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:
RF over Fiber modules (RFoF) are suitable for any application where cables are not sufficient, especially when high performance is required.
https://www.rfoptic.com/product-category/rf-over-fiber/
The analog RF over Fiber modules convert RF signals to optical signals and back. One unit has an optical transmitter which converts the signal from RF to Optical, and a second receiver unit converts the signal from Optical to RF. Both units are connected by the optical fiber of the customer.
RFOptic’s RFoF modules are suitable for telecommunications and radar applications. Satellite, Point-to-Point antennas can be connected from several meters to many kilometers away from the control room. Base stations can be connected through fiber to remote sector antennas. Broadcasters can easily distribute their full RF streams over fiber to remote locations, which eliminates the need for complex equipment to be installed in remote and hard to reach locations.
https://www.rfoptic.com/product/programmable-bidirectional-rf-fiber-transceiver/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia: “we missed between the two technology giants” – TE: Chinese giants equal to Ericsson and Nokia
China’s online recession Huawei this year has risen almost as high as Nokia and Ericsson in total.
Talouselämä reports that Nokia and Ericsson share prices collapsed as companies’ net sales declined further. Nokia’s net sales in January-September decreased by 4 percent to EUR 16.6 billion and Ericsson’s over 8 per cent to just under EUR 15 billion.
“Big investments in 4g are now behind in many markets. Preparing for 5g starts, but investments with full weight are not yet.”
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/nokia-jaimme-kahden-teknologiasukupolven-valiin-te-kiinalaisjatti-yhta-suuri-kuin-ericsson-ja-nokia-yhteensa-6684665
Tomi Engdahl says:
Optical links to the chips
The problem of wiring crosstalk following the shrinking of the microcircuits is resolved by taking the light for the use of internal data transfer circuits. However, this is not an easy task because silicon does not easily emit light. For a long time, attempts have been made to find materials that are compatible with silicon in order to obtain optoelectronics and optical telecommunications to the silicon chip.
Now, researchers from MIT present research findings on a light emitter and a detector that can be integrated into a silicon CMOS chip. A new type of emitter detector structure is made of molybdenum dithyduride. Unlike conventional semiconductors, it can be stacked on silicon wafers.
Another difficulty in integrating other semiconductors with silicon is that the materials emit light typically in the visible area, but these wavelengths are absorbed badly by silicon. Molybdenum dithyduride emits infrared radiation, which silicon does not absorb.
To use the material as a light emitter, it must first be transformed into a pn junction diode.
Scientists are now also exploring other materials that could be used for chip optical communication. The molybdenum ditelluride gives light 1.1 micrometers. This only makes it suitable for the internal data transfer of the circuits. For example, most telecommunication systems use a wavelength of 1.3 or 1.5 microns.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7072-optiset-linkit-piipiirille
Tomi Engdahl says:
MIT makes the photon circuitry with an optical film
Photon circuits are the technology that speeds up processors at the end of silicon scaling Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have now succeeded in developing a film that allows photon transfer to succeed in silicon-based chips.
According to MIT, the continuous shrinkage of processor structures is leading to the fact that leakage flows between different parts of it already weaken efficiency. One way of getting rid of the problems is to replace the electric signal with light.
In developing such a photon circuit a big problem is the poor ability of the silicon to emit light. MIT researchers in Nature Nanotechnology published a film that emits and recognizes light and can be integrated directly onto a CMOS-based circuitry.
The film is made of molybdenum ditelluride. The membrane can be attached mechanically to any material, including silicon.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7068-mit-tekee-fotonipiirin-optisella-kalvolla
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nikkei:
Source: SoftBank calling off talks to merge Sprint and T-Mobile; Sprint stock drops 8%+
SoftBank calling off talks to merge Sprint, T-Mobile
Clash over control of combined American carrier sinks long-sought deal
https://asia.nikkei.com/Japan-Update/SoftBank-calling-off-talks-to-merge-Sprint-T-Mobile
SoftBank Group plans to break off negotiations toward a merger between subsidiary Sprint and T-Mobile US amid a failure to come to terms on ownership of the combined entity
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
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:
HTTP 103 – An HTTP Status Code for Indicating Hints
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/17/10/31/1255225/http-103—an-http-status-code-for-indicating-hints?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
The Internet Task Engineering Group (IETF) has approved the new HTTP status code 103. The new status code is intended to “minimize perceived latency.”
The 103 (Early Hints) informational status code indicates to the client that the server is likely to send a final response with the header fields included in the informational response. Typically, a server will include the header fields sent in a 103 (Early Hints) response in the final response as well.
A client MUST NOT interpret the 103 (Early Hints) response header fields as if they applied to the informational response itself (e.g., as metadata about the 103 (Early Hints) response).
An HTTP Status Code for Indicating Hints
https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/draft-ietf-httpbis-early-hints/?include_text=1
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Future of FTTH
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/whitepapers/2017/10/the-future-of-ftth.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-10-31
DOCSIS 3.1 and Full Duplex rightly have received significant attention among cable operators as approaches to gigabit service delivery now and multi-gigabit in the future. However, work continues on all-fiber options that could not only match but exceed the capabilities of Full Duplex. These efforts complement a drive among telcos to implement software-defined networking and network functions virtualization (SDN/NFV) principles in the access network –
Tomi Engdahl says:
Portugal Doesn’t Have Net Neutrality. This Is What Their Internet Looks Like
http://www.iflscience.com/technology/country-net-neutrality/
MEO, a Lisbon-based telecommunications company, is taking advantage of the lack of regulations. They’re now offering packages at different prices that give their customers varying levels of access to the Web. If you pay a few euros per month, you just get to use messaging apps; a bit more, and you can use Facebook more, or perhaps Netflix more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paul Sawers / VentureBeat:
SoftBank, Facebook, Amazon, and others partner to lay 60Tbps Jupiter undersea cable, to open in 2020, from Los Angeles to Japan and the Philippines
SoftBank, Facebook, and Amazon commit to 8,700-mile transpacific subsea cable system
https://venturebeat.com/2017/10/30/softbank-facebook-and-amazon-commit-to-8700-mile-transpacific-internet-cable/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://downdetector.com/
About Downdetector
We like to see Downdetector as the weatherman for the digital world: we detect when technology fails. Just like the weather, service interruptions and outages can’t be predicted, and just like a weatherman, we can tell you what is going on.
More concretely, Downdetector offers a realtime overview of status information and outages for all kinds of services. We aim to track any service that its users consider vital to their everyday lives, including (but not limited to) internet providers, mobile providers, airlines, public transport and online services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SDN/NFV and Optical Networks
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/editorial-guides/2017/09/sdn-nfv-and-optical-networks.html
Software-defined networking and network functions virtualization (SDN/NFV) promise significant benefits to network operators. The articles in this Editorial Guide describe how optical network technology and implemenation will evolve to support SDN/NFV and what this will mean for service delivery and reliability.
