It’s always interesting (and dangerous) to lay out some predictions for the future of technology, so here are a few visions:
The exponential growth of broadband data is driving wireless (and wired) communications systems to more effectively use existing bandwidth. Mobile data traffic continues to grow, driven both by increased smartphone subscriptions and a continued increase in average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by more viewing of video content. Ericsson forecasts mobile video traffic to grow by around 50% annually through 2022, to account for nearly 75% of all mobile data traffic. Social networking is the second biggest data traffic type. To make effective use of the wireless channel, system operators are moving toward massive-MIMO, multi-antenna systems that transmit multiple wide-bandwidth data streams—geometrically adding to system complexity and power consumption. Total mobile data traffic is expected to grow at 45% CAGR to 2020.
5G cellular technology is still in development, and is far from ready in 2017. As international groups set 2020 deadline to agree on frequencies and standards for the new equipment, anything before that is pre-standard. Expect to see many 5G announcements that might not be what 5G will actually be when standard is ready. The boldest statement is that Nokia & KT plan 2017 launch of world’s first mobile 5G network in South Korea in 2017: commercial trial system to operate in the 28GHz band. Wireless spectrum above 5 GHz will generate solutions for a massive increase in bandwidth and also for a latency of less than 1 ms.
CableLabs is working toward standardization of an AP Coordination protocol to improve In-Home WiFi as one access point (AP) for WiFi often is not enough to allow for reliable connection and ubiquitous speed to multiple devices throughout a large home. The hope is that something will be seen mid-2017. A mesh AP network is a self-healing, self-forming, self-optimizing network of mesh access points (MAPs).
There will be more and more Gigabit Internet connections in 2017. Gigabit Internet is Accelerating on All Fronts. Until recently, FTTH has been the dominant technology for gigabit. Some of the common options available now include fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 over cable’s HFC plant, G.Fast over telco DSL networks, 5G cellular, and fiber-to-the-building coupled with point-to-point wireless. AT&T recently launched its AT&T Fiber gigabit service. Cable’s DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 are cheaper and less disruptive than FTTH in that they do not require a rip-and-replace of the existing outside plant. DOCSIS 3.1, which has just begun to be deployed at scale, is designed to deliver up to 10 Gbps downstream Internet speeds over existing HFC networks (most deployments to date have featured 1 Gbps speeds). G.Fast is just beginning to come online with a few deployments (typically 500 meters or less distance at MDU). 5G cellular technology is still in development, and standards for it do not yet exist. Another promising wireless technology for delivering gigabit speeds is point-to-point millimeter wave, which uses spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz.
There are also some trials for 10 Gbit/s: For example Altice USA (Euronext:ATC) announced plans to build a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its U.S. footprint. The five-year deployment plan is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Interest to use TV white space increases in 2017 in USA. The major factors driving the growth of the market include providing low-cost broadband to remote and non-line-of-sight regions. Rural Internet access market is expected to grow at a significant rate between 2016 and 2022. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global TV white space market was valued at $1.2 million in 2015 and is expected to reach approximately $53.1 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 74.30% during the forecast period.
The rapid growth of the internet and cloud computing has resulted in bandwidth requirements for data center network. This is in turn expected to increase the demand for optical interconnects in the next-generation data center networks.
Open Ethernet networking platforms will make a noticeable impact in 2017. The availability of full featured, high performance and cost effective open switching platforms combined with open network operating systems such as Cumulus Networks, Microsoft SoNIC, and OpenSwitch will finally see significant volume uptake in 2017.
Network becomes more and more software controlled in 2017.NFV and SDN Will Mature as Automated Networks will become Production systems. Over the next five years, nearly 60 percent of hyperscale facilities are expected to deploy SDN and/or NFV solutions. IoT will force SDN adoption into Campus Networks.
SDN implementations are increasingly taking a platform approach with plug and play support for any VNF, topology, and analytics that are instrumented and automated. Some companies are discovering the security benefits of SDN – virtual segmentation and automation. The importance of specific SDN protocols (OpenFlow, OVSDB, NetConf, etc.) will diminish as many universes of SDN/NFV will solidify into standard models. More vendors are opening up their SDN platforms to third-party VNFs. In Linux based systems eBPF and XDP are delivering flexibility, scale, security, and performance for a broad set of functions beyond networking without bypassing the kernel.
For year 2016 it was predicted that gigabit ethernet sales start to decline as the needle moving away from 1 Gigabit Ethernet towards faster standards (2.5 or 5.0 or 10Gbps; Nbase-T is basically underclocked 10Gbase-T running at 2.5 or 5.0Gbps instead of 10Gbps). I have not yet seen the result from this prediction, but that does not stop from making new ones. So I expect that 10GbE sales will peak in 2017 and start a steady decline after 2017 as it is starts being pushed aside by 25, 50, and 100GbE in data center applications. 25Gbit/s Ethernet is available now from all of the major server vendors. 25 can start to become the new 10 as it offers 2.5x the throughput and only a modest price premium over 10Gbit/s.
100G and 400G Ethernet will still have some implementation challenges in 2017. 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). It seems 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. At OFC 2016, AppliedMicro showcased the world’s first 100G PAM4 single-wavelength solution for 100G and 400G Ethernet. We might be able to see see 400GE in the second half of 2017 or the early part of 2018.
As the shift to the cloud is accelerating in 2017, the traffic routed through cloud-based data centers is expected to quadruple in the next four years according to the results of the sixth annual Global Cloud Index published by Cisco. Public cloud is growing faster than private cloud. An estimated 68 percent of cloud workloads will be deployed in public cloud data centers by 2020, up from 49 percent in 2015. According to Cisco, hyperscale data centers will account for 47 percent of global server fleet and support 53 percent of all data center traffic by 2020.
The modular data center market has experienced a high growth and adoption rate in the last few years, and is anticipated to experience more of this trend in years to come. Those data centers are typically built using standard 20 ft. container module or standard 40 ft. container module. Modular data center market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 24.1% during period 2016 – 2025, to account for US$ 22.41 billion in 2025. Also in 2017 the first cracks will start to appear in Intel’s vaunted CPU dominance.
The future of network neutrality is unsure in 2017 as the Senate failed to reconfirm Democratic pro-net neutrality FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, portending new Trump era leadership and agenda Net neutrality faces extinction under Trump. Also one of Trump’s advisers on FCC, Mark Jamison, argued last month that the agency should only regulate radio spectrum licenses, scale back all other functions. When Chairman Tom Wheeler, the current head of the FCC, steps down, Republicans will hold a majority.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
First in the world: ethernet connections through 4G
The launch of the 4G Ethernet service in Finland and Sweden is the world’s first commercial service of its kind. In Finland, the service will be launched to Telia’s wholesale and operator customers.
With the 4G connection, client organizations using Ethernet services can also connect to their data network locations that are difficult or difficult to access in challenging locations through the 4G network. The new service facilitates the digitization of big organizations if the offices are on an old copper connection or want to integrate ad hoc units into the organization’s network.
Technology is possible because Telia has improved the quality of its 4G network. The solution is available for a week without the need for new infrastructure.
For Telia’s Ethernet Nordic, Carrier Ethernet 2.0 certification was granted in MEF (Metro Ethernet Forum) in 2015, which guarantees our customers a globally compatible and seamless service with their networks.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6407-ensimmaisena-maailmassa-ethernet-yhteydet-4g-n-kautta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Akamai: Global Average Internet Speeds Up 15% YoY
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/05/akamai-global-average-internet-speeds-up-15-yoy.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-06-01&[email protected]&eid=289644432&bid=1770510
According to Akamai Technologies’ (NASDAQ:AKAM) “First Quarter, 2017 State of the Internet Report,” global average Internet connection speeds have increased 15% year over year, and eight out of 10 qualifying countries/regions saw double-digit annual increases in average connection speed.
“Increases in connection speeds and broadband penetration have helped enable the Internet to support levels of traffic that even just a few years ago would have been unimaginable,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Getting Up to Speed: First Gigabit, then WiFi
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/05/getting-up-to-speed-first-gigabit-then-wifi.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-06-01
With the advent of DOCSIS 3.1, gigabit Internet speeds have become a reality for MSOs, and adding them to the menu of services is becoming less a bragging right and more a necessity. But one of the interesting conundrums for cable operators has been that although they can offer lightning-fast service to the home, the restrictions of WiFi have caused confusion for some customers expecting the gigabit offerings to improve service throughout their residence.
MSOs, after their gigabit upgrades, are now turning their attention to WiFi. Although the capability is not there yet to hike the speeds to 1 Gbps, there are enhancements to be made, and the news has been peppered with related announcements of late.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The world’s fastest two-way 5G link
Keysight Technologies and the University of California have so far demonstrated the fastest two-way 5G radio link. In the 28 gigahertz 64, the antenna element solution reached a 300 m 8 gigabit data rate in both directions.
For shorter trips, the pace of bits increased to 18 gigabytes per second.
The antenna matrix consisted of 64 elements that were made on a preferred circuit board. Each element is orientable, so the antenna can be used to make the beam up to 50 degrees.
