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:
Nokia: 5G pays for itself in 1 to 4 years
Operators are faced with massive investments in 5G networks. Nokia’s research indicates that the bidding will pay back for one to four years depending on where the network is pulled.
Nokia says it wants to remove the rivalry of the investment from the operators. Its results are based on studies in the right uses. It is clear that this is a massive investment that will increase the operator’s network capacity by 40x compared to the existing 4G networks.
According to Nokia, bringing the 5G network to the home of the people – just as the 4G is now home for example as fixed terminals – pays itself back in four years if the subscriber accesses the subscription and various services at least 40 euros a month.
In public spaces, investment will pay back faster. For example, in stadiums, the 5G network pays itself back once a year if there are at least five major events per month in the system.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6199&via=n&datum=2017-04-20_14:43:58&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber-optic test equipment vendors grapple for competitive edge: Analyst
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/fiber-optic-test-equipment-vendors-grapple-for-competitive-edge-analyst.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-20
A new analyst report from Transparency Market Research segments the Fiber Optic Test Equipment (FOTE) market on the basis of product into categories for OSA, DWDM, OTDR, OLS, OPM, OLTS and RFTS instruments. “There are a few challenges which are hampering the growth of the market,” notes the analyst.
The report’s executive summary states, “The lack of skilled technicians is one of main restraints impacting the growth of the market. It is important for technicians to keep pace with the market’s ever-changing technologies. Moreover, high maintenance costs coupled with high initial investment are other restraints existing in the fiber-optic test equipment (FOTE) market.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
NI, AT&T Team on mmWave Channel Sounder for 5G
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331627&
Platform-based systems provider National Instruments (NI) has partnered with telecommunications giant AT&T to develop a 5G mmWave channel measurement tool.
The channel sounder, nicknamed within AT&T as the “Porcupine,” provides real-time channel parameter measurement and monitoring capability. The channel sounder is designed by AT&T and uses an architecture based on NI’s mmWave Transceiver System.
Unlike other spectrum measurement tools, AT&T said its channel sounder uniquely captures channel measurements where all the data is acquired and processed in real time. Other channel sounding approaches capture raw data and post process to characterise the channel while only giving one-measurement every 15 minutes, while the Porcupine can provide about 6,000 measurements in that time.
Tomi Engdahl says:
B’com Clocks 10G Ethernet in Real Time
Quartz supports nine time-sensitive standards
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331612&
Broadcom aims to extend the reach of Ethernet into time-sensitive embedded markets with a new high-end switch. Quartz is the first 10-Gbits/s Ethernet chip to support the full range of standards for deterministic networking.
The 28-nm StrataConnect BCM53570 targets a broad range of systems, including self-driving cars, cellular base stations, professional audio/video gear, and high-end industrial automation systems. It is sampling now in two versions with configurable port speeds starting from a switch with 24-Gbit ports and four 10G ports.
“We are providing determinism at layer 2, guaranteeing delivery of packets within minimum and maximum tolerances,” said John Mui, director of marketing for Broadcom’s core switch group. “Nothing in Ethernet has been able to do that, although there are some industrial real-time protocols similar to Ethernet, but not supported as IEEE standards.”
The chip could be used to replace CPRI and RapidIO devices in cellular base stations. It is an alternative to Profinet or EtherCAT in factory systems. In self-driving cars, it could be used to connect dozens of sensors and cameras.
The Quartz chips support features identified by a suite of nine related IEEE standards for time-sensitive networks (TSNs).
“The TSN standards enable new applications in which basic Ethernet was unsuitable,” said Bob Wheeler, principal networking analyst for the Linley Group (Mountain View, California). “Most of these markets are transitioning from some other technologies, so they aren’t large Ethernet segments yet.”
“Marvell and Microsemi are pursuing TSN designs, but they both address lower-bandwidth applications. Quartz will be overkill for some industrial networks, which are only now adopting Gigabit Ethernet.”
Factories have deployed as many as 50 million industrial Ethernet nodes of various types to date, according to IMS Research. The Ethernet links used in today’s cars are typically lower-end 5- to 8-port devices for infotainment and driver-assistance systems, according to Mui.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intelligent semiconductor fiber revolutionizes the net
American scientists are developing a new kind of hybrid type semiconductor fiber that can revolutionize data transfer to homes and offices.
In fiber optic bits, the bits travel fast, but first the signal must be electrically converted at the optical transmission end and back in the electric receiver. This makes the optical link expensive to implement.
At Penn State University’s Department of Materials Science, Professor Venkatraman Gopalan has developed a fiber for transmitting both light and electronic data and converting from electronic to optical on the fly, within fiber.
In a researcher using Xiaoyu Jin-based fiber, its polypirology is enhanced by adding a layer of highly pure amorphous silicon of 1.7 microns thick to the structure. The tube with a scanning laser is made up of monocrystalline silicon whose crystals are 2000 times as long as they are thick. Pure silicon carries light much more efficiently.
Thanks to the method, various materials can be inserted into the fiber, including semiconductors. The development of polyp fiber has improved for 10 years, but still the traditional optical fiber is better.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6197&via=n&datum=2017-04-20_14:43:58&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
For the first time, Nokia and Elisa have successfully tested 10 gigabit fiber connections in Finland. After testing, Elisa will be able to offer its subscribers in Ostrobothnia faster connections than ever before in Finland.
In the tests, the data was transferred using XGS-PON technology capable of a 10 gigabit symmetric link.
According to statistics, over half of Finland’s households have 100 megabits fixed broadband.
Nokia and Elisa praise Finland as an ideal high speed broadband test laboratory. We have a large number of different devices connected to the network and the number of IoT usage increases rapidly.
XGS-PON is a passive, symmetric 10-gigabit fiber connection technology, which the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has ratified only last year. The typical distance between the optical router and the network unit may be 20 kilometers. One router can serve up to 128 network end units.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6180&via=n&datum=2017-04-18_16:08:50&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
Smart Semi Fiber Does It All
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331615&
– A semiconducting-core optical-fiber may be able to perform the costly electrical-to-optical-to-electrial conversion passively within itself, rather than depending on expensive electronic-to-optical converters at the transmission end and expensive optical-to-electronic converters at the receivers end.
The invention combines an amorphous silicon core inside a 1.7-micron inner-diameter glass capillary capped at each end with a progression to single-crystal silicon, thus combining the inexpensive amorphous silicon-germanium for the long-run with short runs of single-crystal silicon at its ends. The research is being performed at Penn State (University Park)
Dumb optical fibers used today merely transmit photons down a glass conduit surrounded by a tough flexible polymer coating. The optimal signals stay within the fiber by reflecting off the glass-to-polymer interfaces for nearly lossless transmissions over long distances. Unfortunately, all the data they convey comes from computers thereby requiring a costly electronics-to-photonics conversion module at the transmission end. Likewise, the receiver is an electronic computer requiring another costly photonics-to-electronics converter at the receiving end. To boot, extra long runs between cities require “repeaters” which use extra-sensitive photonics-to-electronics conversion, then electronic amplification, then extra-strong electronics-to-photonics converters to pass the optical signal to the next repeater (and finally to its destination).