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/content/lw/en/editorial-guides/2017/09/sdn-nfv-and-optical-networks.whitepaperpdf.render.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
SoftBank deploys Juniper Networks MX Series routers in commercial core network
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/10/softbank-deploys-juniper-networks-mx-series-routers-in-commercial-core-network.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-10-31
Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) says it has supplied elements of its MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers along with the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET) automation framework to SoftBank Corp. The telecommunications subsidiary of the SoftBank Group Corp. has used the technology to upgrade its commercial core network in Japan.
SoftBank has deployed the MX2020 and MX104 3D Universal Edge Routers, while also implementing JET technology. Use of the MX2020 increased network capacity by 76-fold while improving network resiliency, Juniper asserts. JET provides an automation toolkit designed to enable customers to automate configuration and provisioning tasks. Juniper says Softbank was able to deploy the new technology without disrupting existing services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Swedish operator Norrsken deploys Infinera XTM II, and 400G Flexponder
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/10/swedish-operator-norrsken-deploys-infinera-xtm-ii-and-400g-flexponder.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-10-31
Infinera (NASDAQ:INFN) says that Swedish regional operator Norrsken has deployed the Infinera XTM II and 400G Flexponder in its fiber-optic network. Norrsken will use the platforms to support delivery of 100-Gbps Layer 1 WDM services and Layer 2 Ethernet services via 200-Gbps wavelengths to internet service providers and carriers.
The deployment, the first publicly announced use of the 400G Flexponder since Infinera introduced it this past June (see “Infinera XTM II upgrades target evolving metro edge networks”), will improve the resiliency and spectral efficiency of Norrsken’s regional network in Sweden. The fiber network includes a main route along the Swedish coast as well as a redundant route inland along the country’s western border.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Extreme Networks finalizes Brocade Data Center Networking acquisition
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/10/extreme-networks-finalizes-brocade-data-center-networking-acquisition.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-10-31
Extreme Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXTR) says that its acquisition of Brocade Communications Systems, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: BRCD) data center switching, routing and analytics business has been finalized. Broadcom Ltd. reached an agreement to sell its Data Center Networking Business to Extreme in March of this year (see “Broadcom to sell Brocade Data Center Networking Business to Extreme Networks”). At that time, it was announced that Extreme Networks would pay $55 million in cash to Broadcom.
According to Extreme, its data center offerings are used by enterprises and service providers in the education, hospitality, healthcare, retail, transportation and logistics, government, and manufacturing industries. Upon closing of the acquisition, Extreme obtains customer relationships, personnel, and technology assets from Brocade, including the SLX, VDX, MLX, CES, CER, Workflow Composer, Automation Suites, and other data center products. The company anticipates service improvements as a result of the acquisition.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Life at the Edge Made Easy with Enea and Cavium
https://www.enea.com/globalassets/downloads/nfv-platforms/enea-nfv-access/solution-brief-life-at-the-edge-made-easy-with-enea-and-cavium
Service providers are turning to virtualization to overcome integration, management and service
quality challenges in their networks, and to achieve price and performance optimizations in a high
-
ly competitive marketplace. SDN and NFV bring a promise of new and smarter functionality that
service providers are eager to embrace, but the creation of virtualized environments is complex,
requiring infrastructure and software to be workload-optimized and to meet high industry require
-ments in terms of deployment and performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maximizing Agility at the Network Edge
https://www.enea.com/globalassets/downloads/nfv/whitepaper-maximizing-agility-at-the-network-edge.pdf
CREATI
N
G AGILE NETWORKS
:
BUSINESS NETWORKING
AND THE ADVANCE OF T
HE
CLOUDS
The industry’
s adoption of cloud
-
native designs is on
.
Cloud
-
native designs increase value by delivering
applications rapidly and lowering the cost of delivery using open technologies at every layer of
operation
,
from hardware to operating system and application softwa
re. In cloud
-
native designs the
path to a more fully connected world is
open
.
Delivering applications in a cloud
-
native world demands an agility in networking that has not been
available in the past. This is true in an expanding landscape of use cases, ext
ending beyond conventional
virtual private networks (V
PNs
)
(which remain important),
and
incorporating new architectures across
multiple clouds, and running applications in the Internet of Things in parallel with applications in the
Internet for people.
Th
ese developm
ents have stimulated efforts to bring new and forward
-
looking
virtualization and
software
-
driven functionality to networks to align them with the applications they support.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T Previews Edge Compute Plans
Server/storage pods target low latency apps
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332542
AT&T Labs has been quietly defining its concept of edge computers and is now slowly edging toward deploying them. Long term, the work has broad implications for the future design of both cloud and mobile systems.
AT&T defines edge compute as groups of servers and storage systems placed on the periphery of its network to deliver low latency services. It foresees a wide variety of such systems that vary in size and location depending on the application and demand.
“Edge compute is the next step in getting more out of our network, and we are busy putting together an edge computing architecture,” said Alicia Abella, a senior executive at AT&T Labs, in a keynote at the Fog World Congress here.
“We want to deploy edge compute nodes in mobile data centers, in buildings, at customers’ locations and in our central offices. Where it is…depends on where there is demand, where we have spectrum, we are developing methods for optimizing the locations,” she said.
The edge systems serve many uses. They aim to help AT&T reduce the volume of data it must carry to and from its core network. They also will enable higher quality for existing services and hopefully open the doors to new services as well.
One clear application is running video analytics for surveillance cameras. Such edge systems might use GPUs, FPGAs or other accelerators and be located in cities.
A more challenging use is handling jobs for automated vehicles because it would require a significant investment in roadside infrastructure but have an uncertain return-on-investment. Interestingly, AT&T now has 12 million smart cars on its network, a number growing by a million per quarter, she said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joan Lowy / Associated Press:
Sources: Trump admin quietly set aside Obama-proposed mandate requiring new cars to have wireless vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology
https://apnews.com/9a605019eeba4ad2934741091105de42
Tomi Engdahl says:
EXFO Debuts PON Power Meter
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2017/11/exfo-debuts-pon-power-meter.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-11-02
EXFO (NASDAQ:EXFO) has released its “PON-aware” passive optical network (PON) power meter. The PPM-350D PON Power Meter is designed to automatically detect and adapt test parameters for the PON technology in use at the customer premises. The new capabilities are intended to eliminate guesswork by field technicians during the service activation phase.
