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.
1,115 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Calls for Network Drain-O
Data centers want better traffic shapers
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332214&
A senior Google software engineer called for new techniques to clear clogs out of growing data center networks in a keynote at the annual Hot Interconnects event here. They could form a new app ripe for a silicon accelerator.
Nandita Dukkipati described traffic shaping software that’s slashing latencies while trimming CPU overheads for the search giant. One chip maker said it already has baked similar techniques into one of its Ethernet adapters at the request of Google’s rival Microsoft.
Today, many data centers manage traffic by creating queues to improve efficiency, but that approach is hitting a wall. Google described techniques using time-based isolation to prevent competing jobs from colliding.
“We should invest more in isolation techniques across the board in NICs, switches and hypervisors. We pay attention to efficiency, but not enough to isolation — we think of queues but let’s think of time,” Dukkipati told an audience of networking chip and systems engineers.
Queues eat up CPU time computing complex algorithms that use hefty data structures and require significant garbage collection. In addition, they are heavy users of memory and require synchronizing processes that can add as much as a second to latencies.
“Today’s servers can hold hundreds of virtual machines, generating 25,000 flows to isolate. The numbers of VMs and queues are growing, and it’s not sustainable,” she said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Networking vendors are good for free lunches, hopeless for networks
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/05/networking_vendors_are_good_for_free_lunches_hopeless_for_networks/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/05/networking_vendors_are_good_for_free_lunches_hopeless_for_networks/
Electronic Arts tech director thinks tech-agnostic developers can build better networks than slave-to-vendor NetAdmins
Fire your network administrators, hire developers instead, and stop expecting networking equipment vendors to provide anything more valuable than free lunches.
That’s the advice from games-maker Electronic Arts director of technical engagement Peyton Koran, who delivered a talk titled “The Impacts of Cloud Computing and Open Source on the Networking Industry” at the Future:Net conference that ran alongside last week’s VMworld 2017.
Peyton’s argument suggests that software development is now many organisations’ core competency, but that networking vendors require competency running their proprietary products. That in turn creates a need for procurement competency and licensing competency, even though they’re not the things that matter to a business. Buying in to proprietary networks also, he said, means users buy into a vendor’s approach to running networks, making the adoption of other technologies harder to contemplate or execute.
What does matter is new features that improve a network, but Koran said vendors only build those when a critical mass of clients request them. Using standards processes can create useful tech, he said, but only if you’re willing to wait years. Which nobody can. Rolling your own isn’t viable unless you operate at scale to compare with Facebook or Google.
Koran said most organisations are therefore stuck in a cycle whereby network vendors quote scarily high prices for equipment, then wheel in a senior sales person to placate and/or soothe shocked customers.
“Basically this ecosystem is great for steaks,” Koran told the conference to laughter an applause. “Most companies are realising this is not an ecosystem they want to be a part of any more.” They are instead looking for interoperable networks and are willing to pay more to get them as services running in the cloud.
The cloud’s a game-changer, he believes, because it doesn’t just replace appliances as a source of networking services, it also replaces the supposed secret sauce that networking vendors bake into ASICs and other closed hardware.
Koran believes the way forward is therefore to use a competency many organisations possess – running generic servers – and have software developers run them as part of a development effort that sees organisations build their own networking stacks, perhaps using community-contributed open-source code that shares useful functionality.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon Wants to Build an Advertising Juggernaut. It Needs Your Data First
The company offers concert tickets and other rewards in exchange for customers’ personal information
https://www.wsj.com/articles/verizon-wants-to-build-an-advertising-juggernaut-it-needs-your-data-first-1504603801
A new Verizon Communications Inc. rewards program, Verizon Up, provides credits that wireless subscribers can use for concert tickets, movie premieres and phone upgrades.
But it comes with a catch: Customers must give the carrier access to their web-browsing history, app usage and location data
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/09/05/145240/verizon-up-offers-rewards-in-exchange-for-customers-personal-information
The trade-off is part of Verizon’s effort to build a digital advertising business to compete with web giants Facebook and Google, which often already possess much of the same customer information. Even though Congress earlier this year dismantled tough privacy regulations on telecommunications providers, Verizon still wants customers to opt-in to its most comprehensive advertising program, called Verizon Selects.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T: Operators should take more responsibility for their network technology
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/at-t-service-providers-should-take-more-responsibility-for-their-network-technologies.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-05
Several network operators, both in the data center and carrier realms, have embraced the emerging ecosystem of open interfaces and white box hardware. Such network technology development approaches, which see the separation of hardware and software, can lead to greater network flexibility, faster service deployment, and lower cost, they believe. AT&T is one such operator (see, for example, “AT&T field trials open source white box switches” and “AT&T to trial 400 Gigabit Ethernet in 2017″). But to fully enable such benefits and the ecosystem that will create the necessary technology, service providers must be willing to take greater responsibility for network element and functionality creation and implementation, AT&T leaders assert in a blog posted earlier this summer.
“We think white box will play a big part in the future of our industry. Our goal is to help this ecosystem grow in a way that benefits everyone,” wrote Chris Rice, senior vice president of AT&T Labs, and John Medamana, vice president, network platforms at AT&T. “To do that, telecom companies need to get comfortable with taking more responsibility for the technologies powering their networks.”
Rice and Medamana see an opportunity for service providers to evolve from being “professional buyers” to active participants in the development of the network technology that best meets their needs. That participation can take one of three forms, they write:
1. They can assume almost total ownership of the process, establishing their requirements, acquiring best-of-breed hardware and software components that optimally meet those requirements, then performing the integration themselves.
2. They can control the design and specification of the necessary hardware and software modules, then use third-party integrators for such functions as manufacturing, integration, and maintenance.
3. They can specify their element and feature requirements and partner with a vendor who can meet them.
In all three scenarios, open interfaces represent an essential feature that enables the network automation operators will require, Rice told Lightwave.
A software-defined networking (SDN) environment best enables such automation, Rice believes. “Obviously to get programmability, to collect data and do automation, you have to have a feedback loop. So you’ve got to effect something with the data you collect, so you kind of need that programmability part. So you certainly need some kind of SDN,” Rice explained. “I think it gives more flexibility when you combine SDN and NFV [network functions virtualization] but I wouldn’t say both are a prerequisite. But I would say SDN is a prerequisite.”
With a sufficiently robust ecosystem, operators can use any of the three technology development scenarios that best fits a particular scenario.
Any operator can follow a similar blueprint, Rice and Medamana write. An open ecosystem that promotes the development and use of white box, disaggregated hardware comprises four elements, they assert:
1. Hardware Layer 1, which comprises merchant silicon
2. Software Layer 1, which encompasses silicon interfaces that enable features to be abstracted and presented to the higher layers of the stack
3. Hardware Layer 2, for which several network function layer reference models have appeared that original design manufacturers (ODMs) can use to deliver white box products
4. Software Layer 2, which includes network operating systems and associated protocols.
Rice believes progress is begin made in creating robust, reliable options at each layer for service providers. If any area is a bit behind, it’s Software Layer 1.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RCx MSA updates intra-rack connection standard specification
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/08/rcx-msa-update.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-05
On Aug. 29, the RCx Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) announced publication of Revision 1.0 of its RCx connector and cable system specification. The group says the streamlined RCx MSA design eliminates the need for costly active electrical components like EEPROMs, optics, retimers, and management ICs; simplifies the electrical design of switches and adapters; and significantly reduces the cost of the overall system solution.