The transceiver developed at San Diego University consumed only 7-11 watts during reception and transmission. Keysight’s software was used to generate 16-QAM and 64-QAM waveforms.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6409-maailman-nopein-kaksisuuntainen-5g-linkki
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G channel sounder rolls through the streets
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/rowe-s-and-columns/4458438/5G-channel-sounder-rolls-through-the-streets
Since 2010, National Instruments has been providing equipment for 5G physical-layer measurements. “Channel sounding” measurements have and continue to be at the forefront of development at the physical layer. Channel sounding is an activity where engineers attempt to characterize or “sound” a wireless channel.
5G signals will operate both above and below 6 GHz. The table below, presented at NI Week 2017, shows the frequency bands and supporting carriers for 3GPP Release 15 (Source: National Instruments).
Frequency range Supporting companies
3.3 GHz to 4.4 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, China Unicom, China Telecom, KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus, Etisalat, Orange
4.4 GHz to 4.99 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, China Unicom, China Telecom, KT, SK Telecom
24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, KT,Verizon, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia British Telecom
31.8 GHz to 33.2 GHz Orange, Telecom Italia, British Telecom
37 GHz to 40 GHz AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
As part of its 5G development, AT&T has developed a channel sounder that consists of a transmitter and receiver racks on wheels. Nicknamed “Porcupine,” the channel sounder racks use NI’s mmWave transceiver system to generate and receive signals, process the received signals in real time, and store the data. Each rack is motorized and can travel at speeds up to 8 mph (13 km/hr) under remote control.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Carriers Push Datacenter-Style Virtualization
https://semiengineering.com/carriers-push-datacenter-style-virtualization/
Move is viewed as way of adding flexibility and better security, and of tapping into IoT growth.
The world’s largest telco carriers are leading a broad movement to bring data center-style virtualization to the core of their telecommunications networks. In an industry known for being extremely conservative when it comes to change, this one appears to be significant.
The move has set off a scramble among a number of companies for unified control and forwarding plane designs, starting from the low to midrange systems and spanning everything from the access and aggregation layers of the fixed network.
Beneath the hood of this shift is an effort to tap into the growth of the IoT and the innovation surrounding it.
“The carriers are looking at these IoT-like services, and at the same time looking at how and when they transition off of their 2G networks, and virtualization is an absolutely key technology,”
Using virtualization, carriers can create a ‘network slice’ for IoT for a given set of customers and applications, like utilities and power meters, or banks for transaction processing. It’s this work that actually makes the IoT business model viable for carriers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A few years ago, Finns enjoyed the world’s top speed of the world, but in many countries it has gone beyond the speed. In Akamai’s recent statistics, Finland is now sixth in measuring the average speed of the net.
We have an average net speed of 20.5 megabits per second. The global readings are 7.2 megabits per second. The top of the list is South Korea, where people are on average at 28.6 megabits.
Then, compared with the top speeds, we are clearly falling out of the top ten. Singapore offers top speeds of 184.5 megabits, 132 megawatts in Macau and 131.1 megabits per second in Mongolia.
We have 93 percent of the population downloading their bits at 4 megabits per second. More than 15 megabytes reach 45 percent of Finns. In our mobile track, our average speed is 21.6 megabits per second
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6413-suomi-jaa-jalkeen-nettinopeuksissa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cellphone roaming pricing became a mess in Finland
Data messengers in Finnish mobile phone users became quite a muddle when telecom operators tried to implement new rules and exempted data restrictions from old subscriptions.
Teleoperators have been reporting the whole week of their new solutions in removing EU roaming charges. All three major Telia, DNA and Elisa have applied for an exemption for fully free roaming. Ainacom did not apply for a waiver like any other Finnish operator.
The existing and new subscriptions of Ainacom will operate in the EU and EEA countries from 15 June 2017 without any other roaming charges. Europe’s data usage will be opened for both current and new customers at an additional cost.
DNA’s customers can use their mobile phones in the EU as of June 15, 2017 at cheaper prices. For calls and messages, DNA’s customers pay the domestic price in the EU and the data rate drops by more than 90 percent. In June, DNA will also launch new subscriptions in which EU data transfer is included on monthly price.
In addition to the new types of subscriptions, Elisa lowers call, message and data usage rates in the EU and EEA countries according to the basic price list. The change applies to all Elisa’s customers.
Telia is prepared for EU regulation with new consumer subscriptions announced in March, with a monthly charge of roaming in EU and EEA countries.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/06/02/roaming-hinnoittelusta-tuli-hardelli/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marvell Introduces Industry’s First 2.5 and 5 Gbps Octal Ethernet Transceiver
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8041352-marvell-alaska-m-88e2180-gigabit-ethernet/
Next-generation high-speed device that can be deployed on legacy cable systems accelerates transition to multi-Gigabit Ethernet while addressing power and space constraints
Alaska® M 88E2180 Gigabit Ethernet transceiver, the world’s first octal multi-Gigabit Ethernet transceiver compatible with both the IEEE 802.3bz standard and the NBASE-T AllianceSM specification for 2.5 and 5 Gbps operation over CAT5e cables. This highly sophisticated IC will enable enterprises to quickly and cost-effectively migrate to multi-Gigabit Ethernet networking infrastructure. Marvell will be demonstrating its new Alaska M 88E2180 Gigabit Ethernet transceiver as part of its broad portfolio of solutions for the enterprise market during COMPUTEX in Taipei, Taiwan, from May 30 to June 2.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marvell’s 88E2010 and 88E2040 Ethernet transceiver chips handle 5 Gbits/s over Cat 5e copper
http://www.electronicproducts.com/Digital_ICs/Communications_Interface/Marvell_s_88E2010_and_88E2040_Ethernet_transceiver_chips_handle_5_Gbits_s_over_Cat_5e_copper.aspx
Ethernet ICs yield super-fast data transfer over existing wiring — with NBASE-T compliance
The Alaska 88E2010/40 single- and quad-port Ethernet transceivers from Marvell Semiconductor are optimized for 2.5- and 5-Gbit/s data rates over Cat5e copper cables for very cost-effective, small-form-factor networks of 100-m length and more. The devices use DSP to enable the use of existing Cat5e Ethernet cables for data rates as high as 5 Gbits/s and remove the need to rewire facilities with expensive optical cables. They are designed to be compliant with the emerging IEEE 802.3bz standard and the NBASE-T Alliance specifications.
With internet traffic increasing daily, this technology will be key for important applications, such as Ethernet switches and 802.11ac WiFi Access Points in enterprise environments. Not long ago we thought 100BASE-T would be all that any client PC would ever need – but that is most certainly not the case. 1000BASE‐T has been massively successful and is the standard Internet connection on client computers world-wide – including yours, most likely. WiFi wireless connections are also speeding up quickly. Most standard Wi-Fi campus networks moved in 2013-2015 to 802.11ac, providing up to 3.47 Gbits/s, and are now moving to 802.11ac W2 that works at up to 6.93 Gbits/s.
All this means the feed from the campus/corporate Ethernet switches to the Ethernet routers or wireless access points can no longer be a single or dual 1000BASE-T cable. This interface now needs to carry 2.5 or 5 Gbit/s data to support faster end user acces
Alaska M Multi-Gigabit Ethernet PHYs
IEEE 802.3bz compliant with optimized 2.5G and 5G data rates for enterprise applications
http://www.marvell.com/transceivers/alaska/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel removes wires from virtual reality glasses
Virtual glasses are quite a problem for designers because the very short delay needed in the glasses requires so much from the connection. Now Intel and HTC say that the Taiwanese Vive Virtual Glasses are made wireless. This is achieved with the new Wigig technology.
Wigig is the next-generation wlan standard officially known as 802.11ad. It only runs at 60 gigahertz and allows gigabit-level connections with short distance.
In particular, wigig latency, which is less than 7 milliseconds, is well suited for virtual reality applications. Additionally, the bandwidth of the Wigig link is so wide that the same view can be played back to several virtual players.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6421&via=n&datum=2017-06-05_14:49:05&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
Free Wi-Fi will be available in the EU
The European Parliament, the Council and the Commission have agreed on the implementation of the WiFi4EU project. In practice, the decision means that in 2020 all public spaces, parks and squares in Europe have a free wireless network connection.
In practice, local authorities can apply for EU assistance to set up a wifi network where it is not yet. Support is provided as vouchers that can be used to obtain high-quality routers to set up the network.
In total, the EU finances the establishment of wifi networks by EUR 120 million.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6422&via=n&datum=2017-06-05_14:49:05&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oulu brings together more than 500 5G specialists
The next EUCNC2017 conference will be held next week in Oulu Finland. It will present 5G’s latest development and research results. The conference brings to Oulu more than 500 telecom topsellers and 5G specialists.
The 26th European Conference on Networks and Communications, to be held in Finland for the first time, is hosted by the Center for Wireless Communications (CWC) unit at the University of Oulu. The event consists of a large conference program and about 40 exhibitions in the Oulu City Theater.
