Here are some of my collection of newest trends and predictions for year 2018. I have not invented those ideas what will happen next year completely myself. I have gone through many articles that have given predictions for year 2018. Then I have picked and mixed here the best part from those articles (sources listed on the end of posting) with some of my own additions to make this posting.This article contains very many quotations from those source articles.
Big Data, mobility and the Internet of Things (IoT) are generating an enormous amount of data, and data center operators must find ways to support higher and higher speeds. Recent data center trends predict bandwidth requirements will continue growing 25 percent to 35 percent per year. Many older data centers were designed to support 1-gigabit or 10-gigabit pathways between servers, routers and switches. Today’s Ethernet roadmap extends from 25- and 40-gigabit up through 100-gigabit, and 400-gigabit and even 1-terabit Ethernet loom within a few years. The biggest sales are forecasted for 25G and 100G ports for next few years. Ethernet switch market has now 100 Gbit/s products in the volumes at the moment, and both 200G and 400G Ethernet versions will be taken to use in 2018.
Broadcom dominates the Ethernet switch chip market today with a 73 to 94 percent share, depending on how market watchers slice the sector valued at nearly a billion dollars. Its closest rival, Cisco Systems, takes most of the rest with systems using its own ASICs. Juniper, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Huawei also make Ethernet switch ASICs for their systems. With seven merchant chips in the pipeline and four in-house ASICs in the works, we will see a record number of unique platforms ship in 2018. Wheeler of the Linley Group expects the competition will drive Ethernet switch costs from about $60/port today to about $36/port by 2020.
Data center giants “are driving their own code and programmable capabilities as close to the server as possible.” The dozen largest data center operators — including the likes of Facebook and Google — build their own switch systems or specify systems built by ODMs. They can drive sales of millions of chips a year but demand maximum bandwidth at minimum cost and power consumption. The Tomahawk-3 is geared for the next-generation of their top-of-rack and aggregation switches, delivering up to 128 100GE or 32 400GE ports, the first merchant chip to support 400GE rates.
China will start making more optical components: Several Western component and subsystems vendors have cited reduced demand from Chinese systems houses such as Huawei and ZTE for revenue declines in 2017. One reason for the slowdown is the fact that these systems houses have begun looking for more local optical technology sources. In addition to doing more development work in-house (particularly in the case of Huawei), the two Chinese systems vendors have begun to work more closely with Chinese companies such as Accelink, Hisense, and HiSilicon as well as Japanese vendors. This can mean that Western firms (particularly in the U.S.) may not see their Chinese orders return to previous levels.
Higher power power over Ethernet: 802.3bt – IEEE Draft Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair amendment to IEEE Std 802.3-2015 increases the maximum PD power available by utilizing all four pairs in the specified structured wiring plant. This represents a substantial increase to the capabilities of Ethernet with standardized power – allow delivery of up to 90 watts of power via existing Ethernet cabling. The Ethernet Alliance has announced details of its next plugfest: Dedicated to pre-standard testing of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies against Draft 3.2 of the IEEE P802.3bt standard, the event will be held in February 2018. The specification’s ratification is expected in September of 2018.
802.11ax hasn’t been signed off yet, but promises to send WiFi towards 10 Gb/s thanks to its use of both multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) and the new Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA). 802.11ax is good at combining lots of different links so that users get more connections, more often, and end up with more bandwidth. Marvell claims it’ll have the first chipsets for new 10G WiFi ready for products in H2 2018. Marvell said the chipsets will ship some time in early 2018 and will appear in products in the second half of the year. Widespread 802.11ax adoption in devices probably won’t happen until 2019.
5G something in it for everyone. 5G is big. 5G New Radio (NR) wireless technology will ultimately impact everyone in the electronics and telecommunications industries. Most estimates say 2020 is when we will ultimately see some real 5G deployments on a scale. In the meantime, companies are firming up their plans for whatever 5G products and services they will offer. Though test and measurement solutions will be key in the commercialization cycle. 5G is set to disrupt test processes. If 5G takes off, the technology will propel the development of new chips in both the infrastructure and the handset. Data centers require specialty semiconductors from power management to high-speed optical fiber front-ends. 5G systems will drive more complexity in RF front-ends .
Networks will become more and more virtual, especially on 5G. 5G networks will build on LTE network architecture with the introduction of cloud RANs (C-RANs) and virtualized RANs. Network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) tools and architectures could enable operators to reduce network costs and simplify deployment. For more details read System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved article.
Automotive Ethernet: Automotive Ethernet will replace the Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus found on many vehicles today and also compete with systems like Maxim’s Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL). The standards include IEEE 802.3bw 100BASE-T1 and IEEE P802.3bp 1000BASE-T1 that adopt the 100-Mb/s and 1-Gb/s Ethernet protocols to run over over a single twisted pair up to 15 meters. Chips, PHYs and switches are now readily available for automotive Ethernet. Automotive switches will support time-sensitive networking (TSN) features like audio video bridging (AVB) ingress policy, rate limiting andalso features 802.1Qav/Qbv queue-shaping support. We will need a Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet.
Car-to-car communication: The industry and government have defined several versions of vehicular communications. These are vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X). V2V is the direct communications between vehicles within range of one another. V2V link-up is automatic and cars exchange status information messages Basic Safety Message (BSM) 10 times per second (contains data such as GPS location, speed, direction, brake status, and related conditions). There are competing technologies to make this all work. IEEE802.11p ahead of LTE-V2V for safety critical applications. 5G will offer increased capacity and decreased latency for some critical applications such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving vehicles. The big question is whether 5G will disrupt the landscape or fall short of its promises.
TSN (time sensitive networking) will be talked on many application. Success in the IIoT requires that information- and operational-technology networks work in tandem—time-sensitive networking can make it happen. A converged industrial network will address several challenges that currently exist in today’s disparate network architecture, and it is believed that needed convergence is provided by time-sensitive networking (TSN). TSN is a set of IEEE 802 sub-standards that, when implemented, enable deterministic communication over Ethernet networks while keeping the benefits of communication in best effort manner, on that same network. TSN introduces different traffic classes that share the same link. Proper implementation of TSN requires a solution that can provide a low latency and deterministic response at TSN end points and TSN bridges – it is usually implemented with combining a processor and a FPGA or using advanced Ethernet switch chip.
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’: Govekar said that as soon as 2019, at least a third of the largest software vendors will have transitioned their products from cloud-first to cloud-only. For this reason Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers. If this happens , there will be a lot of work for network operators and cloud service companies to be able to build the infrastructure that can handle all this without problems. I expect that not all on-premises data centers are doomed. There are applications where moving everything to central could does not make sense – for example many IoT applications are moving some of the processing from cloud to edge devices for various reasons (lower latency, reduce needed bandwidth, work also when communications does not work etc..). There is also place for some on-premises data centers on some application (may them be depending on need anything from embedded server to room full of equipment racks). When designing for the IoT, security needs to be addressed from the Cloud down to each and every edge device. Protecting data is both a hardware and a software requirement, as more data is being stored and analyzed in edge devices and gateways.