Per a press release, “The RCx MSA connector and cable system is designed specifically for rack-based interconnects, and provides a simple, cost effective, low power and modular interconnect solution. RCx is a passive, copper only high-density cabling family designed for server adapters and network switch applications. There are three RCx configurations – RCx1, RCx2 and RCx4, corresponding to 1, 2 or 4 lane interface options. The unique modular nature of the RCx interface permits four RCx1, two RCx2 or a single RCx4 cable to be inserted into an RCx4 receptacle, enabling a mix and match approach to provisioning server connectivity without stranding bandwidth due to the blocking experienced when using depopulated multi-lane interfaces. RCx supports both 25 Gb/s NRZ and 50 Gb/s PAM4 per lane signaling, for a maximum aggregate rate of 200 Gb/s and is also compatible with recent 802.3 standards.”
formed in October 2015 by four industry-leading companies: Amphenol, Broadcom, Dell and HPE.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Quick tip for better cable management
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/08/fiberninja-quick-tip.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-05
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=8NOfSUF45tU
Tomi Engdahl says:
MACOM PRISM™ MATP-10025 device: 100 Gbps PAM-4 PHY with integrated DSP and multiplexing functionality
http://www.macom.com/products/product-detail/MATP-10025
The MACOM PRISM™ MATP-10025 device is a 100 Gbps PAM-4 PHY with integrated DSP and multiplexing functionality designed to enable single-wavelength 100 Gbps optical transceiver solutions. MACOM PRISM™ is a highly integrated device offering low latency, low power, and a small foot print package optimized for next generation QSFP28 transceiver modules. Integrated PAM-4 linear modulator driver and on-board management processor simplify module implementation and reduce BOM costs. The integrated DSP based equalizer supports duplex fiber 100G optical links up to 2 km over single mode fiber.
Features
1 x 53 Gbaud PAM-4 Network Interface
4 x 25 Gbps Host Interface
DSP for 2 km reach over SMF
Integrated FEC
Integrated Linear Modulator Driver
PAM-4 test and diagnostic features
10 x 10 mm BGA
Applications
100GBASE-DR1 QSFP28 Modules
100GBASE-FR1 QSFP28 Modules
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kurt Schlosser / GeekWire:
Ookla’s US Speedtest report: average mobile download speeds increased 19% YoY; T-Mobile fastest for mobile internet and Comcast Xfinity fastest for broadband — Mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds in the U.S. are improving, but not all carriers and providers are created equal …
Speed report finds T-Mobile and Xfinity providing fastest mobile and broadband internet in U.S.
https://www.geekwire.com/2017/speed-report-finds-t-mobile-xfinity-providing-fastest-mobile-broadband-internet-u-s/
Mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds in the U.S. are improving, but not all carriers and providers are created equal and not all areas of the country are benefitting equally from fast speeds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
RDMA over Converged Ethernet Delivers Efficient Lightweight Transport
http://www.electronicdesign.com/interconnects/rdma-over-converged-ethernet-delivers-efficient-lightweight-transport
RDMA over Converged Ethernet brings InfiniBand’s RDMA to the large critical mass of Ethernet networks.
The ever-growing data deluge isn’t showing any signs of slowing down. The rise of IoT, Big Data, mobile video, and the plethora of smartphones and tablets create a need for faster application performance to support all of these devices in real-time. CIOs, enterprise data-center architects, and solutions engineers are seeking an efficient and cost-effective way to improve application performance and data-center productivity.
This is where RoCE steps in. RDMA over Converged Ethernet, or RoCE (pronounced “Rocky”), is one approach that allows CIOs and data-center managers to improve performance, while leveraging their investment in Ethernet-based data centers. The RoCE specification has been defined by the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) to enable efficient data movement around the data center. So how does this all work?
Let’s start with RDMA. RDMA stands for remote direct memory access. It enables faster movement of data between servers and between servers and storage.
RDMA, on the other hand, utilizes hardware offloads to move data faster with less overhead, and it bypasses the TCP/IP stack altogether.
11 Myths about RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE)
http://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/11-myths-about-rdma-over-converged-ethernet-roce
Although RoCE has been well received by the enterprise storage and networking industry, some misinformation about the interconnect technology still remains.
Remote direct memory access (RDMA) is a well-known technology at the heart of the world’s fastest supercomputers and largest data centers. In short, RDMA is a remote memory-management capability that enables server-to-server data movement directly between application memories without CPU involvement. Offloading data movement from the CPU will result in performance and efficiency gains, while also significantly reducing latency. RDMA first became widely adopted in the High Performance Computing (HPC) industry with InfiniBand, but is now being leveraged by cloud, storage, and enterprise Ethernet networks with RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE).
Given its broad expertise in RDMA technology, the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) developed the RoCE standard and released the first specification in 2010. Although RoCE has been well-received by the enterprise storage and networking industry, especially by those wanting to accelerate application performance without overhauling their existing Ethernet infrastructure, there’s still some misinformation that continues on about the technology. Read on as we lay out and address the 11 most common myths surrounding RoCE.
1. RoCE requires a lossless network.
Initial deployments of RoCE required configuring the network to be lossless. However, the most advanced implementations of RoCE are resilient to packet loss and are able to run over ordinary Ethernet networks without the need for priority-based flow control.
2. RoCE doesn’t scale.
RoCE is currently deployed within Microsoft Azure Cloud, one of the largest cloud service providers, connecting tens of thousands of their compute and storage nodes.
3. RoCE isn’t routable.
In 2014, the IBTA added routing capability to the specification
4. RoCE only works over short distances.
While the best latency performance is achieved over short distances, RoCE frames can travel over any wire that’s traveled by traditional Ethernet frames. This includes between floors and buildings over LR and LR4 as well as over Metro Ethernet, supporting distances up to 10 km.
5. Common traffic-management and -monitoring tools don’t work with RoCE.
RoCE utilizes IPv4 and IPv6 encapsulation on Ethernet, the same as most other Ethernet traffic. This allows RoCE to be monitored and managed with existing tools.
6. RoCE is not an open standard.
RoCE was developed by the IBTA under the same standardization processes as other parts of the InfiniBand architecture. Multiple IBTA members contributed to defining the open standard
7. RoCE can’t handle advanced Ethernet signaling rates.
RoCE was defined to run over IEEE 802.3 Ethernet, and as such can run over any speed defined by that organization. As of the publication of this article, there are RoCE adapters supporting 25, 40, 50, and 100 Gb/s.
8. All RDMA over Ethernet technologies offer the same efficiency and latency benefits.
RoCE, which has been widely adopted, and iWARP, which has seen only minimal support.
RoCE at each speed delivers lower latency and higher data throughput across all message sizes.
9. RoCE lacks support from multiple vendors.
In addition to multiple vendors coming together to define the specification, a growing number of companies are either shipping or have announced RoCE hardware and software solutions
10. RoCE interoperability between different vendors is unreliable.
Furthering the point above, RoCE solutions undergo rigorous interoperability testing at IBTA Plugfests
11. RoCE is difficult and expensive to deploy.
As with any new capability being integrated across server, adapter and switching technologies, additional technical understanding and guidance may be needed to take full advantage of RoCE.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anton Shilov / AnandTech:
Intel discontinues all of its products based on short-range Wi-Fi standard WiGig, also known as 802.11ad, says it will focus on WiGig solutions for VR
Intel Discontinues WiGig Cards, Antenna and Sink, Set to Focus on WiGig for VR
by Anton Shilov on September 8, 2017 10:00 AM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/11829/intel-discontinues-wigig-cards-to-focus-on-vr
In a surprising move, Intel has announced plans to altogether discontinue their 802.11ad products. The company intends to cease shipments of all of its current-generation WiGig devices by late 2017. Intel has not announced any replacements for the 802.11ad parts and says that it would focus on WiGig solutions designed for VR applications.