“With next-gen PON upgrades underway in every region, seamless upgrades require the overlaying of new wavelengths on existing fibers as operators combine existing PON with next-gen PON solutions,” said Julie Kunstler, principal analyst, Ovum’s Next-Gen Infrastructure Practice. “EXFO’s PON meter enables technicians to accurately test and thereby fix any customer connections during service activation for legacy and next-gen PON technologies such as GPON, EPON, XG-PON1, XGS-PON, 10G-EPON and NG-PON2, without needing to know an operator’s specific upgrade roadmap.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Infinera and Seaborn Set Subsea Industry Benchmark for Capacity-Reach with XTS-3300 on Seabras-1
https://www.infinera.com/infinera-seaborn-subsea-industry-benchmark-capacity-reach-xts-3300-seabras-1/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVdFek9ESm1OR1V6WXpVeSIsInQiOiJ3bUZ1QjVnWFFDbGM0SHhtSzQrdnZNQlwvTHEzZEFGMXAzVWk0eWFDdHg4YnpWcnI3b2gyb0RcL1MzMUJNQ2F0TmVhYU93TUVHSVp2MlZEUE9ZRld6SEpJUkdwYXBNeDFpaDBxVkFhVkZwK2ROdmFPM0ZacVFoOERYRVZzUVFvbitEIn0%3D
Sunnyvale, Calif. and Boston – September 20, 2017, 11:00 p.m. EDT – Infinera, a provider of Intelligent Transport Networks, and Seaborn Networks (Seaborn), a leading developer-owner-operator of submarine cable systems, announced the successful completion of a subsea field trial demonstrating the industry’s highest spectral efficiency on an ultra-long-haul subsea cable. The 8QAM trial demonstrated 4.5 bits per second per hertz on the Seabras-1 cable, owned and operated by Seaborn, with a distance of more than 10,500 kilometers (km), enabling up to 50 percent more capacity than systems without advanced coherent technologies such as Nyquist sub-carriers and SD-FEC gainsharing. This trial raises the bar for optical performance by delivering the industry’s highest spectral efficiency in a commercially shipping product.
Infinera and Seaborn validated the performance of the Infinera XTS-3300 meshponder featuring the Advanced Coherent Toolkit (ACT) on the Seabras-1 submarine cable, helping Seaborn to maximize the return on its cable assets.
The XTS-3300 is based on Infinera’s Infinite Capacity Engine 4 (ICE4) and is optimized for long-haul subsea applications.
Infinera Sets Two Industry-First Milestones for Optical Transport Technologies
https://www.infinera.com/infinera-sets-two-industry_first-milestones-optical-transport-technologies/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVdFek9ESm1OR1V6WXpVeSIsInQiOiJ3bUZ1QjVnWFFDbGM0SHhtSzQrdnZNQlwvTHEzZEFGMXAzVWk0eWFDdHg4YnpWcnI3b2gyb0RcL1MzMUJNQ2F0TmVhYU93TUVHSVp2MlZEUE9ZRld6SEpJUkdwYXBNeDFpaDBxVkFhVkZwK2ROdmFPM0ZacVFoOERYRVZzUVFvbitEIn0%3D
Sunnyvale, Calif., – October 19, 2017, 1:30 p.m. PDT – Infinera, the leading provider of Intelligent Transport Networks, achieved two industry-first milestones for advanced coherent technologies that increase the capacity and reach of optical transport networks to the next level. The first milestone drives optical transmission technologies to 100 gigabaud (GBaud), and the second milestone enhances modulation technology to 1024QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). These new technologies are designed to deliver the highest possible capacity on a single wavelength for varied distances, helping operators extract the best performance from their optical transport networks.
Optical transport networks are a critical component of the global communications infrastructure, enabling cloud-based services to reach users around the world, and rely on three axes for increasing transmission performance:
Baud rate: The rate at which modulation symbols are sent. The typical deployed baud rate is 32 GBaud with the quadrature phase shift keying modulation carrying 4 bits per baud, resulting in 100 gigabits per second of transmission. While industry opto-electronics are moving to 66 GBaud development demonstrations, Infinera is the first to showcase 100 GBaud using 32QAM to achieve a single-wavelength 1 terabit per second (Tb/s) data rate using multi-channel indium phosphide-based photonic integrated circuits (PICs) integrated with electronic driver and amplifier application-specific integrated circuits. This result was presented at the 2017 European Conference on Optical Communications (ECOC).
Modulation scheme: Converts the bits to symbols. At ECOC, Infinera showcased the higher-order modulation scheme of 1024QAM using advanced constellation shaping algorithms and Nyquist subcarriers, allowing wavelengths to be spaced close to each other to maximize the data rate for a certain reach. The Infinera test bed used 66 GBaud at 1024QAM to reach 1.32 Tb/s, yielding spectral efficiency of 9.35 bits per second per hertz over 400 kilometers (km), an industry first.
Channel count: Implements multiple parallel wavelengths on a single module to create a coherent super-channel. As baud rates increase, placing optical components closer together on an integrated chip reduces component size and power while increasing reliability.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Infinite Capacity Engine, a multi-terabit optical subsystem
https://www.infinera.com/technology/engine/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVdFek9ESm1OR1V6WXpVeSIsInQiOiJ3bUZ1QjVnWFFDbGM0SHhtSzQrdnZNQlwvTHEzZEFGMXAzVWk0eWFDdHg4YnpWcnI3b2gyb0RcL1MzMUJNQ2F0TmVhYU93TUVHSVp2MlZEUE9ZRld6SEpJUkdwYXBNeDFpaDBxVkFhVkZwK2ROdmFPM0ZacVFoOERYRVZzUVFvbitEIn0%3D#
Infinera’s new Infinite Capacity Engine, a multi-terabit optical subsystem, enables the next step function in optical wave division multiplexing (WDM) transport performance. Powered by the advanced electronics of Infinera’s next-generation FlexCoherent™ Processor and the cutting edge photonics of Infinera’s fourth generation of photonic integrated circuit (PIC), the Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine is the first in the industry to offer network operators the combined benefits of delivering optical super-channel capacity up to 2.4 terabits per second and reach up to 12,000 kilometers.
The Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine helps deliver the next generation of coherent optical innovations, such as:
Multi-terabit super-channels: enabling massive network scale with up to 12 times more capacity than other implementations
Sliceable photonics: tune and route any 100 gigabit per second (100G) wavelength within a super-channel or N x 100G super-channels in multiple separate directions, each with its own coherent modulation profile. Sliceable photonics reduce requirements for traffic modules in networks by up to 77% while delivering tremendous flexibility, resulting in up to 53% lower total cost of ownership (TCO)
Infinera Advanced Coherent Toolkit: featuring breakthrough technology innovations such as Nyquist subcarriers and SD-FEC gain sharing, delivering up to 60% more capacity-reach performance for submarine and terrestrial networks
Multi-terabit encryption: in-flight Layer 1 wire speed encryption, bigger than current industry solutions. Transparent encryption implemented per service or in bulk mode. It uses the strong 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) key and integrates hitless key exchange and cryptographic mechanisms, at the same time delivering 100% traffic throughput
The Infinite Capacity Engine powers Infinera Instant Network, a revolutionary approach to delivering software defined capacity (SDC) for cloud scale networks and building the necessary foundation for cognitive networking.
Infinera Instant Network
https://www.infinera.com/technology/instant-network/?mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWVdFek9ESm1OR1V6WXpVeSIsInQiOiJ3bUZ1QjVnWFFDbGM0SHhtSzQrdnZNQlwvTHEzZEFGMXAzVWk0eWFDdHg4YnpWcnI3b2gyb0RcL1MzMUJNQ2F0TmVhYU93TUVHSVp2MlZEUE9ZRld6SEpJUkdwYXBNeDFpaDBxVkFhVkZwK2ROdmFPM0ZacVFoOERYRVZzUVFvbitEIn0%3D
Infinera Instant Network amplifies the power of Infinera Instant Bandwidth – the industry’s first software defined capacity (SDC) solution – and is the next step on the path to cognitive networking. Instant Network shrinks the time to engineer and deploy optical capacity from months to minutes, reducing idle capital expenditures (CapEx) by activating SDC as revenue-generating services demand it and helping to reduce business risk by shrinking the time between paying for capacity and activating services. Instant Network enables service providers to accelerate service delivery and lower operational expenditures (OpEx) by automating optical capacity engineering and reducing truck rolls.