Network neutrality talks will continue in 2018. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 14, 2017 overturned the Title II-based Open Internet Order the previous Democratic-controlled FCC regime put in place in 2015. So what happens next? In the immediate term, nothing. The Restoring Internet Freedom Order won’t go into effect until sometime in the first half of 2018.
IPv6 usage seems to be finally accelerating in 2018. IPv6 has been a “future” since 1998, and an important future since 2007. IPv6 deployments have been increasing and chances are you have already used IPv6 – but haven’t realized it yet. IPv6 deployment is increasing around the world, with over 9 million domain names and 23% of all networks advertising IPv6 connectivity. Network admins will have many concerns about migrating to IPv6 in 2018. China plans to put the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)-based network into large-scale use, to boost the development of the Internet industry. China aims to have 200 million active users of IPv6 by the end of 2018. IPv6 use is increasing, but that does not mean that IPv4 is no way dying. It seems that both of those technologies will co-exist in Internet for a long time.
Sources:
Chinese systems houses engaging with alternative component, subsystem sources: LightCounting
System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved
Five technology trends for 2018
NI Trend Watch 2018 explores trends driving the future faster
ADAS Needs V2X to Meet ITS Goals
Taking Automotive Ethernet for a Test Drive
A Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet
TSN: Converging Networks for a Better Industrial IoT
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’
Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers
M2M within the IoT – Pushing Security from the Cloud Down to Every Last Endpoint
Net Neutrality Overturned: Now What?
B’com Shifts Switch to 12.8 Tbits/s
Planning starts now for high-speed data center migration
China to speed up IPv6-based Internet development
Top 5 Concerns of Network Admins About Migrating to IPv6 in 2018
1,081 Comments
Frank says:
Nice !
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi versus 5G? Nope, it’s both
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/5g-waves/4459120/Wi-Fi-versus-5G–Nope–it-s-both
Will 5G replace Wi-Fi? Once you get access to wireless connectivity that is faster, more robust, and has greater capacity than Wi-Fi, why would you need that and Wi-Fi? Why wouldn’t 5G replace Wi-Fi? Because it’s theoretically possible, people have been asking this question over and over for at least a couple of years.
“operators are doubling down on Wi-Fi,” said James Chen, Quantenna’s senior director of product marketing. “It’s the logical thing to do.”
There are thousands of products with Wi-Fi already built in, and thousands more coming. “What happens to all these tablets that have nothing but Wi-Fi, or Wi-Fi and LTE,” Chen asked. They will have to be supported for a very long time. Perhaps some people will get 5G broadband, but the signal is more likely going to go to a gateway and get distributed via Wi-Fi from there.
Say carriers were to decide to replace Wi-Fi, anyway? There are 90 million to 100 million homes that would require femtocells. Even if operators wanted to do it – even if consumers demanded it (for whatever reason) – it would take years to deploy that many devices. And consumers would continue using legacy devices, so 5G and Wi-Fi would still have to co-exist for many years after that, Chen explained.
There is no compelling technological reason to replace Wi-Fi. It is getting faster, more robust, and capable of supporting an increasing number of Wi-Fi devices simultaneously, with repeaters becoming more common and mesh networking on the way in the forthcoming IEEE 802.11ax generation of Wi-Fi technology, which is being branded as Max Wi-Fi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber Backbone Cabling
http://www.cablinginstall.com/whitepapers/2017/05/fiber-backbone-in-buildings.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-02
Until recently, the horizontal cabling in most buildings was designed to support speeds up to 1 Gbps to the desk, and 1000BASE-T was considered ample bandwidth for horizontal applications in Enterprise buildings. Today, however, developments in wireless technologies are pushing the horizontal bandwidth beyond 1 Gbps
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is NBASE-T Ethernet now just ‘Networking 101′?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/12/is-nbase-t-ethernet-now-just-networking-101.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-02
From DSLReports – “While wireless networking often garners more attention, when it comes time to do the heavy lifting on a network, the smart money’s on the wired connection. A downside is that once wires get run, generally it is not convenient to change them out to get faster speeds. In particular, a common Ethernet wiring standard, CAT 5e, was installed for two decades
Networking 101: NBASE-T Ethernet
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Networking-101-NBASET-Ethernet-140915
NBASE-T Ethernet goes back to the earliest Ethernet standard, which dates back to 1983.
10 Mbps over copper wires.
In order to extend the life of copper, the NBASE-T Alliance was founded in 2014, with over 40 companies, including Cisco and Broadcom. In September of 2016 this came to fruition, and the IEEE approved a new standard to remedy the speed limitation of CAT 5e, and those venerable copper cables have some more life left in them it turns out. Officially known as IEEE 802.3bz, it more popularly gets called the 2.5/5 Ethernet standard. The goal is to use existing twisted pair copper cabling to get an upgrade in speed. How fast? We are talking about speeds of 2.5 Gbps for CAT 5e, and 5 Gbps on CAT 6.
While this is slower than what newer cables such as CAT 6 and up can offer with their 10 Gbps speeds, there is still plenty of CAT 5e already installed
The faster speeds over CAT 5e certainly sound like a reasonable ‘next step,’ or at least a useful stopgap while 10 Gbps equipment becomes more affordable and pervasive. Unfortunately, despite NBASE-T being ratified last year, there is still a lack of available equipment in the consumer space, with even top end routers from the mainstream manufacturers not supporting it.
We’ll be on the lookout for new products in this space for 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The rise of modular plug terminated links
https://www.networkworld.com/article/3243048/network-switch/the-rise-of-modular-plug-terminated-links.html
Developing new LAN cabling standards is an arduous process that takes many years. Most standards development work centers around higher performance cable and connectors to support new applications like 10, 25 and 40 gigabit Ethernet. New cable performance categories/classes take anywhere from 5 to 10 years to go from concept to ratification. But sometimes seemingly small things take hold and cause the industry to snap to attention and shift into high gear.
A modular plug terminated link (MPTL) is nothing more than an Ethernet cable that is terminated with a female socket (jack) on one side and a male plug on the other, whereas a standard permanent link is terminated with sockets on both sides of the cable. Simple, right? Wrong.
Installing is one thing, testing is another
Today, virtually every building system including security, A/V, access control, lighting, climate control is either operating over Ethernet cabling or has the capacity to connect to the network.
Designers who specify costly, high performance cabling raise an eyebrow at links installed with a plug at the device end. The reason is that there are currently no standards that define how to test a link with plug terminations at one or both sides.
Once installed, cabling is tested with a LAN cable certifier to ensure the completed system meets the performance promised by the individual components.
The ISO 11801 and TIA 568 standards defined common practices
Permanent links
The installed cabling that services a network device is called a Permanent Link (PL). A PL is terminated at the network equipment room into a patch panel (socket), can be up to 90 meters long, and is terminated at the device end into a box or wall plate with another socket. Equipment/patch cords totaling 10 meters in length can then be used to connect the network switch and networked devices to the PL. The maximum allowed length of the Channel is 100 meters.
Modular plug terminated links
An MPTL is just like a PL, except one end is terminated with a socket, the other with a plug. MPTL support is only now being added to IEC and TIA cabling standards, even though cabling has been installed in this manner for many years.
a non-centered socket cannot not be used to measure the performance of a plug.
