It’s always interesting (and dangerous) to lay out some predictions for the future of technology, so here are a few visions:
The exponential growth of broadband data is driving wireless (and wired) communications systems to more effectively use existing bandwidth. Mobile data traffic continues to grow, driven both by increased smartphone subscriptions and a continued increase in average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by more viewing of video content. Ericsson forecasts mobile video traffic to grow by around 50% annually through 2022, to account for nearly 75% of all mobile data traffic. Social networking is the second biggest data traffic type. To make effective use of the wireless channel, system operators are moving toward massive-MIMO, multi-antenna systems that transmit multiple wide-bandwidth data streams—geometrically adding to system complexity and power consumption. Total mobile data traffic is expected to grow at 45% CAGR to 2020.
5G cellular technology is still in development, and is far from ready in 2017. As international groups set 2020 deadline to agree on frequencies and standards for the new equipment, anything before that is pre-standard. Expect to see many 5G announcements that might not be what 5G will actually be when standard is ready. The boldest statement is that Nokia & KT plan 2017 launch of world’s first mobile 5G network in South Korea in 2017: commercial trial system to operate in the 28GHz band. Wireless spectrum above 5 GHz will generate solutions for a massive increase in bandwidth and also for a latency of less than 1 ms.
CableLabs is working toward standardization of an AP Coordination protocol to improve In-Home WiFi as one access point (AP) for WiFi often is not enough to allow for reliable connection and ubiquitous speed to multiple devices throughout a large home. The hope is that something will be seen mid-2017. A mesh AP network is a self-healing, self-forming, self-optimizing network of mesh access points (MAPs).
There will be more and more Gigabit Internet connections in 2017. Gigabit Internet is Accelerating on All Fronts. Until recently, FTTH has been the dominant technology for gigabit. Some of the common options available now include fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 over cable’s HFC plant, G.Fast over telco DSL networks, 5G cellular, and fiber-to-the-building coupled with point-to-point wireless. AT&T recently launched its AT&T Fiber gigabit service. Cable’s DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 are cheaper and less disruptive than FTTH in that they do not require a rip-and-replace of the existing outside plant. DOCSIS 3.1, which has just begun to be deployed at scale, is designed to deliver up to 10 Gbps downstream Internet speeds over existing HFC networks (most deployments to date have featured 1 Gbps speeds). G.Fast is just beginning to come online with a few deployments (typically 500 meters or less distance at MDU). 5G cellular technology is still in development, and standards for it do not yet exist. Another promising wireless technology for delivering gigabit speeds is point-to-point millimeter wave, which uses spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz.
There are also some trials for 10 Gbit/s: For example Altice USA (Euronext:ATC) announced plans to build a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its U.S. footprint. The five-year deployment plan is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Interest to use TV white space increases in 2017 in USA. The major factors driving the growth of the market include providing low-cost broadband to remote and non-line-of-sight regions. Rural Internet access market is expected to grow at a significant rate between 2016 and 2022. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global TV white space market was valued at $1.2 million in 2015 and is expected to reach approximately $53.1 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 74.30% during the forecast period.
The rapid growth of the internet and cloud computing has resulted in bandwidth requirements for data center network. This is in turn expected to increase the demand for optical interconnects in the next-generation data center networks.
Open Ethernet networking platforms will make a noticeable impact in 2017. The availability of full featured, high performance and cost effective open switching platforms combined with open network operating systems such as Cumulus Networks, Microsoft SoNIC, and OpenSwitch will finally see significant volume uptake in 2017.
Network becomes more and more software controlled in 2017.NFV and SDN Will Mature as Automated Networks will become Production systems. Over the next five years, nearly 60 percent of hyperscale facilities are expected to deploy SDN and/or NFV solutions. IoT will force SDN adoption into Campus Networks.
SDN implementations are increasingly taking a platform approach with plug and play support for any VNF, topology, and analytics that are instrumented and automated. Some companies are discovering the security benefits of SDN – virtual segmentation and automation. The importance of specific SDN protocols (OpenFlow, OVSDB, NetConf, etc.) will diminish as many universes of SDN/NFV will solidify into standard models. More vendors are opening up their SDN platforms to third-party VNFs. In Linux based systems eBPF and XDP are delivering flexibility, scale, security, and performance for a broad set of functions beyond networking without bypassing the kernel.
For year 2016 it was predicted that gigabit ethernet sales start to decline as the needle moving away from 1 Gigabit Ethernet towards faster standards (2.5 or 5.0 or 10Gbps; Nbase-T is basically underclocked 10Gbase-T running at 2.5 or 5.0Gbps instead of 10Gbps). I have not yet seen the result from this prediction, but that does not stop from making new ones. So I expect that 10GbE sales will peak in 2017 and start a steady decline after 2017 as it is starts being pushed aside by 25, 50, and 100GbE in data center applications. 25Gbit/s Ethernet is available now from all of the major server vendors. 25 can start to become the new 10 as it offers 2.5x the throughput and only a modest price premium over 10Gbit/s.
100G and 400G Ethernet will still have some implementation challenges in 2017. Data-center customers are demanding a steep downward trajectory in the cost of 100G pluggable transceivers, but existing 100G module multi-source agreements (MSAs) such as PSM4 and CWDM4 have limited capacity for cost reduction due to the cost of the fiber (PSM4) and the large number of components (both PSM4 and CWDM4). It seems that dual-lambda PAM4 and existing 100G Ethernet (100GE) solutions such as PSM4 and CWDM4 will not be able to achieve the overall cost reductions demanded by data-center customers. At OFC 2016, AppliedMicro showcased the world’s first 100G PAM4 single-wavelength solution for 100G and 400G Ethernet. We might be able to see see 400GE in the second half of 2017 or the early part of 2018.
As the shift to the cloud is accelerating in 2017, the traffic routed through cloud-based data centers is expected to quadruple in the next four years according to the results of the sixth annual Global Cloud Index published by Cisco. Public cloud is growing faster than private cloud. An estimated 68 percent of cloud workloads will be deployed in public cloud data centers by 2020, up from 49 percent in 2015. According to Cisco, hyperscale data centers will account for 47 percent of global server fleet and support 53 percent of all data center traffic by 2020.
The modular data center market has experienced a high growth and adoption rate in the last few years, and is anticipated to experience more of this trend in years to come. Those data centers are typically built using standard 20 ft. container module or standard 40 ft. container module. Modular data center market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 24.1% during period 2016 – 2025, to account for US$ 22.41 billion in 2025. Also in 2017 the first cracks will start to appear in Intel’s vaunted CPU dominance.
The future of network neutrality is unsure in 2017 as the Senate failed to reconfirm Democratic pro-net neutrality FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, portending new Trump era leadership and agenda Net neutrality faces extinction under Trump. Also one of Trump’s advisers on FCC, Mark Jamison, argued last month that the agency should only regulate radio spectrum licenses, scale back all other functions. When Chairman Tom Wheeler, the current head of the FCC, steps down, Republicans will hold a majority.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Virtual Probes for NFVI Monitoring
https://builders.intel.com/docs/networkbuilders/virtual_probes_for_nfvi_monitoring.pdf
Operators worldwide are seeking to “software-ize”their networks to capture cost savings from commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and gain operational agility from the move
to automated cloud infrastructure. The intent is to make networks better able to adapt to
changes in the online services market and to equip operators to more quickly seize com-
mercial opportunities as they arise.
The network functions virtualization (NFV) initiative led by the European Telecommunica-
tions Standards Institute (ETSI) has served to catalyze this transition to software-based
networks and provides a globally recognized architectural template. The NFV model com-
prises three main elements: NFV infrastructure (NFVI), virtual net work functions
(VNFs) and a management and orchestration (MANO) suite. These elements work together to provide
network services.
This white paper argues that in next-generation, NFV-based networks, the ability to monitor
traffic and service performance is critical and should be available across both physical inter-
faces and virtual interfaces.
The paper discusses how monitoring should be integrated with the NFVI and makes the case
for a virtual probe (vProbe) function to be deployed between virtual network elements. This monitoring capability should offer standard application programming interfaces (APIs), supporting real-time online and offline views to higher-level analytics and management functions.
As networks transition to software and NFV, it is clear that monitoring solutions must adapt
in tandem.
In many senses, NFV moves responsibility for service continuity away from the network
function itself into the MANO and NFVI–that is to say, into the network cloud platform.
