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:
Every day more than a million new mobile users
According to Ericsson, more than one million new customers acquire a broadband mobile connection every day. The 4G networks will become the world’s most important mobile connectivity technology next year. Five years later, 5G subscriptions are expected to be half a billion. The information is provided in the company Mobility Report.
New mobile broadband customers will be up to 1 million a day up to 2022. Over the next five years it means about 2.6 billion new customers. During the first quarter of 2017, some 240 million new mobile broadband customers became available.
- In 2022 the majority – 90 percent – all the subscriptions are mobile broadband subscriptions. Currently, the proportion is 53 percent worldwide. According to FICORA, in Finland, broadband subscriptions already accounted for 88 per cent at the end of 2016, says Olli Sirkka, Managing Director of Ericsson Finland.
Ericsson anticipates that mobile data traffic will be eight times higher than the current level by 2022. Between the March and the same year last year alone, mobile data traffic grew by over 70 per cent. The video becomes more dominant; When half of the mobile traffic was in 2016 in video, in 2022 the corresponding figure is already 75 percent.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6466-joka-paiva-yli-miljoona-uutta-mobiilinetin-kayttajaa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Simplifying Gigabit Ethernet with GigEpack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdOP2ZksDXg
This video introduces Microchips’ GigEpack portfolio. The GigEpack portfolio has 48 new UNH-IOL tested chips with extensive software support and copy ready evaluation boards at your finger tips. The chips includes the industrys’ first single-chip Gigabit Ethernet Switches with integrated HSR/DLR redundancy for ultra-high reliability. It also includes the industrys’ first automotive-grade chip for bridging USB 3.1 Gen1 Gigabit Ethernet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marvell’s new solution is the 2.5-speed and five-gigabytes of the eight-port Alaska M 88E2180. The new circuit enables five times the data transfer rate by using old cables when both devices have a technology-supporting device.
The new NBASE-T Alliance and IEEE 802.3′s “2.5G / 5GBASE-T Task Force” were approved in October 2016 to IEEE 802.3bz-2016. The standard is designed specifically for connections between WLAN base stations and Ethernet switches.
The standard is backward compatible because the circuit can automatically interact with Et Hernet standards with 5GBASE-T / 2.5GBASE-T / 1000BASE-T / 100BASE-TX / 10BASE-T.
Circuits can be used, for example, for a switch with 24 2.5GbE device ports. Data can be forwarded with two 40 Gb or 25 GbE connections.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/06/13/uusia-nopeuksia-ethernet-verkkoihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
JD Power: Canadian Cable TV at Risk for Cord-Cutting
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/jd-power-canadian-cable-tv-at-risk-for-cord-cutting.html
According to J.D. Power, more than one-fourth of Canadian cable and satellite TV subscribers are deemed to be potential cord cutters (viewers who stop subscribing to pay TV services). That conclusion is based on the research house’s 2017 Canadian Television Provider Customer Satisfaction Study and 2017 Canadian Internet Service Provider Customer Satisfaction Study, both released today.
The studies indicate that 27% of subscribers are either unsure or plan to drop (19% and 8%, respectively) their pay TV service within the next 12 months, while 73% say they plan to keep their TV service. Younger pay TV customers appear more at risk of canceling, with 14% of those ages 18-34 indicating they plan to cut the cord in the next 12 months vs. 3% of those over 65 years old.
53% of pay TV subscribers have used an alternative video service in the past year, up from 49% in 2016
Satisfaction with Internet service providers (ISPs) is highest when customers have downstream speeds of 500 Mbps or higher. Satisfaction levels decline in lock-step with declining Internet speeds.
When asked to rate alternative video services on a scale of 1-10 for ease of use, customers gave Netflix a rating of 8.11 vs. the average of 7.91.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Look at Gigabit’s Growth Trajectory
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/a-look-at-gigabit-s-growth-trajectory.html
Gigabit Internet service is on the rise, as evidenced by Viavi Solutions’ (NASDAQ:VIAV) recent update of its online Gigabit Monitor. Analysis of deployments indicate that 219 million people globally now have gigabit Internet available to them, equating to roughly 3% of the global population. There are currently 603 gigabit Internet implementations, up 72% from last June.
The United States has the highest number of people with access to gigabit Internet (56.4 million) with a population coverage of 17%. Singapore currently has the highest proportion of citizens with gigabit Internet availability at 95%.
In the United States, there has been a rising tide of DOCSIS 3.1 deployments. Among tier 1 operators
recently launched gigabit Internet service based on DOCSIS 3.1
50, 100, 200, and 400 Mbps and 1 Gbps based on DOCSIS 3.0
Verizon has introduced Fios Gigabit Connection
will provide up to 940 Mbps downstream and up to 880 Mbps upstream
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco: Annual IP Traffic to Exceed 3 ZB by 2021
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/cisco-annual-ip-traffic-to-exceed-3-zb-by-2021.html
According to Cisco’s (NASDAQ:CSCO) annual Visual Networking Index, over the next five years (2016-2021), global annual IP traffic will exceed 3 zettabytes (ZB) by 2021, driven by increases in Internet users, connected devices, Internet speeds and online video. One zettabyte is 1021 bytes, or 1 trillion gigabytes.
Top-level indicators for the forecast period include the projected increase in Internet users (from 3.3 to 4.6 billion or 58% of the global population), greater adoption of personal devices and machine-to-machine (M2M) connections (from 17.1 billion to 27.1 billion), average broadband speed advances (from 27.5 Mbps to 53.0 Mbps), and more online video viewing (from 73% to 82% of total IP traffic). Over the forecast period, global IP traffic is expected to increase three-fold reaching an annual run rate of 3.3 ZB by 2021, up from an annual run rate of 1.2 ZB in 2016.
For the first time in the 12 years of the forecast, M2M connections that support Internet of Things (IoT) applications are calculated to be more than half of the total 27.1 billion devices and connections and will account for 5% of global IP traffic by 2021. IoT innovations in connected home, connected healthcare, smart cars/transportation and a host of other M2M services are driving this incremental growth – a 2.4-fold increase from 5.8 billion in 2016 to 13.7 billion by 2021. With the rise of connected applications such as health monitors, medicine dispensers, and first-responder connectivity, the health vertical is expected to be fastest-growing industry segment (30% CAGR). The connected car and connected cities applications are expected to have the second-fastest growth (29% CAGRs respectively).
Video is expected to continue to dominate IP traffic and overall Internet traffic growth – representing 80% of all Internet traffic by 2021, up from 67% in 2016.
Emerging media such as live Internet video are expected to increase 15-fold and reach 13% of Internet video traffic by 2021 – meaning more streaming of TV apps and personal live streaming on social networks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nature: Optical Communication at Record-High Speed
https://www.kit.edu/kit/english/pi_2017_074_nature-optical-communication-at-record-high-speed.php
Soliton frequency combs generated in optical microresonators allow to transmit data at rates of more than 50 terabits per second – publication in Nature
Researchers at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have set a new record for optical data transmission: As reported in Nature, the team exploits optical solitons circulating in silicon nitride microresonators to generate broadband optical frequency combs. Two such superimposed frequency combs enable massive parallel data transmission on 179 wavelength channels at a data rate of more than 50 terabits per second.
