access to Wi-Fi calls. passing through a wireless broadband telephony in particular, should improve coverage indoors.
The service also allows calls to Finland from abroad call prices when the phone is connected to a Wi-Fi network.
- Wi-Fi calling is a place for independent and it simulates a home being online, Elisa’s private customer business unit of voice subscriptions director Jan Virkki explains.
In practice, this means that when in Finland a Wi-Fi calls to foreign countries go further foreign prices, as well as for calls from abroad to abroad. Instead of calling from abroad to Finland generated savings.
When making a call or receiving, however, should check whether the telephone remains a Wi-Fi network. If not, the call is done in accordance with the roaming pricing.
Does not work on all phones
Technology will initially use the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge Samsung Galaxy phones, and it has to be activated to EUR 3.90 as paying an additional service.
Virkki, the service requires phone-specific testing and approval, as well as service support enabling the phone software update from the manufacturer. The service is connected to the customer on top of other additional services the same way.
- Later will be like a faster rollout, says Virkki.
Introduction of the service will also join 4g-ie VoLTE calls. Until now, 4g has a passed only the data and voice calls are forwarded to a 2G or 3G network.
Elisa designers in a statement to be the first operator in Finland, which will bring wifi-phone calls for commercial use. The competitor DNA was already announced in March that they had introduced a pilot customers 4G and Wi-Fi calls.
Source: http://www.digitoday.fi/data/2016/09/29/elisan-uudessa-palvelussa-koukku-puhelut-ulkomailta-kotimaan-hinnoin/201610057/66?rss=6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Carmakers, Telecom Players Join Forces on 5G
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1330525&
In a cross-industry alliance, Audi, BMW and Daimler along with telecommunications equipment providers Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia as well as semiconductor vendors Intel and Qualcomm will bundle their R&D resources to evolve, test and promote communications solutions for connected mobility.
The efforts will focus on the development of 5G mobile technologies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jessica Conditt / Engadget:
FCC votes to expand emergency text alerts from 90 to 360 characters, add support for embedded photos and links — The FCC has voted to strengthen the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which sends warnings about missing children, natural disasters and other dangerous events directly to citizens’ cell phones.
Wireless Emergency Alerts are about to get more detailed
The FCC voted to expand the WEA system, including the establishment of a new class of alerts.
https://www.engadget.com/2016/09/29/amber-alerts-wireless-emergency-more-power-fcc/
The FCC has voted to strengthen the Wireless Emergency Alerts system, which sends warnings about missing children, natural disasters and other dangerous events directly to citizens’ cell phones. The new rules allow government officials to write up to 360 characters, rather than 90, for 4G LTE and future networks, and it requires participating carriers to support the use of embedded phone numbers and links in all alerts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Reliance Jio in expansion talks with Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei amid concerns over Samsung’s network strategy
Industry estimates peg the cost of a single 4G site at around Rs 10 lakh, excluding backhaul and site rental cost.
http://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/reliance-jio-in-expansion-talks-with-ericsson-nokia-huawei-amid-concerns-over-samsungs-network-strategy/54586422
NEW DELHI: Reliance Jio Infocomm has started talks with multiple telecom gear vendors including Ericsson, Nokia and Huawei, besides existing supplier Samsung for the next phase of 4G cellular site expansions, which includes a plan to add over 40,000 LTE sites across the country.
In addition to 4G network equipment, Jio is also testing various network technologies, including carrier aggregation or LTE-Advanced from these vendors, a person familiar with the matter told ET.
Nokia and Ericsson, which have been trying to get a slice of Jio’s 4G LTE network—the largest in the world—have been working with the telco on the software front. Nokia is powering Jio’s pan-India Voice of LTE (VoLTE) service under a contract worth $100 million (about Rs 670 crore), while Ericsson is providing operations support systems (OSS) solutions under a three-year contract worth $10 million (Rs 60 crore), ET had reported earlier.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
AT&T ends its Internet Preferences program, which analyzed user browsing habits to better target ads — Controversial traffic scanning program, Internet Preferences, meets its demise. — AT&T is getting rid of Internet Preferences, the controversial program that analyzes home Internet …
AT&T to end targeted ads program, give all users lowest available price
Controversial traffic scanning program, Internet Preferences, meets its demise.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/09/att-to-end-targeted-ads-program-give-all-users-lowest-available-price/
AT&T is getting rid of Internet Preferences, the controversial program that analyzes home Internet customers’ Web browsing habits in order to serve up targeted ads.
“To simplify our offering for our customers, we plan to end the optional Internet Preferences advertising program related to our fastest Internet speed tiers,” an AT&T spokesperson confirmed to Ars today. “As a result, all customers on these tiers will receive the best rate we have available for their speed tier in their area. We’ll begin communicating this update to customers early next week.”
Data collection and targeted ads will be shut off, AT&T also confirmed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet handover is go-go-go! ICANN to take IANA from US govt
Judge refuses injunction, handover of global DNS etc at midnight
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/30/internet_handover_is_go_go_go/
The most significant change in the internet’s functioning for a generation happened on 30 September at midnight.
At 12.01am Washington DC time, the US government walked away from the IANA contract, which has defined how the internet has grown and been structured for nearly 20 years, and hand it over to non-profit organization ICANN.
Nothing will change for ordinary internet users – ICANN will keep doing what it has done since its inception in 1999 – but the shift represents something much bigger: the first time that a new communications technology has been released from, rather than pulled under, government control.
With the transition to ICANN, it will be the internet’s users and not their countries’ representatives who will ultimately decide how the global network develops from here on in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia takes high-speed copper to England
BT, formerly British Telecom’s fixed telecommunications networks Openreach manages the company is investing heavily in fiber, as well as the trimming of copper-based connections. The company has chosen Nokia and Huawei equipment supplier for the project, which is BT’s subscribers are imported 330 megabit Internet connections along the old copper wires.
Openreachin goal is to bring access to G.Fast technology are based on 10 million homes and small business by 2020. International Telecommunication Union ITU ratified G.Fast the name of the new DSL technology in December 2015.
XG-Fast technology is the data obtained from the test run of more than 10 gigabits per second.
Obtaining the high-speed broadband along the old copper wire is by far the fastest and cheapest way to get to Gigabit Internet connections. The fiber connection is potentially much faster, but expensive.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5150:nokia-vie-huippunopeaa-kuparia-englantiin&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia dropping the additional base stations with quadcopters
Nokia’s Bell Labs research unit has developed a revolutionary way to increase mobile network capacity. F-Cell art quad copters are dropped to the base stations, which provide locally up to one gigabit per degree LTE capacity.