The Penn State researchers hope to develop smart semiconductor-filled fibers with the ability to do the electronics-to-photonics-to-electronics conversions within the fibers itself. The team has not achieved that goal yet, but they have successfully combined all the materials they need into their semiconductor fibers
Badding first demonstrated the feasibility using silicon-filled fibers in 2006, but Ji took on his doctoral task to combine high-purity amorphous silicon-germanium around a 1.7 micron glass capillary using a laser.
it has taken more than 10 years to perfect the combination of smart semiconductors and dumb glass into the same opto-electronics fiber since Badding’s first attempt.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The copper cable accelerates with Nokia technology
The XG.Fast technology developed by Nokia Bell Labs accelerates the data rate of the old copper cable to the gigabit class.
Telekom Austria reports that it has received data for more than 11 gigabits per second.
In Vienna tests, data was transferred from the center of the street to the house at 10 gigabytes. The testing equipment of Bell Labs, the Nokia Research Institute, was in use and the length of the cable was 30 meters.
XG.Fast is the evolution version of G.Fast technology, which has been ratified by the ITU in late 2014. It has not yet been formally ratified.
According to Nokia, XG-FAST is basically a very straightforward technology. A 0.6-megabit standard telephone line generates a 500-megahertz-wide channel where the bits move by 10 gigabytes per second at a distance of about 30 meters with a pair of twin-pair cables. One cable reaches two gigabits per hundred meters.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6205-kuparikaapeli-kiihtyy-nokian-tekniikalla
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open Source NFV Project Delivers Third Platform Release, Introduces More Mature Features and Processes
https://www.linuxfoundation.org/announcements/open-source-nfv-project-delivers-third-platform-release-introduces-more-mature
OPNFV Colorado lays foundation for NFV applications and services via key feature enhancements, greater integration and additional testing capabilities
Tomi Engdahl says:
400G Deals Winning Hand for Data Centers
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331630&
Dell’Oro Group predicts that 400G will become the next major Ethernet speed for data centers, providing there’s adequate availability of 400G optics.
As 2017 unfolds, cloud service providers are entering a mega-upgrade cycle driven by the increased demand for capacity and aging infrastructure. This cycle has triggered a guessing game for companies in the equipment supply chain from Ethernet switch to silicon and optical component manufacturers about the speed in which to invest. Will the dominant speed be 100G, 200G or 400G?
The stakes are high for companies up and down the supply chain. Those who bet correctly stand to win a pot of gold. When these companies consider their options, they are weighing a number of factors such as customer demand, price, availability of optics and switch system design.
Worldwide, the leading cloud providers are clearly split.
Through our interviews, we have concluded that three of the four largest Western cloud providers have a preference for 400G. The fourth, Google, appears to be favoring 200G.
At the same time, some OEMs in China appear to have an inclination for 200G. This implies China operators and cloud providers are interested in 200G.
We believe that 400G offers the following advantages over 200G:
400G optics achieve better economies of scale and steeper price erosion at high volume.
Deployments fit on one rack unit, critical for achieving top-of-rack deployment for three of the top four cloud providers.
A one-rack unit with 32 ports of 400G will be less expensive to build than a two-rack unit with 64 ports of 200G.
Vendors such as Arista Networks in Ethernet switches, Broadcom in the silicon, and Oclaro and Luxtera in optical components are currently placing their bets on 400 Gbps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
B’com Clocks 10G Ethernet in Real Time
Quartz supports nine time-sensitive standards
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331612&
Broadcom aims to extend the reach of Ethernet into time-sensitive embedded markets with a new high-end switch. Quartz is the first 10-Gbits/s Ethernet chip to support the full range of standards for deterministic networking.
The 28-nm StrataConnect BCM53570 targets a broad range of systems, including self-driving cars, cellular base stations, professional audio/video gear, and high-end industrial automation systems. It is sampling now in two versions with configurable port speeds starting from a switch with 24-Gbit ports and four 10G ports.
“We are providing determinism at layer 2, guaranteeing delivery of packets within minimum and maximum tolerances,” said John Mui, director of marketing for Broadcom’s core switch group. “Nothing in Ethernet has been able to do that, although there are some industrial real-time protocols similar to Ethernet, but not supported as IEEE standards.”
The chip could be used to replace CPRI and RapidIO devices in cellular base stations. It is an alternative to Profinet or EtherCAT in factory systems. In self-driving cars, it could be used to connect dozens of sensors and cameras.
The Quartz chips support features identified by a suite of nine related IEEE standards for time-sensitive networks (TSNs)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connectivity: A building block approach
https://code.facebook.com/posts/183097092210150
Our ability to build communities at Facebook depends on people being connected. Communities come in all sizes and across all regions, but many aren’t currently being served by traditional methods of connectivity. Urban areas don’t have enough bandwidth to support more devices running more data-heavy experiences, while in remote communities the technology is often too expensive to deploy.
We are working to help change that. We know that collaboration — being open — helps us increase the pace of innovation. For example, participating alongside leading operators and other ecosystem leaders as part of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) is helping us bring together a community to help solve the connectivity challenges of communities around the world—creating community to connect communities.
Rather than look for a one-size-fits-all solution, we are investing in a building block strategy — designing different technologies for specific use cases which are then used together with partners to create flexible and extensible networks.
In dense urban regions, we’re working to end dead zones and increase capacity using Terragraph — our custom-designed, multi-node wireless system built to bring high-speed internet connectivity to dense urban areas. Our idea is to extend fiber using wireless instead of more fiber, to build faster networks at a lower cost.
We knew going in that the 60GHz channel this data is sent on presents its own challenges: If a tree grows leaves in front of a node, if a temporary construction project starts, or if any number of possible blockers obstruct our line-of-sight, the signal goes away. To fix this, we leveraged Facebook’s software and networking expertise to create software that routes around obstructions in a split second, so the end user won’t notice there was a lapse in connection.
Last year, our team broke a MMW record while testing a terrestrial point-to-point link in Southern California: a record data rate of nearly 20 Gbps over 13 km.
Earlier this month, our team set three new records in wireless data transfer—demonstrating a record point-to-point data rate of 36 Gbps over 13 km with MMW technology, and 80 Gbps between those same points using our optical cross-link technology.
https://telecominfraproject.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei developing symmetric 25G PON technology; calls for unified next-gen PON standards
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/04/huawei-25g-pon.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-24
As noted at CablingInstall.com’s sister website Lightwave, Huawei recently discussed the development of symmetrical 25-Gbps PON technology at this month’s Huawei Analyst Summit in Shenzhen. “The company also called for creation of unified PON standards that would bridge the GPON and EPON worlds,” added Lightwave’s Stephen Hardy.