Optical solitons are special wave packages that propagate without changing their shape. In optical communications, solitons can be used for generating frequency combs with various spectral lines, which allow to realize particularly efficient and compact high-capacity optical communication systems. This was demonstrated recently by researchers from KIT’s Institute of Photonics and Quantum Electronics (IPQ) and Institute of Microstructure Technology (IMT) together with researchers from EPFL’s Laboratory of Photonics and Quantum Measurements (LPQM).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia catalyzes the next chapter of the internet; innovations deliver massive performance and heightened security needed for cloud and machine era
http://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases/2017/06/14/nokia-catalyzes-the-next-chapter-of-the-internet-innovations-deliver-massive-performance-and-heightened-security-needed-for-cloud-and-machine-era
Espoo, Finland and San Francisco – Nokia today unveiled the world’s most powerful internet routing platforms that will ensure modern networks are faster, safer and dramatically more adaptable. Nokia FP4 silicon provides a generational performance boost over existing solutions while delivering improved network security and intelligence.
Nokia Bell Labs forecasts IP traffic will more than double in the next five years, reaching 330 exabytes a month by 2022 while growing at 25 percent compound annual growth rates. Peak data rates will grow even faster, at nearly 40 percent annually. This surge is a direct result of insatiable consumer and business demand for services – including high-definition video streaming and, more recently, virtual reality – combined with the advent of high-speed, low-latency networks that connect people and things. Nokia Bell Labs expects this latter market to reach 100 billion connected devices by 2025.
The Nokia 7750 Service Router (SR)-s series provides the industry’s highest-density routing platform that can support a 144 Tb/s configuration in a single shelf.
In addition, the company introduces a petabit-class router, the new Nokia 7950 Extensible Routing System (XRS)-XC. A leap for Nokia’s core router family and the industry, it is the world’s highest-capacity router to date. It scales to 576 Tb/s in a single system through chassis extension, without requiring separate switching shelves.
The new Nokia platforms are the industry’s first capable of delivering terabit IP flows, a 10x improvement over the existing 100 Gb/s links used to construct the internet backbone.
cloud, 5G and IoT.
Enhanced packet intelligence and control technology embedded in the FP4 – when combined with Nokia’s Deepfield IP network analytics solution and comprehensive SDN portfolio – maximizes efficiency and opportunity while minimizing and mitigating security threats. This includes DDoS attacks, which impact productivity and commerce and are growing in number and impact each year. According to Deloitte Global’s TMT predictions, over 10 million attacks are expected in 2017.
Nokia’s FP4 Silicon Innovation
The foundation of these new systems is FP4 silicon, a breakthrough networking chipset. FP4 features the world’s first 2.4 Tb/s network processor – up to 6x more powerful than processors currently available – opening the door to clear-channel terabit speeds and petabit-class routers.
Nokia will begin shipping the solution in Q4 2017.
IP Networks Reimagined 360 livestream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTW7SZ6WwRc
Get a front row seat at the IP Networks Reimagined livestream event with Rajeev Suri, CEO of Nokia, and Basil Alwan, President, IP/Optical Networks Business Group, as they share Nokia’s vision and strategy on the evolution of IP networks. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to be among the first to see the unveiling of new innovations from Nokia, livestreamed in 360° video with Nokia OZO.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Reimagine IP networks: massive scalability, security and adaptability without compromise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67hJvRcCjEo
Nokia’s breakthrough FP4 silicon innovation, software and proven high performance routing software driving the new 7750 SR-s series routers help service providers and webscale operators prepare for the future by building much bigger, safer and more adaptive networks without compromise. Modernize your IP network today and seize new opportunities presented by the cloud, 5G and IoT.
IP networks reimagined
https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/ip-networks-reimagined
Build dramatically scalable, secure and adaptable networks without compromise
Nokia IP networking solutions help service providers and webscale operators prepare for the future by building much bigger, safer and more adaptive networks. An insight-driven automated model for high performance routing ensures that networks are more dynamic and run hotter, more securely and more efficiently. The new operational model leverages massive data from the network, and rapidly translates it into insights that can be automatically programmed at a granular level to improve network behaviors and performance. With our breakthrough FP4 silicon innovations, software and systems, you can modernize your IP network and seize new opportunities presented by the cloud, ultra-broadband and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Touts NPU for Internet’s Next Chapter
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331900
Claiming capabilities that will enable the next phase of Internet evolution, Nokia on Wednesday (June 14) unveiled its next-generation service routers, based on a network processor capable of an eye-popping 2.4 Tb/s performance.
The chip, the Nokia FP4, is implemented in a 16nm FinFET process—two full nodes ahead of its predecessor, the 40nm FP3. Nokia claims the FP4 is up to six times more powerful than any processor currently available and has a signficantly higher level of security despite relatively low power consumption.
Speaking at a launch event here Wednesday, Basil Alwan president of IP/Optical networks at Nokia, described the FP4 as “incredibly capable and impossibly fast.” He said it would provide the performance to power the next generation of network routing, including immersive communications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the growth of applications that leverage artificial intelligence.
“It’s fundamental innovation for cloud-scale routing,” Alwan said, adding that the FP4 “meets all the requirements for the next chapter of Internet growth.”
According to Ray Mata, CEO and principal analyst at ACG Research, Nokia—and previously Alcatel-Lucent—has gained enough credibility with telcos as the No. 2 player in edge routing to make some noise in the low volume, high value core routing market.
“This gives an opportunity for Nokia to enter into that arena and potentially increase their total available market,” Mata said.
The rollout comes amid a rapidly evolving Internet landscape and the early days of both the IoT and AI applications. Nokia Bell Labs forecasts that IP traffic will more than double over the next five years, reaching 330 exabytes per month by 2022. Nokia attributes this surge to “an insatiable” demand for services, including high-definition video streaming and virtual reality. Nokia predicts there will be 100 billion connected devices by 2025.
Nokia did not provide a great deal of detail on the FP4. The company plans to make the new technology available to existing customers in the fourth quarter, with broader availability expected in the first quarter of 2018.
To build the FP4, Nokia not only skipped two process nodes but also designed its own memory and MAC address chips to surround the processor and utilized 2.5D packaging technology developed for the gaming industry.
Nokia did not provide details of the “intelligent memories” it designed for the FP4 chipset. Vogelsang said that Nokia determined it would build its own memory technology in house after determining that the speed of the system is entirely dependent on the speed of the memory
Tomi Engdahl says:
B’com Overhauls Network Switches
Trident 3 turns up the heat on Ethernet rivals
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331890
Broadcom announced a new generation of its mainstream Ethernet switches, adding packet processing features and lowering costs at a time of rising competition. When the Trident 3 ships next year it will power systems with as many as 32 100 Gbit/second Ethernet ports that cost as little as $3,000 and consume less than 400W.
The news comes amid a barrage of announcements from competitors entering the networking market where Broadcom has held more than a 90 percent market share. An analyst for the Linley Group said the news supports his forecast that prices of Ethernet switch chips could drop from more than $60 per 100G port last year to about $36/port in 2020.