Classical physical appliances are designed with built-in redundancy at the line card and
chassis level, and are then deployed in redundant configuration (1+1 or N+1) in the network.
This helps to ensure failover and continuous operation of the network service.
This works well,but is expensive and hard to adapt to changing circumstances
The NFV model moves some (but not all) of the responsibility for failover to the cloud platform. The intent is that the redundancy and resiliency are inherent to the platform so that operators no longer need to spend as much on redundant equipment
Meanwhile, the NFVI (a.k.a. the NFV cloud platform) must monitor the performance of the
infrastructure to enable scaling out of VNFs, and associated virtual machines (VMs)
or containers, according to demand, or to recover in the event of failure. Essentially, NFV apes the
model used by hyper-scale cloud providers, which has been shown to offer high-reliability services using low-reliability components.
The development of monitoring tools has not kept pace with the vision that NFV will under-pin critical telecom services. This poses a serious risk to the timetable of NFV itself. Without effective monitoring ,
the NFVI platform cannot be expected to run mission-critical networks.
Virtual probes (vProbes) integrated with the NFVI are an important part of the solution to this.
CONCLUSION
In next-generation, NFV-based networks, the ability to monitor traffic and services is critical.
This is driving the need for a vProbe function. These software probes can be embedded in
the NFVI to monitor traffic between virtual network elements and pass this data to higher level analytics and management functions.This type of monitoring provides visibility into inter-VM traffic
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to Make Sense Of the IEEE Std 802.3bj-2014 Alphabet Soup
https://www.designnews.com/electronics-test/how-make-sense-ieee-std-8023bj-2014-alphabet-soup/3757131256496?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170404
IEEE Standard 802.3bj-2014 can be confusing. Here’s a table from 100Gb/s Backplane and Copper Task Force along with some other insights that may help clear up some of the confusion.
100GBASE-CR4: 100 Gb/s transmission using 100GBASE-R encoding and Clause 91 RS-FEC over four lanes of shielded balanced copper cabling, with reach up to at least 5 m
100GBASE-KP4: 100 Gb/s transmission using 100GBASE-R encoding, Clause 91 RS-FEC, and 4-level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of an electrical back-plane, with a total insertion loss of up to 33 dB at 7 GHz
100GBASE-KR4: 100 Gb/s transmission using 100GBASE-R encoding, Clause 91 RS-FEC, and 2-level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of an electrical back-plane, with a total insertion loss of up to 35 dB at 12.9 GHz
Tomi Engdahl says:
Web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee slams UK and US net plans
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39490324
The web’s creator has attacked any UK plans to weaken encryption and promised to battle any moves by the Trump administration to weaken net neutrality.
Sir Tim Berners-Lee was speaking to the BBC following the news that he has been given the Turing Award.
It is sometimes known as the Nobel Prize of computing.
Sir Tim said moves to undermine encryption would be a “bad idea” and represent a massive security breach.
Sir Tim also criticised moves by legislators on both sides of the Atlantic, which he sees as an assault on the privacy of web users. He attacked the UK’s recent Investigatory Powers Act, which he had criticised when it went through Parliament: “The idea that all ISPs should be required to spy on citizens and hold the data for six months is appalling.”
In the United States he is concerned that the principle of net neutrality, which treats all internet traffic equally, could be watered down by the Trump administration and the Federal Communications Commission.
“If the FCC does move to reduce net neutrality I will fight it as hard as I can,” he vowed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
802.11ax: Not just another higher data rate
http://www.edn.com/design/test-and-measurement/4458212/802-11ax–Not-just-another-higher-data-rate?_mc=sm_edn&hootPostID=0eeeb5029bf4f60aa062c2a6dbb6b258
802.11ax, the next-generation WLAN standard, promises greater capacity and more robust data transmission than previous Wi-Fi standards. It represents the most fundamental change in Wi-Fi operation since 802.11n
802.11ax borrows heavily from LTE, utilizing technology proven in cellular networks to increase system capacity by as much as ten times more users for the same spectrum. Thus, there are many new system aspects in 802.11ax requiring validation that have been unknown in the Wi-Fi community.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Calls for Switch Chip API
Ethernet switches lack common interface
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331556&
A Google executive called for a common API to swap Ethernet switches in and out of networks as easily as a new server. The interface could pave the way for an emerging crop of Ethernet chips that aim to disrupt Broadcom’s dominance in the sector.
“Right now there’s no standard API for switches so when plug in a new switch, we do that work ourselves,” said Amin Vahdat, technical lead for networking at Google, in an interview with EE Times at the Open Networking Summit.
The interface is just one of many missing puzzle pieces for Web giants and network operators migrating to software-defined networks (SDN). Google and AT&T both reported progress on their decade-long shift from networks based on ASICs and vendor-specific protocols to ones running functions in software on generic servers and switches.
The effort to plug a new switch into a data center network is “dramatically different” than inserting a new server, Vahdat told EE Times. “That really holds back the market,” he said, adding he hopes to rally a group of chip vendors and customers to define the new interface within a year.
Today, Broadcom’s chips are used in more than 90 percent of Ethernet switches. Cavium’s XPliant has gained design wins at Arista and Brocade, and AT&T announced it tested chips from startup Barefoot Networks among others. Meanwhile startup Innovium and Mediatek spin-out Nephos are vying for a slice of the market with established players including China’s Centec Networks, Marvell and Mellanox.
The rising competition is expected to drive down switch prices from recent highs of $60 per 100-Gbit/s port, or almost $2,000 per chip in 2016. But big users such as Google need a common API and test suite for qualifying the new switches.
“We want to support a range of switches, [but] now we have to do a fair amount of work to integrate [them],” Vahdat said.
In a keynote talk, Vahdat described Espresso, a peering network inside Google that runs on servers and switches rather than traditional routers. Espresso is now live in about 20 percent of Google’s 70-100 peering networks around the world.
“We removed the barriers of complexity, space, power and cost,” that come with traditional routers, Vahdat told EE Times. “Finding [switches] with enormous bandwidth [for that job] isn’t hard…and our cycle time [for delivering new features] is a small fraction of what it was,” he added.
Rather than a complex nest of peering connections between routers, Espresso implements a label-switching fabric controlled by servers and switches. It can handle larger forwarding tables by adding DRAM to servers. Some servers act as controllers giving a real-time view of global traffic conditions.
Far more than half of Google’s networks are now using some form of SDN, Vahdat told EE Times. Espresso is the fourth SDN implementation Google has disclosed to date.
AT&T hopes to run 55 percent of its network functions on SDN by the end of this year, said John Donovan, the company’s chief strategy officer, in a keynote here. That’s up from about 30 percent last year and just five percent two years ago.
The move to SDN is in large part a response to whopping 250,000 percent growth in AT&T’s mobile traffic in the decade since it embraced the Apple iPhone, said Andre Fuetsch, chief technology officer of AT&T.
“A hardware-centric approach [to operating the mobile net] wouldn’t cut it anymore,” said Fuetsch. “We realized shifting to software was the best bet to deal with shifting demands, we needed a new architecture and platform and there wasn’t anything off the shelf that fit, so we decided to build it ourselves,” he said.
The resulting Ecomp program made up of 8.5 million lines of code now handles 100 virtualized functions serving tens of millions of AT&T subscribers. Earlier this year, the operator made the code open source and contributed it to a group of vendors creating a shared software stack they call the open network automation platform or ONAP.
“Open hardware is important too,” said Fuetsch, announcing a trial of so-called white-box network switches and servers using chips from Broadcom, Intel and Barefoot Networks.
Fuetsch praised both the 6 Tbit/second aggregate bandwidth of the latest chips and their programmability. “Removing multivendor command-line interfaces and routing configurations that took months to test and getting packet-level visibility is like moving from X-rays to MRIs,” he said.
Incentives among operators and vendors are not aligned, network operators lack software resources and open source offerings disrupt traditional vendors, he warned. Today’s insufficient resources, skills and investments “can’t take [SDN] to real [broad] deployment,” he said.
Indeed, the the SDN movement is disrupting the dominance of traditional networking OEMs such as Cisco, Ericsson and Nokia that have a history of developing their systems based on their own ASICs and software stacks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Software Radio attracted a record sum of group financing
English Lime Microsystems has developed its own SDR- that is, the implementation of small base stations radioa software-based platform. LimeSDR gets flying start in the market, as Crowd Supply a record fast-million dollar pot.