Instant Network Benefits to Network Operators
For transport network operators, Infinera Instant Network reduces CapEx and eliminates business risk associated with provisioning new capacity for emerging applications such as 5G mobile services, the Internet of Things, streaming video, Carrier Ethernet and cloud-based on-demand business services.
It reduces overprovisioning of capacity and idle CapEx by activating new capacity in minutes via software licenses as revenue-generating services demand it. Operators are invoiced only after capacity is deployed, helping to reduce business risk.
How Does Infinera Instant Network Work?
Instant Network combines Infinera’s leading-edge photonics with open software to automate optical capacity engineering. Platforms using Infinera’s 500 gigabit per second (500G) optical engine and up to 2.4 terabit per second (2.4T) Infinite Capacity Engine enable software defined capacity to be active as service demands request it, reducing idle CapEx and helping match the timing of capacity expense to service revenue. Instant Network amplifies the power of Infinera Instant Bandwidth by adding three new capabilities: Bandwidth License Pools, Moveable Licenses and Automated Capacity Engineering (ACE).
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Mobile Internet Is the Internet
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/17/11/02/0548202/the-mobile-internet-is-the-internet
Think back to the mobile phone you had in 2010. It could access the internet, but it wasn’t such a great experience. On average, people only spent 20% of their time online on their phones back then, according to Zenith, a media agency. Today, by contrast, we spend around 70% of our time on the internet on phones, based on estimates and forecasts for more than 50 countries covering two-thirds of the world’s population. By 2019, Zenith says this will rise to close to 80%. What used to be called “mobile internet” is now just the internet.
The mobile internet is the internet
https://qz.com/1116469/we-now-spend-70-of-time-online-on-our-phones/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Half of all internet traffic comes from bots
https://www.axios.com/half-internet-traffic-from-bots-2504285553.html
What’s the difference between “good” bots and “bad” bots? And why doesn’t Snapchat have a fake news problem? Here’s a quick guide to some of the discussions that might come up during the hearings this week.
More than half of internet traffic is bots. Bots have always played a major role in our internet ecosystem, although not all bots are bad. (Some, for example, are used to make our search experiences more accurate.) But the bots used to spread fake news are usually bad, and bad bots make up roughly 29% of internet traffic.
Accessibility attracts bots and fake accounts: Google, Facebook and Twitter want to make it easy for users all over the world to get on their platforms, because they believe in free speech and open access. But this level of openness means the barrier to entry on these platforms isn’t just low for users, but for bots and bad actors as well.
Bots are programmed to perform simple internet tasks repeatedly: You can program a bot to like, share, or comment on something. Fake news perpetrators create fake stories that are often amplified by a network of bots that automatically like, share or comment on the content. Algorithms elevate content that is popular, further amplifying the effect.
The Internet Research Agency is the source of many Russian bots: It employs a large staff to spread fake news and disinformation and has been using bots to spread Russian propaganda for years.
Bot Traffic Report 2016
https://www.incapsula.com/blog/bot-traffic-report-2016.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Did you know this? Data moves from F1 with wifi
The Formula 1 car runs fast and the data generated by its sensors is monitored in real time. But how can this data be transferred to real-time vario for analysis? Wifi technology, says an interesting article in Forbes magazine.
Forbes met representatives of the Mercede F1 team during the Austin race. The article discusses the fact that two different wifi technologies are actually used in the Mersun car: a standard 5 GHz connection and shorter connections to 60 GHz. WiGig technology.
On track, the car is connected to the cage with a 5 gigahertz wifi. However, this is not a technology that would be coming to the living room router at any speed. The car produces giant sensors during the race and it needs to be immediately analyzed.
When the car travels more than 300 kilometers per hour, the receiver must compensate for the variable doppler effect both when the car approaches and farther away. Mercedes does not reveal how far their wifi link is, but Forbes says “surprisingly far”.
When the car comes to a depot, a 60 gigahertic link will be alongside the 5 gigahertz connection. Through it, data can be passed 3-4 times faster.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7109-tiesitkoe-taetae-data-siirtyy-f1-autosta-wifillae
Tomi Engdahl says:
SoftBank increasing Sprint stake after T-Mobile deal called off
https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/05/softbank-increasing-sprint-stake-after-t-mobile-deal-called-off/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
The proposed tie-up between two American telecom giants was formally called off this weekend.
Sprint and T-Mobile had been negotiations for months but ultimately decided not to go forward with a deal.
“The companies were unable to find mutually agreeable terms,” the businesses announced in a joint press release Saturday.
Both Sprint and T-Mobile stocks traded down on the news.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wall Street Journal:
Sources: inability to agree on controlling stake, valuation, and fear of opposition from regulators doomed the T-Mobile Sprint merger — After months of talks, billionaire Masayoshi Son was unwilling to give up control of his U.S. wireless network — During months of merger talks …
The Inside Story of How the Sprint and T-Mobile Deal Collapsed, Again
https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-inside-story-of-how-the-sprint-and-t-mobile-deal-collapsed-again-1509838624
After months of talks, billionaire Masayoshi Son was unwilling to give up control of his U.S. wireless network
Tomi Engdahl says:
Elisa announced last week that she will be launching gigabit mobile connections in the center of Tampere and in the Helsinki corner store in Finland. Not many gigabit speeds can still be enjoyed, as gigabit data is currently receiving only one smartphone: Huawein Mate 10 Pro.
The Mate 10 Pro modem supports 3GPP class 18 LTE speeds. When the three carriers are connected to the link and the data is transmitted with 256 QAM-modulated 4×4 MIMO (with four antennas), theoretically it reaches 1.2 gigabits per second.
Sami Komulainen, Senior Vice President, Elisa Mobile Network Services, says that all gigabit connections are using Elisa’s all frequencies: 800, 1800, 2100 and 2600 megaherts. Of these, a total of 10 + 20 + 10 + 20 megaherts are available for the link.
- There are currently few alternatives in the market for gigabit speeds. Huawein Mate 10 Pro gets close to it. Early next year, users will have more choice, Komulainen says.
Next year, more frequencies will be allocated to operators in the 3.5GHz band, so the situation is improving again.