Trident 3 is a family of five 16nm chips with ports supporting 1-100 Gbit/s Ethernet. They range from a 200 Gbit/s aggregate chip for campus Wi-Fi access points to 3.2 Tbit/s components for data center top-of-rack switches and aggregation networks
Broadcom gathered support for Trident 3 from a broad range of OEMs, unbranded system suppliers and third-party software developers. They included Accton, Arista, Big Switch, Cumulus, Dell, Delta Networks, Extreme Networks, IP Infusion and Quanta.
The Trident line is the heart of Broadcom’s switch business with more than 100 million installed ports. Separate Tomahawk and Jericho lines aim to deliver maximum bandwidth and fan-out capabilities, respectively to the world’s largest data centers and service providers.
Broadcom held a whopping 94.5 percent share of the $687 million market for merchant 10–40-Gbit/second Ethernet switch chips in 2015, according to the Linley Group. Cavium, Marvell and startup Nephos have chips competing with Trident.
Cavium has won sockets at Arista and Brocade for its 28nm XPliant chip and reaped “meaningful revenue last year,” said Bob Wheeler, principal networking analyst at the Linley Group. Marvell’s 28nm Bobcat 3 chip with 25GE ports is sampling, but offers lower performance than Trident 3.
Nephos spun out of Taiwan’s Mediatek with 1 to 3.2 Tbit/s switch chips to rival Trident. It will use TSMC’s InFO packaging to create a 6.4 Tbit/s version to compete with Broadcom’s Tomahawk II.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Cox’s new ‘Panoramic Wi-Fi Router’ shows everything wrong with cable companies
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/06/how-cox-s-new-panoramic-wi-fi-router-shows-everything-wrong-with-cable-companies.html
In a breathless press release this week, Cox announced nationwide availability of its new Panoramic Wi-Fi Router. In theory, this should be a good thing: Cox’s new magic internet box is the fastest and best Wi-Fi router the company has ever offered, which means more customers should now be getting faster and more consistent internet.
But for some reason, Cox is still feeling the need to push the router on customers with a bunch of fake buzzwords and half-truths, ultimately trying to persuade customers who probably don’t know better that they need to rent a substandard device for an obscene monthly price, or face the consequences.
Cox’s new ‘Panoramic Wi-Fi Router’ is everything wrong with cable companies
http://bgr.com/2017/06/13/best-wifi-router-not-cox-anything-else/
First, let’s talk about the router itself. There aren’t a ton of details available on Cox’s website, but it’s some kind of combo modem/router that combines the DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with a 3×3 MIMO, 802.11ac Wi-Fi access point. Those specs are respectable, and probably enough for most people, but they were also standard on good Wi-Fi routers available in 2012. Right now, an equivalent (or better — Cox’s website doesn’t have a full list of specs) router will run you about $90.
But you wouldn’t know it from reading Cox’s marketing material. Apparently, the Panoramic Router is “Wi-Fi reimagined to blanket your home. Person to person. Device to device. Room to room. It’s a next generation WiFi experience, optimized specifically for each residence.”
It’s not just the over-hyped hardware that’s bad here, either. The Panoramic Router costs $10 a month to rent, and there’s no option to buy. That means you’re spending $120 a year for the privilege of having Wi-Fi at home, and over the course of a couple years, you’re going to be paying far, far more than you should for a slowly-ageing router.
You know who else has the capability to upgrade the software and firmware on devices on a regular basis? Every single other consumer electronics company out there.
To be clear: this isn’t a problem that’s unique to Cox, but rather a much bigger pattern of deceptive behaviour that cable companies across the nation engage in. The cable companies know that most people are lazy and unmotivated when it comes to home networks, so they’ve worked out that they can take any $100 piece of hardware, dress it up with the cutting-edge features of 2012, and rent it to you for $120 (plus taxes!) every year.
This isn’t news. It’s just depressing that it happens with such brazen consistency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Alliance launches certification program for new home designs
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/06/wi-fi-alliance-launches-certification-program-for-new-home-designs.html
The Wi-Fi Alliance is introducing a new program that makes Wi-Fi as essential to the blueprints of a new home as electricity and plumbing.
The Wi-Fi Certified Home Design program brings enterprise design practices for planning and installing Wi-Fi networks to the new-home construction industry, with the goal of having whole-home coverage and “an exceptional Wi-Fi user experience starting the day the new home owner moves in.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Fingas / Engadget:
Mobile roaming charges now dropped across 28 EU countries, for users living in an EU country for at least 8 months each year — It’s been a long time in coming and had plenty of trials and tribulations, but it’s finally here: mobile roaming is now free in the EU.
Mobile roaming is (mostly) free across the EU
You won’t usually pay extra to use your phone across 28 countries.
https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/14/mobile-roaming-free-in-the-eu/
It’s been a long time in coming and had plenty of trials and tribulations, but it’s finally here: mobile roaming is now free in the EU. As long as you have service in a member state and live there for at least 8 months each year, you can use your phone’s voice, messaging and data in other EU countries at the same rate you’d pay as if you were at home. Well, mostly. There are a number of exceptions to the rule that could leave you paying more, although the likelihood of coming home to a gigantic bill is relatively small.
Carriers can still impose a fair use limit on data while you’re traveling (if you have an unlimited or very inexpensive plan), but they’re capped at charging you no more than €7.70 per gigabyte plus tax. That ceiling should gradually drop to €2.50 by 2022. Also, a “very small number” of EU carriers are allowed to charge a small roaming fee to make up for lower-than-usual domestic rates, but they should be lower than they were before. And of course, traveling abroad for more than 4 months can incur extra fees.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MoCA Intros MDU Access Spec
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/moca-intros-mdu-access-spec.html
Home In the Network MoCA Intros MDU Access Spec
MoCA Intros MDU Access Spec
June 14, 2017
By BTR Staff
The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) is introducing MoCA Access a new broadband access specification based on the MoCA 2.5 spec, which came out last April and is designed to deliver 2.5 Gbps actual data rates and leverage existing in-building coaxial cabling.
MoCA Access is point-to-multipoint serving up to 63 modems (clients). It is designed to co-exist with legacy services such as TV, DOCSIS and cellular (4G/5G) technologies. The operating frequency range is 400 MHz to 1,675 MHz. MoCA started work on the spec last June.
The spec is designed for latency of less than 5 ms and throughput up to 2.5 Gbps downstream and 2 Gbps upstream.
As a fiber extension technology, MoCA Access is intended for operators and Internet service providers (ISPs) that are installing fiber-to-the-basement (FTTB) of multiple dwelling units (MDUs) or fiber deep into the network, and want to use the existing coax for connection to each apartment or unit. MoCA Access is also intended for commercial integrators in market segments such as hospitality/hotels, restaurants, offices, and any other buildings wired with coax.