Such a “drop-in” network does not require planning in advance or construction of infrastructure. The technology has already been successfully tested on the roof of Nokia’s Sunnyvale office in Silicon Valley. race with new technologies at CTIA exhibition you have time, it was also a reward.
The base stations are powered by solar panels, they are configurable and related to the LTE network automatically and are immediately ready for video streaming, for example.
the base stations do not need line of sight
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5151:nokia-pudottelee-lisatukiasemia-nelikoptereilla&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
WBMMF being referenced in proposed 2-fiber 100G standard
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/09/wbmmf-2-fiber-100-g-paul-kolesar-commscope-blog.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October32016&eid=289644432&bid=1545001
In a post to the CommScope Blog titled “Good News for WBMMF,” Paul Kolesar reports that a proposal made within the IEEE references the TIA’s wideband multimode fiber (WBMMF) standard as media to support a 2-fiber version of 100G.
“Already the standard TIA-492AAAE … published in June … is being referenced in active projects within the IEEE 802.3 working group for next-generation Ethernet,”
“For example, Foxconn Interconnect Technology has proposed a solution that would deliver 100-Gigabit per second Ethernet over two multimode fibers—one for transmit and the other for receive—using two wavelengths each carrying 50 Gbits/sec.”
Kolesar further explained that the wavelengths identified in Foxconn’s proposal “are within the spectral range for which WBMMF is optimized,” which is 840 to 953 nanometers. “Thus this proposal uses SWDM [short wavelength division multiplexing] to reduce the number of fibers to just two, compared to the eight needed to support parallel transmission of 100GBase-SR4.”
He added that the proposal before IEEE 802.3 includes a 150-meter reach for two-fiber 100G over WBMMF. That outdistances the proposal’s 100-meter reach over OM4 and 70-meter reach over OM3 fiber.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet Alliance applauds successful completion of IEEE 802.3bz standard
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/09/ea-bz-ratified.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October32016&eid=289644432&bid=1545001
The Ethernet Alliance today hailed ratification of IEEE 802.3bz, the Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s Operation. Enabling access layer bandwidth to evolve incrementally beyond 1 Gigabit per second (Gb/s), the new standard will help address emerging connectivity needs in a variety of settings and applications, including the enterprise, wireless networks, and others.
“users need a way to tap into higher data rates without having to overhaul the 70 billion meters of Cat 5e / Cat 6 wiring already sold,”
“IEEE 802.3bz is an elegant solution addressing not only the demand for faster access to rapidly rising data volumes, but also capitalizes on previous infrastructure investments, thereby extending their life and maximizing value.”
IEEE 802.3bz defines 2.5 Gigabit (2.5G) and 5 Gigabit (5G) BASE-T Ethernet.
IEEE sets new Ethernet standard that brings 5X the speed without disruptive cable changes
http://www.networkworld.com/article/3124948/lan-wan/ieee-sets-new-ethernet-standard-that-brings-5x-the-speed-without-disruptive-cable-changes.html
IEEE sets 2.5/5G Ethernet Standard for 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T
As expected the IEEE has ratified a new Ethernet specification — IEEE P802.3bz – that defines 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T, boosting the current top speed of traditional Ethernet five-times without requiring the tearing out of current cabling.
The Ethernet Alliance wrote that the IEEE 802.3bz Standard for Ethernet Amendment sets Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 2.5G and 5Gbps Operation lets access layer bandwidth evolve incrementally beyond 1Gbps, it will help address emerging needs in a variety of settings and applications, including enterprise, wireless networks.
proponents of the technology will hold an interoperability plugfest in October to tout the readiness of 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T products
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ericsson left-to redundancies in Sweden
Swedish rumors were right. Ericsson to stop the remaining two production factory in Borås and Kumla. The decisions mean kicks in 3000 for the employee.
However, the company says hiring in the next three years, a thousand new product developers mainly from universities.
The savings program will be costly to Ericsson. According to the company it will cost this year of SEK 4-5 billion.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5158:ericsson-jatti-irtisanomisiin-ruotsissa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
NBASE-T Ethernet Technology
Basis for the IEEE 802.3bz Standard
http://www.anandtech.com/show/10720/nbaset-receives-boost-with-ieee-p8023bz-approval
Wired networks relying on traditional Cat 5e and Cat 6 cables (at their maximum channel length of 100m) have been limited to 1 Gbps so far. At the other end of the spectrum, 10 Gbps required augmented cables (Cat 6A or better) for transmission lengths typical in enterprise and business scenarios. Despite 10 Gbps Ethernet having been around for more than 10 years now, cost and power consumption aspects have limited its adoption on a wider basis. The NBASE-T Alliance was created to bring in support for speeds between 1 and 10 Gbps, while retaining the use of existing cabling infrastructure.
NBASE-T has become popular because it can act as an effective wired backhaul for 802.11ac wireless access points.
10GBASE-T is not really an effective solution because of the cost as well as power requirements aspect. Almost all enterprise access points are powered using Power over Ethernet (PoE). The IEEE 802.3af-2003 standard allows for up to 15.4 W (12.95 W assured), while PoE+ (IEEE 802.3at-2009) can provide up to 25.5 W. However, the 10GBASE-T standard doesn’t currently support Power over Ethernet, even though it is being considered.
This is where the 2.5 Gbps and 5 Gbps options provided by NBASE-T equipment become attractive. Some NBASE-T switches already implement PoE / PoE+, and are effective solutions for driving compatible 802.11ac wireless access points.
On September 23, 2016, the IEEE P 802.3bz 2.4G/5GBASE-T Task Force (which started work in March 2015) ratified the IEEE P802.3bz Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s Operation. It allows 2.5 Gbps operation over standard Cat 5e cables, 5 Gbps over Cat 6, and 5 Gbps over Cat 5e under select conditions. All of these are up to at least 100m channel lengths.
The ratification is a big boost for the NBASE-T Alliance. The standardization also lends more credence to the NBASE-T plugfests scheduled to be conducted in October 2016. It will also bring more 2.5G/5GBASE-T products into the market, bring prices down and drive up adoption.
homes would do well to go with Cat 6a cables for future-proofing purposes
NBASE-T adoption will mainly be dictated by business and enterprise users in the near future.
Tomi Engdahl says:
HPE, Samsung take clouds to carriers
NFV tie-up puts Samsung software on HPE kit
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/04/hpe_samsung_take_clouds_to_carriers/
HPE and Samsung are getting together to give carriers a shove towards a more cloudy future.