Lime is its base, published April 27, commercially päivä.Alustalla can be performed with a normal base station and the mini version of that support virtually all mobile standards, the GSM to LTE.
The software-based radio has the advantage that it can be tuned in a variety of IoT radios such as Lora and techniques for short-range radio (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, and RFID).
LimeNET platform is a system that allows developers to customize applications to bring virtually any wireless connection
Radio covers the region between 100 kHz and 3.8 GHz and 120 MHz allows the width of the channel link.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6132-ohjelmistoradio-kerasi-ennatyssumman-joukkorahoituksessa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Calls for Switch Chip API
Ethernet switches lack common interface
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331556&
A Google executive called for a common API to swap Ethernet switches in and out of networks as easily as a new server. The interface could pave the way for an emerging crop of Ethernet chips that aim to disrupt Broadcom’s dominance in the sector.
“Right now there’s no standard API for switches so when plug in a new switch, we do that work ourselves,” said Amin Vahdat, technical lead for networking at Google, in an interview with EE Times at the Open Networking Summit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Finding Ways to Test Massive MIMO 5G
http://mwrf.com/systems/finding-ways-test-massive-mimo-5g?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170406_MWRF-001_874&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10506&utm_medium=email&elq2=af5b24c660f545a7a057326636053af7
Measuring the massive MIMO antenna arrays to be used with 5G cellular base stations poses many challenges for test facilities.
One of the technologies seen as a key for optimizing the spectral efficiency of 5G networks is massive multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antenna arrays. But before 5G standards are established and base stations are constructed, wireless network operators must determine an effective way to perform over-the-air (OTA) testing of massive MIMO base stations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fast 5G networks provide security – including a robot cars
In the future, 5G networks will bring vehicle positioning in addition to a whole new set of services that do not require a motorist driving time to act. Collecting data and sending alerts automatically.
VTT is coordinating action in reducing road accidents 5G-Safe project.
” Current automotive driver assistance systems rely mainly on vision, which car sensors provide. 5G and short-range radios bring the car to the power of speech and hearing, raising their capability to another level compared to current cars, “says project manager Tiia Ojanperä VTT.
VTT is coordinating action in reducing road accidents 5G-Safe project, where the development of new vehicle networking solutions and related services are. Current driver support systems are based on the sense of sight, but the future will bring 5G robot cars also speech, and hearing.
- 5G technology will be the cornerstones of a robot, for example, the interaction between cars, where the Finnish ICT sector companies have significant export potential. 5G and short-range radios bring the car to the power of speech and hearing, raising their capability compared to current cars to another level, says project manager Tiia Ojanperä VTT.
New services do not require a motorist driving-term actions, but collection and sending warnings to users of data are carried out automatically.
- About cars being collected sensor and video data based, large-scale deployment of real-time services to enable next-generation 5G mobile network technology, as well as optimal collection and dissemination of knowledge in support of new solutions, says Ojanperä.
Besides VTT, the project’s research partners are Destia, the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s commercial services, Kaltio, SITO, Information and Unikie.
Sources:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6138-5g-tuo-kuuloaistin-robottiautoille
http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/04/07/nopeat-5g-verkot-tuovat-turvaa-myos-robottiautoihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tony Romm / Recode:NEW!
Source: Internet Association, which represents Facebook, Google, Twitter, others, will meet with FCC’s Ajit Pai next week to discuss net neutrality rule changes — Some in Silicon Valley fear the draft blueprint from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai lacks teeth. — A short-lived ceasefire over net neutrality is quickly coming to an end.
The tech industry is already rebelling against the FCC’s latest plan for net neutrality
Some in Silicon Valley fear the draft blueprint from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai lacks teeth.
https://www.recode.net/2017/4/7/15220838/net-neutrality-draft-proposal-fcc-ajit-pai-open-internet
A short-lived ceasefire over net neutrality is quickly coming to an end.
Silicon Valley is already rebelling against a plan by Republican FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that would cancel the government’s net neutrality rules — and perhaps leave it to telecom giants like AT&T and Comcast to decide whether to adhere to open internet principles.
Under Pai’s early blueprint, internet providers could be encouraged to commit in writing that they won’t slow down or block internet traffic. If they break that promise, they could be penalized by another agency, the Federal Trade Commission, which can take action whenever companies deceive consumers, sources confirmed to Recode.
ohn D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal:
Sources: FCC Chairman tells trade groups of plans to update net neutrality rules created under Obama, wants to keep basic principles but move enforcement to FTC — Republican could make his plans public as soon as this month —
FCC Chief Ajit Pai Develops Plans to Roll Back Net Neutrality Rules
Republican could make his plans public as soon as this month
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-chief-ajit-pai-develops-plans-to-roll-back-net-neutrality-rules-1491527590
Tomi Engdahl says:
David Shepardson / Reuters:
Sources: FCC Chairman tells trade groups of plans to update net neutrality rules created under Obama, wants to keep basic principles but move enforcement to FTC — The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is moving quickly to replace the Obama administration’s landmark net neutrality rules …
U.S. FCC chairman plans fast-track repeal of net neutrality: sources
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-internet-idUSKBN1790AP
The chairman of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission is moving quickly to replace the Obama administration’s landmark net neutrality rules and wants internet service providers to voluntarily agree to maintain an open internet
The FCC declined to comment but Pai previously said he is committed to ensuring an open internet but feels net neutrality was a mistake.
As part of that change, the FCC reclassified internet service providers much like utilities.
Pai wants to overturn that reclassification, but wants internet providers to voluntarily agree to not obstruct or slow consumer access to web content, two officials said late Tuesday.
Internet providers like AT&T Inc, Verizon Communications Inc and Comcast Corp have argued net neutrality rules would make it harder to manage internet traffic and investment in additional capacity less likely. Websites worry that without the rules they might lose access to customers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Finns demoed a new kind of radio network – Award snapped
Centria University of Applied Sciences was held in Baltimore featured IEEE International Symposium on Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks, DySPAN 2017 event. Centrialaiset demoed together with VTT and the University of Oulu CWC’s with a new type of 3.5-gigahertz Citisen Band type network structure.
Finnish tCore ++ project was included in DySPAN 2017 conference. Centria “The First End-to-End Live Trial of CBRS with Carrier Aggregation Using 3.5 GHz LTE Equipment” solution includes demos of the test was located in Ylivieska network. The demonstration utilized manufactured by Nokia base stations.
During the demonstration, was introduced in the United States developed the 3.5 GHz Citizen’s Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) frequency spectrum sharing concept.
The experiment was divided into varying levels of network capacity among the classified categories of users, as well as test the functioning of the prioritization of the spectrum.
“Best Demo Award”.
User groups are classified into three levels, the solution of which the first level is the frequency of the owners, a second step is licensed users, and the final level is the so-called. opportunistic user layer, which has to go around all the other users. They are all who use certified CBRS-terminal.
Web users are grouped into the solution so that the frequency of the owners of the top-level users with higher priority to use other frequencies. The available frequency range of the network is distributed among the lower-level users. If the higher-level users to the network is detected, will be the lower-level users to release the upper frequency range.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/04/10/suomalaiset-demosivat-uudenlaista-radioverkkoa-palkinto-napsahti/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aaron Pressman / Fortune:
AT&T to acquire wireless carrier Straight Path in $1.6B deal for its spectrum, ahead of 5G push, paying almost 3x Straight Path’s stock price
AT&T Agreed to Pay Almost Triple the Stock Price of This Wireless Carrier
http://fortune.com/2017/04/10/att-acquiring-straight-path-5g/
AT&T just settled the Wall Street debate over the value of high bandwidth airwave rights suitable for super-fast next generation wireless networks.
Shares of tiny wireless startup Straight Path Communications, which owns a boatload of airwave rights in the 39 GHz and 28 GHz bands, have bounced around from $15 to $50 over the past year and closed at $36.48 on Friday. On Monday, AT&T announced an all-stock deal to acquire Straight Path for $95.63 per share.
That’s great news for Straight Path shareholders and a potential disaster for investors that bet against the company by selling the shares short.
The deal will give AT&T a major boost in its effort to build 5G wireless networks using high bandwidth airwaves, as Straight Path (strp, +150.03%) owns spectrum licenses covering the entire country in the 39 GHz band and additional licenses for the 28 GHz band.