“All the major equipment manufacturers are here. The industry has a strong presence in both the demo show that the keynote sessions and panel discussions “,
“The theme of the conference” 5G – European Roadmap, Global Impact “highlights the global impact of the event. The program features five keynote speeches, three panel discussions and nearly 200 scientific lectures.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/06/05/oulu-keraa-yhteen-yki-500-5g-asiantuntijaa/
More:
Welcome to EuCNC 2017 | Oulu, Finland | June 12-15
http://www.eucnc.eu/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finland’s 5G test networks shift their focus from technology development to piloting service entities. We want to cooperate especially with the non-telecom industries that intend to bring their services more and more to mobile networking in the future.
“In practice, the benefit obtained from 5G networks is reflected among other things, network infrastructure adaptability, reliability and safety, as well as a significant increase in the speed of up to one hundred times compared to today’s 4G networks,” says 5G Test Network Finland coordinating cooperation will Jarno Pinola senior researcher at VTT.
VTT co-ordinates the 5G Test Network Finland (5GTNF) ecosystem, built around four 5G test network projects in Finland. The common platform can now be utilized in large-scale digital service testing in the second phase of test networks funded by Tekes 5thGear.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/06/06/5g-testiverkkohin-haetaan-uutta-kuormaa/
More:
http://5gtnf.fi/
5G Test Network Finland coordinates the integration of the Finnish 5thGear testbeds and facilitates the cooperative creation of a joint open innovation platform for 5G technology and service development.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Multi Node Label Routing Protocol (MNLR)
https://angel.co/projects/491305-multi-node-label-routing-protocol-mnlr?src=user_profile
Implementing new protocol for network communication
● Implementing new protocol for network communication for a NSF funded project.
● Designed the algorithm for forwarding the IP packets in the protocol.
● Created scripts to automate some of the manual processes.
●… · More
High-speed internet lane created for emergency situations
New network protocol helps emergency responders communicate online faster, more reliably
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/05/170523081951.htm
Summary:
Scientists are developing a faster and more reliable way to send and receive large amounts of data through the internet. By a creating a new network protocol, called Multi Node Label Routing protocol, researchers are essentially developing a new high-speed lane of online traffic, specifically for emergency information.
In a disaster, a delay can mean the difference between life and death. Emergency responders don’t have time to wait in traffic — even on the congested information superhighway.
That’s why researchers at Rochester Institute of Technology are developing a faster and more reliable way to send and receive large amounts of data through the internet. By a creating a new network protocol, called Multi Node Label Routing protocol, researchers are essentially developing a new high-speed lane of online traffic, specifically for emergency information.
“Sharing data on the internet during an emergency is like trying to drive a jet down the street at rush hour,” said Jennifer Schneider, the Eugene H. Fram Chair in Applied Critical Thinking at RIT and co-principal investigator on the project. “A lot of the critical information is too big and data heavy for the existing internet pipeline.”
Schnieder said data-dense information sharing was a major issue during recent disasters, including Hurricane Irene and Hurricane Sandy. Emergency responders were not able to quickly share critical information.
For example, in a flood event, emergency responders may need to share LIDAR mapping images, 911 requests and deployments, cell phone location data, video chats, voice recordings and social media communications. When that information has to compete with civilians tweeting about the disaster and messaging loved ones, the network is taking on more than it can handle.
“It is normal to have links and routers fail, and as the network topography changes, packets can be delayed, rerouted or lost,”
To solve this problem, Shenoy, along with co-principal investigator Erik Golen, a visiting assistant professor in RIT’s Information Sciences and Technologies Department, and a team of five graduate students created the Multi Node Label Routing (MNLR) protocol. It is designed with an immediate failover mechanism — meaning that if a link or node fails, it uses an alternate path right away, as soon as the failure is detected. The new protocol runs below the existing internet protocols, allowing normal internet traffic to run without disruption.
The new protocol does not depend on routes discovered by either Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Open Shortest Path First (OSPF). It discovers routes based on the labels assigned to the routers. The labels in turn carry the structural and relational connectivity information among routers.
“The new protocol is actually of very low complexity compared to the current routing protocols, including BGP and OSPF,”
In a demo this May, the team put the protocol to the test over the U.S. GENI (Global Environment for Network Innovation). The group transferred data using BGP and the new MNLR protocol. They ran the data between 27 nodes representing the network of the incident control center, the 911 call center and the office of emergency management.
While BGP took about 150 seconds to recover from a link failure, MNLR recovered in less than 30 seconds. The recovery metrics showed that the new MNLR protocol transferred information faster and more reliably than existing protocols in the event of network failures and topology changes.
“While BGP has a recommended default keep alive message interval of 60 seconds, MNLR is not so constrained,”
Shenoy said that the main issue with current protocols stems from the fact that they were invented several decades ago and not for the type of network scenarios experienced in current internet. Thus, BGP and OSPF are unreliable and that manifests when a link fails, she said. “If you receive an email five minutes late, that is still acceptable,” Shenoy said. “But in an emergency situation, the implicit impact of these serious network problems truly come to light.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable TV ‘Failing’ As a Business, Cable Industry Lobbyist Says
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/17/06/05/2229229/cable-tv-failing-as-a-business-cable-industry-lobbyist-says
According to a cable lobbyist group, cable TV is “failing” as a business due to rising programming costs and consumers switching from traditional TV subscriptions to online video streaming. “As a business, it is failing,” said Matthew Polka, CEO of the American Cable Association (ACA). “It is very, very difficult for a cable operator in many cases to even break even on the cable side of the business, which is why broadband is so important, giving consumers more of a choice that we can’t give them on cable [TV].” Ars Technica reports:
Cable TV “failing” as a business, cable industry lobbyist says
Broadband is the future as TV faces rising costs and online video competition.
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/06/cable-tv-failing-as-a-business-cable-industry-lobbyist-says/
The cable TV business is in trouble—in fact, it is “failing” as a business due to rising programming costs and consumers switching from traditional TV subscriptions to online video streaming, according to a cable lobbyist group.
“As a business, it is failing,” said Matthew Polka, CEO of the American Cable Association (ACA). “It is very, very difficult for a cable operator in many cases to even break even on the cable side of the business, which is why broadband is so important, giving consumers more of a choice that we can’t give them on cable [TV].”
Polka made his comments in an episode of C-SPAN Communicators that is airing this week, though it was recorded in April.
“The cable business isn’t what it used to be because of the high costs,”
When asked about cord cutting, Polka said, “it’s the video issue of our time as consumers learn they have choice” from services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
“It gives consumers more choice, something that they’ve wanted for a long time, more control from the bundle of cable linear programming,” Polka said.
That’s one reason cable companies in the ACA see broadband as “their future,” Polka said.
A cable company executive who appeared alongside Polka on the C-SPAN show echoed those comments.
Video is “certainly our worst product,” said Tom Larsen, senior VP of government and public relations for cable company Mediacom. “It makes the least amount of money.”
Basic-cable TV prices have been rising faster than inflation for 20 years, according to Federal Communications Commission data.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Brian Fung / Washington Post:
Amazon, Mozilla, Reddit, Y Combinator, Kickstarter, Etsy, Vimeo, and other internet companies are staging an online protest for net neutrality on July 12
Amazon, Kickstarter, Reddit and Mozilla are staging a net neutrality online protest
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/06/06/amazon-kickstarter-reddit-and-mozilla-are-staging-a-net-neutrality-online-protest/?utm_term=.22020e3bd6e0
Tomi Engdahl says:
3GPP has decided to choose CP-OFDM technology for future new 5G frequency waveforms. This means that the development of this so-called ” The New Radio area is really in a hurry.
According to Ericsson, the CP-OFDM (Cyclic-Prefix OFDM) is the best waveform for NRs from less than gigahertz to 100 gigahertz. In 5G networks, it will complement existing LTE-based connections, but unlike LTE, NR technology has no requirements to be backward compatible.
5G OFDM offers better frequency by compressing subcarriers on the same lane. This can increase the use of frequency from 90% to close to 95%. – For this to be possible, there is a need for a technique for more efficient filtering, and this UF-OFDM is one of the alternative methods
UF-OFDM (Universally Filtered OFDM) is a waveform that Nokia and Bell Labs have been pushing for the foundation of new 5G links.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6429-tarkea-paatos-5g-verkkojen-kannalta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cloud Scale Optical Network Questions?
https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1148520&sti=em2
This webinar will cover the new simplified network model to build cloud scale transport combining elephant traffic flows (point-to-point Nx100G) and mice flows (mesh-oriented sub-100G). This approach has the potential to provide on-demand software defined capacity (SDC), automated optical engineering and a pay-after-you-deploy model, all supported via a rich set of SDN controls and unique hardware innovations.