Intel is formally initiating the EOL program for the Wireless Gigabit 11000 and Tri Band Wireless-AC 18260 controllers, the Wireless Gigabit Antenna-M M100041 antenna and the Wireless Gigabit Sink W13100 sink today (September 8). Intel is asking its partners to place their final orders on its WiGig-supporting network cards, antenna and sink by September 29, 2017. The final shipments will be made by December 29, 2017.
Typically, Intel continues to sell its products for at least several quarters after it initiates its product discontinuance plan. Four months is a relatively short period between the start of the EOL program and its finish, which may indicate that the company has a relatively limited amount of customers using the WiGig products and it does not expect them to be interested in the devices in 2018 and onwards.
The WiGig short range communication standard enables compatible devices to communicate at up to 7–8 Gb/s data rates and with minimal latencies, using the 60 GHz spectrum at distances of up to ten meters. WiGig cannot replace Wi-Fi or Bluetooth because 60 GHz signals cannot penetrate walls, but it can enable devices like wireless docking stations, wireless AR/VR head-mounted displays, wireless storage devices, wireless displays, and others that are in direct line of sight. Intel’s current-generation WiGig products were designed primarily for notebook dockings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Keysight BERT now supports 64 Gbaud NRZ
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4458810/Keysight-BERT-now-supports-64-Gbaud-NRZ
With IEEE 802.3bs and OIF CEI-56G standards and their supporting ICs now in place, 400 Gbit/s (400G) serial links are becoming reality. They’re based on 8 lanes of 50 Gbits/s each.
Despite all the talk in recent years that PAM-4 modulation will replace NRZ at data rates of 50 Gbits/s and higher per lane, NRZ keeps hanging on. It’s just the way we thought the inexpensive FR4 PCB material would go away long ago, but it won’t. That’s because the signal processing of transmitters and receivers—plus better PCB design practices—give these technologies ever longer lives. Recognizing that NRZ still has teeth, Keysight Technologies as upgraded its M8040A bit-error-ratio tester (BERT) to support 64 Gbit/s NRZ signaling.
Selected as an EDN Hot 100 Product of 2016, the Keysight M8040A adds 64 Gbit/s NRZ signal analysis to the already implemented 64 Gbaud (112 Gbits/s) PAM-4 signaling, which is available as an option. Other enhancements include clock recovery and an equalizer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
400G-TXO support IEEE 802.3bs and 802.3cd: 50GBASE-FR/LR, 100GBASE-DR, 200GBASE-DR4/ LR4/FR4 and 400GBASE-LR8/FR8/DR4 Optical Conformance and Characterization Solution for DSA8300 – V 1.0.0
https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/dsa8300-1-software-15
Tomi Engdahl says:
BICSI publishes new global standard on intelligent buildings
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/08/bicsi-publishes-new-global-standard-on-intelligent-buildings.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-11
Per a press release, “According to a recent report from MarketsandMarkets.com, the global intelligent building market is estimated to grow to approximately USD 24.73 billion by the year 2021, at an annual growth rate of 34%, compounded from 2016-2021. BICSI has responded to this growth and need in the marketplace by publishing its next ANSI-approved standard— ANSI/BICSI 007-2017, Information Communication Technology Design and Implementation Practices for Intelligent Buildings and Premises.”
ANSI/BICSI 007 provides requirements and recommendation for design and implementation of the structured cabling system and related applications for any size building or premise, regardless if it serves commercial, government, transportation, residential, or any other functions.
BICSI Publishes New Global Standard On Intelligent Buildings
http://opensource.sys-con.com/node/4144684
According to a recent report from MarketsandMarkets.com, the global intelligent building market is estimated to grow to approximately USD 24.73 billion by the year 2021, at an annual growth rate of 34%, compounded from 2016-2021. BICSI has responded to this growth and need in the marketplace by publishing its next ANSI-approved standard—ANSI/BICSI 007-2017, Information Communication Technology Design and Implementation Practices for Intelligent Buildings and Premises.
ANSI/BICSI 007 provides requirements and recommendation for design and implementation of the structured cabling system and related applications for any size building or premise, regardless if it serves commercial, government, transportation, residential, or any other functions. BICSI 007 also includes information for building automation systems, low-voltage lighting, combined data and power transmission (e.g., PoE, PoH), and a number of other systems that are routinely found inside intelligent building applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ANSI/BICSI 007-2017, Information Communication Technology Design and Implementation Practices for Intelligent Buildings and Premises
https://www.bicsi.org/book_details.aspx?Book=BICSI-007-CM-17&d=0
The age of the interconnect building and premise is upon us. Driven by the need for environments which are safer, more comfortable, productive or efficient for the people within, information and communication technology (ICT) has become the means to interconnect building systems of all sizes and applications, providing results which are far greater than just the sum of the parts. With ICT as the common thread, an effective and efficient structured cabling is critical to the success of both initial implementation and future growth to meeting the building and occupant needs. ANSI/BICSI 007 provides requirements and recommendation for design and implementation of the structured cabling system and related applications for any size building or premise, regardless if it is serves commercial, government, transportation, residential, or any other functions. BICSI 007 also includes information for building automation systems, low-voltage lighting, combined data and power transmission (e.g., PoE, PoH), and a number of other systems that are routinely found inside intelligent building application.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Single Balanced Twisted-Pair Cabling Infrastructure for IoT and M2M Connectivity
http://www.cablinginstall.com/whitepapers/2017/09/single-balanced-twisted-pair-cabling-infrastructure-for-iot-and-m2m-connectivity.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-11
Tomi Engdahl says:
OTDR with 80-cm dead zone
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/09/softing-fiberxpert5000-otdr.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-11
Softing recently made its FiberXpert OTDR 5000 available in the United States. The optical time domain reflectometer has a dead zone of 80 cm, which the company says makes the tester “ideal for relatively short fiber links, which are installed in company networks or data centers.
“Plugs following one another in succession can be disconnected and measured to a high degree of accuracy,” Softing added. “These highly accurate measurement results for fiber-optic links can be achieved by the FiberXpert OTDR 5000 both in the singlemode range [1310/1550 nm] and the multimode range [850/1300 nm].”
The OTDR conducts standard-compliant Tier 2 measurements, the company said, and also offers automatic pass/fail analysis in line with TIA and IEC limits, as well as automatic macrobend detection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
White Box Switches Increase Performance, Reduce Network Life Cycle and Slash Costs
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/whitepapers/2017/09/white-box-switches-increase-performance-reduce-network-life-cycle-and-slash-costs.html?cmpid=eg_lightwave__2017-09-21
White box switches are delivering on their promise of more innovative products and lower life cycle costs. The white box business model streamlines design and production to provide superior price / performance as compared to proprietary switches. CapEx savings are significant in lower bandwidth switches and increase such that higher bandwidth white box switches are a fraction of the cost of their proprietary counterparts. White box switches support innovative third party switch software, which achieves significant OpEx cost savings and quality improvement through automation.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Megger enhances insulation testers
http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4443206/Megger-enhances-insulation-testers
Megger’s MIT480/2 series of insulation and continuity testers is not only faster, but provides gated access to 500 V to minimize the risk of accidental damage to equipment under test.
continuity testing that is fully automatic from 0.01 Ω to 1 MΩ. They also furnish a user-selectable test current of 20 mA or 200 mA
The MIT481/2 offers four fixed test voltages of 50 V, 100 V, 250 V, and 500 V, plus onboard storage of test results, while the MIT485/2 adds a variable test-voltage function and Bluetooth downloading capability.
http://us.megger.com/industrial-insulation-testers-mit485-en
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable in an All-IP, Cloud World
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/09/cable-in-an-all-ip-cloud-world.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-09-12
Gone are the days when cable operators could focus primarily on the delivery of broadcast video. Today, broadband and IP services are their main business drivers, and this trend is certain to continue.