” And the low latency makes it the perfect complement to a wired backhaul architecture for upcoming cellular technologies such as 5G.”
three transmission power modes with 45 dB, 55 dB or 65 dB link budgets
Tomi Engdahl says:
Streaming to an Airstream
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/test-cafe/4458504/Streaming-to-an-Airstream
My plan has been to do work and stay connected from our camping spots. However, many beautiful spots are far from reliable cell signals. It has been our experience that many cell signals will be on the very edge of detection
Worse yet, an Airstream is essentially a Faraday shield, further attenuating the received signal.
And don’t expect 5G to help this in the future.
Faced with this, I decided I needed to boost the cell signal in both directions from my remote site.
I researched amplifiers and cellular boost systems from weBoost, the cellular boost brand from parent company Wilson Amplifiers. I decided to go with the Drive 4G-X system, but modify the antenna choices. The Drive 4G-X system is aimed at mobile cellular boosting, such as in a car or truck. It had many advantages—it operates from 12V, it covers from 700 MHz to 2100 MHz (covering the Verizon and AT&T bands), and it boasts up to 50db of gain.
But it isn’t perfect for my application. The Drive 4G-X comes with two small antennas.
I wanted the best performance I could get, so I chose to upgrade both. For the external antenna, I chose a directional Yagi microwave antenna, with a specified 10.6db of gain. For the interior antenna, I chose a desktop antenna made to cover a desk area with 3.4db of gain.
Sounds good, right? There is a problem. The antennas have a cumulative 14db of gain. Add that to the 50db available from the amplifier, and you have 64db total. While that is great for capturing a weak signal, it also makes it prone to oscillation.
This combination of antennas is not specified to work together unless the antennas are at least 20 feet apart. Difficult with a 16 foot Bambi.
The antennas’ gain has two big benefits—the improved performance in the direction of the signal, and the reduced power in all other directions, thus diminishing the threat of oscillation. Also, the shielding of an Airstream helps me now, attenuating the reradiated signal between the external and internal antennas, also reducing the chance of oscillation.
So how did the amplifier work? In one word, superbly.
I placed my iPhone on the table, and turned the amplifier on. Suddenly the signal on my iPhone leaped from one bar to three or four bars LTE. Woohoo!
Speed: I couldn’t get a reliable enough signal without amplification to run a speed test at all. But when I turned on the amplifier, I achieved 8Mb/s download speed, and 1.8Mb/s upload speed. This beats the Internet at most hotels, and enabled reliable fast connectivity.
The signal meter allowed me to quantitatively look at the actual signal amplification. My LTE signal without amplification was −121dbm, which is a marginal signal. With amplification it was −92dbm, almost 30db stronger. A nearby 3G signal was amplified from −98dbm to −81dbm.
Power consumption: With a clamp-on ammeter I measured 0.7A of current when the cell booster was turned on, or about 9W.
I didn’t experience oscillation at Vedauwoo, but was able to drive the system into oscillation when back home. Repositioning the antenna appears to solve it every time.
Most importantly, I was able to use the Internet reliably, and upload my new column.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia Touts NPU for Internet’s Next Chapter
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331900
SAN FRANCISCO—Claiming capabilities that will enable the next phase of Internet evolution, Nokia on Wednesday (June 14) unveiled its next-generation service routers, based on a network processor capable of an eye-popping 2.4 Tb/s performance.
The chip, the Nokia FP4, is implemented in a 16nm FinFET process—two full nodes ahead of its predecessor, the 40nm FP3. Nokia bills the FP4 as “the world’s first multi-terabit chipset” and claims it is up to six times more powerful than any processor currently available despite relatively low power consumption.
Speaking at a launch event here Wednesday, Basil Alwan president of the IP/Optical Networks business unit at Nokia, offered an ambitious blueprint for the FP4′s potential impact on the continuing evolution of the Internet, and the onset of what he termed “cloud-scale routing.” He said the chipset offers the performance and heightened security to enable further transformations of the Internet and the Cloud, including immersive communications, the Internet of Things (IoT) and the growth of applications that leverage artificial intelligence.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network cabling: Time-lapse warehouse install
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/06/warehouse-install-blog.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-15
From networking, VoIP and IT installation needs specialist CompuTeam Consulting (Ontario, Canada) comes this oddly soothing “quick time-lapse video of a network cabling installation in a warehouse we are working on.
Network Cabling Time Lapse Install
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1vGc8EN8_4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global Services POD Deployment Time Lapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1z90OXwMws
ARRIS Global Services helps cable operators implement new, future-ready headend systems in a way that minimizes disruption to existing operations which results in higher capacity, lower space, power and cooling requirement and reduced Opex. This time lapse video allows you to watch the offsite build of a 5 rack “POD” that is then delivered to and integrated into an operators headend.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Server room reinstallation after flooding – Time Lapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3GAJT39XDQ
WIRING UP NEW SERVER ROOM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59zdSQF7dTM
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network Cabling in SoftLayer Data Centers … With Zip Ties?!?!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM6YfH98ulo
Cabling a SoftLayer Data Center Server Rack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLgvDValxFE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inside a Google data center
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZmGGAbHqa0
Facebook Servers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d2JyaW9X34
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network Room Recabling Time Lapse
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_lfLmsYqD8
Server Room Construction, Six Months in Two Minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOT2DRMVV7I
Tomi Engdahl says:
FP4: Delivering performance and capability without compromise
https://networks.nokia.com/solutions/fp4-network-processor
FP4: Revolutionary 2.4 Tb/s network processor
The Nokia FP4 network processor lets service providers and webscale operators implement IP networks that deliver unprecedented scale, security and functionality without sacrificing performance.
The FP4 is the world’s first 2.4 Tb/s network processor. It builds on three generations of our leading-edge network processors to set a new standard in IP routing silicon design.
Support terabit speeds today
The FP4 allows the most advanced networks to deliver up to 6x more speed. It’s the only network processor that supports clear channel 1 Tb/s flows. Our FP4-powered platforms let you support flexible, high-density 10GE, 40GE, 100GE, 400GE interfaces and terabit-speed links.
Leverage the network as part of the security solution
The FP4 protects your network from DDoS attacks with groundbreaking high-scale enhanced packet intelligence and control technology. By supporting advanced deep packet lookups and flow control at scale, our FP4-powered platforms enable the industry’s first router-integrated DDoS mitigation solution.
Tomi Engdahl says:
#013: Tips for Cabling Rackmounted Equipment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_ClmxENYiM
Network Rack Closet Build (Home Area Network)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMPIT9QBi9g
Tomi Engdahl says:
1.1Km Fibre run to a barn (FTTP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_AXvds8rm0
A tour of my home network (FTTP)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FykOwI5qvwE
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile Rolling Out 600 MHz Low-Band Wireless
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/17/06/16/2035253/t-mobile-rolling-out-600-mhz-low-band-wireless
T-Mobile, the third largest U.S. national wireless operator, has decided to roll out 600 MHz wireless spectrum in its footprints by this summer.
Smartphones for this radio frequency are likely to be made available by Samsung and other manufacturers this summer.