The only way a MPTL can be properly and accurately tested is with a channel adapter that uses the specific centered socket required for certification of plugs.
Not all field installed RJ-45 plugs are rated to meet IEC/TIA component specifications.
Category 5e plugs are likely to pass certification with little extra effort.
Category 6 plugs should be verified
Category 6A field terminated plugs are relatively new to market and the ones that provide the performance to pass certification are very expensive (more than $2 to $10 each).
Do not exceed 90 meters/328 feet if testing to TIA standards. TIA standards require the test to fail if the MPTL exceeds 90m.
Testing MPTLs is new and tester manufacturers have only recently began offering the capability.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC issues final version of order eliminating net neutrality rules
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/04/fcc-issues-final-version-of-order-eliminating-net-neutrality-rules/?ncid=rss&utm_source=tcfbpage&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=FaceBook&sr_share=facebook
The FCC has released the final text of the order it voted on last month that is set to undo the net neutrality rules established in 2015. This is the text that will enter the federal register and the official final wording of the new rules and justification thereof.
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-releases-restoring-internet-freedom-order
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zayo launches SD-WAN service to improve enterprises’ network management
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/zayo-launches-sd-wan-service-to-improve-enterprises-network-management.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1964058
Zayo Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: ZAYO) announced the launch of its software defined wide area network (SD-WAN) service to improve enterprises’ network management, and enhance performance, reliability, and failover options.
An integrated extension of Zayo’s fiber-based IP/MPLS backbone offerings, Zayo says its SD-WAN simplifies otherwise complex WAN management.
Zayo says the service enables flexible, cost-effective location integration and service provisioning, integrating MPLS, internet, and LTE into primary and multi-path configurations. To provide an optimal network performance, dynamic traffic steering prioritizes traffic at the application level to the available paths. The SD-WAN integrates with internet and IP-VPN connections alike, delivering more capacity and resiliency, according to the company.
In 2015, Zayo upgraded its Ethernet backbone to accommodate 100-Gbps (see “Zayo Ethernet backbone moves to 100G”). Its portfolio of WAN services currently includes a range of IP and Ethernet-based services and managed and unmanaged services to accommodate the customer’s network preference.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet Alliance salutes approval of IEEE 802.3bs 200 Gigabit Ethernet, 400 Gigabit Ethernet standard
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/ethernet-alliance-salutes-approval-of-ieee-802-3bs-200-gigabit-ethernet-400-gigabit-ethernet-standard.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1964058
The Ethernet Alliance says it’s ready to help move the newly approved standards for 200 Gigabit Ethernet and 400 Gigabit Ethernet into commercial deployment. The new specifications, under IEEE 802.3bs, “Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers, and Management Parameters for 200 gigabit per second (Gb/s) and 400 Gb/s Operation,” achieved full ratification December 6, 2017.
“IEEE 802.3bs represents a transformational moment in the move to next generation of networks. The delivery of 200G and 400G is arriving just in time to meet growing needs for reliable, high-speed connectivity from a diverse array of applications and markets,”
The Task Force began its work in 2014 with only 400 Gigabit Ethernet on its plate. The group tackled both multimode and single-mode scenarios, with the single-mode specifications using PAM4 modulation.
he specifications include:
400GBASE-SR16, which covers at least 100 m over multimode fiber via 16 transmit and another 16 receive fibers, each transmitting at 25 Gbps (a study group has formed to investigate whether OM5 fiber and shortwave WDM technology could lessen the number of fibers required)
400GBASE-DR4, for at least 500 m over single-mode fiber using four parallel fibers in each direction with 100-Gbps transmission on each fiber; the decision to target 100-Gbps transmission was the subject of spirited debate (see “IEEE P802.3bs Task Force adopts serial 100G for 400 Gigabit Ethernet”)
400GBASE-FR8, which uses eight-wavelength WDM to treat reaches of at least 2 km over a single-mode fiber in each direction
400GBASE-LR8, which is similar with -FR8 except the reach is extended to at least 10 km over single-mode fiber.
These optical specifications are supported by a pair of electrical interfaces, the 8-lane 400GAUI-8 and the 16-lane 400GAUI-16.
Completion of the Task Force’s work was delayed somewhat when it was also given responsibility for drafting the single-mode fiber specifications for 200 Gigabit Ethernet in 2016
The rationale was that single-mode 200 Gigabit Ethernet could be based on variants of the 400 Gigabit Ethernet specifications. And so it is, particularly in the use of PAM4-enabled 50-Gbps transmission. The specifications include:
200GBASE-DR4 for at least 500 m via four parallel fibers in each direction
200GBASE-FR4 for at least 2 km via four-wavelength CWDM in each direction
200GBASE-LR4 for at least 10 km via four wavelengths in each direction
The complementary electrical interfaces similarly are “half” of their 400 Gigabit Ethernet counterparts, four-lane 200GAUI-4 and eight-lane 200GAUI-8.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Surveying the New Optical Form Factors for 400 Gigabit Ethernet
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2017/12/surveying-the-new-optical-form-factors-for-400-gigabit-ethernet.html
Targeted for massive aggregation of data across an array of applications, 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) is on schedule for standardization this year within the IEEE 802.3bs™ Ethernet Working Group. Development of new and faster electrical and optical signaling technologies is simultaneously underway across the ever-expanding Ethernet ecosystem.
Of course, different aspects of the Ethernet ecosystem have different needs in 400GbE I/O form factors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OTT: Video, video everywhere, and nary a thing to watch
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/01/ott-video-video-everywhere-and-nary-a-thing-to-watch.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to Ooyala’s “State of the Broadcast Industry 2018″ report, the over-the-top (OTT) video world may offer too many choices to be managed easily.
The report – which draws on Ooyala’s own data and analysis as well as research conducted by other organizations – indicates that viewers are embracing content anywhere, on any device. However, it also indicates that Millennials, arguably the key demographic for streaming services, already are overwhelmed with the plethora of options – estimated by Parks Associates to include more than 200 OTT services in North America alone. Some 49% of viewers saying there are now too many TV programs from which to choose, according to Hub Entertainment.
The Ooyala report identifies several areas of focus by content distributors as they seek to attract and maintain share of view. These include:
Format experimentation – Content delivery services are experimenting with formats, such as vertical video or mobile-specific content series, to optimize the TV anywhere viewing experience.
Social media – Major social-media platforms, including Facebook (with an estimated $1 billion content spend next year), Twitter and Snapchat – all grasping the growing role of video online – are jumping into the streaming pool with big investments in long- and short-form video.
Bundling – Skinny bundles are gaining traction, and distributors are expected to end the year with more than 3 million U.S. consumers subscribing to mini-bundles, per comScore. More bundling experiments are expected in 2018.
IP technology – Traditional TV companies – broadcasters and cable programmers alike – are going all-in on IP technology, focusing on the related metadata, which providers believe will drive critical advances in every area of video delivery. The next-generation broadcast TV standard, ATSC 3.0, is an example. This embrace of data is expected to be crucial to TV industry success during the next five years.