Among the challenges cable operators face in this shift are requirements for evolving access networks to deliver ultra-high IP bandwidth, creating strategies for a converged edge cloud to facilitate low-latency IP services and deploying SDN control across the all-IP network.
Through all of these changes, cable operators will eventually evolve current assets to create:
Large scale fixed and mobile access networks that deliver ultra-high IP bandwidth. Cable will move beyond DOCSIS 3.1 and enable solutions capable of symmetrical 10 Gbps rates, while 5G will offer wireless data rates of multiple gigabits per second – made possible by reducing distances between the access nodes/cells and end users to less than a hundred meters.
Edge clouds to deliver ultra-low latency experiences through the virtualization of network functions (VNF). Think of this as an evolution of today’s hub locations.
Software defined network (SDN)-controlled cable transport to control the interconnectivity between external cloud, cable central datacenter and edge cloud environments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spectrum Apocalypse: The Coming Death of Wireless
The day of reckoning may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean we can’t put it off for a while.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/spectrum-apocalypse-coming-death-wireless
Uh-oh! What happens to the future of wireless when we run out of spectrum space? That may seem impossible, but let me tell you something: We are already well along that path.
Practically speaking, all of the spectrum from DC to visible light has already been used, allocated, or assigned in some way. If you don’t believe this, take a look at NTIA’s famous spectrum chart.
If you look closely, you’ll see how the various segments of spectrum are assigned from 0 to 300 GHz. Some of them may not actually be in use, true, but they are spoken for and cannot be used. Since the electromagnetic spectrum is our playground, how do we implement our wireless application or product when we cannot find a piece of bandwidth to use? Is this our spectrum apocalypse?
As it turns out, we are already dealing with this problem. The Internet of Things (IoT) vendors are hell-bent on putting radios on practically everyone and everything. If the lack of spectrum doesn’t kill us, the massive cloud of interference and noise will. I am not anti-IoT, by the way, but I do worry about the unmitigated use of the spectrum with little thought or concern for the future.
Nor are the IoT designers the only culprits: The cellular operators are also spectrum hogs. As rich as they are, they can easily pay billions of dollars for prime spectrum. Yet it never seems to be enough. This quest for more space will continue as more smartphone users whine for faster video and other high-speed data applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
100G Lambda MSA targets serial 100-Gbps optical lanes for 100GbE, 400GbE
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/100g-lambda-msa-targets-serial-100-gbps-optical-lanes-for-100gbe-400gbe.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-12
The drive toward the development and implementation of serial 100-Gbps optical lanes for Ethernet applications has taken a step forward with the creation of the 100G Lambda Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) Group. The 22-member MSA seeks to create specifications for PAM4 optical signaling and encoding, RS (544,514) forward error correction (FEC), and link characteristics for 100G and 400G applications at reaches of 2 km and 10 km over duplex single-mode fiber (SMF).
The group says its work will complement the 100GBASE-DR and 400GBASE-DR4 specifications under development within IEEE P802.3 (see “IEEE P802.3bs Task Force adopts serial 100G for 400 Gigabit Ethernet”). Those specifications target 500 m reach. Based on the naming conventions published on the MSA’s website, it appears that the 100G work will tackle both 2 and 10 km, while the 400G efforts will focus (at least to start) on 2 km only. Those naming conventions are:
100 Gbps over 2-km SMF: 100G-FR
100 Gbps over 10-km SMF: 100G-LR
400 Gbps over 2-km SMF: 400G-FR4
The use of optical 100G lanes, particularly as ASIC SerDes lanes pick up speed from the currently common 25 Gbps, will improve density and reduce costs, the group believes. Initial MSA members include Alibaba, Arista Networks, Broadcom, Ciena, Cisco, Finisar, Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Inphi, Intel, Juniper Networks, Lumentum, Luxtera, MACOM, MaxLinear, Microsoft, Molex, NeoPhotonics, Nokia, Oclaro, Semtech, Source Photonics, and Sumitomo Electric.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vodafone New Zealand deploys 400 Gbps between data centers
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/vodafone-new-zealand-deploys-400-gbps-between-data-centers.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-12
Vodafone New Zealand says it has turned up what it asserts is the first live 400-Gbps wavelength deployment. The deployment leverages technology from Ciena Corp. (NYSE:CIEN) as well as test and measurement assistance from EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF).
The initial 400-Gbps links support live core IP traffic between Vodafone New Zealand’s Auckland data centers. However, the service provider says it plans to expand the use of 400-Gbps wavelengths to a medium-haul route during September. The company also plans a long-haul trial between islands that will begin this month as well as one along a long-haul route between north and south islands during October.
Such capacity derives from Ciena’s WaveLogic AI chip (see “Ciena unveils WaveLogic Ai coherent transmission ASIC”). Vodafone New Zealand made the jump to 100 Gbps via Ciena’s 6500 platforms (see “Vodafone deploys 100 Gbps in New Zealand”), and the technology supplier makes line cards with the WaveLogic AI available for that platform.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Top 3 hold steady on mid-year 2017 Global Provider Ethernet Leaderboard
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/top-3-hold-steady-on-mid-year-2017-global-provider-ethernet-leaderboard.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-12
Vertical Systems Group has released its mid-year 2017 rankings of global Ethernet service providers, and there’s not much new at the top. Orange Business, Colt, and AT&T maintained their previous positions in the first three positions. However, Level 3 (soon to be acquired by CenturyLink) crept over BT Global Services into fourth place on the scoreboard.
AT&T appears to be prepping for greater things in this space, based on the recent completion of a field test of single-wavelength 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE). The successful trial positions the international Tier 1 provider to add 400GbE capabilities to its network backbones, and continue to provide faster speeds as customer demand grows
Vertical Systems Group also tracks a “Challenge Tier” (see chart). Ethernet providers must have between 2% and 4% of this defined market to qualify for the Challenge Tier. As of mid-year, Cogent, SingTel, T-Systems, Tata Communications, Telefonica Worldwide, and Vodafone are in the Challenge Tier.
“Demand for global Ethernet networking continues to expand. As retail Ethernet providers extend their network footprints through partners worldwide, the growth outlook for wholesale services is increasing,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teardown: The DOCSIS 2.0 cable modem falls out of favor
http://www.edn.com/5G/4458813/Teardown–The-DOCSIS-2-0-cable-modem-falls-out-of-favor
Back in April 2014, I picked up an open-box Motorola SB5101U cable modem for $14.49 with free shipping, as a backup to my existing cable modem. The SB5101U was a DOCSIS 2.0-based product, versus the then-latest DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems shipping from multiple suppliers (not to mention now-latest DOCSIS 3.1 successors). But the Internet broadband speed tier I was getting from Comcast wouldn’t have taken advantage of beyond-DOCSIS 2.0 capabilities, anyway. And did I mention that the modem, one of the more popular options of the DOCSIS 2.0 era, was only $14.49?