In the summit talk, the Huawei spokesperson described the benefits of 25-Gbps wavelengths as a building block toward multi-wavelength PONs. “The approach could leverage technologies now coming to market for 25-Gbps data center applications, as was the case with the original EPON systems,” noted Hardy.
The company also says that “re-applying” 10G PON standards for the upstream 25G wavelengths would ensure compatibility with existing 10G PON terminals.
As pointed out by Lightwave, the IEEE has begun standardization work on symmetrical 25-Gbps EPON wavelengths as elements of a next-generation multi-wavelength EPON specification set that could lead to 100G EPON systems. The ITU-T’s most recent specifications work for next-generation GPON has focused on 10-Gbps wavelengths.
Huawei Presents Key Symmetric 25G PON Technologies and Calls for Unified Next-generation PON Standards
http://www.huawei.com/en/news/2017/4/Huawei-25G-PON
At the fourteenth Huawei Analyst Summit held in Shenzhen recently, a Huawei speaker gave an presentation about the key symmetric 25G PON technologies that binding multiple wavelengths to deliver N × 25 Gbit/s bandwidths over a single fiber. Huawei called on the industry partners to jointly push for unifed next-generation PON standards.
Single-wavelength 25G PON adapts fixed wavelengths that can be easily implemented. More importantly, the developed industry chain of single-wavelength 25G optical components can share and resources of data center and Ethernet industries, which enables further cost reduction and reliability improvement of optical components. Huawei promotes 25G PON upstream wavelengths re-applying the 10G PON standards to ensure better compatibility with the existing 10G PON terminals.
Huawei has presently developed the symmetric 25G PON prototype based on the MA5800, a large-capacity OLT with a distributed architecture which has been put into large-scale commercial use. Through multi-wavelength binding, this prototype can deliver N × 25 Gbit/s bandwidths. Moreover, optical distribution network (ODN) infrastructures can be reused, and both GPON and 10G PON technologies can be deployed on the same network that ensures effective investments of operators. Above all, the key symmetric technologies of 25G PON pave the way for smooth evolution of PON technologies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Would you use pipe cleaners as cable ties?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/pipe-cleaners-blog.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-24
“Reddit’s last datacenter before moving to EC2. Red cables were public internet, green cables were internal network. Each server had a dual power supply with one plug from each PDU. Pipe cleaners were used as cable ties because they are softer on both the fingers and the cables, and can be color coded.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon inks $1.05 billion fiber supply pact with Corning to support wireless broadband
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/04/verizon-corning-fibersupply.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-24
As reported by Reuters, Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) revealed that it has signed a purchase agreement with Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) for the supply of fiber-optic cable and associated hardware to support its wireless broadband networks. The service provider says the deal will run for at least three years with a value of a minimum of $1.05 billion.
Starting next year, Verizon will buy up to 20 million km (12.4 million miles) of fiber each year through 2020. The service provider will use the fiber as part of its efforts to create an optical infrastructure it can leverage to improve its 4G LTE coverage, accelerate its 5G deployments, and support the delivery of high-speed broadband to residential and business customers. Verizon pointed to its One Fiber deployment launched in Boston last year as an example of its intentions.
With several operators looking to deploy fiber for both fiber to the premises (FTTP) and wireless fronthaul and backhaul networks, Verizon said it wanted to ensure it had a place in the front of the line for fiber supply.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TIA Cabling Standards Update Spring 2017
https://event.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1141700&sti=ws
The ability to power network devices via twisted-pair communications cabling has far-reaching effects on layer-one infrastructure, including the pathways and spaces through which that infrastructure traverses a facility and the practices by which cabling is placed within those pathways and spaces. Addendum 2 to the TIA-569-D Telecommunications Pathways and Spaces standard will provide some specifications addressing the use of these spaces for cabling that carries power to network devices. The addendum is still a work-in-progress
Current TIA standards allow the twisted conductor pairs within a patch cord to be between 22 (maximum) and 26 (minimum) AWG. As such, 28-AWG cords that have gained popularity in recent years are not standard compliant. The TIA TR-42.7 Telecommunications Copper Cabling Systems Committee recently formed a task group to study 28-AWG patch cords, with one possible outcome being the recognition of 28-AWG cords in the TIA-568 standard series. With this possible standards effort still in its infancy
The TIA-598-D standard specifies color coding for the optical fibers within a single cable, as well as the color coding of an optical-fiber cable’s exterior jacket. The next addendum to this standard will define lime green as the jacket color for OM5 fiber cabling.
Tomi Engdahl says:
T-Mobile spends $8 billion on 600MHz wireless network spectrum for future infrastructure upgrades
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/t-mobile-spends-8-billion-on-600mhz-wireless-network-spectrum-for-future-infrastructure-upgrades.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-24
T-Mobile recently won an FCC wireless auction for a portion of the wireless airwave spectrum, spending $8 billion to expand its network. The carrier acquired over 1,500 wireless licenses in the 600MHz range.
T-Mobile snags $8 billion of wireless network spectrum for future infrastructure improvements
http://www.powerpage.org/t-mobile-snags-8-billion-of-wireless-network-spectrum-for-future-infrastructure-improvements/
Right now, the 600MHz spectrum is used by television broadcasters, and it won’t clear until early 2020 or so. The company says some of its new spectrum will be usable though, by T-Mobile as well as its subsidiary MetroPCS.
As present, current smartphones aren’t capable of operating on 600 MHz frequencies, though this is expected to change. Qualcomm is presently working on chips capable of this function.
Another arrival in the 2020s will be the expansion of wireless networks to 5G speeds.
Tomi Engdahl says:
25G Ethernet IP for Higher Performance Data Center SoCs
https://www.synopsys.com/designware-ip/technical-bulletin/25g-ethernet-dwtb-q217.html?elq_mid=8940&elq_cid=546544
According to the Research and Markets December 14, 2016 press release, the data center market “is estimated to grow from USD $36.47 billion in 2016 to USD $90.56 billion by 2021, at a high Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 19.95% during the forecast period.” Such growth is due to the significant rise in the number of connected devices and the need for quick processing of high-volume data. The need for higher performance and the fact that much of the data travels through an Ethernet port drove the development and evolution of the 25G high-speed Ethernet standard and its associated standards. Prior to the introduction of 25G Ethernet, 40G (4 lanes of 10G) was the next speed for data centers and the path to 100G was 10 lanes of 10G.
The 25G Ethernet was first introduced by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) in 2011. The 25/50G Ethernet Consortium developed specifications for a single 25G lane MAC and PCS and leveraged the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) 100G SerDes development for 100G Ethernet. Now, in addition to the initial consortium specification, there is a published set of standards from the IEEE as part of the IEEE 802.3 standard.
The 25G/50G Ethernet Consortium, an open organization, initially defined the 25G Ethernet standard and promoted it through its member companies.
Based on the Consortium’s initial work, IEEE standards for 25G Ethernet are now defined in both single lane and 4 lanes of 25G.