With all of Straight Path’s licenses, AT&T could more easily offer a wireless TV service nationwide in addition to faster service for mobile devices
The Straight Path move follows AT&T’s (t, -0.49%) deal to acquire smaller license holder FiberTower and Verizon’s (vz, -0.32%) arrangement last year to lease similar airwave rights from XO Communications. Dish Network (dish, +1.90%) swapped some assets with Echostar in January, including four 28 GHz licenses. At the same time, Google (googl, +0.08%) has plans to expand its Fiber gigabit Internet service using Webpass, the high-band spectrum service it acquired last year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi router became a decorative element
Wi-Fi routers, a big change happened in the last year. Until that time devices were sold only at higher data rates. Now, routers appearance has become a powerful factor in the purchase decision.
When you had to cover a larger frequency range, and a number of channels, it usually means big ugly antennas contraption. Google and many other equipment manufacturer began last year to provide a mesh-type of a Wi-Fi network, where the contact is awarded every side of the remote base stations to home.
Such remote base stations can no longer be ugly, as does the open spot placed in the central router either. For manufacturers this is more suitable as well, as a shaped mesh network solution may be sold at a higher price significantly.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6157-huomasitko-wifi-reitittimesta-tuli-sisustuselementti
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia will accelerate fiber of more than 100 gigabits
Nokia and Australian operator nbn have tested the Nokia NG-PON fiber solution at Nokia Melbourne laboratory. The tests also achieved in data transmission in a single fiber link 102 gigabits per second rate.
NG-PON refers to a technique in which the various techniques of fiber may be combined in one and the same link. The test Nokia combined 40 Gbps symmetric TWDM link, XGS 10 Gbps symmetric link the old and 2.5 Gbps GPON link to the same fiber.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6156-nokian-kiihdyttaa-kuidun-yli-100-gigabittiin
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC Kills Plan To Allow Mobile Phone Conversations On Flights
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/17/04/10/1957250/fcc-kills-plan-to-allow-mobile-phone-conversations-on-flights
On Monday, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission killed a plan to allow mobile phone calls during commercial airline flights. Since 2013, the FCC and the Federal Aviation Administration have considered allowing airline passengers to talk on the phones during flights, although the FAA also proposed rules requiring airlines to give passengers notice if they planned to allow phone calls.
US FCC kills plan to allow mobile phone conversations on flights
The FCC’s chairman reverses course on a 2013 plan to allow you to place phone calls during flights.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/3188638/mobile/us-fcc-kills-plan-to-allow-mobile-phone-conversations-on-flights.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
ESP32 WiFi Hits 10km with a Little Help
http://hackaday.com/2017/04/11/esp32-wifi-hits-10km-with-a-little-help/
[Jeija] was playing with some ESP32s and in true hacker fashion, he wondered how far he could pull them apart and still get data flowing. His video answer to that question covers the Friis equation and has a lot of good examples of using the equation, decibels, and even a practical example that covers about 10km.
Of course, to get that kind of range you need a directional antenna. To avoid violating regulations that control transmit power, he’s using the antenna on the receiving end. That also means he had to hack the ESP32 WiFi stack to make the device listen only on one side.
Of course, antennas are nothing new–look at all the Pringle can antennas we’ve seen in the past. However, the use of a long range receive-only module is interesting and we can see this technique having applications to remote drone video or telemetry and — of course — wardriving.
Send arbitrary IEEE 802.11 frames with Espressif’s ESP32
https://github.com/Jeija/esp32free80211
Tomi Engdahl says:
The use of mobile data would seem to reduce the use of traditional voice and communication services. The biggest change is reflected in the number of text messages, which fell by about 12 per cent in Finland. Last year, each Finn still be sent to the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority continues to 38 text messages per month.
Mobile calls in 2016 called Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority statistics show that less than four hours Finns per month, which is almost the same as in the previous year.
SMS decline is mainly due to whatup-instant messaging, text messaging, but still is considered by many as the call after the surest way to reach the recipient’s attention.
Finns use of broadband services to more and more and more and faster network access
During the year 2016 the amount of transferred data in mobile networks increased by 69 per cent.
Mobile data is already transferred about 16 gigabytes per month for each Finn. In 2016, already 61 per cent of mobile subscriptions could be used for broadband fixed monthly fee with no restrictions on the amount of data transfer.
The number of fixed broadband subscriptions will remain stable. At the end of the year in Finland was 1.71 million fixed network broadband subscriptions, which is about one per cent lower than a year earlier.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/04/10/tekstiviestit-hiipuvat-data-voittaa/
More: https://www.viestintavirasto.fi/tilastotjatutkimukset.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Broadband providers almost double prices after deals end
Punters paying an average £113/year once promo finishes
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/11/broadband_providers_almost_double_prices_after_deals_end/
Sneaky broadband providers are enticing punters with cheap deals only to whack them with a 43 per cent hike once the offer runs out, according to the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Customers on the cheapest basic broadband deals are hit with an average price rise of £113 a year once their deal ends, with many unaware they face an increase in cost, according to the CAB.
More than one-third of customers don’t realise they could face price hikes by staying on the same contract with their provider after their initial deal ends.
“Loyal broadband customers are being stung by big price rises once their fixed deal ends.
Tomi Engdahl says:
nbn™ trials 10 Gbps fibre tech most of you will never see
With Australians flocking to fast broadband, the digital divide’s going to keep widening
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/10/nbn_trials_10_gbps_fibre_tech_most_of_you_will_never_see/
Nokia seems to believe in the future of fibre: it’s run a test with nbn™ demonstrating next-generation passive optical networking (NG-PON) running at 10 Gbps.
If it looks like mixed messaging to you, you’re probably not alone, since under current plans, the only households able to run any kind of PON are the those who already have fibre to the premises (FTTP).
The science project was announced by Nokia yesterday.
The media release touts an aggregate throughput of 102 Gbps, but that’s probably misleading to the inexpert reader.
Nokia and nbn Australia explore ultra-broadband future with successful next-generation fiber trial
http://www.nokia.com/en_int/news/releases/2017/04/10/nokia-and-nbn-australia-explore-ultra-broadband-future-with-successful-next-generation-fiber-trial
nbn was able to trial the different PON technologies using Nokia’s universal next-generation PON solution. This included:
TWDM-PON with 40Gbps symmetrical
XGS-PON with 10Gbps symmetrical
GPON with 2.5Gbps
Collectively, the technologies delivered download and upload speeds of more than 102Gbps aggregate over a single shared access fiber.
The successful test of TWDM-PON and XGS-PON is the latest in a number of trials nbn has conducted with Nokia across fiber and copper, including XG-FAST.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Platinum Tools introducing Kevlar scissors and 5-in-1 fiber stripper tool
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/03/platinum-tools-kevlar-scissors-fiber-stripper.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-11
two new hand tools for fiber-optic termination: the 5-in-1 Fiber Optic Stripper and a set of Fiber Optic Kevlar Scissors. The fiber stripper tool is called 5-in-1 because it features a five-cavity design that allows it to be used with a multitude of fiber-optic cables.
The 5-in-1 fiber stripper’s five-cavity design “ensures all cavities are precision set and no adjustments are required,” Platinum Tools said, adding that the tool also features cushion grip handles. “It comes in a red/black body, is 7 inches long, weighs just 4.59 ounces and strips 2.8-3.0 mm outside jacket, 2.0-3.0mm loose-tube fiber, 2.0-2.4 mm outside jacket, 900-micron buffer, 250-micron acrylate coating,” the company added. The MSRP is $21.95.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Berk‐Tek’s new OSP cables extend Cat 6A and Enhanced Cat 6 performance to outdoor environments
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/04/berktek-osp-6a.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-11
Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company, an expert provider of network infrastructure solutions, has announced the release of two new Outside Plant (OSP) cables. With the addition of its Category 6A LANmark-10G OSP and Enhanced Category 6 LANmark-1000 OSP cabling products to its LAN portfolio, Berk-Tek says it can now support Category 5e through Category 6A outside plant and building-to-building copper cabling requirements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Transition Networks to display alternative cabling, power products for security, surveillance at ISC West
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/03/transition-isc-west.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-11
During the conference, Transition Networks will participate in the Security Industry Association’s (SIA) New Product Showcase (NPS), where it will highlight its Ethernet Over 2-Wire Extender With PoE+ solution. GlenNiece Kutsch, product manager with Transition Networks, along with Dennis Troxel, principal sales engineer, will present a brief demonstration of the product to a panel of industry expert judges. The new product, by Transition Networks, extends Ethernet networks at near Gigabit speeds and provides power to security cameras, wireless access points, and other IP devices at distances beyond the typical 100m Ethernet cable limitation.