2.5 years later, DOCSIS 3.0 cable modems are pretty darn inexpensive, too. And Comcast is growing increasingly un-fond of DOCSIS 2.0 devices. So instead of continuing to cling to the idea of potentially pressing the SB5101U into service someday, I decided to instead dissect it for your and my common curiosity-satisfaction pleasure …
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable in an All-IP, Cloud World
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/09/cable-in-an-all-ip-cloud-world.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-09-12
Gone are the days when cable operators could focus primarily on the delivery of broadcast video. Today, broadband and IP services are their main business drivers, and this trend is certain to continue.
However, this transformation is about to become far more dramatic as the world shifts rapidly toward an enhanced, cloud-oriented communications and entertainment paradigm. This means existing IP transformation networking initiatives need to be accelerated.
Among the challenges cable operators face in this shift are requirements for evolving access networks to deliver ultra-high IP bandwidth, creating strategies for a converged edge cloud to facilitate low-latency IP services and deploying SDN control across the all-IP network.
hrough all of these changes, cable operators will eventually evolve current assets to create:
Large scale fixed and mobile access networks that deliver ultra-high IP bandwidth. Cable will move beyond DOCSIS 3.1 and enable solutions capable of symmetrical 10 Gbps rates, while 5G will offer wireless data rates of multiple gigabits per second – made possible by reducing distances between the access nodes/cells and end users to less than a hundred meters.
Edge clouds to deliver ultra-low latency experiences through the virtualization of network functions (VNF). Think of this as an evolution of today’s hub locations.
Software defined network (SDN)-controlled cable transport to control the interconnectivity between external cloud, cable central datacenter and edge cloud environments.
Since more IP means more DOCSIS on the coax network, operators must allocate more DOCSIS channels to free up spectrum from old analogue video channels. A move to DOCSIS 3.1 also facilitates a more efficient usage of spectrum, which results in higher IP throughput/performance.
Important considerations and migration plans include:
Hub platforms – whereas many switched digital video (SDV) and video on demand (VOD) quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) devices are still deployed separately from IP data QAM devices found in CCAPs.
The need to deliver many individual IP sessions for on-demand data. This mandates node splits to reduce group size and increase available IP bandwidth, in turn requiring the supporting hub/headend expansions, which will eventually become unmanageable.
A move to DAA alleviates this by moving some DOCSIS functionality out from the hub location to the node, a first step to virtualizing CCAP functions.
DAA also introduces IP-based transmission via 10G Ethernet from the hub location to the fiber node for data.
Existing SDV and VOD services still require standard analogue RF, but these can be bundled into an IP stream and transported to the node site via 10G Ethernet.
Further improvements can be made by virtualizing other DOCSIS functions, such as control, and placing them where required in the end-to-end architecture under SDN control.
At this point, cable operators are extremely close to having an all-IP architecture.
A Cable Edge Cloud
In the future, hub locations will effectively migrate to be distributed datacenters – edge clouds – from which cable operators can serve up communications and entertainment experiences with the needed quality. This would be a two-step process.
As described above, today’s siloed access architectures – such as HFC, PON and Ethernet – will be unified under a common, virtualized access control and orchestration layer, with functions present in the hub or in a central data center, lowering CAPEX and OPEX for future multi-access roll outs.
With the migration to an edge cloud, the hub control and orchestration will be decomposed into VNF orchestration and topology orchestration components. Physical network functions, such as service routing and access device management, will be virtualized.
Typical services that will run in the edge cloud could include virtual customer premises equipment (CPE), virtualized content delivery network (CDN) and multi-access edge computing. These will effectively be distributed datacenters requiring communication with the cable operators’ existing central datacenter, which typically will house common services.
SDN-Controlled Cable Networks
Finally, carrier SDN techniques will be leveraged across the cable network to:
Correctly dimension network capacity between central datacenters and cable edge clouds
Control IP network-embedded quality capabilities, such as performance analytics and security monitoring
Liaise with SD-WAN controllers for offnet services
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast Biz Launches SDN Platform
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/09/comcast-biz-launches-sdn-platform.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-09-14
Comcast Business (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has launched a software-defined networking (SDN) platform, dubbed ActiveCore, intended for enterprises that want to manage their networks, systems and costs across multiple locations, branch offices or data centers. The company also announced software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) as the first business product powered by the ActiveCore platform.
“ActiveCore and SD-WAN represent a ‘generational moment’ for our industry and are designed for businesses that embrace the consumerization of IT, SaaS and cloud services to run their enterprise operations,” said Kevin O’Toole, senior vice president of Product Management for Comcast Business. “We now offer enterprises a robust, future-proof alternative to legacy MPLS solutions; allowing them to easily add capacity to branch offices at scale and unlock the potential of virtualized networks for today’s connected economy.”
ActiveCore delivers new services and network changes via software rather than through individually-managed and customized hardware. The platform features an embedded orchestration capability to deliver and manage multiple virtualized network functions (VNF). It also provides performance data in a single view to help customers identify, troubleshoot and resolve issues across their entire enterprise. ActiveCore can be paired with Comcast’s DOCSIS 3.1-based gigabit broadband service. Comcast’s Business Internet 1 Gig service is currently available in the company’s Northeastern, Mid-Atlantic and Central regions, and is slated to be available across its footprint by the end of 2017.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ICO whacks Welsh biz with £350k fine for 150 MEEELION nuisance calls
Not that data watchdog expects to get that money paid
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/09/15/firm_fined_350k_after_making_record_number_of_automated_nuisance_calls/
A Welsh firm responsible for 146 million nuisance PPI calls has been slapped with a £350,000 fine by the Information Commissioner’s Office – not that the data watchdog is confident that penalty will be paid.
Your Money Rights (YMR) – which had its authorisation as a claims management company cancelled in May – instigated 146,020,773 automated direct marketing calls in under five months. The ICO said this was the largest number of such calls it had issued a fine for.
The watchdog received some 255 complaints about the calls
To make matters worse, the company did not identify itself on the calls, which made it harder for people to complain about the firm’s behaviour.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Chip Could Simplify V2X Development
NXP’s single-chip modem enables automakers to install V2X communication capabilities with the same hardware in the US, Europe or Japan.
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/new-chip-could-simplify-v2x-development/133284218557442?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=1029&elq_cid=876648
NXP Semiconductors N.V. today is rolling out a single-chip, global platform solution for so-called “V2X” communication, which promotes highway safety by allowing vehicles to talk each other and to roadside infrastructure.
Known as the SAF5400, the single-chip technology is said to be the first to offer global implementation capabilities, meaning that the same hardware can be used for the communication standards employed in vehicles around the world. “The message here is that this one chip can serve markets in the US, Europe and Japan,” Thomas Hinz, director of V2X marketing and business development for NXP Semiconductors. “So the engineers don’t need to re-qualify this again and again for every market, and there’s a significant reduction in work for the carmaker.”
The rollout could benefit automakers because the US and European V2X systems use a dedicated short range communication (DSRC) technology operating in the 5.9-GHz radio frequency range, while Japan uses 760 MHz. By employing a common hardware that’s applicable to all regional standards, vehicle engineers would only need to change the software configuration to satisfy each region.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ISPs Claim a Privacy Law Would Weaken Online Security, Increase Pop-Ups
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/17/09/14/2047223/isps-claim-a-privacy-law-would-weaken-online-security-increase-pop-ups?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
The country’s biggest Internet service providers and advertising industry lobby groups are fighting to stop a proposed California law that would protect the privacy of broadband customers. AT&T, Comcast, Charter, Frontier, Sprint, Verizon, and some broadband lobby groups urged California state senators to vote against the proposed law in a letter Tuesday. The bill would require Internet service providers to obtain customers’ permission before they use, share, or sell the customers’ Web browsing and application usage histories. California lawmakers could vote on the bill Friday of this week, essentially replicating federal rules that were blocked by the Republican-controlled Congress and President Trump before they could be implemented.