In practice, the situation for Finnish operators is that after 1-2 years, many people offer – albeit limited – gigabit mobile broadband for their users.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7111-elisan-gigabittiin-yltaeae-nyt-vain-yksi-puhelin
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chetan Sharma:
US mobile trends in Q3: 62% of carrier net-adds from IoT and cars, smartphone penetration at 92%, phone upgrade cycle at 3 years, data use to pass 6GB/mo in ’17
US Mobile Market Update – Q3 2017
http://www.chetansharma.com/us-mobile-market-update-q3-2017/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Amtrak HQ renovation employs passive optical LAN technology for long-term campus network connectivity
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/10/amtrak-hq-occ.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-11-06
Passive optical fiber networks (also known as PON, POL, GPON and OLAN) are widely recognized as a solution to eliminating data bottlenecks and to leverage a cabling infrastructure with unlimited bandwidth potential. They are also simpler, hence easier to configure and with a smaller in footprint. In addition, they are capable of protecting high-security communications through advanced data encryption. Plus, they provide major cost savings over traditional networks, are easily expandable, and are greener with significantly fewer energy and cooling/ventilation requirements.
“GPON is transforming the Amtrak IT ecosystem into a highly resilient and scalable network aligned with future technology objectives,” says Richard Thompson, director of network engineering at Amtrak.
After reviewing all major manufacturers, Reale and his colleagues determined that Optical Cable Corporation (OCC), pioneers in fiber-optic cable, could provide its newly released and UL listed Slimline Hybrid cable solution for the project within the strict timelines required. The solution Reale recommended for the new facility was a GPON (Gigabit-capable PON) fiber network, a high-speed version of basic PON that provides high-bandwidth in both directions (e.g. 2.48 GB/s of downstream and 1.24 GB/s upstream). GPON is a more robust form of increasingly popular PON networks (also known as POL, passive optical local area networks) that are composed of point-to-multipoint fiber conducted through unpowered (passive) optical splitters.
“This GPON solution is truly cutting edge,” Reale explains. “We use cable containing a single strand of single-mode fiber capable of providing hundreds of users’ unlimited bandwidth. People often think that fiber-optic cabling is fragile but it has a tensile strength almost three times that of traditional Category 6 copper cable, and it’s a fraction of the size and cost.” VT Group specified OCC’s ‘Bend Tolerant’ single-mode fiber cable which has a 1” bend radius.
Such passive networks enable enterprises to simultaneously converge multiple services such as data, VoIP (voice over internet protocol), video conferencing, building security, management services, and wireless devices – applications that are today choking many enterprises’ copper- or Ethernet-based telecommunications capabilities. In addition, similar to optical services such as Verizon’s FIOS, these networks can easily be expanded simply by adding nodes to a cable containing a single strand of fiber. For GPON solutions, the use of single-mode fiber (rather than multi-mode) fiber optic cable ensures that these networks will be able to handle future requirements easily with an unprecedented 100+ terabits of data transmission capability.
Power challenges
In the case of Amtrak HQ renovation, maximum uptime and reliability were of paramount importance. Because of this, a hybrid fiber/copper infrastructure was the solution.
While it is possible to incorporate copper wire into the same cable jacketing as the fiber, finding a manufacturer to supply the hybrid cable within a tight time frame can be an obstacle. In this case, the construction schedule was further tightened just before the cable was required to be installed. This put added pressure on VT Group to find a workable solution
The finished product is a single strand of bend-insensitive single-mode fiber that will provide unlimited bandwidth, plus two 18-gauge copper wires to carry electrical power to each work area outlet. The 18-gauge copper is slightly larger than today’s requirement, but was designed so that no matter what happens in the future, the conductors will be able to handle it. “If telecom technology keeps advancing at the rate it has, and we need to power something that exceeds the current Class 2 standard, this design will support it,” Reale explains.
Because of the inherent drop in voltage that occurs over copper wire, Reale’s team also incorporated digital electricity to enhance transmission performance. This emerging technology combines DC power and data into packets which are transmitted and received in a manner that is somewhat analogous to how information packets are conveyed over networks.
“Digital electricity allows us to push power out to much longer distances without having to plan for the normal voltage drop – and without having massive copper wire size,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finnish operator DNA is preparing for the growth of data volumes
Teleoperator DNA replaces network trunking with more efficient devices with multiple data transfer capacity. The growth of data traffic continues and the 5G’s rise in the mobile data growth curve, the company believes.
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/11/06/dna-valmistautuu-tiedonsiirtomaarien-kasvuun/
Tomi Engdahl says:
How a Tiny Error Shut Off the Internet for Parts of the US
https://www.wired.com/story/how-a-tiny-error-shut-off-the-internet-for-parts-of-the-us/
A year ago, a DDoS attack caused internet outages around the US by targeting the internet-infrastructure company Dyn, which provides Domain Name System services to look up web servers. Monday saw a nationwide series of outages as well, but with a more pedestrian cause: a misconfiguration at Level 3, an internet backbone company—and enterprise ISP—that underpins other big networks. Network analysts say that the misconfiguration was a routing issue that created a ripple effect, causing problems for companies like Comcast, Spectrum, Verizon, Cox, and RCN across the country.
Level 3, whose acquisition by CenturyLink closed recently, said in a statement to WIRED that it resolved the issue in about 90 minutes.
The misconfiguration was a “route leak,” according to Roland Dobbins, a principal engineer at the DDoS and network-security firm Arbor Networks, which monitors global internet operations. ISPs use “Autonomous Systems,” also known as ASes, to keep track of what IP addresses are on which networks, and route packets of data between them. They use the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) to establish and communicate routes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Outdated Firmware Processes are Costing Your Business
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/webcasts/2017/11/why-outdated-firmware-processes-are-costing-your-business.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-11-07
Upgrading firmware on gateways is time consuming and can introduce unexpected issues to customer services, however new firmware images are released on a weekly basis to add new functionality, patch security holes, increase stability, and improve broadband performance. How does your engineering and operations team determine if firmware updates are worth the hassle and risk of deployment?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open optical line system pros and cons at the Open Optical Conference
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/11/open-optical-line-system-pros-and-cons-at-the-open-optical-conference.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-11-07
Lightwave’s inaugural Open Optical Conference, held November 2 in Dallas, TX, illustrated the diversity of network operator requirements for open optical communications systems and an equally varied response set from vendors. Open optical line systems, likely the first area where open optical systems will make their mark in the evolution toward automated fiber network operation, dominated conversation at the event – and left attendees wondering if a common approach for the majority of requirements is possible in the near term.
A general agreement on the basic building blocks for open optical line systems emerged. The elements include WDM and/or ROADMs (the latter necessary for mesh network architectures), transponders, and amplifiers. Of course, the capabilities of these elements can vary widely; the eventual use of superchannels and Nyquist subcarriers to transmit coherent wavelengths of 400 Gbps and above will require that open line systems possess flex-grid capabilities, pointed out Jay Gill, principal product marketing manager at Infinera. Few open line systems currently possess such features currently, he added.
Nevertheless, open optical line systems are available for operators interested in working with them. They range from white box offerings such as those from Lumentum (cited several times during the day) and the Telecom Infra Project’s Voyager switch/transport hybrid platform to more proprietary, yet disaggregated ROADM offerings such as those from Ciena, Fujitsu Network Communications, and Nokia adapted for use within the OpenROADM multisource agreement (MSA; see “AT&T field tests Open ROADM technology”). Regardless of origin, these systems share open interfaces and that enable interworking with each other and with software-defined networking (SDN) controllers. The goal in many instances is to separate control from the hardware; Andrew Leong, network manager, optical engineering at Facebook, said his ideal is to see direct control of network elements from an SDN controller without having to work through an optical network management system as an intermediary.