T-Mobile US Preparing to Deploy 600-MHz Low-Band Spectrum
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-mobile-us-preparing-deploy-104910771.html
T-Mobile US Inc. TMUS, the third largest U.S. national wireless operator, has decided to roll out 600 MHz wireless spectrum in its footprints by this summer. Notably, in Apr 2017, the U.S. telecom regulator, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared the names of the winning bidders for its latest 600 MHz low-band wireless spectrum auction, popularly known as — Incentive Auction. The company was one of them.
The auction raised around $19.8 billion from 50 bidders who won nearly 2,800 licenses in total. T-Mobile US acquired the largest portion (nearly 45%) of the available spectrums by offering a sum of nearly $8 billion. The company won 1,525 licenses and bought around 31 MHz of spectrums in the 600 MHz low-band frequencies.
The U.S. telecom giant, AT&T Inc. T, took the fourth place after acquiring 23 licenses for a total bid price of over $910 million. Surprisingly Verizon Communications Inc. VZ, the largest U.S. telecom operator, did not bid for the 600 MHz low-band spectrum despite registering itself for the bidding process. Meanwhile, Sprint Corp. S did not take part in the auction process altogether.
Low-band spectrum is essential for wireless operators as the signals can be transmitted over longer distances and through brick-and-mortar walls in cities. T-Mobile US plans to extensively roll out 600 MHz spectrum later this year when new smartphones for this radio frequency are likely to be made available by Samsung and other manufacturers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connectivity’s value is almost erased by the costs it can impose
The internet made information flow on the cheap, but making it anti-fragile will cost plenty
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/13/mark_pesce_column/
The great advantage of a browser-based programming environment is that nothing gets lost – it’s all saved to the cloud as you type it in. But what happens when the link dies, or the cloud chokes?
Which got me thinking about the increasingly fragile nature of our connected culture.
Twenty-five years ago almost nothing was connected to the Internet. Today, many things are – at least some of the time – and it’s only when connected that they realise their full capacity. A smartphone shorn of network access cannot be an object of fascination. The network activates, piping intelligence into our toys, making them irresistible.
That intelligence comes with some costs; the most obvious is our increasing dependency on that connection. People get lost on hikes as they fall out of mobile range and lose the mapping apps that keep them oriented. We’ve come to expect intelligence with us all the time. Losing connectivity is coming to feel like losing a bit of our mind.
Another cost – and the bigger worry – is that this connected intelligence isn’t entirely benevolent. Every connection is a way into a device that may have something of value – credit card numbers, or passwords, or Bitcoins. The same intelligence that activates can also try to harvest that information, or even poison those devices, turning them against their owners.
We’ve reached a very delicate point, where the value of connected intelligence is almost entirely countered by the costs it can impose. If things become just a little more hostile out there (with four billion people using the Internet, that’s pretty much assured) the scales could tip in favour of disconnection, isolation, and a descent into a kind of stupidity we haven’t seen in many years.
There’s no easy answers for any of this. It’s unreasonable to expect that businesses will turn the clock back on the productivity gains made from connectivity, but it’s equally unreasonable to assume any of those businesses are prepared for an onslaught of connected hostility.
In this sort of high-pressure environment, where the wrong decision quickly becomes a fatal one, we have no choice but to evolve our responses, rapidly. It feels as though we got the benefits of connected intelligence for free; it’s only just now that we can see that bill is being presented – and it’s a whopper. We have to learn, keep learning, share what we’ve learned while putting it to work, learn from what others have shared, and keep doing this at an ever-increasing rate, forever.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Usage of HTTP/2 for websites
https://w3techs.com/technologies/details/ce-http2/all/all
HTTP/2 is used by 14.8% of all the websites.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Israel gets spooky with national quantum lab
Plan is to spin up single photons as a comms medium
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/06/19/israel_national_quantum_lab/
Israel has entered the quantum communications arms race, announcing it’s going to build a national demonstrator for “spooky” communications.
Don’t get too excited: the network isn’t going to protect ordinary punters’ communications yet. The NIS 7.5 million (US$2.13 million) project is an academic demonstrator to be built at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
The idea is to ramp up local quantum communications capabilities, because as the university’s announcement says, the commercial quantum comms kit on the market at the moment is too much a “black box”. They haven’t been peer reviewed by Israeli experts, so the country wants local designs that can be reviewed (and put in front of hackers to see what they think).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
GSMA: 5B people, or two thirds of world’s population, now have a mobile connection, with North America and Europe at 80%+ penetration and India at 54%
5 billion people now have a mobile phone connection, according to GSMA data
https://venturebeat.com/2017/06/13/5-billion-people-now-have-a-mobile-phone-connection-according-to-gsma-data/
Planet Earth has hit a notable technological milestone, with five billion people globally — or two-thirds of the world’s population — now laying claim to a mobile phone connection.
there are now a fraction more than 5 billion individual mobile users around the world. GSMA calculates the figure using an “extensive database of mobile statistics and forecasts” that are updated each day.
It’s worth noting here that mobile connections far outnumber individual subscribers, as many people have more than one SIM card, perhaps indicating multiple phones for their personal lives or two phones to cover work and social life. Some reports suggest that there have been five billion mobile phone connections since as early as 2010. The GSMA defines a unique mobile subscriber as: “…an individual person that can account for multiple ‘mobile connections’ (i.e SIM cards).”
Though the data shows that there are more than 8.1 billion connections globally, this figure includes machine-to-machine (M2M) connections. GSMA estimates that there are actually 7.7 billion mobile connections around the world (not including M2M).
“Reaching the five billion subscriber milestone is a tremendous achievement for an industry that is only a few decades old”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable lobby tries to stop state investigations into slow broadband speeds
Besides gutting net neutrality, industry wants less scrutiny of speed claims.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/cable-lobby-tries-to-stop-state-investigations-into-slow-broadband-speeds/
Broadband industry lobby groups want to stop individual states from investigating the speed claims made by Internet service providers, and they are citing the Federal Communications Commission’s net neutrality rules in their effort to hinder the state-level actions.
The industry attempt to undercut state investigations comes a few months after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman filed a lawsuit against Charter and its Time Warner Cable (TWC) subsidiary that claims the ISP defrauded and misled New Yorkers by promising Internet speeds the company knew it could not deliver.
NCTA-The Internet & Television Association and USTelecom, lobby groups for the cable and telecom industries, last month petitioned the Federal Communications Commission for a declaratory ruling that would help ISPs defend themselves against state-level investigations. The FCC should declare that advertisements of speeds “up to” a certain level of megabits per second are consistent with federal law as long as ISPs meet their disclosure obligations under the net neutrality rules, the groups said. There should be a national standard enforced by the FCC instead of a state-by-state “patchwork of inconsistent requirements,” they argue.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE 802.3bz, the 2.5/5GBase-T standard, available for free download
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/06/ieee-8023bz-5gbaset-standard-free-download.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-19
Through the IEEE Get program, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers has made IEEE 802.3bq, the standard for 2.5GBase-T and 5GBase-T, available for free download. The standard’s official title is IEEE 802.3bz – 2016: IEEE Standard for Ethernet Amendment 7: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers, and Management Parameters for 2.5 Gb/s and 5 Gb/s Operation, Types 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T.
On its website, the institute describes IEEE Get. “This program grants public access to view and download current individual standards at no charge,” the IEEE explains.