Original content – Though some viewers are saying “too much content,” creators are attracting viewers with a combination of originals and exclusives, the budgets for which are expected to grow.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asus Is Turning Its Old Routers Into Mesh Wi-Fi Networks
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/18/01/04/0639201/asus-is-turning-its-old-routers-into-mesh-wi-fi-networks?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
Asus’ new AiMesh system lets you repurpose your existing Asus routers as part of a mesh network, potentially saving you lots of money since you won’t have to replace your whole network with a bunch of new devices. The Verge reports:
Asus is turning its old routers into mesh Wi-Fi networks
The AiMesh feature adds mesh networking support with a firmware update
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/1/3/16845134/asus-aimesh-mesh-network-router-firmware-update
Mesh routers like Eero, Netgear’s Orbi, and Google Wifi are getting all the hype these days, but replacing your whole network with a bunch of new devices can be kind of expensive. Asus has a good solution with its new AiMesh system, which lets you repurpose your existing Asus routers as part of a mesh network.
For now, the mesh support is coming to a few routers today in beta, including the ASUS RT-AC68U, RT-AC1900P, RT-AC86U, RT-AC5300, and the ROG Rapture GT-AC5300. with additional support planned for the RT-AC88U and RT-AC3100 later this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Roomba will soon be able to build a map of your home’s Wi-Fi coverage
Cleaning and spotting dead spots
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/3/16845006/roomba-wifi-map-home-coverage-irobot
Roomba, the robotic vacuum, is gaining an indoor Wi-Fi mapping feature in its iRobot app later this month. The Wi-Fi Coverage map feature means Wi-Fi-enabled Roombas will be able to produce a map of indoor signals, which show weaker areas and signal dead zones. Some Roomba models can be controlled remotely using Wi-Fi, so the feature is handy in terms of understanding where the robot might be out of range for remote control.
iRobot says when users start a cleaning job, the Roomba will collect Wi-Fi signal information as it goes and produce a map. Users will be able to swap between the signal map and the app’s Clean Map feature, which displays where the robot has already cleaned. The Wi-Fi map should be useful for people to figure out if a room might have a spotty connection, and if they ought to reposition their router, or get a new one or a range extender.
The feature is opt-in and will be available through a beta program within the app in the US starting mid January.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Holding ISPs accountable: Let’s build an app to monitor net bias
http://www.zdnet.com/article/holding-isps-accountable-lets-build-an-app-to-monitor-net-bias/
In the continuing fight for holding our broadband providers accountable for their actions, our front line weapons will be the cloud and the Internet of Things.
A New Year and a new relationship with our broadband and wireless services providers begin for Americans as we wake up to an internet post-net neutrality.
Since the repeal of the net neutrality rules enacted by the Obama administration on Dec. 15, the Tier 1 service providers have all issued statements along with the major trade groups representing them that they don’t and will not block or throttle connections to content and sites.
They have said, emphatically, that they won’t engage in most forms of paid prioritization — the practice of charging sites (and end-users) more for faster delivery of streams and downloads.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast celebrates repeal of net neutrality by hiking prices in 2018
https://thenextweb.com/opinion/2018/01/02/comcast-celebrates-repeal-of-net-neutrality-by-hiking-prices-in-2018/
Comcast, still feasting on its holiday bounty in the form of net neutrality’s carcass, is starting 2018 off by doing what it does best: price gouging its customers. Along with AT&T, DishTV, and several other providers, it will raise prices in January.
These increases will include most of the company’s services. Internet, TV packages, modem rentals, and late charges are all going up. And, even though the company faces several lawsuits for its made-up “Broadcast TV” and “Regional Sports” fees, it’ll be jacking up those imaginary services as well.
Perhaps the only good news is that the repeal of net neutrality has nothing to do with these cost increases: Comcast does this every year.
When it was sued for misleading customers about costs in 2014 – which the company claims are actually its efforts at transparency – the “Broadcast TV” fee was $1.50. That fee will be $8.00 in 2018.
There’s no immediate end in sight for customers forced to deal with Comcast, AT&T (which owns DirecTV), DishTV and other television and internet service providers. It’s almost a certainty there’ll be more inexplicable price hikes in the future.
The company may have been emboldened by Ajit Pai’s underhanded destruction of consumer protections, but the writing is still on the wall. The business practices that ISPs and TV providers engage in are exactly what made services like YouTube and Netflix necessary.
Tomi Engdahl says:
INTERCONNECTION: FUELING THE EXPLOSION OF THE DIGITAL ECONOMY
https://www.equinix.fi/resources/infographics/global-interconnection-index/?ls=Email&lsd=17q3_cross-vertical__digital-edge-2017___infographics/global-interconnection-index/____equinix-programs-regional_____nurture-email-initial______email-leads_fi-en&lsd=17q3_cross-vertical__digital-edge-2017___infographics/global-interconnection-index/____equinix-programs-regional_____nurture-email-initial______email-leads_fi-en&utm_source=email-leads&utm_medium=nurture-email&utm_content=digital-edge-2017_Prospect-GII-Infographic_initial&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTkRjelpqQXhNR1ppWXpKayIsInQiOiJ3aU1EUFJ4aTVjR3U5Y1pGZDRIeXZEVXpZeFdcL0c3amNOZUNIRHdjWE1lZWFkSklcL0NWZmdtNXZha2t0aEVLU1F5MDIybXZKdm84UFF5OHB4ZlFXWmlXTmVKZ3h5bXhqMkhyNFM3d2ZTZkVTWVd5R1EyTjF5NWx6b2x1R1FHS015In0%3D
Tomi Engdahl says:
TSN: Converging Networks for a Better Industrial IoT
http://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/tsn-converging-networks-better-industrial-iot
Success in the IIoT requires that information- and operational-technology networks work in tandem—time-sensitive networking can make it happen.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tony Romm / Recode:
Sources: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance at CES after receiving death threats — The threats have intensified following an FCC vote to repeal net neutrality rules. — Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his appearance at CES because of death threats
The threats have intensified following an FCC vote to repeal net neutrality rules.
https://www.recode.net/2018/1/4/16850956/fcc-chairman-ajit-pai-ces-death-threats
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai canceled his scheduled appearance at a major upcoming tech industry trade show after receiving death threats, two agency sources told Recode on Thursday.
It’s the second known incident in which Pai’s safety may have been at risk, after a bomb threat abruptly forced the chairman to halt his controversial vote to scrap the U.S. government’s net neutrality rules in December 2017.
Read all 539 pages of the FCC’s final order repealing net neutrality
https://www.recode.net/2018/1/4/16851892/fcc-final-order-text-net-neutrality-repeal-free-internet
Tomi Engdahl says:
Louise Matsakis / Wired:
Experts: human damage to undersea fiber optic cables would be less severe than military warns; of ~428 cables, one is damaged every couple days, often by nature
What Would Really Happen If Russia Attacked Undersea Internet Cables
https://www.wired.com/story/russia-undersea-internet-cables/
It might seem like a nightmare scenario. A terrorist organization or nefarious nation state decides to derail the global internet by faulting the undersea fiber optic cables that connect the world. These cables, which run along the ocean floor, carry almost all transoceanic digital communication, allowing you to send a Facebook message to a friend in Dubai, or receive an email from your cousin in Australia.