The standard supports various hardware interfaces such as chip-to-chip, chip-to-module and backplane. Chip-to-chip and chip-to-module at 25G significantly improve the overall system performance, while backplane Ethernet supports the evolving blade server market specifically moving from 1G to 10G and now 25G.
25G Ethernet standards that can be applied for either a single lane 25G Ethernet, a 2x25G for 50G Ethernet or a 4x25G for 100G Ethernet.
25G Ethernet IP
To address the challenges of achieving the required system throughput, meeting the timing budget and supporting selected 25G Ethernet features, designers need a flexible solution that includes a complete subsystem including the media access controller (MAC), physical coding sublayer (PCS), and serializer/deserializer (SerDes).
Supporting data rates from 1G to 100G, the DesignWare Enterprise Ethernet MAC IP is designed for three different system level configurations: MAC only, MAC with the memory controller, and a complete direct memory access (DMA) with the ARM® AXI Interface. With a native 128-bit FIFO interface for minimal latency, jumbo frame support and a range of application-specific configurations, designers can easily integrate the application-tailored MAC into their design.
Conclusion
The 25G Ethernet standard, initiated by the 25G/50G Consortium and now by the IEEE, is expanded to a robust set of published and approved standards as part of IEEE 802.3. It is the new standard for connectivity in the data centers. The specification allows for transmission of more data in less time, and supports multiple hardware interfaces to give designers flexibility in designing their SoCs for various high-end computing applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
400G Deals Winning Hand for Data Centers
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1331630&
Dell’Oro Group predicts that 400G will become the next major Ethernet speed for data centers, providing there’s adequate availability of 400G optics.
As 2017 unfolds, cloud service providers are entering a mega-upgrade cycle driven by the increased demand for capacity and aging infrastructure. This cycle has triggered a guessing game for companies in the equipment supply chain from Ethernet switch to silicon and optical component manufacturers about the speed in which to invest. Will the dominant speed be 100G, 200G or 400G?
Through our interviews, we have concluded that three of the four largest Western cloud providers have a preference for 400G. The fourth, Google, appears to be favoring 200G.
At the same time, some OEMs in China appear to have an inclination for 200G. This implies China operators and cloud providers are interested in 200G.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The quadruple to keep up mobile network on emergency
Mobile networks are one of the most critical infrastructures in today’s society. M.Sc. (Tech.), Joonas Säe, in his dissertation, explored ways to improve existing cellular networks to better deal with disruption and exceptional situations. One of the ways proposed by Säki is the use of quadricopters.
Cellular networks have become one of the cornerstones of modern society, as many systems utilize them in wireless data communication.
“We’re used to the fact that our mobile phones are operating at almost any time. In normal situations this is the case, but for example storm-cut power grids on a cellular network may not work. Although base stations and backbone devices in the mobile network have spare-power batteries, they only help a few moments,
Säe examined in his dissertation how people used their mobile phones in disturbances, how to improve the situation and how to speed up recovery from disturbances. In
the dissertation introduces innovative approaches to exceptional situations. For example, this is the creation of a temporary wireless network in the interference area by means of quad-carriers.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6211-nelikopteri-pitaisi-kannykkaverkon-pystyssa-poikkeustilanteessa
Tomi Engdahl says:
List of United States wireless communications service providers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_wireless_communications_service_providers
This is a list of United States wireless communications service providers. The Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA), lists approximately 30 facilities-based wireless service providers in the United States as members. Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) has over 100 members.[1] Besides the facilities-based providers there are 50+ virtual operators that use the top four networks to provide the service.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Beyond the dumb pipe: The IoT and the new role for network service providers The Internet of Things in telecom
https://dupress.deloitte.com/dup-us-en/focus/internet-of-things/iot-in-telecom-industry.html
During the rise of the Internet, communication services treated their network providers as little more than “dumb pipes,” providing bandwidth. The IoT revolution, requiring a dramatic increase in strong, secure communication links, offers providers an opportunity to not only play a larger role but to create new value.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What does the Internet of Things mean for mobile network operators?
https://www.telecomstechnews.com/news/2016/jul/21/what-does-internet-things-mean-mobile-network-operators/
According to Gartner, there will be nearly 21 billion devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2020. Regardless of whether or not this figure is accurate – some think it’s too high (in fact, Gartner has revised its prediction down in recent years) – mobile network operators (MNOs) are going to experience a rapid increase in the amount of devices communicating over their networks. This will require a fundamental rethink of the infrastructure enabling these services to run smoothly. Get this wrong and MNOs will quickly lose out in the battle to attract IoT spend, as well as our loyalty when it comes to voice and broadband services.
As well as an increase in volume, MNOs need to factor in that IoT devices may communicate very differently compared to smartphones and computers. Some IoT devices tend to exchange relatively small amounts of data and connect and disconnect to the network very infrequently. Examples of this are smart meters (e.g. gas or electricity) providing their latest values to a centralised repository. In contrast a connected car may exchange diagnostics information to this central hub while also offering mobile broadband services for in-car entertainment, thereby exchanging a lot of data over the mobile connection for a longer period of time.
This difference in ‘IoT endpoint’ behaviour places very different demands on both the network as well as the data centre responsible for processing and hosting this information. For example a 4G network is very suitable for the connected car use case, but may not be the best choice for the smart metering scenario.
Several mobile operators are currently rolling out low-power WAN networks (LP-WAN) such as LoRa or Sigfox which will work alongside traditional 3G/4G networks
On the data centre side, adopting cloud technologies is critical. The ability to quickly spin up a virtual environment delivering both the network functionalities as well as the IoT platform functionalities addressing the specifics to each IoT use case, is crucial. Indeed, due to the wide variety of IoT use cases there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
On the whole, the Service Provider industry is well on its way to building IoT ready infrastructures and services. As stated above, several service providers are rolling out LP-WAN networks to complement their existing 3G/4G mobile access infrastructure. Core network consolidation is also well under way which helps to reduce overall costs, but also allows for new services to be introduced much faster then before as the networks have become much simpler as a result of this consolidation.
Originally the primary goal of NFV was to reduce Capex and Opex for the service provider. However, SPs increasingly see NFV as a way to introduce new services and adapt existing services much faster than ever before. With IoT putting very different requirements on the network and applications they support, NFV deployments will be essential for SPs looking to address the IoT market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anjali Athavaley / Reuters:
AT&T misses Q1 expectations on ~3% YoY drop in operating revenue and loss of 61K postpaid subscribers in North America
AT&T unexpectedly loses postpaid subscribers in first quarter
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-at-t-results-idUSKBN17R2Q6
AT&T Inc’s (T.N) quarterly revenue missed estimates on lower equipment sales, the company said on Tuesday, as customers held onto their phones longer and it lost wireless subscribers who pay a monthly bill.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco CIO says automation, analytics fortify, extend life of existing data centers
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/cisco-cio-says-automation-analytics-fortify-extend-life-of-existing-data-centers.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-04-25
Cisco Systems Inc. CIO Guillermo Diaz last week told The Wall Street Journal that a program of automation and network data analytics has extended the capacity of its five remaining data centers, and that the company won’t need to build a new one for at least seven years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ericsson is in great difficulty
Ericsson’s new CEO Börje Ekholm read yesterday the actual worm counts in his first interim report. Sales shrink in all sectors and the company made a loss of 1.3 billion euros in the first quarter. There is more savings in front and a search for a new strategy.