In addition to the Ethernet Over 2-Wire Extender With PoE+, the company will also showcase its Ethernet Over Coax Extender With PoE+, which reduces cost and accelerates time to service by utilizing existing coaxial cabling infrastructure to connect and power IP devices, such as in analog to IP surveillance camera upgrades.
Security and surveillance equipment is becoming increasingly more sophisticated and legacy cabling or power infrastructure can make implementation of these innovative solutions costly and time consuming,” said GlenNiece Kutsch. “We’ve designed a variety of PoE+ extenders and switches to overcome those challenges so that security integrators can quickly and cost-effectively implement these solutions without installing new power runs and while maximizing the value of existing cabling infrastructure.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel’s networks exec likes drones for 5G wireless tower inspections
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/03/intel-s-networks-exec-likes-drones-for-5g-wireless-tower-inspections.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-11
“The ability to actually create a wireless network out of drones that are hovering over that area and creating that connectivity I think is a very interesting use case as well,” said Sandra Rivera, VP and GM of Intel’s Network Platforms Group. “Drones are a very exciting area.”
[Significantly], Intel is now heavily involved in the SDN/NFV world. When asked if it’s possible to get to 5G without those components, Rivera said from a cost effectiveness perspective, it’s not really feasible to go to 5G without SDN and NFV.
Tomi Engdahl says:
John D. McKinnon / Wall Street Journal:
If Ajit Pai moves too fast to roll back net neutrality, he risks a tough court fight; if he goes too slowly, protests could grow as midterm elections near
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai Faces Balancing Act in Net Neutrality Rollback
Moving too fast to kill Obama-era rules risks a court fight, but going too slowly is politically fraught
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-faces-balancing-act-in-net-neutrality-rollback-1492340400
Tomi Engdahl says:
Calix AXOS DPx Connector links access network SDN to existing DOCSIS environments
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/04/calix-axos-dpx-connector-links-access-network-sdn-to-existing-docsis-environments.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-04-13
Broadband access network technology vendor Calix, Inc. (NYSE: CALX) has unveiled AXOS DPx Connector, which enables cable operators to deploy software-defined network (SDN) capabilities in their access networks without disrupting their current DOCSIS back office environment. The DOCSIS virtualized network function (VNF), which is based on a container-based microservices architecture, offers an evolutionary path toward a full SDN roll out via support of NETCONF interfaces and standards-based YANG models as well.
The software-based DPx Connector acts as a translation layer between current DOCSIS back office systems and Calix’s AXOS software-defined access operating system. Cable operators can use the DPx Connector to enable the benefits of AXOS SDN-based platform and service management and provisioning on a market-by-market basis or as part of an overall SDN evolution strategy. In the case of EPON or GPON deployments, DPx is compatible with DOCSIS Provisioning of EPON and GPON (DPoE/DPoG) environments. AXOS and the DPx Connector work well with Calix’s PON gear, including the E3-2 Intelligent PON Node, but also with other open, SDN-friendly systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mouser – Single port Ethernet transceivers offer low-power and small form-factor (Microsemi VSC8530XMW-03)
http://www.electropages.com/2017/04/mouser-single-port-ethernet-transceivers-offer-low-power-small-form-factor/?utm_campaign=2017-04-18-Electropages&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=article&utm_content=Mouser+-+Single+port+Ethernet+transceivers+offer+low-power+and+small+form-factor
Available now from Mouser, Microsemi’s single port Ethernet transceivers are low-power, small form-factor Cu PHY with IEEE 802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE). The transceivers are available in a small 6mm x 6mm or 8mm x 8mm single row QFN package. The transceivers feature Wake-on-LAN which offers widest I/O LVCMOS support.
The VSC8540XMV-03, VSC8541XMV, and VSC8541XMV-03 single port Ethernet transceivers have a recovered clock output for synchronous Ethernet applications. The programmable clock squelch control is included in restraining unwanted clocks from propagating and to help prevent timing loops. VSC8540-03 and VSC8541XMV also includes Fast Link Failure 2.0 indication for high availability networks. The transceivers add a programmable threshold for applications where warning of even a probable link drop must be known at the microsecond level (<10μs).
Tomi Engdahl says:
What’s in a Name? Sorting Out the Alphabet Soup of 3GPP Cellular Naming Conventions
https://www.digi.com/blog/cellular/whats-in-a-name-sorting-out-the-alphabet-soup-of-3gpp-cellular-naming-conventions/
The 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) is a global consortium of various telecommunications associations. In the late 1990s, the 3GPP was organized to establish 3G cellular specifications based on evolved Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specifications within the scope of the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 project of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Since then the scope of 3GPP standards have expanded to cover 4G LTE and evolving standards like LTE Cat 3, LTE Cat 4 and LTE Cat 1. Carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Vodafone are rapidly rolling out networks for LTE-M and NB-IoT.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Virtual PCIe Delivers A “Shift Left” In Software-Defined Networking Emulation
http://semiengineering.com/virtual-pcie-delivers-a-shift-left-in-software-defined-networking-emulation/
Methodologies for hardware-software co-verification and accelerated virtual emulation.
This paper reviews both SW and UVM Vector Based Verification (VBV) methodologies and Advanced Vector Based Verification (AVBV) that uses Software Defined Networking (SDN) HW to service PCIe transactions to the DUT. When deploying VBV methodologies, using the Veloce Transactor Library (VTL) family of components is most appropriate for UVM, C++ and SDK testbench methodologies.
We explore how VirtuaLAB PCIe and Ethernet Virtual Machines (VM) work together, how they compete for host resources and how VMs address the big device management channel requirements for HW and SW co-verification in Veloce emulation. We also discussed how VMs achieve greater functional coverage using a SDN SW High Availability (HA) test case example.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video CDN: Build or Buy?
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/04/video-cdn-build-or-buy.html?cmpid=enl_btr_btrvideotechnology_2017-04-17
Once upon a time, content delivery networks (CDNs) were put in place to remotely deliver software updates to computers. But now they’re relied on to distribute Internet-delivered video services from some of the world’s biggest content owners. CDNs have quickly become essential to the growth of a business.
Renting space on a CDN is the fastest way to get up and running, delivering TV services to today’s more connected audiences. But content distributors will quickly reach a point where renting space becomes operationally and financially unsustainable and it begins to make sense for broadcasters or OTT providers to build a private CDN to deliver their own TV services.
For many content distributors, the hard part is identifying when this tipping point will occur.
If you’re using a rented CDN service, increasing usage to cope with the amount of bandwidth needed to deliver these formats will quickly become very expensive. When using a private delivery network, users can use all available bandwidth without needing to pay for any more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Media converters
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-25/issue-4/departments/product-focus/media-converters.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-17
Transition Networks’ Ethernet Over Coax Extenders with PoE+ are billed as a flexible and cost-effective way to extend Ethernet networks at near Gigabit speeds and provide full PoE+ power to security cameras, wireless access points or other IP devices using existing coaxial cabling infrastructure. The extenders work in pairs, with the local extender (EOCPSE4020-110) transmitting power and data over coax to the remote extender (EOCPD4020-110), which, in turn, provides data and power to the connected IP device. A 10/100/1000Base-T RJ-45 or 100/1000Base-X SFP combo port offers network connection flexibility, and near-Gigabit communication speeds provide sufficient bandwidth for many applications. According to the company, “The Ethernet Over Coax Extenders With PoE+ allow for quick and easy analog-to-IP security network upgrades using safety extra low voltage classification for power, avoiding the need to run new cabling or hire electricians to install new power at edge locations.”
https://www.transition.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T to acquire 5G millimeter wave infra specialist Straight Path Communications for $1.6B
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/at-t-to-acquire-5g-millimeter-wave-infra-specialist-straight-path-communications-for-1-6b.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-17
AT&T said on Monday it would buy Straight Path Communications, a holder of licenses to wireless spectrum, for $1.25 billion in an all-stock deal as it aims to accumulate the airwaves it needs for a next generation network. The deal shows how wireless carriers may be increasingly willing to pay lofty prices for assets that they view as critical to 5G, which is expected to boast higher speeds and more capacity. The network is widely considered to be a multibillion-dollar opportunity, and wireless carriers do not have many options in terms of acquisition targets that would give them the right type of spectrum for a next generation network. Straight Path is one of the largest holders of 28 GHz and 39 GHz millimeter wave spectrum used in mobile communications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SCTE: Cool Headends with Data Center Methods
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/04/scte-cool-headends-with-data-center-methods.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-04-18
According to a case study by the SCTE, cable operators can address headend cooling power consumption by utilizing lessons learned in data centers. The case study will be presented this week at an Energy 2020 plenary session hosted by the SCTE/ISBE.