However, despite the consensus on the points above, operators don’t agree on how they plan to implement such capabilities.
Glenn Wellbrock, director of optical transport network architecture, design, and planning at Verizon, delivered a list of questions regarding open optical line systems for which he has yet to hear satisfactory answers. The list includes:
Who becomes the system integrator? (Wellbrock said he has no interest in assuming this role.)
How much will the integrator charge?
How can open systems be cheaper when all the same elements are needed?
How can open systems be faster to market when third-party testing is required?
How would Verizon ensure interoperability and backward compatibility of all vendors?
What new functionality is being introduced or enabled via open systems?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mesh networking: setting up Google OnHub-based Wi-Fi
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4459046/Mesh-networking–setting-up-Google-OnHub-based-Wi-Fi
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connected Car Mandate Put on Hold, Report Says
http://www.mwrf.com/components/connected-car-mandate-put-hold-report-says?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20171107_MWRF-001_256&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=13914&utm_medium=email&elq2=fd8626ef0fd44d04932e0addace5acf0
The Trump administration may have shelved a mandate to require that cars share their location, speed, and other information wirelessly. The technology could detect when another vehicle brakes suddenly or speeds around a blind corner to warn the driver or avoid a collision.
The Associated Press reported on Wednesday that officials had stopped pursuing a rule that would require all news cars to be equipped with vehicle-to-vehicle communications, or V2V. The reversal would fit the Trump’s hostility toward regulations but endanger technology that transportation officials have said could prevent or mitigate four out of every five accidents not involving drugs or alcohol.
APNewsBreak: Gov’t won’t pursue talking car mandate
https://www.apnews.com/9a605019eeba4ad2934741091105de42/APNewsBreak:-Gov't-won't-pursue-talking-car-mandate
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has quietly set aside plans to require new cars to be able to wirelessly talk to each other, auto industry officials said, jeopardizing one of the most promising technologies for preventing traffic deaths.
The Obama administration proposed last December that all new cars and light trucks come equipped with technology known as vehicle-to-vehicle communications, or V2V.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has quietly set aside plans to require new cars to be able to wirelessly talk to each other, auto industry officials said, jeopardizing one of the most promising technologies for preventing traffic deaths.
The administration has decided not to pursue a final V2V mandate, said two auto industry officials who have spoken with White House and Transportation Department officials and two others whose organizations have spoken to the administration. The industry officials spoke on condition of anonymity so as not to jeopardize their relations with the administration.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Delivering Precise Synchronization over Optical Transport Networks
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/11/delivering-precise-synchronization-over-optical-transport-networks.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2017-11-07
The demand for network appliances to be interconnected at the lowest latency level and synchronized to sub-microsecond precision has never been higher. Such capabilities enable the most efficient consumption of resources by applications such as radio access networks (RANs) in a world that is increasingly relying on virtualization.
In fact, interconnecting RANs is one of the most challenging applications. To deliver the best user experience, it is fundamental that radio base stations are timed as accurately as possible. As networks evolve to 5G, aligning mobile cells by both frequency and time will be essential for high-speed transmission and reception of data between multiple base stations and mobile user devices. Operators typically find it difficult to attain accuracy in frequency and phase synchronization, which is mandatory for LTE-TDD and LTE-Advanced Pro technology. They also struggle to gain an understanding of how accurately master clocks are being tracked by slave clocks residing in base station devices.
To support data rates of up to 1 Gbps and make more effective use of the radio spectrum, it is critical that there is reliable and secure delivery of frequency and precise phase synchronization. A more efficient use of the radio spectrum is important, using it to send more information per transmission and more transmissions per spectrum and using the correct spectrum for the transmission.
Network operators are increasingly looking to technology that will future proof them as the evolution from 4G to 4.5G and ultimately 5G networks takes place. Additionally they are moving to make transport networks central to their infrastructure, and optical transport is becoming increasingly popular due to capacity demands.
To distribute accurate timing across the network, the importance of metro and regional networks, as well as optical and Optical Transport Network (OTN) network infrastructure, is growing.
How Can Precision Timing Be Achieved?
In distributed networks there are two ways to synchronize frequency and time to a sub-microsecond level.
One technique uses the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This method can supply a time signal accurate to better than 100 nsec. The applications being timed can recover precise timing information from GNSS receivers deployed at each location.
However, this will not be a common solution for much longer. GNSS-jamming devices have become increasingly available, posing serious risks to timing accuracy. Additionally, GNSS cannot meet highest availability, scalability, and minimum operational complexity requirements. The acquisition of roofing rights, deployment of hardware and dedicated cables, and operation of timing gear is costly and difficult and cannot be expanded to the hundreds of thousands of nodes that would be required.
The industry has chosen IEEE 1588-2008 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) to distribute timing with sub-microsecond accuracy over packet networks. PTP is based on the exchange of timestamped packets between a master and a slave clock. However, it remains essential that the underlying network experiences as little dynamic delay as possible; but this can be an ever-changing challenge.
What Will Happen to Optical Networks?
Current optical networks need to be augmented to enable transport of precise synchronization for all applications and ensure efficient consumption of resources, deliver a good consumer experience, and adhere to regulations. Existing OTN technology is asynchronous and therefore not well suited for the distribution of precise timing information when it comes to phase and time synchronization.
An optical timing channel for out-of-band transfer and time-sensitive OTN technology for in-band transportation of PTP data will provide network operators with a reliable basis for precision timing. Synchronization information can be sent across optical networks with maximum integrity and without the fluctuation dynamic delay asymmetries cause.
The precision of PTP can be further improved by strategically deploying boundary clocks at certain nodes to compensate for static link asymmetries. This strategy leads to intrinsically low delay asymmetries, as the functional blocks of DWDM network that are responsible for creating the asymmetry are completely bypassed.
How Can We Plan for OTN Buffer Delays?
Buffer-controlled OTN mapping can also be used to carry PTP signals while maintaining accuracy of time. Technology is now available that constantly monitors and averages buffer fill levels, unlike other conventional OTN mapping applications. This means slave clocks can recover the intended level of accuracy because dynamic node delays and latency asymmetries have been minimized.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stretchy Optical Fiber Captures Body Motion to Replace Sensors
https://www.designnews.com/materials-assembly/stretchy-optical-fiber-captures-body-motion-replace-sensors/180986203657759?ADTRK=UBM&elq_mid=1925&elq_cid=876648
Researchers in China have become the first to develop optical fiber that can sense a wide range of motion, paving the way for a strain-sensing fabric for sensing that can replace individual sensors in wearable tech and robots.
To stretch the fundamental limits of optical fiber—literally—Yang and the team fabricated a highly flexible and stretchable polymer optical fiber using PDMS, a soft and stretchable material commonly used for stretchable electronics. PDMS has a number of advantages for this application, in that it is thermally stable, chemically inert, and most importantly highly transparent in a wide spectral range, he said.