The two companies have announced a tie-up with a focus on network function virtualisation (NFV) and virtual network functions (VNF).
The two are part of a whole, but subtly different: NFV refers to taking carrier-grade applications (voice switching, video serving, network firewalls and so on) and turning them into software; VNF refers to the individual functions.
HPE and Samsung are hoping that network operators would rather not download a free platform and start cutting the own code. HPE’s announcement pitches the ETSI-compliance of its OpenNFV Infrastructure platform
ETSI, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, is building standard use-cases for NFV/VNF.
Samsung will now join HPE’s OpenNFV Partner Program, making sure its VNFs will run on HPE kit.
Those include a virtual evolved packet core (EPC) function for LTE Advanced networks; an IP media subsystem, and a VNF manager; while HPE’s contribution is to tip in its OpenNFV platform, and its management and orchestration system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Fiber Is Now a Fiber and Wireless ISP
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/16/10/03/2246231/google-fiber-is-now-a-fiber-and-wireless-isp
Google Fiber today said it has completed its acquisition of Webpass, a wireless Internet service provider that will figure prominently into its plans for deployment of high-speed Internet. But the Alphabet division is not giving up on fiber, saying it will use both wireless and fiber networks to compete against cable companies and telcos.
Google Fiber is now a fiber and wireless ISP
Google Fiber finishes buy of Webpass, says it will deploy both wireless and fiber.
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2016/10/google-fiber-now-owns-a-wireless-isp-but-isnt-giving-up-on-fiber/
Webpass uses point-to-point wireless technology that’s useful for connecting businesses and multi-unit residential buildings in densely populated areas. It hasn’t been financially feasible for Webpass to bring its high-speed network to single-family homes, so it can’t fully replace Google Fiber’s wired Internet service.
“[O]ur strategy going forward will be a hybrid approach with wireless playing an integral part,” Kish wrote. “Going forward, Webpass will continue to grow and scale their business with point-to-point wireless technology, including expanding into new cities. And for our part, Google Fiber will continue to build out our portfolio of wireless and fiber technologies, to bring super fast Internet to more people, faster.”
Webpass’s residential service offers speeds of up to 1Gbps for $60 a month in San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Chicago, and Boston.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ericsson to reduce 3000 – also from Finland
The network company Ericsson to reduce unit production in Sweden and terminates the production, sales and design of 3,000 jobs. Release the company announced the hiring in the coming years also still a thousand new product developers in Sweden.
Layoffs also extend to Finland. Oulu R & D unit is closed. Reduction is about 175 employees, including 135 in Kirkkonummi and Oulu units 40. Oulu product development, the company has gradually closing completely.
Reductions in the company searches with other contributions from the crown of about nine billion SEK, ie EUR 940 million in savings.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/10/04/ericsson-vahentaa-3000-palkkaa-tuhat-uutta/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Atlantic Broadband Tests the DOCSIS 3.1 Waters
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2016/09/atlantic-broadband-tests-the-docsis-3-1-waters.html?cmpid=enlmobile1042016&eid=289644432&bid=1545554
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) isn’t the only DOCSIS 3.1 game in town. Atlantic Broadband, the nation’s ninth largest cable operator, has launched gigabit Internet speeds in several Connecticut communities
Residents can subscribe to GigaEdge starting at $89.99 per month, while the business service, Pro GigaEdge, will start at $249.99 per month. The DOSCIS 3.1-based service uses the Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) cBR-8 platform with ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS) gear in the customer premises.
“For existing customers, we will be swapping equipment. We want to come to the home and make sure everything is working as expected …. (It will be) a relatively seamless transition from the customer perspective.”
From a network perspective, Isenberg said the upgrade went smoothly and took about six months from lab to field trials to complete.
There has been a lot of talk about whether gigabit speeds are necessary on the residential side. The reason people are asking for it, Isenberg said, is not the need for a gigabit to the PC, but rather the desire to enable multiple, simultaneous users to all have a great connection.
“When you have five people and 15 connected devices all doing stuff at the same time, you need more than the class of service provided by DOCSIS 3.0,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC Proposal: Internet Providers Must Ask To Share Your Data
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/16/10/06/2329251/fcc-proposal-internet-providers-must-ask-to-share-your-data
The FCC has unveiled a new privacy proposal Thursday that is sure to appeal to millions of internet users. Internet service providers? Not so much. The proposal would require ISPs like Verizon and Comcast to get your permission before sharing your precious info with advertisers.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/10/06/fcc-proposal-internet-providers-must-ask-to-share-your-data.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home> Analog Design Center > How To Article
MEMS oscillator reduces dropped calls in base stations
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4442801/MEMS-oscillator-reduces-dropped-calls-in-base-stations?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20161006&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20161006&elqTrackId=ed21aaed34564a4f8375ef6a3924dae1&elq=9494be2b107f40b380d8227a788e78bc&elqaid=34226&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29874
5G is coming in a few years, but in the interim, telecom providers are increasing small cell deployment and adding microwave backhaul systems, as well as synchronous Ethernet and optical communications, as communication networks become increasingly denser.
Communication equipment is finding its way onto rooftops, poles, curbsides, and even in basements. This means more exposure to high temperature, thermal shock, vibration, and widely varying air flow; a very bad environment for quartz oscillators in the communications timing gear as part of NSST (networking, server, storage, telecom) systems.
Vibration causes dropped calls and loss of data links in base station small cells because of the quartz resonator’s sensitivity. Using a MEMS oscillator enhances quality of service (QoS).
Enter the MEMS oscillator. SiTime Corporation, a MEMS and analog semiconductor company that is a wholly owned subsidiary of MegaChips Corporation, recently introduced an innovative Elite Platform which features Super-TCXOs (temperature compensated oscillators) and oscillators.
These new solutions employ an innovative DualMEMS architecture with TurboCompensation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast’s 1TB data caps start to roll out nationwide
Go over that amount and you could face overage charges. Unlimited data costs $50 extra.
https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/06/comcasts-1tb-data-caps-start-to-roll-out-nationwide/
Comcast’s data restrictions are going from testing to reality for most of its customers. Its ‘XFINITY Terabyte Internet Data Usage Plan’ is already in place in a number of places, and will roll out to 18 new markets (including California, Michigan, Florida and others listed on its FAQ) beginning November 1st. For its part, the ISP claims 99 percent of customers use less than 1TB of data per month, and that median use is just 75MB (correction: 75GB).