According to Ekholm, the company will have to seek more savings. They have been done for a long time. For example, the company has closed almost all production in Sweden.
Ericsson is trying to improve its profitability in a truly difficult market situation. The network equipment market is expected to shrink by 2 to 6 percent this year.
Ericsson’s net sales in the first quarter were SEK 46.4 billion. The sum is 11 percent lower than a year earlier.
Source: etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6222-ericsson-on-suurissa-vaikeuksissa
Tomi Engdahl says:
British government has bought a £200m 5G ‘academic wet dream’
Build it and they will come. Maybe
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/04/26/goverment_200m_5g/
“5G doesn’t mean anything to us,” says Kirill Filippov, chief executive of SPB TV, an OTT TV, IPTV and mobile TV provider touting live 360 VR in 4G at this year’s Mobile World Congress event in Barcelona.
Filippov, who was hot from a handshake photo opportunity with Russian Minster of Communications and Mass Media Nikolay Nikiforov, is himself a former deputy minister of the Russian Federation for the press, TV and radio broadcasting.
Clearly ministers stick together – sort of. Nikiforov is a keen advocate of 5G. He first broached the idea of a BRICS collaboration on 5G development in 2015 and has recently set up a joint development deal with Iran. So, what does Filippov really think? Do we need 5G even if he doesn’t?
“Do we need faster speeds and 5G for the future?” he counters. “Currently, the question is not whether we need 5G, but whether we have the infrastructure to utilise the full capacity of 3G and 4G networks.
“But the main point is not which standard – it is infrastructure and taking full advantage of 4G/LTE. 4G/LTE in the UK or in some Asian countries like Singapore are two different things. Load and volume capacities are a challenge for the widespread use of streaming mobile video. We need a solid infrastructure for the mobile video explosion to continue. It is especially significant for big screens, as small screens can get by with even low-speed internet connections.”
Filippov would find an ally in former Mobile Data Association vice chairman and wireless expert Nick Hunn. Now a consultant and author, Hunn writes and speaks regularly on wireless technology development and sees a lot of spin in 5G. He talks of “vested interests” and “academic wet dreams” and believes that more energy and money should be spent on improving 4G/LTE.
“I really don’t see the benefit [of 5G],” says Hunn. “If governments poured the same amount of money into putting more stringent coverage requirements on LTE, then I suspect we’d get a much better network, probably five years earlier. But everyone’s pushing vested interests, which means there’s little incentive for operators to invest in making LTE better, rather than trying to improve their margins on what they have to help pay for a future 5G.”
While the strategy has won some plaudits – not least from 5G critic, former Ofcom director and author of The 5G Myth William Webb – it has painted a rosy assessment of current UK coverage, quoting Ofcom figures from 2016 claiming: “4G coverage is now available to 96 per cent of UK premises and over 70 per cent of UK landmass.” While that may be the case in absolute terms, no one could surely argue that those connections would be consistent and robust.
Tom Bennett, director network services at operator EE, says 5G is “an evolution, not a revolution” and should be seen in that light. 5G is “no panacea for connectivity issues,” he says, but believes that it will offer low latency and spectral efficiency, boosting high-bandwidth connectivity requirements as and where it is needed, such as in areas with multiple devices demanding high bandwidth.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Europe passes last hurdle to end mobile roaming fees on June 15
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/26/europe-passes-last-hurdle-to-end-mobile-roaming-fees-on-june-15/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
The European Council yesterday adopted the legal act that limits how much mobile operators can charge each other — the final step in the multi-stage, multi-year process for the region’s lawmakers to agree an end to roaming charges for citizens. The ‘roam like at home’ policy will come into affect across the European Union from June 15.
It’s part of a wider EU effort to establish a Digital Single Market (DSM) across the region by reducing national barriers to ecommerce.
The telcoms industry lobbied fiercely to keep the lucrative charges for as long as possible. Indeed, pressure from telcos led the Commission to rewrite its ‘roam like at home’ plan in fall last year to incorporate a ‘fair use’ policy to try to allay operators’ fears of so-called ‘permanent roamers’
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia succeeded: EUR 341 million in January-March
Nokia’s adjusted operating profit was EUR 341 million in January-March, compared with EUR 345 million in operating profit for the same period last year.
The result met expectations. According to Reuters, the analysts expected an average of EUR 334 million from the company. Forecasts ranged from 257 million to 485 million.
The operating profit margin was 6.3 per cent, compared with 6.1 per cent a year ago.
Nokia’s network unit adjusted operating profit decreased to 324 million euros from last year’s 337 million. The forecast was 331 million. The unit’s operating profit margin, however, increased to 6.6% from 6.5% last year.
Nokia’s net sales dropped to 5.39 billion euros from 5.63 billion in the comparison period. Analysts expected the company to generate 5.31 billion of net sales.
Nokia keeps its network unit’s views unchanged. The company estimates that the unit’s net sales will fall this year in line with the target market. The company’s adjusted operating profit margin is estimated at 8-10 per cent.
For its Technologies unit, Nokia does not evaluate the full-year outlook due to the risks and uncertainties associated with the timing and value of major licensing agreements.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/nokia-onnistui-odotetusti-341-miljoonaa-euroa-tammi-maaliskuussa-6644500
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
FCC chairman Ajit Pai outlines plan to roll back Title II net neutrality rules, plans to release full proposal on April 27 for FCC vote on May 18 — Vote to begin net neutrality rollback scheduled for May 18. — The Federal Communications Commission will vote next month to start the process …
Ajit Pai announces plan to eliminate Title II net neutrality rules
Vote to begin net neutrality rollback scheduled for May 18.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/04/ajit-pai-announces-plan-to-eliminate-title-ii-net-neutrality-rules/
The Federal Communications Commission will vote next month to start the process of reversing the commission’s 2015 net neutrality order, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai announced in a speech today.