Market Drivers: New cloud-based applications such as IoT, NFV, XaaS, video and virtual reality are driving an insatiable demand for bandwidth across service provider subsea, long-haul terrestrial, metro and data center interconnect (DCI) networks
Migration to cloud scale architecture: ICPs are generating new traffic patterns in transport networks and driving new architectural principles such as disaggregation and openness, rich software programmability and new commercial models
New simplified network model: Building cloud scale transport combining elephant traffic flows (point-to-point Nx100G) and mice flows (mesh-oriented sub-100G). On-demand software defined capacity (SDC), automated optical engineering and a pay-after-you-deploy model, all supported via a rich set of SDN controls and unique hardware innovations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon 5GTF comes to life
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4458466/Verizon-5GTF-comes-to-life
In 2015, Verizon established the 5G Technical Forum (5GTF), with Cisco, Ericsson, Intel, LG, Nokia, Qualcomm and Samsung. The group’s primary purpose is to develop a wireless alternative to fiber to the home (FTTH) using mmWave spectrum—also called fixed wireless access (FWA).
The 5GTF draws largely from the LTE standard and adds concepts now being researched and proposed for 5G in 3GPP. The 5GTF extends the subcarrier spacing by a multiple of 5—that is, 75 kHz subcarriers versus 15 kHz, yielding 100 MHz bandwidth per component carrier—and reduces the subframe spacing by an inverse proportion to maintain timing consistency with LTE. The technical forum also added control signals and expanded the physical layer to include digital beamforming and precoding.
In March 2017, NI demonstrated a real-time working prototype of the Verizon 5GTF at the IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference (WCNC) in San Francisco. Although it was not the first prototype of the specification, it is notable for several reasons. To date, there haven’t been any public demonstrations where just anyone can observe the technology in action. Second, the demonstration added multi-user MIMO as well as implementing the full bandwidth and real-time processing of eight component carriers at 28 GHz. Lastly, it was the first prototype to integrate phased-array antenna technology where the antenna beams were controllable in real time through the physical layer demonstrating hybrid beamforming.
There has been much research on hybrid beamforming but few actual working systems, and it will be a key technology to facilitate mass adoption of mmWave technologies commercially.
Although Verizon’s 5GTF specification may not technically be “5G” in a true mobility sense, it’s still an important milestone on the road to the 3GPP’s 5G new radio (NR) because many of the concepts incorporated in the 5GTF specification will likely be employed in the final 5G standard.
http://www.5gtf.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
NI Week: Things That Educate, Sound, and Move
5G channel sounder
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331824&page_number=2
NI Week 2017 showcased equipment, applications, and technical sessions relating to 5G. The keynote session on May 23 featured a channel-sounding system developed by AT&T. The system consists of a transmitter and receiver, both of which literally roll through the streets as the receiver detects and analyzes the 28-GHz transmitted signals from which it characterizes how signals degrade and reflect off of buildings and objects.
AT&T’s 5G channel sounder transmitter sends signals at frequencies of 28 GHz, from which a receiver analyzes them in real time.
AT&T’s channel sounder has 16 antennas on the receiver and eight on the transmitter. The 16 receiver antennas let it find how transmitted signals reflect in the vertical axis.
In addition to the AT&T demonstration, NI Week held several 5G technical sessions. Sessions covered topics such as 3GPP standards and Massive MIMO. 5G will also use new frequencies, particularly above 6 GHz.
Frequency range Supporting companies
3.3 GHz to 4.4 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, China Unicom, China Telecom, KT, SK Telecom, LG Uplus, Etisalat, Orange
4.4 GHz to 4.99 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, China Unicom, China Telecom, KT, SK Telecom
24.25 GHz to 29.5 GHz NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, SBM, CMCC, KT, Verizon, T-Mobile, Telecom Italia British Telecom
31.8 GHz to 33.2 GHz Orange, Telecom Italia, British Telecom
37 GHz to 40 GHz AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data center placement, FO network design key to more efficient cloud computing: Researcher
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/ofc-researcher.html
An American researcher has developed a mathematical model that offers the potential to improve the flow of internet traffic generated by cloud computing by optimizing data center placement and utilizing distance-adaptive transmission technology. The scholarly work will be presented at the upcoming OFC 2017 tradeshow in Los Angeles.
Telecommunication experts estimate the amount of data stored “in the cloud” or in remote data centers around the world, will quintuple in the next five years. Whether it’s streaming video or business’ database content drawn from distant servers, all of this data is — and will continue in the foreseeable future to be – accessed and transmitted by lasers sending pulses of light along long bundles of flexible optical fibers.
Traditionally, the rate at which information is transmitted does not consider the distance that data must travel, despite the fact that shorter distances can support higher rates. Yet as the traffic grows in volume and uses increasingly more of the available bandwidth, or capacity to transfer bits of data, researchers have become increasingly aware of some of the limitations of this mode of transmission. New research from Nokia Bell Labs in Murray Hill, New Jersey may offer a way to capitalize on this notion and offer improved data transfer rates for cloud computing based traffic.
Guan says he worked with a newly emerged transmission technology called “distance-adaptive transmission,” where the equipment that receives and transmits these light signals can change the rate of transmission depending on how far the data must travel. With this, he set about building a mathematical model to determine the optimal lay-out of network infrastructure for data transfer.
“The question that I wanted to answer was how to design a network that would allow for the most efficient flow of data traffic,” adds Guan. “Specifically, in a continent-wide system, what would be the most effective [set of] locations for data centers and how should bandwidth be apportioned? It quickly became apparent that my model would have to reflect not just the flow of traffic between data centers and end users, but also the flow of traffic between data centers.”
External industry research suggests that this second type of traffic, between the data centers, represents about one-third of total cloud traffic. It includes activities such as data backup and load balancing, whereby tasks are completed by multiple servers to maximize application performance. After accounting for these factors, Guan ran simulations with his model of how data traffic would flow most effectively in a network.
“My preliminary results showed that in a continental-scale network with optimized data center placement and bandwidth allocation, distance-adaptive transmission can use 50 percent less wavelength resources or light transmission, and reception equipment, compared to fixed-rate rate transmission,” he explains. “On a functional level, this could allow cloud service providers to significantly increase the volume of traffic supported on the existing fiber-optic network with the same wavelength resources.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Free-space Optical Communications: Building a ‘deeper’ understanding of underwater optical communications
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-53/issue-05/features/free-space-optical-communications-building-a-deeper-understanding-of-underwater-optical-communications.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfwenewsletter_2017-06-06
For vehicles, robots, and subsea factories in the challenging ocean environment, understanding the potential of underwater optical communication requires careful consideration of distinct tradeoffs between range and data rate.
Underwater free-space optical (FSO) communications using blue or blue-green lasers and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) provides niche, short-range (<150 m), high-bandwidth (megabits/second) solutions with ranges that are highly dependent on water quality. At North Carolina State University (NCSU), we focus on the practical considerations of building and implementing optical communication systems for underwater vehicles and robots, as well as underwater construction and subsea factories.
Data rate vs. range
The bandwidth requirements for underwater operations can range from about 1 kHz for control signals to telemetry that may require 10 times as much bandwidth to transmit data or imagery. To provide a frame of reference, telephone-quality audio generally requires approximately 3 kHz of bandwidth, while high-quality streaming compressed video needs around 500 Kbit/s.
In general, an optimized radio frequency (RF) communication system approaches about 1 bit/Hz of available bandwidth, suggesting the use of high carrier frequencies. However, the penetration of radio waves into water strongly depends on the conductivity and frequency, and traditionally has limited communication with submarines to very low frequency (VLF) and data rates on the order of 100 bits/s. Recently, for short distances of a few meters, some modems can transmit at kilobit rates.
The traditional mode of communications between underwater vehicles has been acoustic. The velocity and attenuation of sound in water is dependent on frequency, with higher frequencies being strongly attenuated and intersymbol interference limiting commercial systems to <500 kbit/s.
Underwater video is becoming increasingly important and is very challenging for acoustics, even when frame rates are reduced and compression algorithms are used. Optical wireless, on the other hand, can easily transmit at 1 to 5 Mbit/s using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and at gigabit data rates using diode lasers (see Fig. 1). There have been recent efforts to increase the bandwidth of LEDs that may open additional opportunities for higher-data-rate, LED-based communications.
Structures permanently placed on the seabed can be serviced by underwater fiber-optic cables that deliver very high bandwidth communications at gigabit rates between subsea nodes. However, compared to guided modes in optical fibers, the underwater FSO communications proposition is more complicated.
These capabilities have been greatly accelerated by leveraging eye-safe 1.55 μm lasers, erbium fiber amplifiers, and detectors developed for fiber-optic communications.
Finally, compared to terrestrial FSO communications, turbulence is not the dominating factor in undersea communications systems. Instead, absorption and scattering are the major issues to be addressed. In clear-blue ocean water, maximum transmission is achieved at blue wavelengths (405–440 nm), with the absorption coefficient approximately 0.017 m-1. In coastal waters, the absorption coefficient is about twice as much-approximately 0.033 m-1, with the transmission maximum shifting to the green (510–530 nm). In the most turbid, yellow-matter-rich coastal water, the absorption is approximately 0.291 m-1 with the minimum absorption in the yellow.
Based on these values, the expected transmission range for optical wireless communications in the ocean is 150–200 m in very clear ocean waters, 50–75 m in ordinary ocean waters, and only a few meters in turbid harbor water. Unlike acoustics, the multipath dispersion from scattering is very small and is almost negligible until operating at more than 1 Gbit/s data rates.