US Navy officials have warned for years that it would be devastating if Russia, which has been repeatedly caught snooping near the cables, were to attack them. The UK’s most senior military officer said in December that it would “immediately and potentially catastrophically” impact the economy were Russia to fault the lines. NATO is now planning to resurrect a Cold War-era command post in part to monitor Russian cable activity in the North Atlantic.
The idea of the global internet going dark because some cables were damaged is frightening. But if Russia or anyone else were to snip a handful of the garden hose-sized lines, experts say that the consequences would likely be less severe than the picture the military paints.
“The amount of anxiety about somebody sabotaging a single cable or multiple cables is overblown,” says Nicole Starosielski, a professor at New York University who spent six years studying internet cables to write the The Undersea Network. “If somebody knew how these systems worked and if they staged an attack in the right way, then they could disrupt the entire system. But the likelihood of that happening is very small. Most of the concerns and fears are not nearly a threat at all.”
For one, ruptures aren’t exactly an anomaly. One of the estimated 428 undersea cables worldwide is damaged every couple of days. Nearly all faults aren’t intentional
Russia snipping a handful of cables in the Atlantic, where its submarines have been spotted, would disturb the global internet very little.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tony Romm / Recode:
Internet Association, representing Amazon, Facebook, Google and others, says it will join upcoming lawsuit against net neutrality repeal as an intervening party
The leading lobbying group for Amazon, Facebook, Google and other tech giants is joining the legal battle to restore net neutrality
https://www.recode.net/2018/1/5/16854324/silicon-valley-trump-netflix-free-internet-association-fcc-net-neutrality-lawsuit
The companies will intervene in a coming lawsuit through their trade group, the Internet Association.
A leading lobbying group for Amazon, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Twitter and other tech giants said Friday that it would be joining the coming legal crusade to restore the U.S. government’s net neutrality rules.
The Washington, D.C.-based Internet Association specifically plans to join a lawsuit as an intervening party, aiding the challenge to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s vote in December to repeal regulations that required internet providers like AT&T and Comcast* to treat all web traffic equally, its leader confirmed to Recode.
Technically, the Internet Association isn’t filing its own lawsuit. That task will fall to companies like Etsy, public advocates like Free Press and state attorneys general, all of which plan to contend they are most directly harmed by Pai’s decision, as Recode first reported this week.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE 802.3bs 200-Gbit/sec and 400-Gbit/sec Ethernet standard approved
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/01/ieee-8023bs-200g-400g-ethernet-leviton-blog.html
“After four years in committee, the IEEE 802.3bs fiber standard for 200 and 400 Gb/s networks was approved [December 7, 2017],” Bernstein’s post announces. “The new standard is the first to address these speeds, and provides important guidance for data center managers building a network migration plan that spans multiple tech refreshes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New IEEE Standard Brings 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s to Data Centers
https://blog.leviton.com/new-ieee-standard-brings-200-gbs-and-400-gbs-data-centers
IEEE 802.3bs Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Operation includes a range of ways to deliver 200 and 400 Gb/s over single-mode fiber using duplex or parallel options. The standard also includes one multimode variant, although it is expected to see little deployment as the industry-wide move to single-mode for higher speeds will likely leapfrog this technology.
The new standard supports:
200GBASE‐DR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R Encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
200GBASE‐FR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
200GBASE‐LR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐DR4: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
400GBASE‐FR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
400GBASE‐LR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐SR16: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding over sixteen lanes of MM fiber, with reach up to at least 100 m.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Paige Datacom approves Signamax Category 6 and 6A connectivity for use with GameChanger video cable
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/01/paige-datacom-gamechanger-cable-signamax-connectivity.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966227
The GameChanger cabling system “was designed to carry 1080p video and PoE+ to the extended distance of 850 feet without repeaters, and 4,000 feet with repeaters,” the company added. “The cabling system is proving to be an industry game changer for video cameras that are required near the periphery of buildings and to replace long runs of CCTV cabling where it is not possible, practical or feasible to build intermediate IDFs or install power for repeaters.”
Part of the GameChanger’s value proposition is that it can eliminate the need to build an IDF (intermediate distribution frame/intermediate crossconnect) to facilitate such long cable runs. The company explains, “It is estimated that the installation of one IDF location can cost $38,000. For cabling that only supports 100 meters, 2.5 IDFs would be required to support the same 850-foot [approximately 260-meter] distance. The cost to carry signal over the same 850-foot distance run with traditional 100-meter category cabling and repeaters adds an additional $2,000 per run over the GameChanger system.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Outside plant cabling: Making sure you get it right
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-25/issue-12/features/design/outside-plant-cabling-making-sure-you-get-it-right.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966227
Ensure your campus connectivity is up to the rigors of the outdoors.
How can you expand the reach of your cabling systems and enterprise networks? By using outside plant (OSP) cable to run infrastructure underground or overhead, you can extend your networks to the outdoors, reaching across a large campus.
With outdoor ratings, OSP cable stands out from traditional indoor-rated copper or fiber cable for its ability to maintain performance despite harsh conditions. It’s designed to withstand flooding, moisture and high and low temperatures, and resists abrasion and tearing.
Usually, OSP cabling extends between separate structures. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requires that unlisted OSP cabling be terminated within 15 meters (50 feet) from its point of entry into the building, either through a wall or through the flooring. At this termination, the structured cabling transitions to listed cabling and continues to connect the enterprise network.
A listed OSP cable can extend beyond the 15-m/50-ft limitation, and can also be used within enterprise buildings in other applications where the characteristics of OSP cabling are of great benefit.
One common application that calls for OSP cable involves conduit in concrete slab.
As any contractor or building owner will tell you, structures move and crack as they age and settle. Eventually, as the ground and concrete shift, conduit can be damaged. If the conduit cracks, water can infiltrate the conduit. If the cables inside that conduit are indoor-rated, we’ve got bad news: They’re not designed to handle any moisture, so the cables won’t be able to maintain performance. The result? Network downtime, damaged cables and the need to rip up and replace cabling infrastructure and conduit.
Differential temperatures can also cause damage to indoor-rated cables installed in conduit.
Let’s consider a possible scenario that may or may not be caused by nature, where the conduit rises from the slab at the lowest point of the building. What if this lowest point is in the basement, and flooding occurs from excessive rain, a burst pipe or a toilet overflow?
But how will you ever know if there’s a break, crack, or water in the conduit in the first place?
Conduit in-grade below the concrete slab poses a similar challenge.
The use of security surveillance cameras over Internet Protocol is becoming more widespread, especially due to the ease of deployment using Power over Ethernet. Listed OSP cabling can help in these types of situations as well. Installing a camera on the exterior of a building and directly connecting it to the enterprise network is possible with an OSP cable that resists sunlight and wind exposure, and is able to handle colder temperatures.
Not all OSP cables are the same. Each type is designed for a specific purpose, so there are many standards to consider when selecting OSP cabling. When designing a network that needs OSP cabling, a good guide to use is ANSI/TIA-758-B, the Customer-Owned Outside Plant Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard.
National Electrical Code ratings like CM or CMR allow the cable run to exceed the NFPA 50-foot maximum transition length and run long lengths within your building.
Ultraviolet resistance prevents the sun’s rays from embrittling and/or fading the cable’s outer jacket.