Earlier today, Pai shared with his fellow commissioners a plan to “reverse the mistake of Title II and return to the light-touch regulatory framework that served our nation so well during the Clinton administration, Bush administration, and the first six years of the Obama administration,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Enea NFV Core
http://www.enea.com/enea-nfv-core
Enea NFV Core is a carrier-grade virtualization software platform built on OPNFV and OpenStack. It enables deployment and management of virtual Customer Premise Equipment (vCPE) network functions in central offices and data centers, utilizing cost efficient generic hardware platforms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The FCC’s Myths vs. Facts sheet defending its plan to reverse net neutrality, annotated
https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/26/the-fccs-myths-vs-facts-sheet-defending-its-plan-to-reverse-net-neutrality-annotated/?ncid=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel, Nokia, Qualcomm Bet on MulteFire to Blend LTE and Wi-Fi
http://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/intel-nokia-qualcomm-betting-on-multefire-to-blend-lte-and-wifi
A wireless industry consotium is developing a new technology called MulteFire that it says delivers the high performance of 4G LTE cellular networks while being as easy to deploy as Wi-Fi routers.
Rather than relying on the licensed spectrum purchased for today’s LTE service, MulteFire operates entirely in the unlicensed 5 gigahertz band. And to set it up, users would simply need to install MulteFire access points, similar to Wi-Fi access points, at any facility served by optical fiber or wireless backhaul.
Depending on how MulteFire is used, it could let cellular companies offload traffic to unlicensed spectrum, or allow factory owners to set up private MulteFire networks to serve equipment, robots, and Internet-0f-Things devices.
“No consumers are saying, ‘Damnit, give me MulteFire!’” he says. “Or at least, I haven’t found one yet. But some industries are.”
Already, carriers can combine unlicensed spectrum with their own licensed spectrum to create larger bandwidths for users.
To set up MulteFire at a facility, the owner would simply install MulteFire access points, similar to Wi-Fi access points, around the premises.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Equinix completes $3.6 billion deal to buy 29 data centers from Verizon
https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/01/equinix-completes-3-6-billion-deal-to-buy-29-data-centers-from-verizon/?sr_share=facebook
Equinix, an international data center company based in Redwood City, California, announced today that it has completed the purchase of 29 data centers from Verizon for $3.6 billion. The deal was announced in December.
With this purchase, Equinix now owns a total of 179 data centers worldwide.
It’s worth noting that these data centers are co-location facilities, which are essentially data center rental facilities where companies bring their own servers
Verizon is not the first telco to exit this business. At the end of last year, CenturyLink dumped its co-location data center business in a $2.2 billion deal that involved 57 data centers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What 5G means for your business
http://www.itworld.com/article/3191264/mobile-wireless/what-5g-means-for-your-business.html
The 5G-powered enterprise will be less constrained by its physical location thanks to vastly improved service delivery capabilities that improve employee and customer engagement
The next generation of wireless technology is closer than you think. Over the past few years, a coalition of companies, industry associations and regulatory bodies from across the globe have been working together to advance the regulatory environment, develop and test 5G technologies and establish a broad ecosystem around infrastructure and device readiness.
In 2016, we saw massive progress in the development of key components like antennas and radio chipsets. Additionally, we’ve seen the validation of core mobility technologies – including handovers and multi-cell networking – and witnessed demonstrations of multi-Gbps data rates and low-latency performance. These innovations have brought us closer to a faster, more reliable, and more capable wireless future.
When that future arrives, 5G capabilities will revolutionize our wireless networks. Mobile users will experience networks an order of magnitude faster than what we have today. Thanks to sub-millisecond air latency, the network will feel instantly responsive while simultaneously supporting ten times as many devices at significantly lower power consumption profiles. These are the foundational requirements to enable the rapidly growing Internet of Things (IoT).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber Optic Sensing Association launches
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/fiber-optic-sensing-association-launches.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-05-01
The Fiber Optic Sensing Association (FOSA), the nation’s first trade association dedicated to fiber-optic sensing, launched on April 24, with a focus on educating industry, government and the public on the benefits of this cutting-edge technology.
Per the association, “Fiber-optic sensing is an emerging technology that uses deviations of light in fiber-optic cables to remotely measure acoustics, temperature and strain. Through fiber-optic sensing, an individual can detect pipeline leaks, vehicle traffic, foot traffic, digging, tunneling, seismic activity, unsafe temperatures, crumbling infrastructure and other conditions from miles away. Fiber-optic sensing is used today to monitor thousands of miles of power lines, pipelines, international borders, critical infrastructure and facilities all across the globe. The technology has applications in transportation, security, oil and gas, energy, military, and medical industries. According to a market research report by BCC Research, the global fiber-optic sensors market should reach $3.2 billion by 2021, reflecting a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% beginning in 2016. The same market research report projected a five-year CAGR of 14% in the medical industry and 10.4% in the energy sector.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Op-Ed writer explains why 2×2 Wave 2 wireless access points ‘make no sense’
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/04/op-ed-writer-explains-why-2×2-wave-2-wireless-access-points-make-no-sense.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-05-01
“A 2×2 Wave 2 AP will cost about twice the price of a 2×2 Wave 1 AP and it has limited benefits. So, companies should pass on this Wi-Fi technology,” opines Network World’s Zeus Kerravala.
If the business really does need the latest and greatest Wi-Fi technology, then it should buy a 3×3 or 4×4 Wave 2 AP. Otherwise, stick to a Wave 1 AP, and get exactly the same performance as its higher-priced counterpart.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cromwell Schubarth / Silicon Valley Business Journal:
Cisco says it will acquire Viptela, a software-defined networking startup founded by former executives, for $610M in cash and stock — Cisco Systems on Monday said it has agreed to acquire Viptela, a software-defined networking startup founded and run by several of its former executives.
Cisco scoops up San Jose software-defined networking startup for $610M
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanjose/news/2017/05/01/cisco-viptela-acquisition.html?page=all
Viptela had raised more than $100 million since it was founded in 2012 and was reportedly valued at nearly $900 million when it last raised funds a year ago.
The 170-person company provides a cloud-based to manage wide-area networks that are spread over large geographies or multiple sites.
“Together, Cisco and Viptela will be able to deliver next-generation SD-WAN solutions to best serve all size and scale of customer needs, while accelerating Cisco’s transition to a recurring, software-based business model,” Rob Salvagno, Cisco’s lead executive for M&A, said in a blog post.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Faster Networks Push Interface Development
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331664&
As Ethernet speeds get faster, Rambus is looking to make sure memory and interfaces can keep up with the recent launch 56G SerDes PHY.
The analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and (DSP) architecture of the 56G SerDes PHY is designed meet the long-reach backplane requirements for the industry transition to 400 GB Ethernet applications, said Mohit Gupta, senior director of product marketing at Rambus. This means it can support scaling to speeds as fast as 112G, which are required in the networking and enterprise segments, such as enterprise server racks that are moving from 100G to 400G.
“Ethernet is moving faster than ever,” Gupta said. “The pace has picked up substantially due to big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other trends putting high demands on communication channels. There is already a forum for 112G SerDes speed which will drive the 800G standard.”
One clear usage case, said Gupta, is data center deployment by the “big four” — Facebook, Microsoft, Amazon and Google.
Wireline and wireless communications are also guiding Rambus’ memory and interface development. The move from 4G to 5G is driving new architectures such as C-RAN, which further pushes SerDes requirements to communicate between remote radio head (RRH) and baseband unit (BBU) from 12G to as high as 48G.