Most optical wireless links have been experimental efforts taking place in tanks or pools. Commercially, Ambalux (Tucson, AZ) demonstrated a 10 Mbit/s system with a range of 40 m and lists options for their optical transceivers at 100 Mbit/s and 1 Gbit/s transmission rates. Technology developed by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (Woods Hole, MA) has transitioned to Sonardyne (Yateley, England), which now lists two BlueComm [trademarked] systems using LEDs for 10 m at 1–5 Mbit/s, 150 m at 1–12.5 Mbit/s, and a 7 m laser-based system at 500 Mbit/s.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LinkedIn, HP launch data center hardware non-profit to compete with Facebook’s Open Compute Project
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/05/linkedin-hp-launch-data-center-hardware-non-profit-to-compete-with-facebook-s-open-compute-project.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-06
The Open19 Foundation, a new data center non-profit co-founded by Microsoft’s LinkedIn, has launched, with the foundation’s first project expected in Q4.
As reported by Seeking Alpha, “the foundation builds on LinkedIn’s Open19 project, which was announced last summer [and] will create data center hardware solutions that allow for a customized build using multiple suppliers that are financially and physically practical for even smaller companies.”
Open19’s platform reportedly consists of a brick cage, power shelf, and network switch as the main elements, with the cage supporting four different types of bricks that contain servers and storage. The open-source design allows for the use of multiple suppliers in building a customized platform.
The Open19 project will compete with Facebook’s Open Compute Project.
Open19: A New Vision for the Data Center
https://engineering.linkedin.com/blog/2016/07/open19–a-new-vision-for-the-data-center-
What is Open19?
Open19 is a new initiative being launched by LinkedIn with more industry partners expected to join in the future. Open19 is our vision for a new type of open server and rack technology. Our plan is to build a standard that works in any EIA 19-inch rack, in order to allow many more suppliers to produce servers that will interoperate and will be interchangeable in any rack environment.
Open19 defines the form factor, power distribution, and network connectivity to servers, storage, and other elements in the data center that can fit within a 2RU size or smaller.
The Open19 platform is based on standard building blocks with the following specifications:
Standard 19-inch 4 post rack;
Brick cage;
Brick (B), Double Brick (DB), Double High Brick (DHB);
Power shelf—12 volt distribution, OTS power modules;
Optional Battery Backup Unit (BBU);
Optional Networking switch (ToR);
Snap-on power cables/PCB—200-250 watts per brick;
Snap-on data cables—up to 100G per brick;
Provides linear growth on power and bandwidth based on brick size.
By focusing on these standard elements, we believe that Open19 designs will be more modular, efficient to install, and contain components that are easier to source than other custom open server solutions.
The Open19 platform represents the evolution of open hardware where the systems have common form factor, power, and network connectivity. However, at the same time, each product supplier can innovate and differentiate the technology they can excel at and leverage their existing motherboards and technology. The solution fits into any 19-inch rack and has a common efficient power distribution system. This approach creates savings across the board, from common capex calculations to the integration time reductions mentioned above.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LinkedIn’s Open19 Foundation seeks to standardize data centers of all sizes
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/05/linkedin-s-open19-foundation-seeks-to-standardize-data-centers-of-all-sizes.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-06
The Open19 Foundation started on a promising note with key industry players pledging their support. LinkedIn’s ambitious project aims at standardizing the racks deployed in data centers.
Though Open19 Foundation was announced only last week, it’s been an ambitious project for LinkedIn. For the last couple of years, the company has been working towards defining a new open standard for servers based on a common form factor. This internal project was named as Open19 since it tries to standardize the 19-inch rack.
The key goals of the Open19 project were to provide lower cost per rack, lower cost per server, optimized power utilization, and an open standard for OEMs and hardware vendors to contribute to and participate in.
LinkedIn claims that it has 500 million users with 200 million of them being active on the social network for professionals. It has 5 data centers across the globe that have over 150,000 servers. All the facilities will be eventually upgraded to support Open19 specifications.
http://www.open19.org/
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Telia Helsinki Data Center, to be built at Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, has reached its bristle height. The bristles of the largest open data center in Finland and the Nordic countries are celebrated today.
More than 30,000 square-foot data centers are built on a one-hectare plot. The building is 23 meters high.
Datacenter will be completed in April next year. The Telia Helsinki Data Center, which pays 150 million euros, can accommodate nearly 200,000 servers that could in theory serve up to millions of companies simultaneously.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6434&via=n&datum=2017-06-07_14:09:32&mottagare=31202
Tomi Engdahl says:
Time-Sensitive Networking for Real-Time Applications
http://www.electronicdesign.com/test-measurement/time-sensitive-networking-real-time-applications?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170607_ED-003_586&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=11473&utm_medium=email&elq2=64ef08ebf1ad4a88a3bdd95cd10d92b0
Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) is a standard that facilitates delivery of real-time information from streaming multimedia to synchronizing power microgrids.
Crafted by the Time-Sensitive Networking Task Group, the Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standard helps to deliver real-time information, from streaming multimedia to synchronizing power microgrids (Fig. 1). The group, originally called the Audio/Video Briding (AVB) Task Group, defines extensions to the 802.1Q virtual LAN (VLAN) standard, implementing very low latency and supporting high-availability applications.
TSN implements a time-division multiple-access (TDMA) scheme (Fig. 2) to define fixed-priority VLAN slots for transmission. The approach can be used with strict priority schedulers via IEEE 802.1Q, or new processing methods like the TSN IEEE 802.1Qbv time-aware traffic scheduler.
The approach requires cooperation at the hardware level with time-synchronized devices, including network switches. Time synchronization is usually maintained using the IEEE 1588 protocol (see “What’s Behind The IEEE 1588 Protocol?”). This cooperation is necessary to maintain synchronization and make sure the priority of critical data is maintained.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open19 9/2016
https://www.slideshare.net/YuvalBachar/open19-92016
DCD September 2016 Open19 presentation including a side by side compare to OCP
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data Center Incident Reporting Network announced
https://thestack.com/data-centre/2017/06/06/data-center-incident-reporting-network-announced/
The UK Data Center Interest Group, a not-for-profit organization focused on data center technologies, best practices and policy, has announced the formation of the Data Center Incident Reporting Network (DCIRN).
The incident reporting network will be a resource for operators to share information about data center failures confidentially so that the industry as a whole can learn from the failures that have occurred. The goal of the DCIRN is to improve the reliability of data centers worldwide by collecting and analyzing information related to failures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IBM Breakthrough: Optical Connections to Data Centers
IBM says it has achieved in its research laboratory 14-nanometer CMOS process optical switches that reach 60 gigabit switching speed per second. In the company’s vision, the optical interface replaces the electronic data center between the server rack and the switch.
When the data center replaces interfaces with electronic optics, it significantly adds more bandwidth, but the linkage power consumption is also clearly reduced.
IBM is already working on more than 70 gigabit optical connectors in the CMOS process.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6437-ibm-n-lapimurto-optiset-liitannat-datakeskuksiin
More:
IBM scientists achieve 60 Gb/s with optical receiver in in 14nm CMOS FinFET
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAQVge2T5tw&feature=youtu.be
This work reports a low power implementation of a 60Gb/s NRZ optical receiver (RX) in 14nm bulk CMOS finFET featuring a first-order digital CDR with high jitter tolerance (JTOL).
Tomi Engdahl says:
IBM Optics Go CMOS
Low-Cost Photonics Goal
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331851&
Researchers from IBM this week are describing a breakthrough in 60-gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) optical interconnect that the company claims will lead to broad replacement of costlier 56 Gb/s copper interconnects.
At the 2017 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits, in Kyoto, Japan, scientists from IBM Research in Zurich will describe an inexpensive 60 Gb/s optical receiver that is expected to be followed next year by a matching optical transmitter. Together, the two devices will form a complete optical-transceiver built in CMOS at costs that the company expects to be lower than the costs of a copper interconnect.
“We are developing a single lane 60-Gigabit per second optical receiver with non-return to zero (NRZ) signaling targeting low cost multi-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) based links,” Alessandro Cevrero, an engineer at IBM, told EE Times in advance of the symposium.
“The power is way lower than our competitors, ~120mW for the receiver and eventually below 300mW for the full transceiver,” Cevrero said. “Also, its compact CMOS footprint and low power consumption means it can be moved closer to the processor or switch chip and eventually even be put in the same package or even on processor chip die, providing high bandwidth connectivity directly from the processor or switch chip spanning up to 100-meters. This covers links from processor-to-processor, processor-to-memory, from drawer-to-drawer inside a rack and from a rack to a tier-1 Internet switch.”
“Some people believed that a SiGe solution was required to achieve good optical sensitivity at data rates above 32Gb/s,” Cevero said. “Our work demonstrates that CMOS can achieve the same sensitivity, but at much lower power consumption.”