A wide temperature range will allow the cable to weather temperature extremes. Gel filling keeps moisture out of the cable’s core, maintaining its electrical performance, ensuring consistent impedance and insertion loss for the life of the product. Gel-filled cables can be difficult to work with, however
PoE compatibility is recommended for outdoor cables with digital buildings moving to the forefront.
Tomi Engdahl says:
8-year fiber-optic connector market forecast to 9.8% CAGR
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/12/8-year-fiber-optic-connector-market-forecast-to-9-8-cagr.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966227
According to new analysis from Research Beam, the global fiber-optic connector market is expected grow at a CAGR of 9.8% from 2017 to 2025. In the report, the global fiber-optic connectors market is analyzed and segmented based on type, application, and geography.
The various types of fiber optic connectors as covered by the analyst include include the: Lucent Connector (LC); Multi-Fiber Termination Push On/Pull Off (MTP) connector; Subscriber Connector (SC); Straight Tip (ST) connector; Fiber Connector (FC); Master Unit (MU) connector; Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI) and Sub Multi Assembly (SMA) connectors; and others.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G may account for 40% of wireless network infrastructure spending by 2025
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/12/5g-may-account-for-40-of-wireless-network-infrastructure-spending-by-2025.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966227
A new report package produced by Market Research Reports, Inc. indicates that 5G networks will account for more than 40% of all wireless network infrastructure spending by the end of 2025.
According the the analyst, “The wireless network infrastructure market is currently in a phase of transition, as mobile operators seek to address increasing mobile traffic demands amidst global economic uncertainties. This paradigm shift is bringing new challenges and opportunities to infrastructure vendors.”
The report’s executive summary notes that in 2016, global 2G, 3G and 4G wireless infrastructure revenues stood at nearly $56 billion. The analyst estimates that the market will shrink by 4% in 2017, primarily due to a decline in standalone macrocell RAN infrastructure spending.
The firm concludes that “by 2020, 5G networks will account for nearly 5% of all spending on wireless network infrastructure. With significant investments expected in 5G NR, NextGen (Next Generation) core and transport (fronthaul/backhaul) networking infrastructure – between 2020 and 2025, this figure will further increase to more than 40% by the end of 2025.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
60 GHz module targets wireless infrastructure
https://www.edn.com/electronics-products/other/4459154/60-GHz-module-targets-wireless-infrastructure
GigaRay MOD65412 from Lattice Semiconductor is a 60 GHz module set that is a precertified, production-ready component for wireless ISPs and mobile network operators. Leveraging Lattice’s SiBeam phased-array antenna and electronic beam-steering technology, the module set minimizes installation time and reduces maintenance costs.
Comprising a baseband module and RF module, the MOD65412 supports distances of up to 200 meters at 1 Gbps TCP/IP and up to 300 meters at 300 Mbps TCP/IP data bandwidth with a 45° steering range.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A variation on a haiku:
It’s not the firewall.
It cannot be the firewall.
Oh, it’s the firewall.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five access network trends to watch in 2018
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/five-access-network-trends-to-watch-in-2018.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966649
FTTH/B will continue to see deployments as gigabit broadband becomes common currency
The Fiber Broadband Association recently reported that fiber to the home (FTTH) deployments in the U.S. hit a record high during the 12 months ended last September (see “U.S. FTTH deployments set record: Fiber Broadband Association”). The drive to deliver gigabit broadband shows no signs of slowing, so I would expect we’ll continue to see a healthy rate of FTTH deployment this year
10G deployments will ramp
Most of this will come in the form of XGS-PON, deployments of which have already begu
Meanwhile, all eyes in the U.S. will be on Verizon and its stated desire to roll out NG-PON2. That effort awaits affordable tunable ONT transceivers
Cable operators embrace “fiber deep”
Cable companies, particularly here in the Americas, will push fiber deeper into their hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) networks to support deployment of DOCSIS 3.1 capabilities. Meanwhile, they’ll quietly continue to roll out FTTH in greenfield applications. One area to watch here is uptake of 10G EPON. There are plenty of sources for 10G EPON systems, and some of these platforms have reached the field, I’m told (again, albeit quietly).
Robust alternatives continue to hinder the drive to all-fiber access networks
Carriers (with the exception of Verizon) remain loathe to replace their existing copper networks unless they absolutely must. And technologies such as Gfast (particularly for in-building applications, but for outside plant as well) and DOCSIS 3.1 for coax promise to provide a pathway to gigabit and beyond
Software-defined access networks gain steam
The access network will be one of the places where software-defined networking and network functions virtualization (SDN/NFV) have a major near-term impact. This will be particularly true when it comes to next-generation PON deployments, with Verizon’s NG-PON2 and AT&T’s XGS-PON efforts salient examples in the U.S. Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter (CORD) will prove influential as this trend plays out, I’ve been told.
“2018 will be a watershed year for commercial validation of Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter (CORD) reference architectures. Leading network operators could begin commercializing gigabit broadband access, Carrier Ethernet, and metro transport services delivery using carrier-hardened versions of these open, disaggregated, and highly scalable CORD-based systems,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T plans to expand reach of 5G, AT&T Fiber, and G.fast
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/at-t-plans-to-expand-reach-of-5g-at-t-fiber-and-g-fast.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-01-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1966649
AT&T says it anticipates launching mobile 5G service in a dozen markets by late 2018, alongside its plans to expand the reach of AT&T Fiber for consumers and businesses, and of G.fast. AT&T’s plans include becoming the first U.S. company to launch mobile 5G service in a dozen markets by late 2018, the company attests. With AT&T being a driving force for standards acceleration in 2017, the company expects its 5G services to be based on 5G industry standards.
In December 2017, 3GPP, the international wireless standards body, finished crucial elements of 5G new radio (NR) standards as a result of that acceleration. Hardware, chipset, and device manufacturers can begin expediting development since these specifications are now available, enabling AT&T to deliver mobile 5G services.
In addition to the company’s plans to provide mobile 5G to consumers, AT&T says it should trial 5G technology with various sized businesses. Last January, the company announced that initial lab trials of 5G demonstrated support of 14-Gbps transmission, and latency of less than 3 ms (see “AT&T outlines 5G, other broadband plans”). AT&T plans to use 5G technology to help businesses throughout several industries evolve business operations and improve customers experiences in 2018.
According to AT&T, its focus on 5G does not mean it will neglect other technologies.
n August 2017, AT&T began offering internet speeds up to 500 Mbps with G.fast for multifamily properties throughout eight metro service areas beyond its 21-state footprint (see “AT&T begins G.fast rollout in 22 metro markets”).
Tomi Engdahl says:
With WPA3, Wi-Fi security is about to get a lot tougher
http://www.zdnet.com/article/wpa3-wireless-standard-tougher-wifi-security-revealed/
Finally, a security reprieve for open Wi-Fi hotspot users.
The Wi-Fi Alliance, an industry body made up of device makers including Apple, Microsoft, and Qualcomm, announced Monday its next-generation wireless network security standard, WPA3. The standard will replace WPA2, a near-two decades-old security protocol that’s built in to protect almost every wireless device today — including phones, laptops, and the Internet of Things.