The 2.5/5GBase-T standard is one of several 802.3 standards now available for free download. Others include 802.3bq (25/40GBase-T), 802.3bp (1-Gbit over a single twisted pair), and 802.3by (optical 25-Gbit/sec).
http://standards.ieee.org/about/get/802/802.3.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 Ways To Protect Your Telecom Network From Hurricanes
http://www.dpstele.com/network-monitoring/hurricane-protect-network-disaster-recovery.php?article_id=61581&m_row_id=1999640&mailing_id=10826&link=B&uni=2605959484ad900584
In a hurricane, sites spanning hundreds of miles may be knocked out simultaneously. The whole country is watching as you race against the clock. You have to:
1. Protect your network as the storm rolls in, and
2. Recover as quickly as possible after the storm clears.
The consequences of network outages are real
Phone networks and 911 dispatch centers can fail when emergency services are needed most. Commercial power failures knock out food refrigeration and climate control, threatening the safety of your local residents.
So, what can you do to prepare yourself?
In a disaster scenario, it’s almost impossible to have wasted remote-monitoring budget dollars. Still, there are a few particular areas that you can focus on.
Top 3 ways to prepare your network for hurricanes:
1) Monitor 100% of your mission-critical equipment
2) Monitor battery voltages & generator fuel levels
3) Program automatic responses to specific alarms
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jeff Baumgartner / Multichannel News:
IBB Consulting study: almost half of US broadband customers subscribe to at least one OTT video service
Nearly Half of Broadband Consumers Subscribe to a Video OTT Service: Study
About one-third take two, and 18% subscribe to more than three, IBB survey finds
http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/nearly-half-broadband-consumers-subscribe-video-ott-service-study/413387
Tomi Engdahl says:
Workforce development and partnerships key to securing wireless technology
http://augustafreepress.com/workforce-development-partnerships-key-securing-wireless-technology/
One of the biggest challenges, Clancy told the subcommittee, stems from complex, interlinked ecosystems of device manufacturers, software and app developers, cloud infrastructure providers, and platforms for media and services.
No one entity controls enough of the ecosystem to guarantee unilaterally the needed security, he said.
“Another side effect is that regulatory authority is distributed across the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Communications Commission, Federal Trade Commission, and various other sector-specific regulators. Without a single ’belly button,’ top-down approaches to achieving objective levels of security are infeasible,” according to Clancy.
“Consequently it is imperative that we develop mechanisms to foster continued collaboration,” he said.
Clancy explained that there are wireless systems, like cell phones, which operate over a licensed spectrum and services like WiFi, which operate over an unlicensed spectrum.
“Cellular systems have the advantage of being centrally managed which helps ensure that security safeguards are implemented,” Clancy said, but cautions that security may be undermined when there is a need to continue supporting backward-compatible legacy technologies.
“Our new 4G-LTE systems are secure, but the 2G networks are vulnerable to a wide range of attacks that can compromise subscribers’ security and privacy,” he said. “Meanwhile as we look forward from 4G to 5G, a range of new technologies are under development that offer the opportunity to close current cybersecurity gaps while potentially opening up new ones in ways we cannot yet anticipate.”
Examples include software-defined networking, cloud-based radio access networks, and edge computing, all of which fuel applications for the Internet of Things — which connects everything from home appliances to industrial infrastructure to the cloud.
In the case of unlicensed technologies, Clancy pointed out that these have their own challenges.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TIA offering free guide to fuel cells for wireless infrastructure
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/06/tia-fuel-cell-guide.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-19
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) recently announced the publication of a comprehensive reference guide for the planning, installation and use of stationary fuel cells for wireless communications. Produced by TIA’s Fuel Cell Focus Group, the new, freely available guide provides information on the regulations, codes, standards, permitting processes, fuel supply considerations and technologies related to fuel cell deployment.
TIA says it developed the reference guide in recognition of the increasingly important role of fuel cells, which provide reliable backup power that allows communications towers and other equipment to be widely deployed. While not meant to be a definitive source for all information on stationary fuel cells, the guide represents “a comprehensive and accurate reference tool that will complement other sources, including the codes and standards identified in the document,” says TIA.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MoCA Access broadband spec leverages existing in-building coaxial cabling for 2.5 Gbps actual data rates
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/06/moca-access-spec.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-06-19
The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) has launched its MoCA Access broadband access specification, which is based on the MoCA 2.5 standard that is capable of 2.5 Gbps actual data rates and leverages the existing in-building coaxial cabling.
The MoCA Access spec defines a point-to-multipoint scheme serving up to 63 modems (clients). It is designed to co-exist with legacy services such as TV, DOCSIS, and cellular (4G/5G) technologies. The new spec’s operating frequency range is 400MHz – 1675MHz; latency is less than 5ms; and throughput is up to 2.5 Gbps downstream and 2 Gbps upstream.
According to MoCA, “As a fiber extension technology, MoCA Access is well suited for operators and ISPs that are installing fiber-to-the-basement (FTTB) or fiber deep into the network, and want to use the existing coax for connection to each apartment or unit. MoCA Access also appeals to commercial integrators in market segments such as hospitality/hotels, restaurants, offices, and any other buildings wired with coax.”
MoCA Access supports standard traffic shaping and QoS up to eight (8) traffic classes, says the association. The new spec also provides for strong security, three transmission power modes with 45dB, 55dB or 65dB link budgets and power saving modes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Startup Preps Sub-W, Full-Duplex Chip
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331909&
GenXComm is gearing up a Series A round to fund at least two tapeouts to bring its interference-canceling technology to market. The startup believes that it will enable full-duplex links for Wi-Fi, 5G cellular, and the Internet of Things with lower power than rival Kumu Networks.
“We will be like MIMO or OFDM, a dominating technology in wireless, doubling bandwidth, reducing latency, and enabling better wireless security,” said Sriram Vishwanath, a serial entrepreneur who is co-founder and president of GenXComm.
The startup closed the final phase of a $1.5 million seed round today that paid for 130- and 90-nm test chips driving its first lab tests. It hopes to raise $10–15 million in its next round to design commercial silicon for unnamed system and semiconductor partners.
The company’s technology has its roots in research conducted at the University of Texas at Austin where Vishwanath is a professor on leave. The startup filed four patents on its adaptive techniques for modeling and canceling signal reflections while consuming less than a watt in a 90-nm device.
“Our solution can get into mobile phones … other [full-duplex networking] solutions are more bulky and power-hungry,”
The chips could be used in a single Wi-Fi access point, cellular base station, or IoT gateway to expand capacity three- to thirty-fold, said Vishwanath. “I can’t name names … we have one OEM design win and two MoUs with chipset makers where, if we meet certain milestones, they will integrate our technology into their chip.”