So what happens if you go over 1TB per month? For the first two months in a 12 month period that it happens, nothing. Also, Comcast customers can adjust their settings for notifications via email
users will be charged $10 for an additional 50GB of data, which will continue happening to a limit of $200 per month.
unlimited data access, you can buy it up front, for an additional $50 per month over your current internet bill.
with games pushing out multi-gigabit updates and high-res video streaming available from more sources, eventually more of us will be nudging up against the limits
for cord-cutters leaning on streaming from services like Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, the 1TB red line could be approaching even faster.
Netflix has called on the FCC to fix “unreasonable” caps, but it referenced limits of just 300GB per month.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RMS detector computes real power of an RF signal
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4442820/RMS-detector-computes-real-power-of-an-RF-signal?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20161010&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_productsandtools_20161010&elqTrackId=492ceb8e49f84f8a9573867b7706cfb3&elq=6b2f8884a03e4535a665b413950ea62d&elqaid=34286&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29922
The fast-evolving wireless network market is speeding toward 5G access that will bring far larger internet traffic than ever imagined before. LTE-A and 4G can’t even come close to providing the needed bandwidth requirements. Microwave wireless backhaul links will need to advance as well in bandwidth because of this large increase in data capacity that will come with 5G.
Frequency bands for 5G access will be 8, 14, 18, 24, 28 GHz and far higher, especially in the higher frequency microwave backhaul needs. Bandwidths will need to be in the 1 and 2 GHz regions, pushing radio designs to the edge of the envelope.
In addition, high order QAM modulation in the region of 2048QAM will be realized. Multi-tone OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) will also help make more efficient use of the spectrum. High order QAM modulation has its problems, like very high peak-to-average waveforms. If you try to measure only the peak power, even adding correction, you will not have a very accurate reading because this does not give you the true power in the waveform. Also, if there are multiple carriers, the peak power does not account for the tonal power in a multi-carrier signal. Errors can add up to several dB. So the need for adding lots of extra headroom for the actual peaks leads to lower transmission power available to the RF amplifier which reduces range and poor reception.
Traditionally, microwave Schottky diodes were employed in designs to measure the peak power at frequencies above 10 GHz.
Schottky diodes perform well from 0 dBm to +20 dBm, but since Schottkys have an exponential response, lower signals will be less accurate.
Linear Technology, soon to be a part of Analog Devices.
an RMS detector saves the day because they use a root-mean-square function internal to the chip that computes real power of an RF signal. The averaging is done and the DC output will accurately represent the true power of the RF signal within a few tenths of a dB even down to low signal levels–no correction factors, no extra headroom. This solves the need for a Schottky at lower levels.
Linear Technology’s LTC5596, a high frequency, wideband and high dynamic range RMS power detector, will give accurate, true power measurement of RF and microwave signals independent of modulation and waveforms. The IC responds in an easy-to-use log-linear 29mV/dB scale to signal levels from –37dBm to –2dBm, with an accuracy better than ±1dB error over the full operating temperature range and RF frequency range, good for 5G wireless access from 200MHz to 30GHz with a flat response of ±1dB. Designers can get a wider frequency range from 100MHz to 40GHz with slightly reduced accuracy at the frequency extremes. The IC’s RF input is internally matched at 50Ω from 100MHz to 40GHz.
RMS detector shines by performing an analog root-mean-square computation of the waveform, and then averages the result to derive a true power representation of the input signal, regardless of its modulation, number of carriers, and varying amplitudes. The ability to measure the true power is critical for equipment manufacturers to set the proper transmit power to ensure maximum transmission distance and improved transmit range while remaining compliant with regulatory power limits.
Due to a wide bandwidth, the detector can work seamlessly with a minimum calibration being necessary across multiple frequency bands using a common design.
The IC operates from a single 3.3V supply, while drawing a nominal supply current of 30mA
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aerohive to unpack SD-LAN wireless, wired options at Juniper Networks’ customer event
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/10/aerohive-juniper-sdlan.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October102016&eid=289644432&bid=1551328
Aerohive Networks (NYSE:HIVE) announced its participation as a Gold Sponsor at Juniper Networks’ customer summit event, NXTWORK 2016, taking place October 3rd – 5th in Santa Clara, CA.
On Wednesday, October 5, the Aerohive executives will be on a panel titled, “Wired and Wireless Solutions for the Enterprise,” discussing the company’s newly announced Software Defined LAN Solutions platform.
Aerohive unveils Software Defined LAN (SD-LAN) platform
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2016/09/aerohive-unveils-software-defined-lan-sd-lan-platform.html
Aerohive Networks ( NYSE:HIVE) announced that it is launching a comprehensive solution for the Software Defined LAN (SD-LAN). “Redefining the access layer with flexible wireless and wired networking capabilities, SD-LAN is a new architecture for access networks designed for organizations struggling to adapt their network to the constantly changing demands of mobility and their business. Aerohive is leading the shift to SD-LAN in the enterprise and is the first to deliver solutions for this new architecture,” began a company statement announing the the platform launch.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rugged Category 6 cable for outdoor data cable installations introduced by Times Microwave
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2016/10/rugged-category-6-cable-for-outdoor-data-cable-installations-introduced-by-times-microwave.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October102016&eid=289644432&bid=1551328
TCAT-6-DB offers solid electrical characteristics; high coverage, water blocked, tinned copper outer shield for optimal grounding; more than 90 dB RF shielding; ripcord for easy jacket stripping; black PE jacket for excellent weather resistance; various length assemblies available; and connectors and custom grounding kit available.
Compared with Cat 5 and Cat 5e, Cat 6 features more stringent specifications for crosstalk and system noise, and provides performance to 250 MHz and is suitable for 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX (Fast Ethernet), 1000BASE-T/1000BASE-TX (Gigabit Ethernet), 2.5GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T, and 10GBASE-T (10-Gigabit Ethernet).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finland will start frequency auctions
Finland will be the first in Europe to 700 MHz frequency band for the nationwide wireless broadband networks.
The Government has today declared retrieved 700 MHz spectrum licenses for wireless broadband networks. the estimated frequency auction start late 2016.