WPA3 Announced After KRACK Attack to Improve Security for Personal and Enterprise Wi-Fi Networks
https://gbhackers.com/wpa3-announced-enhance-security/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mellanox ends 1550-nm silicon photonics work
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/mellanox-ends-1550-nm-silicon-photonics-work.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-01-09&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1968543
Mellanox Technologies, Ltd. (NASDAQ: MLNX) says it has ceased research on 1550-nm silicon photonics. Approximately 100 employees will lose their jobs as a result.
“The Mellanox Board of Directors and management team continually review our strategic priorities and investments to ensure they meet our future goals. We began our review of the silicon photonics business in May of 2017, but as the business did not become accretive as we had hoped, we decided to discontinue our 1550-nm silicon photonics development activities,” said Eyal Waldman, president and CEO of Mellanox Technologies. “We appreciate all of the efforts of the silicon photonics team over the years and wish them success in their future endeavors.”
Mellanox entered the silicon photonics field with the acquisition of Kotura Inc., a deal announced in 2013
The company will continue to pursue development of active cables and optical modules for 200-Gbps, 400-Gbps, and higher rate applications on the company’s existing schedule via what Mellanox describes as “other technologies including Mellanox own IC designs.” The company also will retain the silicon photonics intellectual property.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Photonic Frontiers: Fiber Optics: Looking Back/Looking Forward: Fiber optics—booms, one spectacular bust, and a bright future
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-51/issue-08/features/photonic-frontiers-fiber-optics-looking-back-looking-forward-fiber-optics-booms-one-spectacular-bust-and-a-bright-future.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_newsletter_2018-01-09&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1967424
By providing the backbone for the global telecommunications network, fiber optics helped create the Internet and helped us learn more about the rest of the world.
Fiber optics were invented for medical and military imaging more than half a century ago, and are still used for imaging, light guiding, and other applications. But their major use is in telecommunications, where the invention of the laser led to the discovery of a little problem with the air. Fog, haze, and weather could block the beam, and air turbulence could divert or distort it. Bell Labs eventually turned to hollow light pipes for terrestrial communications, modeled on hollow millimeter waveguides being developed for 60 GHz microwaves.
Laser links seemed more promising for space. Our August 15, 1965 issue (pp. 4–5) described plans by RCA’s Astro-Electronics division for a 10 Mbit laser link to support the first manned mission to Mars, which they then thought might be launched by 1980.
A story in our April 1, 1966 issue (pp. 3–4) would prove far more prophetic. We reported that Charles K. Kao of ITT Standard Telecommunications Laboratories (Harlow, Essex, England) had told a London meeting how single-mode optical fibers could transmit light signals with gigahertz bandwidth.
Imaging and light piping were the biggest fiber-optic markets listed in our July 1969 issue by Narinder S. Kapany of Optics Technology (Palo Alto, CA).
Robert Maurer, Donald Keck, and Peter Schultz scored the first of two crucial breakthroughs at the Corning Glass Works (Corning, NY) in 1970 by making a fused silica fiber with loss of only 17 dB/km. Their second came in 1972, producing fibers far more durable with loss of about 2 dB/km. That brought rapid progress. In our September 1974 issue (pp. 36–40), Forrest M. Mims wrote “the immediate commercial future for laser communications seems to lie in optical-fiber links for telephone, video and computer systems within a city or between adjacent communities.”
A November 1975 editorial (p. 6) noted ongoing tests by AT&T and General Telephone and Electronics. After exhaustive tests, AT&T conservatively designed a standard system to carry 45 Mbit/s from 820 nm diode lasers through several 10 km of multimode fiber.
Fiber technology changed as Japanese researchers opened longer-wavelength windows. In early 1976, Masaharu Horiguchi of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (Ibaraki, Japan) and Hiroshi Osanai of Fujikura Cable measured 0.47 dB/km loss at 1.3 μm and later found even lower loss at 1.51 μm. In August 1980, we reported NTT had used 1.3 μm to send 100 Mbit/s a record 30 km and 1.6 Gbit/s for 13.3 km
Our May 1980 (pp. 68–69) issue reported Bell plans for the world’s first transatlantic fiber-optic cable, transmitting 274 Mbit/s through two pairs of single-mode fibers.
Fiber transmission at 1.3 μm allowed 30–35 km repeater spacing, more than three times that of the last coaxial submarine cable.
The turning point for singlemode in the U.S. came at the end of 1982, when MCI picked it for national backbone networks carrying 400 Mbit/s. By the time the AT&T’s pioneering multimode wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) system was completed in 1984, it was essentially obsolete.
Fiber amplifiers and WDM
Another fiber-optic revolution began later in the 1980s with David Payne’s development of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) at the University of Southampton (Southampton, Hampshire, England). Early long-haul networks needed cumbersome electro-optic repeaters, so all-optical amplifiers were the answer. Even better, EDFAs were in the 1550 nm band, where fiber attenuation was lowest. In February 1989 (p. 129), we reported 8 dB gain in an EDFA amplifying 140 Mbit/s at British Telecom Research Laboratories (Ipswich, Suffolk, England). In July 1990, we reported the first commercial EDFA from a BT joint venture with DuPont, with 15 dB of gain across a 25 nm band
In December 1994 (p. 83), we reported Andrew Chraplyvy at Bell Labs (Holmdel, NJ) had transmitted 16 2.5 Gbit/s channels through a 1420 km length of fiber containing 14 EDFAs.
The business was booming so much that in 1999, Laser Focus World spun off a separate magazine called WDM Solutions to cover fiber-optic components.
OFC took “a quantum leap” in March 2000, with attendance jumping some 50% to 17,378
After OFC, dot-com failures pulled the NASDAQ down, but optics deals grew.
Dark fiber and new technology
The bubble left one positive legacy-huge amounts of dark fiber to foster future growth. Traffic continues to increase at healthy rates, and a new generation of coherent transmission systems began to come on line at 100 Gbit/s, I wrote in March 2010. The previous December, Verizon had turned on a 100 Gbit/s line running 893 km from Paris to Frankfurt, which used the same 50 GHz bandwidth as a 10 Gbit signal. That impressive performance came from coherent transmission, electronic dispersion compensation, phase shift keying, multiple bits per symbol, and polarization-division multiplexing.
100 Gbit/s systems now are installed on long-haul routes of 1500 to 2000 km. In February 2014, I wrote that the cutting edge had moved to optical “superchannels” carrying hundreds of gigabits per second using advanced modulation to transmit more than one bit per second per hertz of bandwidth.
Two hero experiments reported at the OFC 2015 postdeadline session used few-mode cores in multimode fibers to carry over 100 channels
Meanwhile, the visionaries’ dreams of fiber to the home are coming true—I now have a 25 Mbit/s fiber link to my home and Verizon is offering me a deal on 50 Mbit/s. Elsewhere, Google Fiber and AT&T are offering a gigabit.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Alliance Announces WPA3, the Successor to Wi-Fi’s WPA2 Security Protocol
http://www.securityweek.com/wpa3-bring-improved-wireless-security-2018
The Wi-Fi Alliance — comprising 15 major sponsor members (including Apple, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, Qualcomm and more) and hundreds of contributing members — has announced that WPA3 will be introduced during 2018.