Handling hot and cold air properly by preventing the two from mixing can significantly improve cooling efficiency
Tomi Engdahl says:
Compact Transmitter Module Targets 60-GHz Applications
http://mwrf.com/systems/compact-transmitter-module-targets-60-ghz-applications?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170418_MWRF-001_929&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10672&utm_medium=email&elq2=6a653a21842f4e96a403c579e80d0ae9
With the spotlight now shining squarely on the 60-GHz frequency range, circuit designers attempt to provide cost-effective transmitters and receivers for high-data-rate, short-range links.
The 60-GHz frequency band is viewed as a solution for “last-mile” wireless communications links as well as for short-range communications in potential fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks. Achieving such solutions will require cost-effective components at frequencies that were once considered for experimental or military purposes, or for such “exotic” applications as radio astronomy or vehicle collision-avoidance radar systems.
On that front, Pasternack Enterprises applied its experience in manufacturing millimeter-wave components to develop a family of millimeter-wave modules and components that can be combined to realize practical communications links at 60 GHz. The latest member of the product line is a compact transmitter module that provides generous output power from 57.0 to 64.8 GHz.
Millimeter-wave frequency bands such as 60 GHz offer wide bandwidths in support of high-data-rate communications. However, they are subject to considerably higher atmospheric attenuation compared to lower-frequency signals and thus are limited to short-distance applications.
The 60-GHz band was chosen by the Third Generation Partnership Project for use in the fifth generation of cellular and by the Wi-Fi Alliance (formerly Wi-Gig) that is championing a Wi-Fi standard called IEEE 802.11ad, which promises data rates greater than 1 Gb/s over short distances.
The model PEM010 is a waveguide transmitter module that is tunable across a frequency range of 57.0 to 64.8 GHz (Fig. 1). It provides +12 dBm output power at 1-dB compression across that frequency range, with saturated output-power levels slightly higher
The transmitter module is based on a double-conversion superheterodyne architecture
with a sliding intermediate frequency (IF) at one-seventh the carrier frequency.
The module uses silicon-germanium (SiGe) monolithic-microwave-integrated-circuit (MMIC) components for the power amplifier (PA) and frequency synthesizer
The transmitter’s voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) operates at two-sevenths the carrier frequency and the local oscillator (LO) at three times the VCO frequency. LO and IF generated by the synthesizer produce step sizes of 500 MHz or 540 MHz, depending on which of two reference clocks is used. The 540-MHz step size supports IEEE channels for 802.11ad wireless systems.
Inputs to the transmitter module can be either in-phase (I) and quadrature (Q) analog baseband signals or frequency-shift-keying (FSK) and minimum-shift-keying (MSK) modulated signals through different interfaces, which are upconverted to the IF at the input mixers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
802.11ax: Not just another higher data rate
http://www.edn.com/design/test-and-measurement/4458212/802-11ax–Not-just-another-higher-data-rate
802.11ax, the next-generation WLAN standard, promises greater capacity and more robust data transmission than previous Wi-Fi standards. It represents the most fundamental change in Wi-Fi operation since 802.11n, which first emerged in products in 2004 with the promise of 100 Mbits/s data speeds. 802.11ax is first and foremost designed to tackle the problem of network capacity, which has become a larger issue in dense environments such as airports, sporting events, and campuses.
802.11ax borrows heavily from LTE, utilizing technology proven in cellular networks to increase system capacity by as much as ten times more users for the same spectrum. Thus, there are many new system aspects in 802.11ax requiring validation that have been unknown in the Wi-Fi community.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cloud data center server power and optical transceivers: a dynamic duo
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4458098/Cloud-data-center-server-power-and-optical-transceivers–a-dynamic-duo
In my recent visit to Silicon Valley, I met with Maxim Integrated’s Vice President Dr. Craig Teuscher, and Bill Numann, Executive Director of the Cloud & Data Center solutions. Dr. Teuscher was a co-founder of Volterra, which Maxim Integrated purchased in 2013. Numann joined Volterra in 2000 and was a senior VP there. He ran the server, storage, and communications in 2012.
Optical solutions for the data center for 25, 40 and 100G
Data centers store and process data for users to access in real time; having high speed optical transceivers improves data center density.
Next-generation optical interconnects are driven by rapidly increasing data traffic in the cloud, for data center speeds 400 Gb/s and beyond. Transmission capacity will be achieved by combining higher channel rates and wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology. Although there is an urgent demand for higher transmission capacity, cost and power consumption of optical links need to be reduced.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Extreme picks up Brocade’s data center networking business for $55 million
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/03/extreme-picks-up-brocade-s-data-center-networking-business-for-55-million.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-12
“Communications chip maker Broadcom picked up Brocade in November for about $5.5 billion plus $400m of debt, but last month sold off its Wi-Fi division Ruckus Wireless for $800m to Arris International,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Axonom unveils Dynamic Wiring; software visually displays, connects, calculates cabling type, length for rack configurations, data center facility layouts
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/04/axonom-vr-software.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-12
At Data Center World 2017 (April 3-6) in Los Angeles, Axonom, a provider of visual configure-price-quote (CPQ) software, has unveiled its Powertrak Dynamic Wiring, a software automation platform for connecting complex wiring systems in racks and data center facility designs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FTB-4 Pro platform from EXFO enables comprehensive 100G testing
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/03/exfo-ftb-4-100g-testing-platform.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-12
EXFO Inc. recently launched the FTB-4 Pro platform, which it described as “the industry’s smallest platform for testing high-speed and optical networks.
“The deployment of 100G in key markets calls for comprehensive test solutions which are specifically designed to thoroughly test 100G links effectively and efficiently,” EXFO continued.
The 4-slot modular platform enables a combination of 100G commissioning, turn-up and troubleshooting, the company said, which includes the FTBx-88200NGE 100G Multiservice tester (with iOptics transceiver validation software) and the FTB-5240S-P optical spectrum analyzer. “There is no need to carry additional platforms or swap modules for unmatched transport and spectral testing on a single platform that no one in the industry can offer,” EXFO said.
The platform has a 10-inch, high-resolution screen display and operates on Microsoft Windows 10 OS with a QUAD core processor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SerDes Signal Integrity Challenges At 28Gbps And Beyond
http://semiengineering.com/serdes-signal-integrity-challenges-at-28gbps-and-beyond/
Challenges of designing high-speed SerDes, and the importance of detailed modeling and highly programmable circuits and debug interfaces.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building One 5G Wireless Standard to Rule Them All
http://mwrf.com/systems/building-one-5g-wireless-standard-rule-them-all?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170413_MWRF-001_361&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10622&utm_medium=email&elq2=b75296ce923f479f88c6b86c18b743e5
Tirelessly working through reams of documentation, the 3GPP marches onward to create a solitary standard for 5G communications.
A quick perusal of the internet will yield fascinating tales surrounding the standardization of Morse code, radio channels, distress signals, and spectrum management. Early standards arose from the predecessors of today’s ITU meetings, the results of which read remarkably like those created today.
From 2G forward, we had global standards for cellular communications. But we did not have the potential of a single standard until we reached 4G—and that convergence was forced to cower while the WiMAX/LTE duality threatened the peace of the mobile world for a few tense years.
The Standard Bearer
The 3GPP has been working for over a year to define a fifth-generation standard—the most ambitious development in communications since the advent of analog cellular. Gaining global alignment across all segments of our industry requires difficult technical work hashed out in long meetings, frustrating discussions, email rants, and legal battles. All of this is amongst a demographic of engineers and mathematicians, and our little technical club is not known for its smooth social skills.