ISPs claim a privacy law would weaken online security and increase pop-ups
California to vote on privacy law opposed by AT&T, Comcast, Charter, and Verizon.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/09/isps-claim-a-privacy-law-would-weaken-online-security-and-increase-pop-ups/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aspera high speed file transfer: Let the cloud protocol wars begin
Tomorrow’s cloud storage today?
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/10/01/aspera/
There is a problem with cloud storage that affects almost all of us, yet is something of which most of us remain blissfully unaware. The problem isn’t the object stores underpinning cloud storage; used properly, object storage is great. Look instead to the bit shuffling data between end users and the cloud.
It’s not the network that’s the problem. It’s the protocols we run on top of it.
Okay, the network is a problem too. Unless you have corporate megabucks or live in one of the handful of modernized neighbourhoods in the world then your connection to the intertubes is probably demonstrably crap.
The more precise definition of the problem with cloud storage is that the protocols we use are not really designed for mediocre networks.The result is an inability to use the networks we do have efficiently.
Consider for a moment the rise of wireless and mobile devices. Depending on who you talk to, mobile usage is now (or will very soon) be the majority of internet end user content consumption. If we lump in those using their notebooks and tablets over Wi-Fi we’re looking at the lion’s share of consumer internet consumption getting to the device through some form of wireless technology.
Sadly, TCP – the primary transport protocol of today’s internet – is awful over wireless. To make matters worse, the crude additive-increase/multiplicative-decrease (AIMD) algorithms used in most TCP implementation to deal with congestion aren’t really great at dealing with congestion either.
On top of this inefficient TCP we then transfer files around using protocols like http(s) which don’t natively have any means of supporting file transfer resume.
So if a connection is dropped or reset you’re either back to square one, or you are relying on the application to handle resume operations in a graceful manner.
Increasingly we have people using file systems that expect to run on top of ultra-low-latency local storage being mounted on top of a protocol that runs on top of HTTP, which runs on top of TCP over a thready wireless connection through congested internet service providers, potentially to overseas cloud storage that can be seeing up to 10 per cent packet loss.
A couple of key takeaways: by 2019 annual global IP traffic will reach 2 zettabytes per year and busy-hour Internet traffic will hit 1.4 petabits per second with average Internet traffic being only 414 terabits per second.
But internet service providers are not going to build for peak traffic. That whole “congestion” thing that TCP isn’t so good at? It’s about to get a lot worse. The “turtles all the way down” approach of layering abstractions protocols one on top of the other is increasingly looking like a very bad idea.
It’s also somewhat inevitable.
Increasingly, video goes from wherever it is shot up to the cloud. Once in the cloud various apps perform basic tasks like archiving the raw footage, automating touch-ups, colour and sound correction and so forth. A video nerd will download the working copies to their local system, do some work on them and then push a rendered master version back up to the cloud.
Tomi Engdahl says:
here are four special wavelengths that you can use for fiber optic transmission with low optical loss levels, which this table lists:
Windows Wavelength Loss
1st wavelength 850nm 3dB/km
2nd wavelength 1310nm 0.4dB/km
3rd wavelength 1550nm (C band) 0.2dB/km
4th wavelength 1625nm (L band) 0.2dB/km
Tomi Engdahl says:
See how your country’s internet speeds stack up in this new monthly global ranking
https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/09/ookla-speedtest-global-index/
Long the gold standard for bragging rights about your blazing broadband speeds, Speedtest.net has plenty of data to work with. Now, it wants to open up a new segment of that data to everyone, allowing users to compare aggregate speed reports from countries around the globe.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tektronix Unveils Comprehensive OTT Monitoring Solution Spanning Ingest to Delivery
Highly Scalable Cloud-Enabled Solution Lets Broadcasters Start at Any Level – Big or Small – and Future-Proof Their Monitoring Networks
http://news.tektronix.com/2017-09-05-Tektronix-Unveils-Comprehensive-OTT-Monitoring-Solution-Spanning-Ingest-to-Delivery
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tektronix PAM4 Optical Analysis Solution for Real-time Oscilloscopes Streamlines Validation Challenges
Engineers Take Advantage of Real-time Oscilloscope-based Solutions for Critical Debug, Offline Analysis of PAM4 Optical Devices
http://news.tektronix.com/2017-09-18-Tektronix-PAM4-Optical-Analysis-Solution-for-Real-time-Oscilloscopes-Streamlines-Validation-Challenges,1
new DPO7OE1, a calibrated optical probe and analysis software for use with real-time oscilloscopes. It is optical reference receiver (ORR) compliant for 28-GBaud PAM4 applications and supports IEEE/OIF-CEI standard specific measurements. This new solution complements Tektronix’ optical PAM4 analysis tools for sampling oscilloscopes, giving design teams efficient test solutions for all stages of the optical transmitter workflow.
Based on real-time oscilloscopes like the DPO70000SX, this new offering allows R&D and system engineers to more easily troubleshoot their optical devices by adding powerful debug capabilities: software clock recovery for PAM4 and NRZ, triggering, error detection, and capture time correlated or contiguous record of a signal.
“Advanced optical modulation formats like PAM4 require system testing with both sampling and real-time oscilloscopes,”
The DPO7OE1 offers 33 GHz optical bandwidth for 28-GBaud PAM4 debug applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Americans Plan Massive ‘Net Neutrality’ Protest Next Week
https://news.slashdot.org/story/17/09/17/2343254/americans-plan-massive-net-neutrality-protest-next-week
A coalition of activists, consumer groups and writers are calling on supporters to attend the next meeting of the Federal Communications Commission on September 26 in Washington DC. The next day, the protest will move to Capitol Hill, where people will meet legislators to express their concerns about an FCC proposal to rewrite the rules governing the internet…
Washington DC braces for net neutrality protests later this month
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/sep/15/washington-dc-net-neutrality-protests-restoring-internet-freedom
A coalition of activists and consumer groups are banding together to express concerns over an FCC proposal to rewrite the rules governing the internet
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Alliance says new certified features improve performance in managed networks
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/09/wi-fi-alliance-says-new-certified-features-improve-performance-in-managed-networks.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-18
The Wi-Fi Alliance has introduced two enhancements for its Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Vantage protocol which it says elevate the user experience in dynamic, managed network environments ranging from large-scale deployments in venues, airports, and subway stations, to enterprise and service provider-managed residential networks. Wi-Fi Vantage devices will soon include functionality to enable quick, secure authentication and consistent, quality connections in Wi-Fi networks.
two new Wi-Fi Alliance certifications – Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Agile Multiband and Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Optimized Connectivity
Wi-Fi Agile Multiband provides intelligent steering by allowing devices to exchange information for the access point (AP) to guide a mobile device to a recommended band, channel, or AP. This steering capability avoids suboptimal client behavior in Wi-Fi Agile Multiband networks, such as a device remaining attached to an AP that is nearly out of range or experiencing high traffic loading.