The 60 Gb/s optical link IBM demonstrated still depends on discrete III-V photodetectors (for the receiver) and discrete III-V lasers (for the transmitter) together forming a transceiver that is otherwise all-CMOS. Others, such as Intel (which offers a 25-Gigabit per second optical transceiver), use silicon photonics to modulate the light from a III-V lasers. Intel combines four such channels to achieve 100-Gbits per second today, but at much higher cost and power consumption, according to IBM. Intel, however, is shooting for the same goal as IBM by 2020.
IBM’s current prototype runs at a wavelength of 850 nanometers, which is the standard wavelength for VCSEL-based multi-mode optical links, making it suitable for processor-to-memory, processor-to-processor and server-to-server communications. Once the complete transceiver is demonstrated later this year or early 2018, the price crossover point will have been reached,
“So far, optical links were always pushed out due to their higher costs, but now we have reached the point where optics are at the same price as electrical links,”
Electrical links, however, need complex equalization when we go to higher data rates, and hence require more power. Also, their distance is limited to about two meters of cable compared to 100 meters for our optical solution.”
Toifl also claimed IBM’s “breakthrough” CMOS photonics technology provides superior sensitivity ( -9dBm) and is ideal for the high throughput requirements of cloud computing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data Growth Drives 5G, Cloud
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331858&
Traffic to the cloud is doubling each year, driving demand for new technologies for everything from the RF front end of mobile phones to the architecture of data centers.
“5G is not like the other Gs — it’s an inflection from consumer to industry,” says Sree Koratala, vice president for technology and strategy at Ericsson, who will participate in a program on 5G and the cloud at SEMICON West 2017 on July 13 in San Francisco.
Ericsson’s research projects 29 billion connected devices by 2022, 18 billion of them industrial IoT devices in factories, transportation and the grid–surpassing consumer phones and laptops. This range of applications means a huge diversification of performance requirements for communication, with some use cases demanding a 5x improvement in latency, 100x faster data speed or 1,000x higher data volume.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The funding of urban smart lighting could hinge on 5G
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2017/06/the-funding-of-urban-smart-lighting-could-hinge-on-5g.html?cmpid=enl_leds_ledsmagazine_2017-06-07&[email protected]&eid=289644432&bid=1777480
The boss of Holland’s Luminext believes that the next-generation cellular technology will give a much needed boost to the outdoor IoT business case, and will attract investors.
While the lack of a business case is currently discouraging investors from backing streetlight-centric smart cities, the pending arrival of 5G mobile networks could help change all that, according to the boss of a Dutch software and systems firm
“5G is very important,” said Henk Walraven, managing director of Luminext, speaking at the Smart Lighting Conference 2017 here this week. “The reason for 5G to be there is to actually to finance the whole thing.”
Many enthusiasts believe that urban outdoor lighting infrastructures are ready-made to form the backbone of smart cities. The idea is to outfit luminaires, or the poles that house them, with sensors and communication chips that gather data on crowds, traffic, parking, air quality, noise, weather conditions, and much more. This data, when connected to the Internet, can then help authorities operate cities more effectively, can help people make informed choices about how to use the city, can feed retailers and other businesses with useful information, and so on.
But claiming that a lot of this today requires expensive wired networks (even though many early examples also use some form of wireless), Walraven noted, “There’s no business case.” But in the near future, the huge leap in bandwidth and capacity augured by 5G will help support data transfer rates that will expand the capabilities of what wirelessly connected smart lighting can do.
“If you want to do fiberoptics to the lampposts every five lampposts, there’s nobody that wants to pay for it,” said Walraven. “But if I can then go to small cells and 5G equipment, then the investors in that will actually have a little bit more patience in waiting for their investment to pay back.”
5G represents the next major advance over today’s 4G in mobile networking speeds and capacity. It is expected to be generally ready by around 2020.
For Luminext, 5G would help support smart city systems and applications, such as an “aggression detection” system that Luminext has deployed in a small pocket of Eindhoven. In that project, 22 “sound cameras” are mounted on light posts, anonymously detecting sound and converting it into a graphic that can alert police of yelling and screaming.
“You can actually determine what kind of sound it is and how many people there are.”
In the Hague, Luminext is behind a smart street lighting system that is intended to slash road salting costs. The new computer-connected system measures road surface temperature, takes note of the road material, measures traffic, and scans tweets for references to slippery roads in the city.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G needs more bandwidth: LTC5553 mixer helps designers find it
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4458433/5G-needs-more-bandwidth–LTC5553-mixer-helps-designers-find-it
Tomi Engdahl says:
Diana Goovaerts / Wireless Week:
Cisco: global average IP traffic from smartphones will reach 14.9GB/mo per device in 2021, compared to 3.5GB/mo per device in 2016 — A massive rise in mobile data traffic has been playing out over the past several years, but a new forecast from Cisco indicates the global average internet traffic …
Cisco: Global IP Traffic From Smartphones Will Quadruple by 2021
http://www.wirelessweek.com/data-focus/2017/06/cisco-global-ip-traffic-smartphones-will-quadruple-2021
A massive rise in mobile data traffic has been playing out over the past several years, but a new forecast from Cisco indicates the global average internet traffic on smartphones is set to more than quadruple by the start of the next decade.
According to Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index report, the global average IP traffic from smartphones is set to skyrocket from 3,500 MB per month per device in 2016 to 14,900 MB per month per device by 2021. Tablet IP traffic worldwide is also set to rise from 9,100 MB per month per device to 25,600 MB per month in the forecast period. All told, smartphone are set to account for a third of global IP traffic in 2021, up from 13 percent in 2016, while non-PC devices overall will make up three-quarters of worldwide IP traffic.
Globally, internet traffic per user per month across devices is expected to hit 61 GB by 2021, more than double the 24 GB seen in 2016. That figure is even higher for North America, which is expected to see a stunning 181 GB of internet traffic per user across their devices in 2021.
Cisco’s report indicated that much of this traffic will continue to be driven by video. By the end of the forecast period, video is expected to account for 82 percent of total IP traffic, up from 73 percent in 2016.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global Annual IP Traffic to Exceed Three Zettabytes by 2021, Cisco VNI Projects
https://www.cedmagazine.com/news/2017/06/global-annual-ip-traffic-exceed-three-zettabytes-2021-cisco-vni-projects?cmpid=horizontalcontent
By 2021, the average broadband speed across the globe is predicted to be 53 Mbps – up from 27.5 Mbps in 2016, and 80 percent of internet traffic will be video, which is up from 67 percent in 2016. Those are some of the estimates from the just-released Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI), which concludes digital transformation will continue to have a significant impact on the demands and requirements of IP networks. Over the forecast period, global IP traffic is expected to increase three-fold reaching an annual run rate of 3.3 zettabytes by 2021, up from an annual run rate of 1.2 zettabytes in 2016.
The VNI also projects a big increase in internet users from 2016-2021 − from 3.3 billion to 4.6 billion or 58 percent of the global population. Greater adoption of personal devices is also forecasted as the report suggests there’ll be 3.5 networked devices per person in 2021, which is a jump from 2.3 in 2016. Machine-to-machine (M2M) connections are predicted to go from 17.1 billion to 27.1 billion from 2016-2021. M2M connections supporting Internet of Things (IoT) applications are calculated to be more than half the total 27.1 billion devices and connections and will account for five percent of global IP traffic by 2021.
On the WiFi front, the report says WiFi and mobile-connected devices will generate 73 percent of internet traffic by 2021. It also predicts that globally, total public WiFi hotspots (including homespots) will grow six-fold from 94 million in 2016 to 541.6 million by 2021.
VNI Global Fixed and Mobile Internet Traffic Forecasts
http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/solutions/service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/index.html?CAMPAIGN=VNI+2017&COUNTRY_SITE=us&POSITION=Press+Release&REFERRING_SITE=Cisco+page&CREATIVE=PR+to+VNI+web+page
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T’s First Wave of Fixed Wireless Debuts in Georgia
https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2017/04/ts-first-wave-fixed-wireless-debuts-georgia?cmpid=horizontalcontent
We’ve been hearing a lot about fixed wireless applications for 5G, but AT&T is already using the technology to spread internet access to rural and underserved areas in Georgia.
The carrier on Monday announced the completion of its first wave rollout of fixed wireless internet in the southern U.S. state, and said it is working to bring fixed wireless access to 17 more states this year. Those states include Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin.
AT&T’s service – dubbed AT&T Fixed Wireless Internet – offers customer speeds of at least 10 Mbps and 160 GB of internet usage per month via a professionally installed outdoor antenna. Additional data can be purchased in 50 GB increments for $10 each, up to a maximum of $200.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Despite Rise of Unlimited Data, Wireless Users Still on WiFi Half the Time
https://www.wirelessweek.com/data-focus/2017/04/despite-rise-unlimited-data-wireless-users-still-wifi-half-time
Though the last of the big four wireless carriers caved and began offering unlimited data in early February, a new report from OpenSignal indicates wireless users still leaned heavily on WiFi in the first quarter.
Verizon customers – who only gained an unlimited option midway through the quarter – spent the most time on WiFi with 54 percent. They were followed by AT&T customers, who spent 52 percent of their time on WiFi, and Sprint customers, who cruised on WiFi 51 percent of the time. T-Mobile customers spent the least time on WiFi, at 43 percent, OpenSignal found.