“In our previous work, we also demonstrated a highly stretchable and implantable hydrogel optical fiber that can hold strains up to 700 percent,” Yang explained. “However, as hydrogels are polymer networks infiltrated with water, the fiber can only be used in wet environments. When exposed to air, the drying of the fiber suffered from volume shrinkage and structural damage.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Market Drivers: New cloud-based applications such as IoT, NFV, XaaS, video and virtual reality are driving an insatiable demand for bandwidth across service provider subsea, long-haul terrestrial, metro and data center interconnect (DCI) networks
Migration to cloud scale architecture: ICPs are generating new traffic patterns in transport networks and driving new architectural principles such as disaggregation and openness, rich software programmability and new commercial models.
New simplified network model: Building cloud scale transport combining elephant traffic flows (point-to-point Nx100G) and mice flows (mesh-oriented sub-100G). On-demand software defined capacity (SDC), automated optical engineering and a pay-after-you-deploy model, all supported via a rich set of SDN controls and unique hardware innovations.
Source: https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1148520&sti=ema
Tomi Engdahl says:
GIGABYTE’s GC-AQC107 10G Ethernet PCIe Card Launched and Listed
by Anton Shilov on November 9, 2017 4:00 PM EST
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12015/gigabytes-gcaqc107-10g-ethernet-pcie-card-launched-and-listed
GIGABYTE has added the GC-AQC107 10 GbE PCIe card it demonstrated early this year at CES to the list of products on its website. The product is also listed on both Amazon US and Amazon UK but is currently unavailable. When the network card is released, GIGABYTE will be the third company to offer a 10 GbE NIC based on an Aquantia chip.
The GIGABYTE GC-AQC107, powered by the Aquantia AQtion AQC107 controller, supports 100M, 1G, 2.5G, 5G and 10G networking standards over CAT5e or CAT6/6a cables and RJ45 connectors (depending on the distance). The card resembles Aquantia’s reference design, so it is not considerably different from 10 GbE boards from Aquantia itself.
The listing on the official website, as well as on Amazon, indicates that the GC-AQC107 will be available shortly. An important question surrounding the card is how much will it cost. Aquantia’s MSRP for its own AQN-107 card is $127, but ASUS charges $99 for its 10 GbE NIC based on the AQC107, so expect the GIGABYTE GC-AQC107 to cost between $99 and around $130.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Winning With Time Sensitive Networking (TSN)
At the annual IoTSWC award ceremony, the TSN Testbed for Flexible Manufacturing won the award for Best Testbed. The testbed has dozens of member companies, and is hosted by NI in the USA and Bosch in Germany. The selection committee had to consider 27 other testbeds managed by the IIC, so I’m sure pinpointing a winner was difficult. Congratulations to all the engineers who have spent so much of their time proving out TSN and ensuring interoperability between each other’s products!
Source: https://semiengineering.com/meanwhile-back-in-barcelona/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bulgin Components Standard Buccaneer Connectors
https://www.onlinecomponents.com/featured/bulgin-components-126/bulgin-components-standard-buccaneer-connectors?id=264
Tried and tested, the Standard Buccaneer is one of our most popular waterproof connectors in the industry today. IP68 and IP69K rated, these environmentally sealed power connectors have been designed into a wide range of markets such as Industrial, Automotive and Marine, setting the gold standard for dust and waterproof circular connectors.
IP68 rating tested at 1.054kg/sq cm (15lb/sq in) 10m depth for 2 weeks and 9.84kg/sq cm (140lb/sq in) 100m depth for 12 hours
IP69K, Tested in accordance with DIN 40050/Part 9 IP6k9k
Water and dustproof to IP68 when mated
2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 12 and 25 pole
- can also fit inside connector protection shell other connectors like RJ-45, USB etc…
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kim Tingley / New York Times:
Semi-autonomous vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure tech struggles to draw attention away from independent, fully autonomous
solutions like Waymo’s
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/09/magazine/tech-design-autonomous-future-cars-v2v-traffic-peloton.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connectors: Not just schematic symbols
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/the-emc-blog/4458990/Connectors–Not-just-schematic-symbols
According to Brench, EMI is low on the priority list when it comes to high-speed system design. He listed typical design priorities:
Signal integrity
Manufacturing
Cost
EMI
Brench started by explaining that when data rates exceed 20 Gbps (10 GHz clocks), as they do at 28 Gbps NRZ and 56 Gbps PAM4 (14 GHz clocks), EMI became a problem because of the short wavelengths relative to connector size. Today’s backplane connectors designed to handle data rates of 56 Gbps have shields around each pair to minimize crosstalk. They are also made of lossy materials that absorb some radiated energy. “Plastics are not well behaved at high frequencies,” Brench noted. Thus, you can’t rely on them not to emit energy.
Connectors such as those in the SFP family have their own set of problems. They have active components such as transmitters and receivers. Their size can cover the wavelength of multiple bits. At frequencies over 5 GHz, a backplane connector can be one wavelength in size. Under those conditions, connectors become radiators
Even though the SFP family of connectors mount into shielded cages, they need EMI testing. “We have no control over what passes through the connectors,” said Brench. Unfortunately, frequencies in the range of 20 GHz to 30 GHz are in a transition area where enclosure shielding is no longer practical because of thermal issues. “When data rates exceed 30 Gbps,” noted Brench in a slide, “EMI must be considered in backplane connectors and measurement now go to 70 GHz. Connectors are no longer points on a schematic.”
Front-panel connectors such as SFP and its derivatives contain active components that are inherently radiators of RF energy. In addition, they generate heat that must be managed.
Even when connectors and cable have been tested and emit acceptable amounts of RF energy, thermal management often requires network equipment such as server and switch blades to have openings for ventilation. Such opening can let RF energy out or in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Drivers For I/O
https://semiengineering.com/new-drivers-for-io/
Mobile phones are no longer driving I/O standards. Emerging industries take up the lead and idea sharing will help everybody.
Interface standards are on a tear, and new markets are pushing the standards in several directions at the same time. The result could be a lot more innovation and some updates in areas that looked to be well established.
Traditionally, this has been a sleepy and predictable part of the industry with standards bodies producing updates to their interfaces at a reasonable rate. Getting data into and out of a chip used to be considered a mundane necessity, which is why most companies willingly handed over this task to the IP industry.
Interface standards are all about interoperability. “Standardizing chip interfaces has benefited the semiconductor industry as it allowed individual chip companies to develop devices that interoperate with other chips on a PCB,” says Ravi Thummarukudy, CEO for Mobiveil. “Many of these standards started as shared parallel architectures but quickly moved to high-speed serial point-to-point technology in last 15 years or so.”
Standards usually are created for good reasons. “There is not always a close correlation between what might have driven a standard or when it came out and when it was deployed,” warns Dave Wiens, product line manager at Mentor, a Siemens Business. “We were hearing about DDR4, but it took a few years before there was much traction. We still have people using DDR2. There is always a ripple effect in deployment.”