Wi-Fi Agile Multiband supports fast transition, which allows devices to re-authenticate quickly with WPA2™ security when roaming within a Wi-Fi network, improving connections for latency-sensitive applications such as voice over Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi Optimized Connectivity complements Wi-Fi Agile Multiband and includes features that optimize the process of discovering Wi-Fi networks, establishing initial connectivity, and roaming between APs serving the same network or different networks. Network discovery enhancements prioritize which channels a device scans during the discovery process, assisting devices in more rapidly discovering APs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
CTIA/GSMA presenter says future connectivity, interoperability and security problems could plague disjointed IoT networks
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/09/gsma-iot-future.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-18
The often overlooked need to adopt broad Internet of Things (IoT) interoperability and connectivity standards was highlighted by iconectiv CTO Chris Drake at the debut of GSMA’s Mobile World Congress Americas conference today in San Francisco, CA.
As the authoritative partner of the global communications industry, connecting more than two billion people every day, iconectiv has extensive experience in the crucial role that authentication protocols for devices and apps play in securing digital ecosystems. Intended as a call to action for device and application vendors, system integrators, network operators and service providers, the company contends that Drake’s presentation comes at a crossroads in the development of machine-to-machine communications.
Per iconectiv, “SmartAmerica estimates city governments alone will invest approximately $41 trillion over the next 20 years to upgrade existing infrastructures in order to benefit from the IoT. This costly and monumental endeavor leaves industrial, utility, enterprise and government leaders pondering how best to advance IoT and smart city implementations around the world. With recent estimates putting the number of IoT connected devices at 22 billion by 2020, the task at hand for device and application vendors and smart city planners is staggering. Additionally, each new device and application entering the IoT brings unique connectivity and security intricacies that are vital to ensuring ecosystem integrity.”
One key step to address this issue advised by Drake is a shift from current proprietary technical implementations and manual, if not weak, application of device enrollment security, toward scalable and consistent standards-based architectures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telecommunications Industry Association, Small Cell Forum to partner on smart cities, enterprise connectivity
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/09/telecommunications-industry-association-small-cell-forum-to-partner-on-smart-cities-enterprise-conne.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-18
Small Cell Forum (SCF), the telecoms organization driving universal cellular coverage, and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech connectivity networks, today announced a far-reaching alliance to address two of the most important growth areas in connectivity – smart communities and smart buildings.
As part of its “Transforming the Network” strategic initiative, TIA previously identified smart communities and smart buildings as critical areas of focus. These dovetail with SCF’s two major programs for 2017: Hyperdense Networks – including a focus on smart cities; and the Digitized Enterprise. The common factor is that densification will bring high quality connectivity to every citizen and business, and enable a wide range of new services.
TIA and SCF Announce Partnership to Accelerate Smart Cities and Enterprise Connectivity
http://opensource.sys-con.com/node/4157418
The two organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work on technical, commercial and regulatory solutions. They will share existing work and expertise and develop solutions that simplify and accelerate deployment of dense networks and in-building connectivity. This effort will help make smart communities a reality everywhere and drive advanced connectivity into every enterprise building.
Brenda Boehm, Chief Strategy Officer of TIA said, “Industry collaboration is clearly needed to realize the full potential of smart communities, whether they take the form of buildings, campuses or entire cities. There are enormous opportunities to drive efficiencies, improve operational effectiveness, deliver faster and safer transportation, and more. Working together, we will be well positioned to accelerate the development and deployment of critical micro-wireless 5G technology in the community ecosystem.”
David Orloff, Director, RAN Product Introduction at AT&T and Chairman of SCF, said, “Every enterprise and community needs to be ‘smart’ to provide the best services and take advantage of the Internet of Things and other developing technologies. But this presents complex challenges which no one organization can fully address. TIA and SCF share many of the same goals, we expect this alliance to lead to significant results, especially in advancing our drive towards 5G.”
To drive progress in these areas, the partners will share technical and commercial solutions, identifying common ground and avoiding duplication.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco Showcasing ‘Video-Aware Networking’
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/09/cisco-showcasing-video-aware-networking.html?cmpid=enl_btr_btr_video_technology_2017-09-18
At IBC2017 in Amsterdam, Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) is showcasing networking solutions such as segment routing for delivering multiplay services, including video to any screen. Cisco is looking into the possibilities for segment routing with IP video service deployments to evolve to “video-aware networking.”
Segment routing is intended to help video operators simplify how the network and applications adjust to real-time data. It is designed as a flexible, scalable way of doing source routing, where applications, including video, can determine their own paths in the network.
Benefits of segment routing for video include:
Simplifying IP network configuration and management, reducing traffic engineering time and errors
Scaling the delivery of diverse services with automation that can programmatically apply application-level requirements to the network
Delivering quality-assured video experiences without having to expend additional bandwidth
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cellular Puts IoT on Speed Dial
China Telecom starts NB-IoT at $3/year
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332311
Carriers are driving aggressively into cellular IoT, with China Telecom leading the way with narrowband IoT (NB-IoT). They are playing a game of catch-up that some expect they will win with low-power wide-area (LPWA) alternatives led by Sigfox and LoRa that had a two-year-plus head start.
That was the picture from the Mobile World Congress Americas, where each side made the case for its play in the emerging Internet of Things. “It feels like we are on the cusp of an IoT explosion,” said Karri Kuoppamaki, vice president of technology development and strategy at T-Mobile, which aims to roll out an NB-IoT network in the U.S. by June.
“What’s next and key is showing an ROI in real networks,” said Hardy Schmidbauer, chief executive of TrackNet, a startup launched this year using LoRa and Wi-Fi for asset tracking.
“Carriers would like to wipe out their LPWA competitors, and I believe they will,” said Michael Murphy, CTO in North America for Nokia. “There is zero doubt [that] carriers view this as one of their most important goals.”
China Telecom appears to be in the lead with millions of users on a national network that it switched on in June for NB-IoT that supports 20- to 60-Kbit/s data rates over 200-KHz channels. The carrier charges as little as $3 a year for data, and its hardware suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE say that they soon will be able to deliver NB-IoT modules for less than US$5, said Qi Bi, chief technical officer for China Telecom.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Inphi unveils COLORZ-Lite pluggable optical transceiver
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/inphi-unveils-colorz-lite-pluggable-optical-transceiver.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-19
Inphi Corp. (NYSE: IPHI) had added a companion to its COLORZ pluggable transceiver line for data center interconnect and related applications. The COLORZ-Lite 100-Gbps DWDM QSFP28 module targets campus and data center interconnect applications that don’t require the reach the original COLORZ supports.
The company developed the COLORZ in collaboration with Microsoft (see “Inphi offers 100G PAM4 QSFP28 for 80-km data center interconnect”). It debuted at OFC 2017 as a PAM4-based 100G optical module that could provide direct connection of routers and switches over a distance of 80 km without the need for separate optical transport platforms
The 4.5 W COLORZ-Lite tackles similar requirements, although as what Inphi describes as “a cost optimized solution” for distances up to 20 km. The device leverages Inphi’s PAM4 technology, linear drivers, and transimpedance amplifiers, as well as DWDM optics. The company says the output of 40 COLORZ-Lite optical transceivers can be multiplexed onto a single fiber as a replacement for such grey optics interfaces as 100-Gbps LR4, eLR4, and ER4.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SFP-DD MSA releases first module specifications
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/sfp-dd-msa-releases-first-module-specifications.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-19
The Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (SFP-DD) Multi Source Agreement (MSA) Group says it has finished the initial hardware specification and drawings for its pluggable interface. As previously announced (see “SFP-DD MSA targets 50-Gbps, 100-Gbps optical transceivers”), the SFP-DD expands upon the widely deployed SFP module form factor to support higher transmission rates than its progenitor in a 3.5-W package.