“Some operators, for instance AT&T, have built carrier WiFi networks, automatically connecting customers to hotspots whenever they’re in range,”
Report: Sprint, T-Mobile Customers Connect to Internet on 4G the Most, While Verizon Users Opt for WiFi
https://www.wirelessweek.com/data-focus/2017/02/report-sprint-t-mobile-customers-connect-internet-4g-most-while-verizon-users-opt-wifi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Americans Hang Up on Landlines as Cellphone Homes Dominate
https://www.wirelessweek.com/news/2017/05/americans-hang-landlines-cellphone-homes-dominate
According to a U.S. government study released Thursday, 50.8 percent of homes and apartments had only cellphone service in the latter half of 2016, the first time such households attained a majority in the survey. Braswell and her family are part of the 45.9 percent that still have landline phones. The remaining households have no phone service at all.
More than 39 percent of U.S. households — including Braswell’s — have both landline and cellphone service. The landline comes in handy when someone misplaces one of the seven cellphones kicking around her three-story house in a Birmingham suburb. “You walk around your house calling yourself to find it,” she says.
It’s also useful when someone breaks or loses a cellphone and has to wait for a replacement.
Renters and younger adults are more likely to have just a cellphone, which researchers attribute to their mobility and comfort with newer technologies.
EMERGENCIES
Traditional copper phone lines have their own power supply, so those landlines still work during blackouts. Internet-based phones through the cable or phone company aren’t true landlines, although the CDC counts them that way. The internet modem for these phones still needs power.
Both kinds of landline phones are more dependable for 911. Even if you can’t give dispatchers your home address, they would often have that already. Cellphones primarily use GPS for location, which means the dispatcher might know which building you’re in, but not the specific apartment.
In many households, the landline is a honey trap for telemarketers.
“We never use the landline, and the only calls I get on it are from someone looking to sell me something,” says Matt Lawrence, a management consultant in O’Fallon, Missouri.
The landline harkens to an era in which a number is tied to a family and not an individual.
USTelecom, a trade group for traditional phone companies, estimates that true landlines — the copper kind — now connect fewer than 20 percent of households. The group says companies have adapted by offering other types of services, including video and, for some, cellphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Matt Weinberger / Business Insider:
Yahoo shareholders officially approve $4.48B sale to Verizon; deal will close on June 13th
It’s official: Yahoo shareholders approve the $4.48 billion sale to Verizon
http://nordic.businessinsider.com/yahoo-verizon-sale-approved-2017-6?op=1&r=US&IR=T
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rani Molla / Recode:
Akamai: US ranks 28th in the world in mobile internet speeds with an average of 10.7 Mbps; UK takes top spot with average of 26 Mbps — We have slower mobile internet than Greece. Greece! — The U.S. lags behind much of the rest of
The U.S. ranks 28th in the world in mobile internet speeds
We have slower mobile internet than Greece. Greece!
https://www.recode.net/2017/6/7/15747486/united-states-developed-world-mobile-internet-speeds-akamai
The U.S. lags behind much of the rest of the developed world in mobile internet speeds, ranking 28th.
The U.K. has the fastest mobile speeds, with an average of 26 megabits per second, according to the latest State of the Internet Report by content delivery company Akamai. Among the 62 countries Akamai measured, the U.S. isn’t even in the Top 25, at 10.7 Mbps. (The U.S. ranks 10th in the world for average wireline internet speed.)
Measuring mobile internet speeds is increasingly more important as mobile takes up a bigger share of our overall internet usage and as people increasingly use phones as their main source of internet.
And as anyone with a smartphone knows, 4G LTE is only 4G LTE in some places. As an especially large country, coverage levels vary significantly in the U.S., even within the same city — not to mention rural areas where the network options are further limited.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Frequency Bands Will Roll Out The Carpet For 5G?
http://www.mwrf.com/software/what-frequency-bands-will-roll-out-carpet-5g?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170608_MWRF-001_273&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=11499&utm_medium=email&elq2=04d42462fd4c42f2bed500e317529dc4
Lots of new frequency bands will factor into the official 5G standard scheduled for publication in September next year. These include lower bands neighboring 4G frequencies to higher millimeter waves with enough breathing room to enable better coverage and capacity, experts say.
The 3GPP – which sets communication standards – is drafting an intermediate standard that shifts 4G networks into higher and lightly-used frequency bands. If all goes according to plan, the Non-Standalone standard will be published months before the new 5G radio, giving companies additional space for mobile traffic with little more than a software upgrade.
“Many LTE bands will be redeployed for new radio,” said Nikhail Kundargi, a senior wireless platform architect at National Instruments, in a presentation at the NI Week conference last month. “We have not finished distilling these frequencies into band combinations or band numbers yet, but we are working on it.”
This year, Verizon published 5G specs, while South Korean telecoms are already writing their own for the Winter Olympics in Seoul next year.
The major application for Non-Standalone 5G is fixed wireless access, which could replace expensive fiber optic cables. The intermediate 5G standard – which will be finished later this year and deployed next March – is targeting bands under 6 GHz, as well as the millimeter waves to be used in the new radio.
The 3.5 GHz band is one to keep an eye on, Kundargi said. For year, it has been reserved in the U.S. for military applications, but telecom regulators voted last year to open it for spectrum sharing experiments,
52 GHz and 70 GHz, which Nokia targeted
AT&T has also been testing the 28 GHz band
Tomi Engdahl says:
Margaret Cronin Fisk / Bloomberg:
DoJ hits Dish with record $280M fine for illegal robocalls to people on Do-Not-Call lists; Dish will appeal, blaming contractors for 90%+ of bad calls
Dish Hit With Record $280 Million Fine for Illegal Robocalls
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-06-05/dish-ordered-to-pay-252-mln-to-u-s-states-over-robocalls
More than $1 billion penalties were sought in Illinois trial
Company blamed contractors, subcontractors for most bad calls
Dish Network Corp. must pay $280 million to the U.S. and four states for using robocalls to consumers on do-not-call lists, marking what the government says is a record fine for telemarketing violations.
U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough issued the order Monday, directing the company to pay $168 million to the federal government and $84 million to California, Illinois, North Carolina and Ohio for federal law violations. An additional $28 million in fines was awarded to California, North Carolina and Ohio for violations of state law.
Myerscough also prohibited the company from violating do-not-call laws going forward and imposed a 20-year plan for supervision of its telemarketing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Rani Molla / Recode:
Cisco: online video is expected to triple bandwidth consumption in the next five years — What the internet will look like in 2021. — Video will make up 82 percent of all internet traffic in 2021, according to forecasts released today by Cisco, which sells networking equipment.
An explosion of online video could triple bandwidth consumption again in the next five years
What the internet will look like in 2021.
https://www.recode.net/2017/6/8/15757594/future-internet-traffic-watch-live-video-facebook-google-netflix
Video will make up 82 percent of all internet traffic in 2021, according to forecasts released today by Cisco, which sells networking equipment. Video accounted for 73 percent of traffic in 2016.
Not only are people watching more online video, they’re also watching better quality video, sapping more bandwidth. And cord cutters generate twice as much internet traffic as those who still pay for regular TV, according to Cisco.
The demand is coming from all types of internet video, including on-demand content like Netflix, web cam viewing and traditional TV options available over the internet (IP VOD).
Live video is set to be the fastest growing segment of internet video thanks to new video offerings like Facebook Live, Twitter’s broadcast of live sports and live over-the-top bundles from companies like AT&T, YouTube and Hulu.
It’s expected to grow to nearly 25 exabytes (25 billion gigabytes), about 13 percent of internet video traffic, by 2021, up from 1.6 exabytes, or 3 percent of video traffic last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is SD-WAN a Standalone Technology or Part of a Solution?
http://www.securityweek.com/sd-wan-standalone-technology-or-part-solution
We’ve recently been looking at IoT, and how it’s similar to Industrial Controls and related technologies.
A similar thing can be said for SD-WAN, at least on the surface. (Anyone reading this remember Packeteer Technologies?) It’s also something that we’ve been doing for years (albeit, perhaps, with less finesse) as we replace and/or augment legacy high cost services like MPLS with lower cost, faster to deploy services like IPSec protected Internet. It’s also becoming the current technology trend of choice, and like most trends (like, say, IoT), implementing security and applying security related policies is only just now coming to the thought process.
By definition, Software Defined WAN is the use of software-based decision making to determine a desired forwarding path, as opposed to more traditional technologies like L3 routing and L2 forwarding. Like a lot of our security challenges, the issue here is caused by the substantial application-based overloading of TCP/80 and TCP/443 by the HTTP protocol, which prevents our ability to make any meaningful decisions at the lower level of the OSI networking model, where it’s actually easier. In fact, a lot of the SD-WAN implementations kind of look like a more focused deployment of OpenFlow and similar technologies.