New drivers
End markets drive the requirements for standards. “Today, the buzzwords in the industry include big data analytics, machine learning, automotive, and IoT,” says Nandra. “They all require chips to support those markets. We see chips being developed in leading edge technologies for machine learning and a huge number of multi-core devices that need cache coherency both at the memory and I/O level. These end markets drive the need for much faster interconnect or lower power interconnect or even more challenging – faster interconnects with lower power.”
This is especially evident in data centers. “If you look at the 10G space, it had a very long run,” says Rishi Chugh, senior product marketing group director in the IP Group of Cadence. “It was the predominant standard from 2000 until 2010. Then around 2010 we saw 100G introduced as a derivative of 10G where people used 10 x 10. When 40G became possible, the transition happened very rapidly. We went to 4 x 25 in 2014. Today we are talking about single lane 100G for 2018. It will not be mainstream for awhile, but we can expect to see pilot programs. So, in four years we have made three transitions.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Take Notice of IEEE 802.11ax
This white paper answers a number of questions concerning the new IEEE 802.11ax standard.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/take-notice-ieee-80211ax?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20171114_MWRF-001_571&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=14051&utm_medium=email&elq2=20283a51facc49bc8fb5ebd5682ebc5c
The new IEEE 802.11ax standard promises to significantly improve the performance of Wi-Fi networks. But what are these improvements? And will IEEE 802.11ax really be a significant upgrade over IEEE 802.11ac? These topics are discussed in a new white paper from Qorvo titled “Wi-Fi .11 AX – What’s It All About?”
The white paper explains that performance and range are two significant factors associated with Wi-Fi, with performance essentially being data rates.
According to the white paper, the goal of IEEE 802.11ax is not necessarily higher data rates. Rather the objective is to use as many channels as possible in the 2.4- or 5-GHz band—at the same moment in the same area.
“Wi-Fi .11 AX – What’s It All About?”
http://www.qorvo.com/resources/d/qorvo-wifi-80211ax-whats-it-all-about-white-paper
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oh, No! Not Another IIoT Wireless Technology
802.16s: a superior option for the Industrial Internet of Things.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/oh-no-not-another-iiot-wireless-technology?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20171114_MWRF-001_571&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=14051&utm_medium=email&elq2=20283a51facc49bc8fb5ebd5682ebc5c
There are dozens of wireless technology options for the Internet of Things (IoT), but only a few offer the broad coverage, increased security, and superior reliability that the industrial sector requires. The recently published standard from the IEEE designated 802.16s may be just the technology that some mission-critical users are demanding.
You may remember the 802.16 designation by its trade name, WiMAX.
This new standard was developed primarily for electric utilities with input from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the Utilities Technology Council (UTC), and the WiMAX Forum. One application is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) backhaul that handles smart meter traffic from remote concentrators back to a central office. Electric substation data acquisition is another use. The standard also works with SCADA systems.
The standard also addresses other serious applications such as oil and gas pipelines, water and gas utilities, nuclear facilities, rail transportation, environmental monitoring, military, and homeland security. Aside from its superior benefits of security and reliability, the standard permits the network to be fully disconnected and separated from the public internet.
The 802.16s standard is based essentially upon the specifications of the older WiMAX 802.16e version. It uses OFDMA and time division duplexing (TDD) that does not require the paired spectrum of FDD LTE. It is designed to work at lower data rates using channel bandwidths from 100 kHz to 1.25 MHz. Modulation can be BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, or 64QAM, but an adaptive modulation and coding scheme lets the system optimize the throughput depending upon local conditions. Encryption is the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). Other features include a longer frame size to increase throughput, as well as a way to adjust the asymmetrical downlink (DL) to uplink (UL) ratio to optimize throughput for some common asymmetrical industrial applications.
While the original 802.16 standard was designed to be used in the 2 to 66 GHz range, the 802.16s version is adjusted to work at much lower frequencies since utilities and other industrial users do not typically have access to more the widely used broadband spectrum. But the utilities and other industries do have allocations for their own licensed spectrum. Some examples are 217-218 MHz, 406 MHz, 901 MHz, 1.4 GHz, or 3.65 GHz. The upper A block of the 700 MHz spectrum is also available.
The utilities simply wanted their own standard and did not want to rely upon standard cellular IoT carriers for their critical infrastructure.
One company making 802.16s gear is Full Spectrum, using its patented software-defined radio (SDR) technology. The firm’s FullMAX radios work on all licensed frequencies below 1 GHz, featuring high transmit power and software-configurable channel sizes from 50 kHz to 5 MHz.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data Centre Arrow Networks
Crap London broadband gets the sewer treatment
Oh rats! SSE inks deal to run fibre through Thames Water’s subterranean empire
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/14/sse_deal_to_run_fibre_in_sewers/
London’s Victorian sewer network is to be made accessible to fibre cables under a deal between SSE Enterprise Telecoms and Thames Water.
The agreement means SSE has managed to circumnavigate any reliance on BT’s Openreach network, having said it has been frustrated by the slow progress made on opening up the former state monopoly’s “dark fibre” network.
Richard Hill, head of property at Thames Water, said: “Our Victorian sewers are already home to a number of pipes and cables belonging to other utility companies and we’re glad to also now be supporting SSE Enterprise Telecoms.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Euro telco standards wonks publish third iteration of open source orchestrator
ETSI goes MANO et MANO et MANO for better NFV
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/11/15/etsi_osm_three_release/
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has published the third release of OSM, its open source management and orchestration (MANO) stack for network function virtualisation.
Key features in this release include a new admin user security model, shared projects, and expanded service assurance and monitoring capabilities.
The role-based access model recognises that once it’s out of the laboratory, an orchestrator like ETSI’s MANO needs a team rather than an individual to run it.
The tool can automate tasks such as spinning up virtual network functions (VNFs); designing, deploying and shutting down network services; adding new data centres and more. To deal with this, admins can now define different roles mapped to these functions, with different privileges.
Shared projects in this release include another security-related access control concept.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Major fiber-optic stocks plunge on Oclaro’s China, data center weaknesses
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/11/major-fiber-optic-stocks-plunge-on-oclaro-s-china-data-center-weaknesses.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2017-11-14
As reported by Reinhardt Krause for Investor’s Business Daily, “Oclaro (OCLR) plunged on its December-quarter guidance, sending shares of fellow companies in the fiber-optic and optical space — Finisar (FNSR), Lumentum Holding (LITE) and NeoPhotonics (NPTN) — tumbling as well. Makers of optical devices have been pressured by slowing demand from China’s telecom gear makers and shifts in the data center market.
https://www.investors.com/news/technology/oclaro-china-data-center-weakness-shreds-optical-stocks/
Oclaro collapsed 25.7% to finish the regular trading session at 5.96 on the stock market today. Finisar plummeted 14.2% to 18.95. Acacia Communications (ACIA) plunged 9.9% to 39.10 in the regular session, then fell more than 5% after hours. Lumentum stumbled by nearly 7% to 58.85, despite expectations that Apple (AAPL) will order more 3D sensors from the company for the iPhone X