So far, GenXComm has created proofs-of-concept for an indoor Wi-Fi access point, a point-to-point millimeter-wave relay, and a base station offering access and backhaul over a single frequency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kaitlyn Tiffany / The Verge:
Tumblr, known for its activism on internet issues like net neutrality and the SOPA/PIPA fight, may change to be less outspoken, now that it’s owned by Verizon
Verizon is killing Tumblr’s fight for net neutrality
One of the open internet’s fiercest defenders has a new boss
https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/21/15816974/verizon-tumblr-net-neutrality-internet-politics-david-karp
In 2014, Tumblr was on the front lines of the battle for net neutrality. The company stood alongside Amazon, Kickstarter, Etsy, Vimeo, Reddit, and Netflix during Battle for the Net’s day of action. Tumblr CEO David Karp was also part of a group of New York tech CEOs that met with then-FCC chairman Tom Wheeler in Brooklyn that summer, while the FCC was fielding public comment on new Title II rules.
When a company and a CEO have a reputation for being loud, silence says something.
One reason for Karp and Tumblr’s silence? Last week Verizon completed its acquisition of Tumblr parent company Yahoo, kicking off the subsequent merger of Yahoo and AOL to create a new company called Oath. As one of the world’s largest ISPs, Verizon is notorious for challenging the principles of net neutrality — it sued the FCC in an effort to overturn net neutrality rules in 2011, and its general counsel Kathy Grillo published a note this April complimenting new FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s plan to weaken telecommunication regulations.
Now, multiple sources tell The Verge that employees are concerned that Karp has been discouraged from speaking publicly on the issue
On the day Verizon’s Yahoo acquisition was completed, Tumblr was hit by a wave of layoffs.
aggression on net neutrality “stops at leadership”
It’s important to note that the 2017 and 2014 battles for net neutrality are very different — even when completely divorced from Verizon’s involvement at Tumblr. Defenders of the open internet are facing a far more antagonistic FCC and Congress, as well as a president who does not seem to know what net neutrality is, and is far more likely to ignore the issue completely than invite David Karp back to the White House.
Whether or not Karp comes out in support of net neutrality, all of the employees we spoke with were still adamant about fighting for the cause.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ONF/ON.Lab’s ONOS Project
http://www.linuxjournal.com/content/onfonlabs-onos-project
Networks have become indispensable infrastructure in modern society. The danger is that these networks tend to be closed, proprietary, complex, operationally expensive and inflexible, all of which impede innovation and progress rather than enable them. Presenting an alternative vision—that networking can serve the public interest—is the Open Network Operating Sytem, or ONOS Project. ONOS is an open-source, software-defined networking (SDN) OS for service providers that has scalability, high availability, high performance and abstractions to simplify creation of apps and services. The platform is based on a solid architecture and quickly has matured to be feature-rich and production-ready.
Recently ONF/ON.Lab announced availability of a new ONOS release that broadens the ability to bring SDN and NFV agility to mission-critical networks. By adding support for “incremental SDN” alongside the “disruptive SDN” capabilities for which it long has been known, ONOS now can address an ever-wider array of deployment scenarios.
http://onosproject.org/
The Open Network Operating System (ONOS) is a software defined networking (SDN) OS for service providers that has scalability, high availability, high performance and abstractions to make it easy to create apps and services. The platform is based on a solid architecture and has quickly matured to be feature rich and production ready. The community has grown to include over 50 partners and collaborators that contribute to all aspects of the project including interesting use cases such as CORD.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Even telecom workers don’t want to talk on the phone
https://news.fastcompany.com/even-telecom-workers-dont-want-to-talk-on-the-phone-4041400
The next time you panic at the sight of emails piling up unread, consider that it may be due to your distaste of phone calls.
Of the 1,000 Americans surveyed by Fundera, more than half said they prefer email, even though an often overflowing inbox has been proven to hinder productivity. Other methods of communicating paled in comparison. For instance, face-to-face conversations came in a distant second, preferred by only 15.8% of respondents, while phone calls came in at the bottom across 17 different industries. Even telecom workers don’t want to talk on the phone: 70% would prefer to use instant messages or email.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ryan Knutson / Wall Street Journal:
Consumer-price index for wireless phone service dropped 13% YoY in April, according to US Labor Department, the largest decline in the history of the category
The New Sticker Shock: Plunging Cellphone Bills
Impact of brutal price competition is rippling through profits, inflation and antitrust law
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-sticker-shock-plunging-cellphone-bills-1498232910?mod=e2twd
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile Drops Support for iPhone 4S
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331951&
Drops speeds to 2G as of today, down from 4G, but doesn’t lower prices.
Last week, I received a letter (yes on paper) from T-Mobile, my wireless carrier, saying that some devices on my account would drop data rates from 4G to 2G. On June 27, as announced, the two iPhone 4S phones on my account no longer run at 4G Speeds. The “4G” indicator has been replaced by the letter “E” indicating my data is now running at 2G speeds.
T-Mobile claims that it’s no longer supporting the U1900 cellular band and becuase my phones apparently don’t support compatible bands, my speed has dropped. Of course, T-Mobile is trying to turn this into a marketing ploy by offering upgraded phones at reduced prices.
That’s the problem will communication companies, be they wired, wireless, or cable. They won’t give me what I want: fewer services for less money. Cable TV providers are the worst offenders. They deliver dozens of channels I’ll never watch and don’t want to pay for, but there’s no option. Clearly, the technology is there to lets you select only those channels you want delivered. Do they offer that? Never.
So, now I’m forced to replace two perfectly working iPhones because my carrier won’t support them a particular slice of the spectrum. Yes, this happens.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook:
Facebook begins global rollout of “Find Wi-Fi” feature for its mobile apps, which displays nearby WiFi hotspots that businesses shared from their Facebook pages
Expanding Find Wi-Fi Globally
https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/06/expanding-find-wi-fi-globally/
Today we’re beginning to roll out Find Wi-Fi everywhere in the world on iPhone and Android. We launched Find Wi-Fi in a handful of countries last year and found it’s not only helpful for people who are traveling or on-the-go, but especially useful in areas where cellular data is scarce.
Find Wi-Fi helps you locate available Wi-Fi hot spots nearby that businesses have shared with Facebook from their Page. So wherever you are, you can easily map the closest connections when your data connection is weak.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6523-wifi-tulee-autoihinThe internet is already used in cars, but in the future the connections will improve and become smarter. Marvell has introduced a first-car chipset that delivers bluetooth and wifi connectivity to both vehicle-to-car V2V connections and vehicle-to-network V2I connectivity.
The 88W8987xA chipset is the first qualifying circuit in the vehicle environment to support 802-11p technology. The P increase is a normal wif enhancement that will also allow for intelligent transport systems (ITS).
Marvell’s range also includes a car-tailored Ethernet receiver, so the company’s circuits can be implemented as a complete vehicle fixed and wireless network. The 88Q2112 circuit supports gigabit Ethernet connectivity with one pair of twisted pair cables, so it’s a lightweight solution not only to share HD video in a vehicle, but also connect ADAS systems to the car telematics network.
With 802.11p technology, Marvell’s new circuit supports, for example, the National Public Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which obliges vehicles to alert you in the event of accidents and malfunctions.
The chipset supports Android, Linux, and QNX.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The world’s hottest speech network for business networks is SD-WAN , which comes and powers the market. The second, brighter estimates predict unavoidable deaths for the MPLS VPN technology currently used by operators.