Like any new technology, one of the best times to look at making a change is when your existing technologies are up for either renewal or replacement. For SD-WAN, this could be either for the hardware that has been deployed, or for the circuits that the hardware is connected to. The next consideration is, how disruptive a change are you willing to undertake? For example, if you are looking to replace a device that is distributed at many remote locations (that typically have little or no IT staff), maybe it’s a good time to look at consolidation, and include SD-WAN or similar features in the criteria for evaluating consolidation options.
Once you’ve decided that you need to include some SD-WAN capabilities to your network, you should also look at the implications to your security practices. It would be a shame, for example, to repeat some of the mistakes that were made when WAN Optimization was a new thing. For WAN Optimization, the techniques used to optimize the communications (de-duplication, compression, header optimization, etc.) broke the ability for security services to be applied. There are similar challenges related to SD-WAN. And finally, there is also the whole cloud-centric approach that is fairly common to this space so that the end devices can be kept reasonably priced.
Ask your team:
1. Do any of our currently deployed technologies have functions that deliver some or all of the above benefits?
2. Are there other technologies that we should deploy at the same time?
3. Do we have time to look at the consolidation of technologies on a single appliance?
If you can get all of the functionality from your current physical platform in a virtual form factor, maybe it’s time to look at virtual implementations that can reside on a shared x86_64 platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
World record in optical data transfer
50 terabytes per second has a new world record for optical data transfer. There is a team of researchers at Karlsruhe Technical University and Lausanne Polytechnic. Technique is presented in the Nature Magazine.
Researchers used silicon nitride-based microsounders that can easily be integrated into compact telecommunication circuits. In these resonators, the solitons rotate continuously, so the circuit produces the frequency band required for optical data transfer.
In their experiments, German and Swiss researchers overlapped two optical spectrum foci, which covered 179 optical carriers. They covered a total of both C and L frequencies.
In 179 carriers, data was transmitted at 55 terabytes per second for more than 75 kilometers.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6450-maailmanennatys-optisessa-datansiirrossa
Tomi Engdahl says:
The HDMI connection becomes wireless
You can now transfer your 4K-level Blu-Ray video wirelessly. Lattice Semiconductor has introduced a 60 gigahertz WiGig circuit and a HDMI 2.0 backbone reference base that can be used for wireless home cinema data transfer.
In home theaters, Ultra HD or 4K resolution is an absolute prerequisite. Another big trend is getting rid of the connecting cables. Lattice’s new platform responds to these two wishes.
Lattice’s wireless solution is based on the 60-gigahertz license-free link of SiBEAM, which has been implemented as MOD6320-T and MOD6321-R modules. Lattice has connected a Sil9396 circuit that supports HDMI 2.0.
The result is a 60 gigahertz wireless link that is capable of transmitting up to 4K levels of video without disturbance.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6461-hdmi-liitannasta-tulee-langaton#ETNartikel
Tomi Engdahl says:
L-com unveils IP67-rated Cat5e/6 RJ45 bulkhead couplers
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/06/lcom-rj-bulkhead.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-12
L-com Global Connectivity, a manufacturer of wired and wireless connectivity products, announced that it has launched a new series of IP67-rated, RJ45 bulkhead couplers for use in industrial enclosure and panel-mount applications.
The WPBHC-series RJ45 bulkhead couplers are available in both Category 5e and Category 6 versions and are shielded for maximum EMI/RFI protection. These couplers do not require special mating assemblies and are designed to be capped when not in use. Each coupler includes a dust cap that is tethered by a lanyard.
A coupling nut and O-ring, along with a simple cut-out design, allow for mounting without additional hardware or tooling. The couplers utilize standard RJ45 jacks on both sides and the inner side features a low profile protrusion allowing for maximum space within a panel or enclosure.
“Our new IP67 RJ45 bulkhead couplers offer maximum protection for Ethernet connectivity applications in industrial environments. Their design allows for fast assembly to a panel or box with no special tools required,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
DAS and Small Cells Congress foresees disruption for industry status quo
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/06/das-and-small-cells-congress-foresees-disruption-for-industry-status-quo.html
Mobile Sports Report’s Paul Kapustka reports that “new technologies combined with the need for new business models are driving imminent changes to the distributed antenna system (DAS) marketplace
“And while the end product of the market transformation is still uncertain, executives from DAS gear manufacturers, cellular carriers and other industry experts all agreed on one thing: In the near future, the DAS industry won’t look at all like it does today. For large public venue owners specificially, the days of carrier-funded DAS deployments may already be at an end, unless your stadium is in line to host a Super Bowl.”
Changes ahead for DAS industry business models, technology
https://www.mobilesportsreport.com/2017/06/changes-ahead-for-das-industry-business-models-technology/
New technologies combined with the need for new business models are driving imminent changes to the distributed antenna system (DAS) marketplace, according to industry representatives speaking Tuesday at this year’s DAS and Small Cells Congress here.
For large public venue owners specificially, the days of carrier-funded DAS deployments may already be at an end, unless your stadium is in line to host a Super Bowl. Tightening budgets due to economic pressures on the nation’s biggest cellular carriers means that the recent years of free spending by AT&T and Verizon Wireless may have already gone by, putting more pressure on venue owners to find different financial models to bring cellular signals inside their buildings.
“There was never a problem I couldn’t throw more money at,” said Philip French, executive director for the West and North Central areas for Verizon, during a Tuesday keynote session at the Planet Hollywood hotel. “Those days are gone.”
Also putting pressure on traditional DAS designs are the emergence of small cells, basically smaller versions of carrier macro towers that, like DAS, are used primarily to bring connectivity inside buildings or to urban areas with RF challenges, like crowded city streets. Experiments with newer “5G” cellular technologies
“Internal [carrier] competition for resources is the biggest threat to DAS,” Buechley said.
In his remarks, Verizon’s French noted that the “unlimited” data plans that have resurfaced for major carriers like Verizon are putting “a tremendous amount of pressure” on budgets. Another current popular DAS business model, where a third-party operator builds a stadium network and then signs up carriers on a subscription model, may also be in danger as carriers hold off on participating.
More network intelligence = more revenue opportunity
Todd Landry, corporate vice president for product and market strategy at DAS supplier JMA Wireless, said the DAS industry needs to look at its own offerings to see how it can help its customers get more out of their networks.
“We’ve got to re-imagine what we’re trying to do,” said Landry. “What do we do with the network to get more out of it?”
Specifically, Landry sees advancements in DAS network intelligence as a prime opportunity to provide more value rather than simply cutting costs. At the conference, JMA was showing a prototype of a “DAS trash can,” a hardened waste bin (with solar power) that could also host a DAS antenna inside. Another attached bin was shown with a connected sensor that could tell operators whether the can was full or not, eliminating the need for multiple truck rolls just to check on whether the bin needed to be emptied.
For stadiums and other public spaces like shopping malls, Landry said parking spots might have sensors that could indicate whether or not a spot was available
And even while technologies like “5G” and CBRS, which uses LTE technology to provide what proponents see as a sort of “private cellular” environment, may be a few years off from practical deployments
While there may be multiple paths forward for the DAS market, all in attendance seemed to agree with Landry’s final statement: “Things will be very different from what you know today.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Short-term outlook for wireless tower companies ‘increasingly optimistic’: Analyst
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/05/short-term-outlook-for-wireless-tower-companies-increasingly-optimistic-analyst.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-12
“Investors may harbor concerns about the traditional tower market, but Wells Fargo Securities analysts left this week’s 2017 Wireless Infrastructure Show wearing rose-colored glasses.”
The macrocell segment has faced headwinds in recent months on multiple fronts: Concerns of consolidation among service providers are heightened under Donald Trump’s administration, carriers are increasingly looking to small cells as they densify their networks, and capex investments were down last year amid an extremely competitive environment.
Tower companies have become investors’ “punching bag,”
Wells Fargo ‘increasingly optimistic’ about short-term market for tower companies
http://www.fiercewireless.com/wireless/wells-fargo-increasingly-optimistic-about-short-term-market-for-tower-companies
Investors may harbor concerns about the traditional tower market, but Wells Fargo Securities analysts left this week’s 2017 Wireless Infrastructure Show wearing rose-colored glasses.
The macrocell segment has faced headwinds in recent months on multiple fronts: Concerns of consolidation among service providers are heightened under Donald Trump’s administration, carriers are increasingly looking to small cells as they densify their networks, and capex investments were down last year amid an extremely competitive environment.
Tower companies have become investors’ “punching bag,” as Cowen and Company noted in January. But the near-term future looks bright for several reasons, Jennifer Fritzsche of Wells Fargo wrote in a research note on the heels of the Wireless Infrastructure Association’s annual conference in Orlando.
“(T)he overall tone of the conversations we were having were markedly more positive than a year ago given the ‘backlog’ expected to come to the industry,” Fritzsche wrote this morning. “The backlog centers around—600 MHz, FirstNet, inventory of undeployed spectrum and the general need to spend given the impact of the unlimited plans on the networks. There was much enthusiasm around each of these factors at the event, which should allow for a tangible set of catalysts for late 2017/2018 in our view … While we continue to most favor the small cell/fiber strategy of Crown Castle, we left Orlando feeling increasingly optimistic about near-term macro activity level.”