Three technical specification groups exist within 3GPP, each responsible for several technical working groups that develop the details of the specifications. This means approximately 1,500 people in 20 committees meeting up to eight times annually who generate massive amounts of documentation distilled from tens of thousands of technical submissions.
The recent 3GPP decision to accelerate the standard comes after a yearlong argument. Without getting into details, this was driven by a discussion of the tradeoffs relating to enabling new business models, standards “fragmentation,” and the risk of a standard that falls too far short of the 5G vision originated in the ITU and now beautifully portrayed in every company’s 5G presentation.
The technical and commercial demands of creating and deploying these standards are monumental.
As a supplier of simulation, design, test, and measurement solutions, I admit that the past 20 years of fragmented standards have created wonderful business opportunities. It is thus difficult for me to find a neutral space. But while it will take a few years, I believe the market forces will drive a common standard to reality.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook Aims to Remake Telecom With Millimeter Waves and Tether-tennas
http://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/telecom/wireless/facebook-aims-to-remake-the-telecom-infrastructure-with-millimeter-waves-and-tethertennas
A world of millimeter-wave networks, laid out by computer, crisscrossing cities and into the stratosphere, where cell phone towers can be easily replaced by tethered autonomous copters—that’s the telecommunications infrastructure of the future. So says Facebook’s Yael Maguire, head of the company’s Connectivity Lab.
Speaking at Facebook’s F8 developer conference in San Jose today, Maguire said that Facebook is aiming to bring down the cost of connecting by an order of magnitude, working to develop the building blocks of more flexible and extensible networks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing Facebook’s new terrestrial connectivity systems — Terragraph and Project ARIES
https://code.facebook.com/posts/1072680049445290/introducing-facebook-s-new-terrestrial-connectivity-systems-terragraph-and-project-aries/
Slow internet speed is especially prevalent in developing economies where mobile networks are often unable to achieve data rates better than 2G. Developed economies are hampered by Wi-Fi and LTE infrastructure that is unable to keep up with the exponential growth in the consumption of photos and video at higher and higher resolutions.
solutions such as GPON optical fiber can provide 100s of megabits up to several gigabits of capacity, the high costs associated with laying the fiber makes the goal of ubiquitous gigabit citywide coverage unachievable and unaffordable for almost all countries.
Terragraph is a 60 GHz, multi-node wireless system focused on bringing high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas. Utilizing commercial off-the-shelf components and leveraging the cloud for intensive data processing, the Terragraph system is optimized for high-volume, low-cost production.
Although 60 GHz has traditionally been avoided due to its high absorption of oxygen and water, countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, China, South Korea, Japan, and others saw the benefit of making this part of the spectrum — also known as “V-band” — unlicensed, similar to the Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. Up to 7 GHz of bandwidth is available in the 60 GHz band
Terragraph’s wireless system consists of radios that are based on the WiGig standard and are designed for consumer electronics, which allowed us to create nodes that are inexpensive relative to traditional telecom infrastructure.
Given the limited range of the 60 GHz signal, these nodes are placed across a city at 200-250 meter intervals.
We implemented IPv6-only nodes, an SDN-like cloud compute controller, and a new modular routing protocol for fast route convergence and failure detection. We also re-architected the MAC layer to solve the shortcomings of TCP/IP over a wireless link
Tomi Engdahl says:
U.S. Biz Fiber Penetration Nears 50%
http://www.btreport.net/articles/2017/04/u-s-biz-fiber-penetration-nears-50.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2017-04-20
According to the Vertical Systems Group, the U.S. Fiber Gap continued to narrow in 2016 as business fiber penetration in commercial buildings grew to 49.6%. The figure is intended to quantify fiber-lit multi-tenant and company-owned buildings in the United States with 20 or more employees. The Fiber Gap, which refers to the remaining commercial buildings with no access to optical fiber facilities, has progressively dropped to 50.4% in 2016, down from nearly 90% in 2004.
Active optical fiber is the most widely deployed access technology for the delivery of Carrier Ethernet services in the United States. Fiber access is also preferred by service providers and business customers for higher speed dedicated connectivity to the Internet, cloud services, data centers, hybrid VPNs, and emerging SDN-enabled services.
“For 2017, network providers report that fiber footprint expansion is the top factor that will drive Carrier Ethernet growth and support rising demand for other gigabit-speed services.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Understanding SerDes Signal Integrity Challenges
http://semiengineering.com/understanding-serdes-signal-integrity-challenges/
Maintaining signal integrity is increasingly difficult as data rates move to 56Gbps and beyond.
Signal integrity (SI) can perhaps best be defined as a set of measures of the quality of electrical signals, which are subject to the effects of noise, distortion and loss. Additional signal integrity issues include jitter, ringing, crosstalk, ground bounce and power supply noise.
There are multiple factors that can negatively influence signal integrity, thereby causing errors and system failure. These include higher bit rates, extended distances and various materials. If not properly addressed during the design stage, signal integrity issues will likely cause products to become unreliable and malfunction in the field.
As such, signal integrity has become a critical aspect of the design process. No longer limited to passive interconnect modeling, SI models the entire link, including the transmitter, receiver, clock and channel. In turn, comprehensive link analysis influences a range of design architecture, including equalization, clock, timing calibration, as well as coding and/or error correction.
Perhaps not surprisingly, maintaining SerDes signal integrity has become increasingly difficult as data rates move past 28Gbps to 56Gbps and beyond. Up to 28Gbps rates, NRZ is the preferred and standardized encoding scheme which consists of 1’s and 0’s. NRZ is also referred to as PAM2 (pulse amplitude modulation, 2-level), due to its two amplitude levels which contain 1 bit of information in every symbol.
After nearly fifty years, NRZ technology continues to pose significant challenges for SerDes designers.
With serial data rates hitting 56Gbps per channel, signal impairments caused by increased bandwidth has prompted the high-speed serial data industry to adopt PAM4, or 4-level pulse amplitude modulation.
Compared to PAM2/NRZ, PAM4 cuts the bandwidth for a given data rate in half by transmitting two bits in each symbol. This allows engineers to double the bit rate in the channel without doubling the required bandwidth.
As with NRZ, PAM4 signals are also affected by jitter, channel loss and inter-symbol interference. In addition, measurements for the three eyes are further complicated by new receiver behavior, such as three slicer thresholds, individual slicer timing skew, equalization and clock and data recovery. Moreover, moving to 56G PAM4 immediately causes a loss of 9.6 dB, although there is still a demand for 30 dB+ reach for these systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is link training and when should I use it?
http://www.edn.com/design/analog/4458265/What-is-link-training-and-when-should-I-use-it-
If you develop wired communications or networking systems using Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Infiniband, or Serial Attached Small Computer System Interface (SAS), you probably are aware of link training. If not, link training is a process by which the transmitter and receiver on a high-speed serial link communicate with each other in order to tune their equalization settings. In theory, link training enables automatic tuning of the finite impulse response (FIR) filter for each channel in an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) to achieve the desired bit error rate (BER).
Many systems are designed to bypass link training, especially since it is optional in some of the newer standards like 25GbE and 50GbE from the 25 Gigabit Ethernet Consortium. In addition, many commercially available serializers/deserializers (SerDes) implement link training in such a way that, well, not a whole lot of “training” is actually taking place.
First, here’s a brief overview of how link training works.
1. Determine the appropriate link speed. In Ethernet, this is a process where each device sends a list of its data-rate capabilities to its link partner. Once both devices receive their link partner’s capability list, they transition to the highest common data rate.
2. Train the link. During this step, the link is operating at the speed agreed upon in step No. 1. LT generally involves these steps:
The receiver examines the eye after applying equalization to the signal. A figure of merit (FoM) such as eye height and/or eye width quantifies how good or bad the signal is.
The receiver makes a decision to terminate link training because the eye is good enough, or keeps training to optimize the eye further. If the receiver decides to terminate, link training is complete.
If the receiver requests that its link partner transmitter change the precursor, main cursor or post-cursor equalization setting, the eye examination process begins again.
3. Transmit normal data traffic. After the link is trained, the two devices begin sending normal data traffic using the optimized transmitter settings.