For example, the SFP has a single-lane electrical interface that accommodates up to 28 Gbps via NRZ or 56 Gbps via PAM4. The SFP-DD has a two-lane electrical interface, with each lane supporting up to 25 Gbps with NRZ or 56 Gbps via PAM4 to enable aggregate bandwidth of 56 Gbps or 112 Gbps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NeoPhotonics offers laser components for 100 to 400 Gbps data center applications
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/09/neophotonics-offers-laser-components-for-100-to-400-gbps-data-center-applications.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-09-19
NeoPhotonics Corp. (NYSE: NPTN) is highlighting its laser components for 100 to 400 Gbps data center applications, including CWDM4, CLR4, PSM-4, and PAM4, at the European Conference on Optical Communications 2017 in Gothenburg, Sweden this week.
The company’s portfolio begins with 1310-nm lasers and laser arrays qualified to Telcordia GR-468-CORE Issue 2 for use with low-cost, non-hermetic packages for 100G silicon photonics-based QSFP28 modules. NeoPhotonics also has 28-GBaud externally modulated lasers (EMLs) with an integrated driver in chip-on-carrier form for longer-reach 4×25 NRZ 100G, 4×50 PAM4 200G, and 8×50 PAM4 400G designs. Its 56-Gbaud EML with an integrated driver fits 4×100 PAM4 configurations for 400G data center applications.
“Our laser components are key elements for optical modules used inside the data center supplying the light for short-reach silicon photonics-based 100G transceivers and the modulated light for longer reach PAM4 based 100G and 400G transceivers,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Field Terminable RJ45 Plug
http://www.wirewerks.com/videos/RJ45
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm Doubles Down on Cellular Chips for Wireless Vehicle Communications
http://www.electronicdesign.com/automotive/qualcomm-doubles-down-cellular-chips-wireless-vehicle-communications?NL=ED-004&Issue=ED-
004_20170921_ED-
004_857&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=13104&utm_medium=email&elq2=41e909155c094d2f96c5dba13264b4de
Qualcomm Technologies offers its 9150 C-V2X chipset and a reference design to enable automakers to accelerate commercial introduction of autonomous vehicles.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ramp Begins for 10 Gbps as Broadband Access Network Backbone
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/whitepapers/2017/09/ramp-begins-for-10-gbps-as-broadband-access-network-backbone.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-09-21
The 10-Gbps downstream capacity DOCSIS 3.1 supports holds the key to gigabit now and higher-rate services later. Several operators have embarked on DOCSIS 3.1 rollouts for just this reason. Yet DOCSIS 3.1 is not the only transmission technology that offers 10 Gbps capabilities. Operators therefore have a choice of how to meet their gigabit-and-beyond requirements as they upgrade their infrastructures with 10 Gbps (and greater) capacity in mind.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet-over-fiber Mini PCIe module allows cable runs 5x longer than copper for embedded systems
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/09/ethernet-over-fiber-mini-pcie-module-allows-cable-runs-5x-longer-than-copper-for-embedded-systems.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-21
VersaLogic has announced its “E4”, a new Ethernet over fiber Mini PCIe expansion module for embedded computer systems. The company says the Ethernet Over Fiber Mini PCIe module allows cable runs 5 times longer than Ethernet over copper, and protects against external electromagnetic interference and electrical surges.
“This Ethernet over fiber is an important add-on product, especially in defense and medical applications,” says Kerry Howell, VersaLogic product manager. “By transmitting Ethernet signals over fiber-optic cabling, users are able to drastically extend the distance that Ethernet signals will reach, protect against external interference, and increase the privacy and security of the connection.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Field-installed UTP connector for above-ceiling application
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/09/commscope-ceiling-connector-assembly-field-installed-connector.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-21
CommScope recently introduced a field-installed connector solution that the company says “simplifies termination of UTP cable to an RJ45 plug.
“As more equipment moves into the ceiling, the demand for high-quality field termination solutions has grown,” CommScope continued. “To be successful, the solution must meet customer needs of ease-of-installation, consistent termination, and superior performance.” It said the Ceiling Connector Assembly (CCA) meets these requirements.
The CCA is a field-terminated connector solution that doesn’t require specialized tools to terminate. It “can be easily attached to a horizontal cable using a cutoff tool and pliers,” according to CommScope. “There are no small parts that could be lost or dropped, making installation on a ladder feasible. Quick and reliable terminations are key to the product’s features that simplify installations in the ceiling.”
Ceiling Connector Assembly Installation
http://www.commscope.com/catalog/doc/pdf/13896/860634932_Ceiling_Connector_Assembly_Installation.pdf
Tools Required
Cable jacket scoring tool (such as Xcelite® 2CSKY or JOKARI® No.1-Cat)
Flush-cutting wire cutters (such as Xcelite MS545JV)
Tongue-and-groove pliers (optional)
Flat-blade screwdriver
Tomi Engdahl says:
London scientists propose 10Gbps home wireless network using Li-Fi and 5G
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/09/london-scientists-propose-10gbps-home-wireless-network-using-li-fi-and-5g.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-21
A team working out of Brunel University London has secured £720,000 of funding from Europe’s Horizon 2020 Program in order to help them develop a 10Gbps capable home wireless network using hybrid Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) and mmWave tech inside LED [Light-Emitting Diode] room lights.
As reported by the UK’s ISPreview, “the goal is to create a 10Gbps (Gigabits per second) local wireless network in homes and buildings (offices etc.) with a delay of just 1ms (millisecond). The new network would make use of both Li-Fi and 5G wireless technologies in the millimeter Wave (mmWave) frequency bands.”
London Scientists Prep 10Gbps Home Wireless Network Using Li-Fi and 5G
https://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2017/09/london-scientists-prep-10gbps-home-wireless-network-using-li-fi-5g.html
Electronics and software engineers at Brunel University London are just one of the teams working on Li-Fi solutions as part of a 3 year project. The goal is to create a 10Gbps (Gigabits per second) local wireless network in homes and buildings (offices etc.) with a delay of just 1ms (millisecond).
The new network would make use of both Li-Fi and 5G wireless technologies in the millimeter Wave (mmWave) frequency bands, although judging by the diagram above it’s probably not something that an ordinary home owner would want to install; unless you’re happy with running lots of optical fibre cable around your various light fittings. However it may have applications in other fields.
The current plan is to develop and install a “remote radio-light head 5G” demonstrator hybrid Li-Fi / mmWave network and advise on systems in a Paris Museum (Musée de la Carte à Jouer), as well as an unnamed Madrid underground station and a Chinese supermarket. The team suggests that it could also find its way into tube stations, airports, planes, trains, schools and hospitals.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TIA and QuEST Forum announce merger
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/09/tia-quest-merger.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-09-21
The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech connectivity networks, and QuEST Forum, the global association dedicated to quality and sustainability in the information communication and technology (ICT) industry, announced they have reached an agreement to merge the two associations.
Per a press release, “the move is part of a strategic effort to offer support and services that address a full range of needs facing the connectivity industry. QuEST Forum is joining with TIA to form a single technology association that will be uniquely suited to accelerate modern connectivity and address the business, technology and industry transformation needs of its members. This holistic approach, which includes trusted standards, common performance and quality metrics, supportive public policies and market alignment, is essential to delivering the Internet of Things, Smart Cities, and the network transformation needed for virtualization, NFV/SDN, and transition to the cloud.”
“This merger expands our ability to deliver member value across the full spectrum of business, technology and policy needs,”
The new organization constitutes a global community of more than 500 members, engineering committee and partner organizations across the Americas, Europe-Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. The merger is expected to create access to a wider market for the combined portfolio and it positions the organization for long-term growth.