Rambus will use long-term partner Samsung’s 10nm Low-Power Plus (LLP) process technology for the 56G SerDes PHY, which Gupta said provides a higher performance and lower power node in comparison to first generation FinFET nodes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia reduces up to 150 from Espoo
Nokia today announced that it will continue to work in Finland. In new yt negotiations, the trigger has up to 200 jobs, of which 150 in Espoo. At Oulu’s base station, yt negotiations do not apply.
The redundant 50 is distributed equally to Oulu and Tampere.
the change program is global
From the Finnish point of view, Nokia’s deductions have at least two controversial issues. How much deductions will vaccinate the company’s research in Espoo, even though the company itself says “to continue investing in strategic areas such as 5G and the Internet of Things”?
The second question is the fate of Nokia’s overseas units.
Nokia currently has about 6,100 employees in Finland.
Source. http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6259-nokia-vahentaa-espoosta-jopa-150
Tomi Engdahl says:
100G Multiservice Test Module — FTBx–88200NGE Power Blazer
http://buyersguide.lightwaveonline.com/exfo-45435/p/100g-multiservice-test-module-ftbx88200nge-power-blazer.html
EXFO’s next-generation, 100G, advanced multiservice test solution with CFP4 and QSFP28
interfaces.
Key Features:
- Integrated CFP4 and QSFP28 interfaces for testing next-generation 100G networks
- Full-support QSFP+ interfaces for 40GE/OTU3 validation
- SFP+ interface to address lower rate signals for added versatility
- Advanced test functionality to address multiple technologies, including OTN, Ethernet,
SONET/SDH, Fibre Channel, packet sync and CPRI
Tomi Engdahl says:
The dynamic power supply industry continues to innovate
http://www.powerelectronicsnews.com/uncategorized/the-dynamicpower-supply-industry-continues-to-innovate
The overall market for AC/DC and DC/DC commercial switch mode power supplies (C-SMPS), which excludes consumers and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), is estimated to be in a range of 22 to 25 billion US Dollars. This level has been stable for more than five years and from an outsider’s point of view, could be perceived as a very static industry with very moderate growth index. This perception is amplified by a general feeling that the power supply industry reached such level of maturity, nothing will really happen, which in fact, is not the case. Despite the steady top number, the C-SMPS industry is extremely dynamic, adjusting to market changes, new regulations, emerging new technologies, and in permanent transformation. The market is developing products and power solutions for early stage new technologies (for example, 5G and Industry 4.0) or even power solutions not yet existing.
Figure 01 – Telecom-switch footprint for connecting 10 000 subscribers 1980 – 2020
Migrating from voice to data, the telecom industry rapidly reached a point of integration with the datacom industry to become the Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) group. At that point of time, both industries boosted the development of a new generation of signal processors and other complex data-management ASICs requiring higher power DC/DC converters (for example, Intermediate Bus Converters) with localized step down conversion achieved by point-of-load (PoL). In a few years radio base stations became smaller and smaller, backbone access shrunk to box size and the data centers became the heart of the ICT industry. This higher level of digitalization impacted on the low power DC/DC conversion market though contributed to the development of higher power density bricks, up to the 1 kW mythic quarter brick.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five Must-Ask Questions for Successful 5G Design
Design teams involved with 5G technology must bear much in mind in order to obtain a winning formula.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/five-must-ask-questions-successful-5g-design?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170502_MWRF-001_431&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=10852&utm_medium=email&elq2=243ece0017864c75afcf284eafc488fb
You are leading a team to go after this 5G business. Your organization’s strategic imperatives include leadership in 5G and you are an essential part of making that real. Your management, your team, your C-suite, and your board of directors are counting on you. No pressure. You embark on this initiative, you have your team intact, it is time to draw battle plans and start the assault. But is your team ready? Do they have Tom Wolfe’s “Right Stuff” to realize that vision of 5G dominance?
If you are two years into your effort, it’s not too late—have a chat with your team and find out:
1. Do you have the right background and expertise?
I recall once having to make the unpopular decision for my team to standardize on a single programming language. Once I made that call I realized that everyone not only had to learn the language, but also had to become proficient object-oriented programmers—a rarity at that time. It was still the right decision, but the implementation time was greater than originally expected.
5G means new technologies for many of us.
5G may mean new business models for you.
2. Do you have the right tools?
Some of those new technical areas will require new tools for your team. In many cases, they will know a lot about what will make the difference. Is there new hardware?
3. Are you properly connected to your key customers?
I am a fan of the agile software manifesto, especially in its commentary about putting your designers close to customers and providing rapid and frequent updates to functionality, while embracing regular and rapid changes in requirements.
4. Is your timing consistent with theirs?
The recipe for the most fabulously successful projects I have witnessed are probably familiar to you: your project is timed to supply your lead 2-3 customers in perfect alignment with their project timing and the overall market demand is simultaneously growing. This magical combination is, to some extent, the result of luck, but my very first boss in this high-tech world always told me that you make your own luck. What this means to me is to start with a well-prepared team, with the right tools tightly connected to their most important customers, and then make sure your schedule matches theirs.
5. Do you have the support you need from your organization?
This is hardly unique to 5G, but we all need this reminder. I have never personally witnessed a manager leading a “strategic imperative” who was satisfied with the support coming from the rest of the organization. I have also never witnessed true innovation in a relaxed atmosphere. Therefore, we leaders are asked to embrace these challenges.
Conclusion
Talk to your team and find out what they think would make the difference. They and you will not get everything you ask for, but this process will likely clear a few roadblocks. And the innovation associated with a well-prepared, customer-connected, and motivated team will help you overcome the other challenges.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marguerite Reardon / CNET:
Sprint announces Magic Box, a 4G LTE signal booster, says it offers a cell signal for up to 30K square feet indoors and improves speeds by 200%
Sprint’s Magic Box boosts your 4G LTE at home for free
https://www.cnet.com/news/sprint-to-offer-free-wireless-signal-booster-magic-box-small-cell/
The new device requires no set-up or in-home broadband and will boost 4G LTE coverage indoors and in the surrounding area for Sprint customers.
Trouble getting a cell signal indoors? Sprint says it has a fix.
The company will soon offer customers their own mini cellular antenna designed to provide better LTE coverage inside businesses, homes and the surrounding areas, Sprint said Wednesday.
The device called the Sprint Magic Box simply plugs into the wall for power and acts as a cellular signal booster, providing 4G LTE service. Unlike other boosters, this one doesn’t require a broadband connection. Instead, the Magic Box has a dedicated cellular channel to the nearest Sprint cell tower. It’s the size of a large shoebox and must be placed near a window.
The Magic Box comes as Sprint faces tough competition from rivals AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. For years, Sprint has suffered a poor reputation when it comes to its network. And although it’s made improvements, the company is still losing customers. The Magic Box and other network improvements could help change this perception. Sprint Chairman Masayoshi Son has vowed that Sprint will become No. 1 or No. 2 in terms of network quality by the end of next year.