New use of 700 MHz frequency band may start when the operating frequency band TV activity is completed in early 2017.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/10/11/suomi-aloittaa-taajuushuutokaupat/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Solving signal integrity problems at very high data rates
http://www.edn.com/design/pc-board/4442805/Solving-signal-integrity-problems-at-very-high-data-rates?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161011&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20161011&elqTrackId=9f3e4d964ac14e25a81d03fc1e68d857&elq=88cece835f3042909dbb0b1389f87c6c&elqaid=34303&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29932
The good news about the Internet of Things (IoT) is that it demonstrates just how pervasive high-speed communication technology has become. Addressing software issues within the IoT is pretty straight forward—create some code that people can readily download to their hardware devices to maintain the operating integrity of their various communication devices.
Addressing hardware issues is not so simple. Even experienced hardware developers are challenged in addressing these issues. Part of the problem is attributable to the nature of hardware technology itself. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) and the various other pieces of hardware associated with them have essentially “run out of gas”. Moreover, wringing the last ounce of performance capability out of these devices often requires unprecedented and very creative engineering efforts.
The state of technology
At the start of 21st century, providers of equipment for the Internet struggled to design large routers and switches containing backplanes and plug-in line cards that had long internal connections running at 3.125 Gb/s. The primary concern was how to manage loss in those long paths.
Fast forward to 2016 and the picture has changed radically. Manufacturers of the semiconductors used in route processors and switch ICs have managed to engineer them so they operate at speeds as high as 32 Gb/s with a very high tolerance for loss along the signal paths. The ICs of 2001 could tolerate as little as 10 dB of loss in the signal path at 3.125 Gb/s. The ICs of 2016 can tolerate as much as 38 dB of loss at 32 Gb/s.
The first problem (excess capacitance in the plated through holes) has been dealt with by using a technique called back-drilling to remove the excess capacitance of the connector plated through holes that extend below the layer in which the signal traces are routed. I
The second problem (excess crosstalk) has been dealt with by routing the signals farther and farther apart from each other so this problem is minimized. However, when receive signals can be only 2 or 3% the amplitude of transmit signals this becomes mechanically very difficult to accomplish when routing signals on the same layer in the vicinity of the connectors.
The third of these (skew or difference in travel time in the two sides of a differential pair), is a result of the uneven distribution of the glass in the woven cloth and the resin used to bind the composite together.
Many techniques have been proposed to minimize the effect of skew. The two most common methods in use are:
Routing the signals at an angle to the glass weave hoping that the irregularities are evened out between the two sides of the pair.
Using a glass weave style that has the glass evenly spread out to minimize variation in the glass weave over which signals travel.
Conclusion
Advances in semiconductor technology are making it possible to connect components in products such as switches and routers at rates as high as 56 Gb/s. As these higher speeds are achieved, micro-scale variations in the materials used to fabricate PCBs and backplanes can significantly degrade signals. Among the problems encountered are loss, skew, crosstalk, and degradation due to the parasitic capacitance of the plated-though holes required to mount the connectors to the backplanes and daughter cards.
By using twinax cables to make these connections instead of implementing them in PCBs and backplanes with traditional traces, skew, crosstalk, and degradation from the plated-though holes can be virtually eliminated. Due to the ultra-low loss of the twinax cables, path lengths can be longer, or the frequency of operation can extend much higher than is possible with the laminate systems currently available.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inphi Unveils Second Generation 50/100/400 Gigabit Ethernet PAM4 IC for Cloud Interconnects at OFC 2016
https://www.inphi.com/media-center/press-room/press-releases-and-media-alerts/inphi-unveils-second-generation-50100400-gigabit-ethernet-pam4-ic-for-cloud-interconnects-at-ofc-2016.php
Inphi Corporation (NYSE: IPHI), a leading provider of high-speed connectivity solutions, today announced the immediate availability of its second generation, highly integrated, lowest power 4-level Pulse Amplitude Modulation (PAM4) chipset solutionsfor intra-data center and inter-data center cloud interconnects.
According to Loring Wirbel, Senior Analyst at The Linley Group, “The recent IEEE standards activity clearly points to PAM4 28Gbaud being the future of optical signaling for 50G to 400G. With the production availability of Inphi’s new PAM4 chipsets, optical module solutions based on 28GBaud PAM4 can now become a reality with real deployment expected in the next few quarters.”
Inphi’s low-power PAM4 PHY ICs interface with host ASICs that have 10/20/25G NRZ and 56G PAM4 electrical interfaces while bridging to 20-28GBaud PAM4 optics.
Luxtera
400G Optics – Technologies, Timing, and Transceivers
http://www.ieee802.org/3/bs/public/14_05/welch_3bs_01_0514.pdf
IEEE 802.3bs 400G Task Force March 2015
A Review of 400G -PSM4
http://www.ieee802.org/3/bs/public/15_03/welch_3bs_02b_0315.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet Opens Door to PAM4
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326889
The relatively new and complex PAM4 modulation scheme has been adopted for some aspects of the 400 Gbit/second Ethernet standard, setting a direction for new silicon development.
Modulation formats have been hotly debated over the last 6-12 months in the IEEE P802.3bs group setting a standard for for 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE). Decisions to adopt PAM4 optical modulation schemes at the recent IEEE May meeting will have significant implications on the technology direction of the industry moving forward.
The 400 GbE project includes electrical interfaces to address chip-to-chip and chip-to-module applications as well as optical interfaces for 100 meter multimode fiber (MMF), 500m single-mode fiber (SMF), 2km SMF, and 10km SMF.
Numerous proposals for interfaces narrower than the 16-lane approaches were submitted for consideration to respond to market pressure for cost effective interconnects.
A 50 Gbit/s NRZ approach was shown to be viable for 8-wide optical and electrical interfaces. Alternate modulation schemes were also proposed to further lower costs reasons or the baud rate to leverage existing technologies and know-how around 25 Gbaud components. Alternate modulation schemes considered included PAM4 modulation for both electrical (8-wide) and optical (4- and 8-wide) and discrete-multitone (DMT) for 4-wide optical.
After much debate, the electrical decision was made in March 2015 that a second 8-wide electrical interface would be defined based on 50 Gb/s PAM4 modulation. This was widely supported by many of the major silicon suppliers with test results and simulations showing good performance with known connector and channels.
After much consideration and deliberation, the group decided to support PAM4 modulation for at least two of the SMF solutions. An 8x50G PAM4 scheme was adopted for duplex 10km SMF and a 4x100G PAM4 scheme was adopted for 500m parallel fiber (4 fibers per direction).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Q&A: PAM4 Single Lambda Addresses Today’s Ethernet Challenges
http://electronicdesign.com/communications/qa-pam4-single-lambda-addresses-today-s-ethernet-challenges
AppliedMicro developed the world’s first 100G PAM4 single-wavelength solution for 100G and 400G Ethernet.