Pros and cons
The intention of link training is to reduce the system-level challenge of tuning settings for every channel configuration (long, medium, short). By allowing the receiver to tell its link partner transmitter what settings to use, the goal is to eliminate the need for channel-specific tuning. In some cases, link training accomplishes this goal. In other cases, link training introduces a couple of noteworthy problems, such as:
Repeatability of the link training result. Trained FIR values vary from one iteration of training to the next. Once link training completes, the FIR setting is fixed until the link goes down.
Nondeterministic link-up time. If a receiver is not satisfied with the signal quality, it can continue requesting FIR changes for an indeterminate length of time. Eventually, link training will time out. Multiple attempts of train/timeout/re-train can lead to link-up time varying across links and across systems.
Since 10 Gbps/lane was first introduced in 2009, SerDes receivers have come a long way in terms of their self-adaptive equalization circuits, namely continuous time linear equalizers (CTLEs) and decision feedback equalizers (DFEs). Most commercially available SerDes receivers can automatically adapt to channels with a wide range of insertion loss: from 35 dB.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet cuts automation hardware, labor costs, errors
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/ethernet-cuts-automation-hardware-labor-costs-errors/61811a126aa7aa791d800e1e11e43922.html
Think Again about digital networks: A redesigned automated industrial process with the goal of improving safety and efficiency saved $106,654 in hardware, design, and installation costs by using an industrial Ethernet protocol instead of hard wiring, not counting a two-thirds reduction in potential errors or other project benefits.
Using an industrial Ethernet protocol saved money for industrial system project design, installation, and hardware costs, according to Mike Prokop, CMSE, LSO (certified machinery safety expert via TUV NORD, laser safety officer) and chief electrical engineer at Taylor Winfield Technologies Inc. Among those Prokop worked with on the project was Nick Maillis, electrical engineer, programmer, and co-worker on an industrial process redesign that included 2,700 hazards to mitigate. Prokop described the effort and quantified benefits associated with the efforts as saving $106,654 in hardware, design, and installation costs by using an industrial Ethernet protocol compared to hardwiring. He explained in a presentation at the 2016 General Assembly Meeting for PI North America in September 2016. The savings quantified in the presentation doesn’t include the savings related to a two-thirds reduction in potential errors or other project benefits.
Automated system components
The system uses a failsafe PLC, six enclosures, input/output (I/O) modules, light curtains, non-contact coded magnet safety switches, and safety input modules for zone isolation.
Twenty pushbutton stations have guardlocking; E-stops and interlocks are used with an industrial safety Ethernet network. Three human-machine interface panels are connected via industrial Ethernet; another connects via a related industrial network as a smart client-server, server which connects to a mobile device providing status of consumables, order processing, and alarms.
Thirty variable frequency drives (VFDs) are used, providing standard control over industrial Ethernet. Two industrial Ethernet-enabled laser distance sensors replace encoders on the rail.
Seven robots are controlled via industrial Ethernet for job calls, enabled signals, tooling signals and control, “Removing the need for I/O in a robot controller, which would have been a nightmare,” Prokop said.
Safety communication devices communicate from the primary failsafe PLC to two failsafe PLCs and with 5 slave machine PLCs over industrial Ethernet.
Detailed savings analysis and tables were produced comparing hard-wired costs to use of industrial Ethernet, looking at wiring, safety relays, I/O connections, hardware, and labor, producing more than $106,000 in savings, not counting the cost of potential errors avoided with 1,146 connections with a digital network versus 3,795 with hardwiring, eliminating the need to look for broken wires.
After arrival of the system in 13 semi-trailers, installation took the anticipated three weeks
Tomi Engdahl says:
Federal Spectrum Auction Opens 70 Megahertz for Mobile Broadband
http://mwrf.com/software/federal-spectrum-auction-opens-70-megahertz-mobile-broadband?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170420_MWRF-001_20&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10706&utm_medium=email&elq2=3f7c30f9a64a4463a623ad17190b77ef
Federal officials announced last week that a recent auction of television spectrum had repurposed 70 megahertz for mobile and broadband applications. Wireless carriers spent $19.8 billion to license the 600 MHz spectrum, which has better range and penetration than many other bands, while 14 MHz will remain unlicensed.
The Federal Communications Commission started the auction last year, breaking it into two phases. The reverse auction set prices at which television broadcasters would voluntarily sell their spectrum rights, which wireless carriers bid on during a forward auction. The new licensed spectrum will supplement the higher frequency bands that the telecom agency has authorized for 5G.
The FCC said that the 70 MHz is the most mobile broadband spectrum ever auctioned below 1 gigahertz. The boldest bidders were T-Mobile, which paid around $8 billion for 45% of the spectrum, and Dish Network, whose $6.2 billion in bids returned a quarter of the licenses. Verizon didn’t participate, while AT&T placed few bids.
Last July, agency officials voted unanimously on rules that freed up nearly 11 GHz of millimeter wave spectrum above 28 GHz. The rule also opened unlicensed spectrum between the 64 GHz and 71 GHz bands.
Wireless carriers are also using other tactics to break into higher bands. Last week, AT&T bought Straight Path Communications, one of the largest holders of 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands that have been approved under the recent federal rules. That $1.6 billion purchase built on its acquisition of FiberTower, which owns licenses in the millimeter wave 24 GHz and 39 GHz bands.
The FCC is paying out over $10 billion of the auction proceeds to the 175 broadcasters that agreed to relinquish their spectrum rights, having the airwaves repackaged for mobile broadband.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How AT&T Is Taking Millimeter Wave Channel Measurements
http://mwrf.com/software/how-att-taking-millimeter-wave-channel-measurements?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170420_MWRF-001_20&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10706&utm_medium=email&elq2=3f7c30f9a64a4463a623ad17190b77ef
Last January, National Instruments released a transceiver system for modeling the behavior of millimeter waves, a far-out class of high frequency bands that wireless companies have pegged for 5G communications. It came with channel coding software and could be custom programmed for testing wireless propagation.
Nokia was the first to employ the system for sounding out wireless infrastructure equipment that used 60 gigahertz signals. This week, National Instruments revealed that AT&T is also using the system in its custom tool for modeling how millimeter waves interact with trees, buildings, cars, and crowds of people.
AT&T’s willingness to show the tool publicly hints at the importance of channel models in the 5G development process. The tool, called the Porcupine for its crown of horn antennas, will help the wireless carrier with tricky tests like vehicle connectivity and plan how it should space out 5G equipment in the next few years for the best coverage.
The tool, used internally by AT&T, can monitor millimeter wave channels in real-time. It provides angle-of-arrival measurements that take around 15 minutes with traditional tools in under 150 milliseconds, the company said. Since data is collected almost instantly, engineers can check the tool’s accuracy in a short time.
“Utilizing mmWave spectrum for mobile 5G presents many challenges which we believe can be solved,” Marachel Knight, AT&T’s vice president of wireless network architecture, said in a statement. “We identified early on that designing and real-time monitoring of mmWave spectrum needs to be much more precise than today’s cellular systems.”
That has much to do with the tricky side effects of millimeter waves. Walls and other objects block out signals, which can also be absorbed by oxygen over long distances. These obstacles can be avoided by beaming signals into devices over short distances. But companies are still learning how millimeter waves act in large, complex networks.
The migration to higher bands is not slowing down.
broadband bands above 28 gigahertz. The rule also opened unlicensed spectrum between the 64 GHz and 71 GHz bands. The 95 GHz band is currently under review.
Though wireless carriers are holding their data close to the vest, other groups are sharing models more freely. New York University researchers customized NI’s system to its run channel simulation software, which calculates time delays, direction, and the power received from 28 GHz and 73 GHz signals. It opened the software to the public last July and it has already been downloaded 7,000 times.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Toyota, NTT to Cooperate on Wireless Technology for Autonomous Cars
http://intelligentsystemssource.com/toyota-ntt-to-cooperate-on-wireless-technology-for-autonomous-cars/
Toyota Motor Corp. and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp. will cooperate on high-speed communication technology for “connected cars,” sources said Thursday.
Toyota and NTT will jointly study the use of next-generation 5G technology to enable autonomous cars to gather information on traffic conditions and exchange data between self-driving vehicles to ensure smooth and safe operation.
Toyota has already developed a communication system which can be used to monitor traffic to avoid congested roads and help drivers navigate during natural disasters.
The automaker has also worked with mobile carrier KDDI Corp. to develop a global platform for connected cars, aiming to equip all of its vehicles sold in Japan and the United States with a device to access the network by 2020.