Carriers have traditionally been shy about mentioning signal boosters because they’re a tacit admission that network coverage can be spotty. But Sprint said it will likely be more proactive in pushing these boxes because they offer a benefit to the customer and the surrounding area.
The Magic Box offers a cell signal for up to 30,000 square feet indoors and extends to 100 meters outdoors
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manish Singh / Mashable:
Facebook launches Express Wi-Fi commercially in India in four states with 700 hotspots for 15-30 cents/day; Bharti Airtel to launch an additional 20K hotspots
Facebook launches Express Wi-Fi in India
http://mashable.com/2017/05/04/express-wifi-commercial-launch-india/#s528Xl1DPsqm
Facebook is having another go at how it can bring more people online, including in places that aren’t a big fan of the company’s earlier attempts.
The social juggernaut on Thursday announced the commercial launch of Express Wi-Fi, an initiative part of Internet.org, through which it is offering “millions” of Indians access to the entire web at an “affordable” fee.
The service is commercially available in four Indian states of Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Meghalaya, where the company claims to have installed around 700 hotspots. Express Wi-Fi program is available in four other countries: Kenya, Nigeria, Indonesia, and Tanzania.
Today, the company announced it has also partnered with Airtel, India’s largest telecom operator (for now) to launch an additional 20,000 hotspots. The company has also partnered with local ISPs
The company says its local entrepreneur partners will sell data vouchers priced at Rs 10 to Rs 20 (15 to 30 cents) for a day-long access (Rs 200 to Rs 300 for a month). The vouchers will be available to purchase through online and offline stores.
“Express Wi-Fi is designed to complement mobile data offerings by providing a low-cost, high bandwidth alternative for getting online and access apps, download and stream content,” wrote Seth in a blog post.
The approach it has taken with Express Wi-Fi is similar to Google’s, which offers free Wi-Fi at several railway stations in India, analysts say. “Facebook’s approach is similar to Google’s Wi-Fi efforts in India, for which it has partnered with state-run RailTel,” said Prasanto K Roy, VP and Head of Internet, Mobile and E-commerce Council at Nasscom.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G: The twelve trillion dollar technology
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4458362/5G–The-twelve-trillion-dollar-technology?utm_content=buffer7ed05&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
The adoption of 5G mobile technology could enable $12.4 trillion of global economic output by 2035, according to a study by IHS Markit (commissioned by Qualcomm).
It’s about connecting everything, and the research sees the new 5G-enabled economy emerging in three broad categories:
First, we’ll see Enhanced Mobile Broadband (EMBB) extending all of the value we get from 4G
Next, the promise of the IoT will begin to be realized as it evolves to the Massive Internet of Things (MIoT).
The report highlights Mission Critical Services (MCS) like industrial or automotive automation, and remote patient health monitoring, but the list includes almost any activity that could be outsourced to a robot or network service.
Building the ecosystem will take time
Tomi Engdahl says:
EDN’s 5G Standards watch begins
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-standards-watch/4458328/EDN-s-5G-Standards-watch-begins
The complexity of 5G is such that despite the anticipation of its eventual arrival in 2019 – a year sooner than originally planned – the standards have yet to be formed. This has created a sense of urgency and frantic activity to have a workable standard before the end of 2017 so that IC development can begin in earnest, and systems can be developed in 2018 and deployed in 2019.
That said, there are many 5G-like trial deployments underway globally as operators struggle to balance increasing user demand and the need to be seen as being ahead of the game.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Small Cells Help Keep 5G Connected
http://www.techonline.com/electrical-engineers/education-training/tech-papers/4458334/Small-Cells-Help-Keep-5G-Connected
As more users tap into wireless-communications services, the demand on wireless-network capacity intensifies in both indoor and outdoor locations. This is driving carriers to expand their cellular/wireless infrastructure with minimum cost or disruption of service to wireless customers. Many carriers are turning to small cells as the solution. Small cells and distributed antenna systems (DAS) enhance quality of service, offer carriers a simple solution for each application, and increase network efficiency.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is 5G NR?
http://www.edn.com/5G/4458325/What-is-5G-NR-
While listening to the many excellent technical 5G presentations at the Brooklyn 5G Summit held at NYU Tandon School of Engineering and co-hosted by NYU WIRELESS and Nokia this year, I heard the term 5G NR mentioned. For those of you who are not familiar with 5G NR, it refers to 5G New Radio. Qualcomm commented that NR is a complex topic as it relates to a new OFDM-based wireless standard.
OFDM refers to “a digital multi-carrier modulation method” in which “a large number of closely spaced orthogonal sub-carrier signals are used to carry data on several parallel data streams or channels.” With 3GPP adopting this standard going forward, the NR name has stuck, just as LTE (long term evolution) caught on to describe the 4G wireless standard.
A new Radio Access Technology (RAT), beyond LTE is needed; it must be flexible enough to support a much wider range of frequency bands from less than 6 GHz to millimeter wave (mmWave) bands as high as 100 GHz. An OFDM4-based unified and more capable air interface has been chosen for this task going forward.
OFDM is a very well-defined and familiar waveform design principle. Both 4G (LTE and its evolutions so far) and IEEE 802.11 (WiFi) use OFDM as their basic signal format for sending data wirelessly.
Why OFDM2?
Some reasons that OFDM has been chosen are:
OFDM is a scalable waveform with lower complexity receivers
OFDM has a more efficient framework for MIMO spatial multiplexing which means higher spectral efficiency
OFDM allows enhancements like windowing/filtering for enhanced localization
SC-FDM/SC-FDMA is well-suited for uplink transmissions in macro deployments
The challenges that 5G is facing push the limits of communication technology and in order to meet the aggressive schedule and technical aspirations of 5G NR, standards bodies and designers will need to squeeze the most out of every bit of the diverse spectrum planned for the 5G air interface1.
3GPP is focusing upon three key 5G use cases:
enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB)
massive machine type communications (mMTC)
ultra-reliable low latency communications (URLLC).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Aaron Pressman / Fortune:
CDC says 50.8% of US households use only cellphones, overtaking landlines as main service for the first time
More Than Half of Americans Have Cut Landline Phone Service
http://fortune.com/2017/05/04/cut-landline-phone-service/
It’s official: For the first time, a majority of American homes have only wireless telephones.
The trend to drop landlines has been growing over the last decade alongside the growth in mobile phone use
In the CDC survey for the second half of 2016, 50.8% of households had only mobile service, up from 48.3% a year earlier. Another 39.4% of households had both types of service and 6.5% had landlines only. The survey, released on Thursday, found 3.2% of homes had no phone connection of any kind.
Many consumers may be dropping landline service as a cost-saving measure.
Now, many consumers are also dropping cable TV service, in some cases for mobile video streaming apps on their phones.