Wong: What are the current market challenges associated with 100G Ethernet?
Hassen: Data-center customers are demanding a steep downward trajectory in the cost of 100G pluggable transceivers, but existing 100G module multi-source agreements (MSAs) such as PSM4 and CWDM4 have limited capacity for cost reduction due to the cost of the fiber (PSM4) and the large number of components (both PSM4 and CWDM4).
Existing two-lambda PAM4 (2x50G) trades off some optical components for more expensive digital signal processing (DSP) and will struggle to improve upon the cost of CWDM4. While the dual-lambda PAM4 architecture (2x50G) currently uses components that appear to cost less, the lack of a “dual” ecosystem and the fact that the single-lambda ecosystem will mature quickly to support both 100GE and 400GE means that the volume for a 2x50G solution will never truly materialize.
This means that dual-lambda PAM4 and existing 100G Ethernet (100GE) solutions such as PSM4 and CWDM4 will not be able to achieve the overall cost reductions demanded by data-center customers.
Hassen: At OFC 2016, AppliedMicro showcased the world’s first 100G PAM4 single-wavelength solution for 100G and 400G Ethernet. The low-power, 16-nm FinFET solution enables 100G PAM4 single-lambda solutions in QSFP28 form factors and serves as a key breakthrough for 400G PAM4 Ethernet.
With its streamlined architecture, lower cost, and higher reliability, single-lambda 100GE PAM4—what we’re calling “True 100G”—can be seen as the equivalent of SFI at 10GE.
Wong: Why is PAM4 single lambda the answer?
Hassen: PAM4 makes more efficient use of electronic and optical components by packing two bits for every symbol sent over the fiber. Single-lambda 100G PAM4 offers the simplest architecture, the most streamlined data path, higher reliability, and an easy upgrade path to 400G Ethernet, and it enables the lowest-cost 100G transceiver.
Wong: When do you think we’ll see 400G Ethernet?
Hassen: Based on the fact that there are 400GE standards in place already, along with component availability and that discussions are taking place with partners and customers, we believe we will see 400GE in the second half of 2017 or the early part of 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G Test Solutions at NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2016
https://www.eeweb.com/news/5g-test-solutions-at-ngmn-industry-conference-exhibition-2016
“Keysight is investing strongly in 5G test solutions for mobile operators and their suppliers and we will be demonstrating some of those solutions at the show floor,”
Keysight’s technical experts will demonstrate leading-edge solutions at the exhibition floor.
Keysight Technologies to Showcase 5G Test Solutions at NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2016
http://about.keysight.com/en/newsroom/pr/2016/10oct-nr16109.shtml
Keysight’s technical experts will demonstrate leading-edge solutions at the exhibition floor. Specific demonstrations include:
EU 5G TRIANGLE End-to-End Testbed—as chairman of the H2020 EU TRIANGLE project (www.triangle-project.eu), Keysight will showcase end-to-end test house concept, introducing new holistic approach spanning from the mobile app and device to the EPC and the network services and introducing new KPI for new applications and devices benchmarking. The testbed is centered around Keysight E7515A UXM wireless test set, that offers radio access with the flexible capability of creating RAN operational conditions, and the N6705B power analyzer.
Real-Time Beamforming—using synchronous multi-channel stimulus response system, the M8195A arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) as a stimulus, and the M9703B high-speed digitizer/wideband digital receiver as coherent receiver, the demonstration will show real-time beam weighting and demodulation measurement running inside the M9703B FPGA with a measurement algorithm developed using Keysight’s SystemVue software platform.
Virtual drive testing—Keysight’s Anite Virtual Drive Testing Toolset uses network signaling and RF propagation log data captured in the field to recreate a realistic mobile device performance testing environment in the laboratory. The solution enables mobile operators to quickly and cost-effectively benchmark mobile devices and network infrastructure prior to deployment, and to identify and resolve issues found in the field. The toolset uses the Propsim F32 channel emulator to create the industry’s most realistic RF conditions, bridging the gap between lab and field testing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Migrating from the LAN9115 to the LAN9210
https://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/microchip/migrating-from-the-lan9115-to-the-lan9210/
This article provides easy guidelines and requirements on migrating from the existing LAN9115 designs to LAN9210 device. The LAN9210 will require a PCB change, which is necessary to support the HP Auto-MDIX PHY (even if this mode is not used) and the package change.
Migrating to the LAN9210 requires different magnetics than those used on the LAN9115. These magnetics have symmetrical channel configurations to allow for the switching of the receive and transmit channels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia management software for smaller operators
At the same time when the mobile network elements moves to the cloud or virtualised them, to keep network management tools to edit. Nokia has introduced a new Compact NetAct management tool for smaller virtualized networks.
The software is based largely on the use NetAct-management tool. NetAct Compact is specifically designed for network element 2000, and up to 500 000 subscriber trunk network management. According to Nokia, these operators have until now lacked a suitable, robust management tool.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5205:nokialta-hallintaohjelmisto-pienemmille-operaattoreille&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast fined $2.3 million for mischarging customers
http://wgntv.com/2016/10/11/comcast-hit-with-fccs-biggest-cable-fine-ever/
Comcast is being forced to pay the largest fine the FCC has ever levied against a cable operator. Its offense: Charging customers for services and equipment they didn’t ask for.
The company agreed to pay a $2.3 million civil penalty and to submit to a “compliance plan,” in which regulators will monitor Comcast for the next five years to ensure it cleans up its act.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sprint To Provide 1 Million Students With Free Internet, Mobile Devices
https://news.slashdot.org/story/16/10/11/1954200/sprint-to-provide-1-million-students-with-free-internet-mobile-devices
Wireless carrier Sprint Corp on Tuesday pledged to provide 1 million U.S. high school students with free mobile devices and internet access as part of a White House initiative to expand opportunities for lower income kids. Marcelo Claure, chief executive of Sprint, said the plan builds on the company’s prior commitment through the White House’s ConnectED program to get 50,000 students high speed internet.