SD-WAN sales specs are promised to connect the company’s branch office to the network with a two-hour delivery system. And that’s not all. As a gift, as much as 50 percent online cost savings and much faster cloud services will be available.
Can even believe it. Is that too good to be true?
SD-WAN operators most often suggest connecting a company’s office to a fixed Internet connection (ISP) or a parallel use of MPLS VPN . In Finland, 4G and 5G are better alternatives to a fixed connection. They can also ensure that unintentional digging of cables does not stop the company from doing so. Fixed connections to real estate usually go all in the same pit.
Finland has a nationwide and certified LTE 4G coverage and plenty of frequency band free. The combination of a fixed network and a mobile network is a better, more affordable, and more secure solution .
In Finland, SD-WAN implementations have already been done for over 10 years and in most of the companies they have been at least in parallel use.
Properly implemented, the benefits they gain from the company are far greater than the additional costs they incur. Easier logical network management, better security, more reliable network services, and optimized traffic to the public cloud are the things to look for.
If you are not sure if the corresponding technology is already in use, ask an expert who understands the whole. Otherwise, you can get duplicate technology. Then, network change management and troubleshooting becomes really difficult.
The delivery time for fixed connections in Finland is not a particular issue either for the closed MPLS VPN connection or for the Internet connection, not to mention 4G.
In international context, the delivery time is the heel of the Acees operators, and SD-WAN strikes hard in that gap.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kumppaniblogit/dna/nailla-argumenteilla-parjaat-sd-wan-keskustelussa-6658022
Tomi Engdahl says:
Twisted Beams of Light Transmitted Over Large Distance Outdoors for First Time
http://www.techbriefs.tv/video/Twisted-Beams-of-Light-Transmit
A group of researchers from the University of Vienna and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information have sent twisted beams of light across the rooftops of Vienna. It’s the first time that twisted light has been transmitted over a large distance outdoors, and could enable researchers to take advantage of the significant data-carrying capacity of light in both classical and quantum communications. Previous research has shown that if a light beam of a certain color or wavelength is twisted into a corkscrew shape, the number of channels that data can be transmitted through can be drastically increased.
The researchers used a green laser beam to send twisted light through a lens on top of a radar tower at the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics in Vienna. They sent 16 different twisted configurations of a specific wavelength of light to a receiver 3 km away at the University of Vienna. A camera was used to capture the beams of light and an artificial neural network was deployed to reveal the pattern and remove any possible disturbances that may have been caused by air turbulence.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Focus on Tier 2s: Small Ops, Big Visions
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/focus-on-tier-2s-small-ops-big-visions.html
The big industry headlines in the mainstream news revolve around the large carriers – the Comcasts of the country. But the smaller tier 2 guys are doing similar things – upgrading networks, offering new services and merging with one another. Gigabit Internet has been across all sized operators, but let’s take a look at some of the other types of things smaller operators have been doing during the first half of 2017.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Switched IP Video Technology Frees up to 80% of Bandwidth for DOCSIS Expansion
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/06/switched-ip-video-technology-frees-up-to-80-of-bandwidth-for-docsis-expansion.html
High-speed internet is now an operator’s most important service and, with so many streaming video services, keeping up with competitive internet speeds and capacities can be challenging. This task is particularly challenging when the RF spectrum is nearly full, occupied mostly by lower-profit video services that can easily consume upwards of 80% or more of the operator’s precious RF bandwidth.
Switched IP video (SIPV), unlike all other technologies such as MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversions, HFC plant upgrades, and DTA deployments employed for DOCSIS expansion, enables operators to quickly and inexpensively free as many as 50 or more video QAM (or EIA) channels, making them available in as little as 90 days for DOCSIS 3.0, 3.1 and Full Duplex expansion
What is SIPV?
SIPV delivers tremendous bandwidth efficiency by making programs available within a network service group only in response to subscriber channel requests. In addition, using only 12-24 QAMs or fewer, SIPV delivers an unlimited video channel offering of SD, HD and UHD/4K programming.
SIPV derives from proven, widely deployed switched digital video (SDV) technology.
It is also important to note that, like SDV, SIPV leverages multicast, so it does not “blow up” like unicast internet streaming does when everyone tunes in to watch the Super Bowl, for example.
How SIPV Works
SIPV deployment begins with dividing the digital video network from a single large service group into smaller service groups, typically between 500 and 1000 STBs each (Figure 2). These service groups can coincide with those already being used for VOD (if deployed). Each service group typically contains 4 to 8 nodes, depending upon node size and digital video penetration.
Next, a portion of the RF/QAM frequencies (typically 8 to 24, for example) currently used to broadcast all linear channels to all subscribers in all corners of the network are repurposed as “SIPV RF/QAM frequencies” (Figure 3) Physical universal edge-QAMs are separately deployed for each frequency in each service group. Each of the 8 to 24 SIPV QAM frequencies represents independent bandwidth for each service group; this permits the SIPV control system to nail up or tear down linear channels dynamically in response to at least one or more STBs in that specific service group being tuned to that channel.
The linear video programming itself remains in multicast format but, if not already, it is encapsulated into Internet Protocol (IP) format. Further, the programming is converted from its typical multi-program transport stream (MPTS) format into single program transport stream (SPTS) format so that the SIPV system can access individual program streams and can nail up and tear down these individual streams, as required, on specific edge-QAMs and frequencies in each service group.
For efficiency and performance, bitrate bandwidth predictability of the individual program streams is desirable. This way, when a program stream is nailed up on a particular edge-QAM frequency, the control system knows the maximum bandwidth on a QAM that program stream will consume and, more importantly, how much of that QAM’s bandwidth remains available for another program stream. So, if the IP, SPTS program streams are not already Constant Bitrate (CBR), some program streams are “intelligently clamped” or transrated to enable bandwidth predictability without compromising video quality.
When required, encryption that is identical to that of the broadcast video source is added using a network-attached bulk encryptor. The linear programming is now ready to be delivered, upon request by a STB, through the IP network to distant or nearby towns or hubs where edge-QAMs modulate the program for transmission over HFC or FTTH.
The resultant SIPV channel change experience is as fast or faster than the broadcast scenario. The SIPV session is built in only milliseconds, significantly less than the 2 to 3 seconds that it takes the STB tuner to switch from one program frequency to another.
Since all of these STB channel changes are recorded by the SIPV control system, this valuable viewership data for every video source in the network is mined and summarized to provide real-time and historical viewership analytics to operators
SIPV system typically manages 8 to 24 QAMs (at roughly 38 Mbps per QAM) as a single block of aggregate bandwidth independently for each service group
These factors are not only different for every service group, but they can and do change and trend differently for each service group. If this variability is not managed appropriately, the aggregate bandwidth could become fully consumed and a request for a new (currently unwatched/recorded) program in a specific service group would be denied with a message like “Channel temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.”
For SDV, the above risk is always present, typically managed by overdesigning the system for the worst case scenario and, therefore, significantly overspending.
However, SIPV’s automated bandwidth manager monitors the aggregate SIPV QAM bandwidth use in real time for as many as thousands of service groups simultaneously