Sprint to provide one million students with free internet, mobile devices
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-corp-students-idUSKCN12B20A?feedType=RSS&feedName=technologyNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtechnologyNews+(Reuters+Technology+News)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rx/Tx converters span 800 MHz to 4000 MHz
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4442800/Rx-Tx-converters-span-800-MHz-to-4000-MHz?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20161012&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_consumerelectronics_20161012&elqTrackId=1683c27fb3634ceea59c518e94b4de85&elq=bdc526cdbef7407a84066af25a5a13b9&elqaid=34312&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=29940
The highly integrated HMC8100 and HMC8200 Rx/Tx converters from Analog Devices replace multiple discrete parts to simplify design and reduce board space in microwave backhaul applications. Microwave and millimeter-wave mobile operators and telecom equipment manufacturers benefit from improved reliability of field equipment, as well as lower costs.
Housed in a 40-lead, 6×6-mm LFCSP, the HMC8100 IF receiver chip converts RF input signals ranging from 800 MHz to 4000 MHz down to a single-ended IF signal of 140 MHz at its output. The device includes two voltage-gain amplifiers, three power detectors, a programmable AGC (automatic gain control) block, and select integrated bandpass filters with 14-MHz, 28-MHz, 56-MHz, and 112-MHz bandwidth. It supports complex modulations up to 1024 QAM and all standard microwave frequency bands from 6 GHz to 42 GHz.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia and Sonera experimented with 4G network NB-IoT technology
Nokia and Sonera have tested a commercial mobile network custom new IoT to meet the needs of the 4G network technology. Narrow Band IoT technology (NB-IoT) is a standardized this year, and it will continue to make more widespread use of new IoT devices and services, in particular the introduction of property maintenance.
A new type of NB-IoT network technology allows you to connect a reliable 4G network a very large number of devices that emit, for example, temperature, location information or data related to the fault situations.
NB-IoT technology to complement existing mobile networks operators, and all the major networks, component and equipment manufacturers support the standard. Sonera is developing NB-IoT-related services together with partners.
One of Sonera’s partners have Asan Security, which is a Finnish network-based video solutions developer.
The test was sent to temperature, humidity and barometric pressure sensor related data NB-IoT devices using Sonera’s 4G network in the 800 MHz frequency.
The test was conducted commercially available in the Nokia Flexi Multi Radio Base Station 10, which supports the NB-IoT technology. The test was verified by the NB-IoT technology functionality roaming connections first in the world. Thanks to the incumbent operators’ roaming networks can be contacted IoT devices around the world.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2016/10/12/nokia-sonera-kokeilivat-esineiden-internetin-4g-teknologiaa-ensimmaisena-suomessa/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jordan Novet / VentureBeat:
Google, Facebook, Pacific Light Cable Network partner to lay undersea cable between LA and Hong Kong which will transfer data at 120 terabits/sec, open in 2018 — Google said today that it’s working with Facebook and China Soft Power Technology Holdings subsidiary Pacific Light Data Communication …
Google and Facebook partner on PLCN submarine cable between Los Angeles and Hong Kong
http://venturebeat.com/2016/10/12/google-and-facebook-partner-on-plcn-submarine-cable-between-los-angeles-and-hong-kong/
Google said today that it’s working with Facebook and China Soft Power Technology Holdings subsidiary Pacific Light Data Communication to construct a trans-Pacific undersea cable. The Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) will transmit 120 terabits of data per second between Los Angeles and Hong Kong — a span of almost 8,000 miles.
The cable should be working by 2018, Google submarine networking infrastructure director Brian Quigley wrote in a blog post.
This isn’t a first for Google, or for Facebook. Google has already invested considerable sums of money into this type of infrastructure. Other cables Google has collaborated on include the Faster, as well as Unity, SJC, Monet, and Tannat, Quigley wrote.
The infrastructure will decease latency in certain cases for the the G Suite of Google apps and the Google Cloud Platform
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia already tested close to the right 5G speed
okia and the fifth-largest US mobile operator US Cellular have tested the technology, which is already very near future 5G connections. Both the inside and outside areas were transferred to six connection 4K video streams simultaneously.
The test used was the 28 gigahertz frequency the FCC’s special permission. 28 gigahertz is an area that the FCC’s decision will practice first 5G-band for the USA.
Nokia’s new AirScale base station platform, a commercial deliveries have already begun were used. The test was reached over a five-gigabit data rates, and less than two milliseconds of delay – very close to the international 5G objectives (1 ms or less delay)
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5214:nokia-jo-lahella-oikeita-5g-vauhteja&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bittium made the first government VoLTE call
Bittium has made its first official online transferred to a voice call to the LTE network. VoLTE calls (Voice over LTE) received a call from the US Public Safety Band 14 channel. This was the first time that VoLTE call was made FirstNet (First Responder Network Authority) in a network, which is designed for the US introduction of the authorities. This is an important milestone, as FirstNet is a completely new LTE network, which does not allow access to traditional circuit-switched voice calls.
- Successful VoLTE call FirstNet network environment indicates that the system is technically ready. At the same time, it also tells Bittium Tough Mobile smartphones versatile features and compatibility to various network environments
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5213:bittium-soitti-ensimmaisena-volte-viranomaispuhelun&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
New kind of RJ-47 plug that is terminated more easily than traditional connectors:
REVConnect
Complete connectivity solution for
CAT 5e, CAT 6 and CAT 6A UTP and STP
http://info.belden.com/ecos/revconnect
Connectivity that features a simplified termination process and tools which can be completed quickly by technicians
REVConnect Launch Announcement
http://info.belden.com/ecos/revconnect/launch-announcement
The REVConnect system is designed to provide maximum reliability and ease of install for the contractor. Recommending REVConnect will provide a smoother project process and result in the best experience for all stakeholders.REVConnect will be available for purchase September 19th.
At the InfoComm 2016 Conference 79% of attendees surveyed said that they were likely to switch to REVConnect.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Grant Gross / PCWorld:
White House to invest $65M in smart-city technologies and $50M in small-satellite tech for broadband and more, as part of $300M innovation package
White House releases money for small-satellite broadband, smart cities
The government will release $65 million for smart-city technology, $30 million for small satellites
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3131048/white-house-releases-money-for-small-satellite-broadband-smart-cities.html
The U.S. government will invest tens of millions of dollars in smart-city technologies and in small-satellite broadband as part of a US$300 million package focused on innovation.
The package of new investments, announced Thursday, will include $65 million in government funding and $100 million in private funding for smart cities technologies. Two new government grant programs will focus on easing traffic congestion and on creating new on-demand mobility services, including smartphone-enabled car sharing, demand-responsive buses, and bike-sharing.
“From automated vehicles to connected infrastructure to data analytics, technology is transforming how we move around our country, and some of the most exciting innovation is happening at the local level,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement.
“Advancing smallsat technology and adoption could, for example, allow companies to provide ubiquitous high-speed Internet connectivity and offer continuously updated imagery of the Earth,”
“While we’ve made great progress, there’s no shortage of challenges ahead: Climate change. Economic inequality. Cybersecurity. Terrorism and gun violence. Cancer, Alzheimer’s, and antibiotic-resistant superbugs,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia transferred in marine cable 65 terabytes per second
Long subsea cable is used, of course, amplifiers, so that the signal will travel the desired distances. The achieved data rate, or 65 terabytes per second is massive: the link could be transferred at the same time 10 million high-definition television channels.
The demo data is transferred to 6600 kilometers, as much as 65 terabytes per second so-called. single-mode fibers. The record figure was based on the exploitation of the new Bella Labs developed modulation.
Nokia already demoed last month together with the Technical University of Deutsche Telecom and Munich PCS modulation techniques (Probabilistic Constellation Shaping (PCS), which uses QAM patterns for greater data capacity of the channel. Modulation clearly improves the fiber-channel spectral efficiency.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5226:nokia-siirsi-merikaapelissa-65-terabittia-sekunnissa&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia demoed while high-speed copper connection
XG-FAST was developed by Nokia Bell Labs, yet non-standardized fixed-line connection technology with copper lines more clearly faster data speeds. Now, Nokia has been testing the technology to the Australian NBN operator Research Center.
The demo was to pass data in a laboratory 8 gigabit per second speed. At this speed, the data went 30-meter distance twisted pair. 70 m length of the peaks reached in five gigabits per second.
Speeds are similar to those in previous XG-FAST in the demo. In August, Nokia and TeliaSonera reached demossaan 10 gigabits three links combining.
According to Nokia, the XG-FAST is basically very straightforward technique. 0.6 millimeter standard phone line formed by the width of 500 megahertz channel, wherein the bits move 10 gigabits per second to about 30 meters distance double pair cable. One cable end into two gigabits to hundred meters.
XG-FAST is evolution from standardized G.FAST
Commercially technique probably introduced about a year around 2020.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5240:nokia-demosi-taas-huippunopeaa-kupariyhteytta&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
The world’s first V-band modem
Swedish company Sivers IMA has introduced a fully integrated transceiver so-called. V-band, ie 57-71 GHz region.
It has been completely SiGe based circuit, which can be found in addition to the transmitter part of the digital control signal source and the analog baseband section. The package is encased in 7 x 7 millimeters eWLB casing.
US Federal Communications Commission FCC has recently released the use of wireless devices from 64 to 71 GHz range.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5239:maailman-ensimmainen-modeemi-v-kaistalle&catid=13&Itemid=101
Tomi Engdahl says:
Improving wireless coverage in smaller buildings
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-24/issue-9/features/wireless/improving-wireless-coverage-in-smaller-buildings.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October172016&eid=289644432&bid=1558716
Many times budget constraints prevent us from solving our client’s cellular reception problems. The installed cost of an active distributed antenna system (DAS) coupled with the lack of carrier funding is usually the issue. Active DAS solutions are better suited to serve large buildings and venues with large user counts. They are ideal for taking the load off of a cellular service provider’s macro network. A problem exists because active DAS solutions do not easily scale downward to satisfy the needs of smaller buildings
Fortunately, there is a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved, passive DAS solution known as consumer signal booster that may fit the need of many smaller enterprises.
By definition a signal booster amplifies the wireless signal that is received from a donor antenna and distributes the amplified signal via coaxial cable to indoor antennas serving weak signal areas in a building. Other terms for these devices are repeaters, amplifiers, or passive DAS. Their use is limited to Cellular (Part 22), Broadband PCS (Part 24), AWS-1, 700-MHz Lower A-E Blocks, 700-MHz Upper C Block (Part 27) and Specialized Mobile Radio (Part 90).
This is different from an active DAS, which has centralized base station permitting (network aware) direct connections from multiple carriers each with their own input port.
This is different from an active DAS, which has centralized base station permitting (network aware) direct connections from multiple carriers each with their own input port.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wireless network terminating devices enable line-of-sight connections between base towers, premises for 4G LTE fixed wireless broadband deployments
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2016/10/wireless-network-terminating-devices-enable-line-of-sight-connections-between-base-towers-premises-f.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October172016&eid=289644432&bid=1558716
NetComm Wireless Limited (Sydney, Australia) announced that it will display its carrier-grade Wireless Network Terminating Devices (WNTD) at the Broadband World Forum in London, in response to growing industry demand for fast and cost-effective 4G LTE fixed wireless broadband deployments to regional, rural and outer urban locations worldwide, the company says.
Specially engineered to extend the trusted zone all the way to the premises, NetComm Wireless says its WNTDs bring optimal performance to premises in precise coverage areas by enabling a direct line of sight connection between the LTE base tower and the premises. Designed to deliver network grade connectivity, NetComm Wireless’ WNTDs bring 4G LTE broadband to homes and businesses while ensuring quality of service for guaranteed service level agreements.
“A common misconception about Wireless Network Terminating Devices is that the technology is consumer premises equipment (CPE). While both are installed at the premises, that’s where the similarities end,” explains David Stewart, CEO and managing director, NetComm Wireless. “Unlike basic CPE, WNTDs form an integral part of the 4G LTE network. The technology is owned, managed and monitored directly by the carrier. Our WNTDs are engineered to deliver specific capacity to targeted premises and we are pleased to work with our partners to give homes and businesses an amount of bandwidth that guarantees performance so carriers can meet their headline speed claims for various products.”
Installed on the roof of the premises, the WNTDs are network-grade devices built to withstand extreme wind, rain, heat, dust and other outdoor conditions; while offering surge protection for optimal reliability.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nomenclature for WBMMF decided: It’s OM5 fiber
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/10/om5-fiber-wbmmf.html?cmpid=Enl_CIM_CablingNews_October172016&eid=289644432&bid=1558716
An International Organization for Standardization/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) standards-making body has decided that the nomenclature used for wideband multimode fiber (WBMMF) will be OM5.
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) will adopt the term OM5 in certain standards it produces.
“The standard specifies 50/125-micron laser-optimized fiber that is optimized for enhanced performance for single-wavelength or multi-wavelength transmission systems with wavelengths in the vicinity of 850nm to 950nm. The actual operating band is from 850 to 953nm. The effective modal bandwidth for this new fiber is specified at the lower and upper wavelengths: 4700 MHz.km at 850nm and 2470 MHz.km at 953nm.”