New Wi-Fi Alliance WPA3 certified devices will take some time to filter into widespread use. Use of the new specification will require WPA3 devices and WPA3 routers — and since the vast majority of home wi-fi users never buy a router but use the one supplied by their ISP, many users won’t become WPA3 compatible before they change ISPs. That could take several years.
We can expect that new WPA3 devices will start to appear over the next few months — particularly since many of the manufacturers will be members of the Alliance. However, the devices will need wait for the launch of the Wi-Fi Alliance’s formal certification process before they can be truly called such.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Alliance® publishes 2018 Wi-Fi® predictions
https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-publishes-2018-wi-fi-predictions
The Wi-Fi® industry is not slowing down, and 2018 will see cumulative device shipments surpassing 20 billion units (ABI Research). With more than three billion devices shipping in 2018 and an installed base reaching 9.5 billion, Wi-Fi continues to impact everything from home networking and retail applications to critical business operations around the world. 2018 will present numerous exciting Wi-Fi enhancements, further improving security, capacity, and performance.
While Wi-Fi is nearly ubiquitous around the world, the reality is that not everyone has high-speed or, in some cases, basic access to Wi-Fi. The Wall Street Journal reports that about 39 percent of the U.S. rural population, or 23 million people, lack access to broadband Internet service, compared with 4 percent of urban residents.
Enterprises, governments, and users around the world will begin to benefit from $5 trillion in cost savings per year with the adoption of smart city technologies, and new research coming in 2018 will further quantify the value of Wi-Fi worldwide through identification of economic contributions across the globe.
Wi-Fi technologies deliver new capabilities.
2018 will bring new enhancements to Wi-Fi technologies and Wi-Fi Alliance® certification programs. The ongoing Wi-Fi security evolution will continue with enhancements to Wi-Fi Protected Access® coming throughout the year.
The next generation of connectivity emerges.
The next generation of Wi-Fi, 802.11ax, will begin to emerge in an era where nearly everyone and a growing number of “things” are connected to the internet. 802.11ax will deliver greater capacity and the ability to provide more users access to high-bandwidth applications and services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi kicks off 2018 with security boost
Wi-Fi kicks off 2018 with security boost
https://www.rcrwireless.com/20180108/wireless/wi-fi-kicks-off-2018-with-security-boost-tag6
Wi-Fi installed base expected to hit 9.5 billion this year
Wi-Fi Alliance will begin certifying new security features for Wi-Fi Protected Access, the WPA2 protocol that is commonly relied upon for Wi-Fi security, and next-generation WPA3 is on its way with new features that include protection that extends to users who don’t follow recommended best practices on password selection, according to Kevin Robinson, VP of marketing for WFA.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cox adds DOCSIS 3.1, gigabit hits 40% of footprint
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/01/cox-adds-docsis-3-1-gigabit-hits-40-of-footprint.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-01-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Cox Communications says its gigabit Internet service, G1GABLAST, is now available to 40% of customers in the company footprint. The expansion includes parts of all of the company’s major markets nationwide with a plan to reach nearly all customers within the next two years.
Early G1GABLAST deployments were based on fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), specifically RF over glass (RFoG). Cox recently began deploying DOCSIS 3.1, enabling the company to roll out gigabit services at a faster pace. The company expects to make gigabit speeds available to 99% of households by the end of 2019. The company first launched residential gigabit Internet in 2014 and expanded to all of its major markets by 2016.
announcement at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. “As one of the first providers of gigabit Internet speeds, we are excited to rapidly expand that choice to more of our customers nationwide.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qorvo showing 802.11ax WiFi silicon
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/01/qorvo-showing-802-11ax-wifi-silicon.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-01-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Qorvo (NASDAQ:QRVO) is expanding its distributed WiFi solutions in the home through a portfolio of 802.11ax products designed to improve WiFi coverage, enable smaller devices and reduce costs. The products include WiFi front end modules, WiFi BAW 2.4 GHz bandedge and LTE coexistence filters, and WiFi integrated front end modules (iFEMs).
“In the last year, we have seen a flood of new distributed WiFi mesh network products released in the marketplace,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast Biz launches 4G wireless Internet backup
http://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/01/comcast-biz-launches-4g-wireless-internet-backup.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_2018-01-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Comcast Business (NASDAQ:CMCSA) has launched Connection Pro, an automatic 4G wireless backup Internet connection. Connection Pro is a Business Internet add-on intended to provide small businesses nationwide an automatic 4G LTE cellular backup to keep essential business functions going during outages caused by power failure or network disruption.
In the event of an internet or network disruption, Connection Pro automatically connects to the stronger of two redundant wireless networks, allowing small businesses to power their essential business functions – such as point of sale systems, back office connections, email and cloud-based applications – for up to eight hours.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telefónica, Huawei complete Transport SDN controller lab tests
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/telef-nica-huawei-complete-transport-sdn-controller-lab-tests.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1971627
Huawei says it has completed lab tests with Telefónica of a controller for Transport Software-Defined Network (T-SDN) capabilities. The collaborators are investigating the controller as a means of improving the planning, management, monitoring, and troubleshooting of Telefónica España’s ROADM-based photonic mesh fiber-optic network.
Telefónica has been very active in the development and testing of T-SDN technology with a variety of partners
Huawei says that Telefónica’s current photonic mesh network, which connects more than 200 locations in Spain, benefits from the use of ROADM technology and what the systems house describes as “an advanced network control plane.” However, network flexibility also brings complexity, which T-SDN technology can help tame, Huawei explains. The use of a centralized T-SDN controller can enable collection and evaluation of real-time network information, alongside online incident simulations. The network therefore will be able to assess potential problems and address them before they occur. The controller also can enable spectrum use optimization, according to Huawei.
Richard Jin, president of transmission at Huawei, says that the company’s T-SDN technology has been deployed in more than 10 networks to support a variety of service use cases. The company says that, in addition to the T-SDN technology demonstrated in the lab tests, it also has in development a platform it calls the Network Control Engine (NCE). The NCE would integrate the online WDM planning tool, the control plane, and the network management system.
Tomi Engdahl says:
100G Lambda MSA offers preliminary specs based on PAM4 serial 100G
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/100g-lambda-msa-offers-preliminary-specs-based-on-pam4-serial-100g.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1971627
The 100G Lambda Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) Group has released preliminary specifications for the development of optical transceivers using 100-Gbps optical lanes and PAM4 modulation. The specifications cover both 100 Gigabit Ethernet and 400 Gigabit Ethernet applications. Final specifications are not expected until early 2018.
The MSA announced its formation last September (see “100G Lambda MSA targets serial 100-Gbps optical lanes for 100GbE, 400GbE”). The group has aimed to leverage the work of the IEEE P802.3bs Task Force, which has included a PMD based on 100-Gbps optical lanes and PAM4 modulation for 400 Gigabit Ethernet applications in its recently completed work
The preliminary specifications are available on the MSA’s website. MSA promoter members include Alibaba, Applied OptoElectronics, Arista Networks, Broadcom, Ciena, Cisco, Finisar, Foxconn Interconnect Technology, Inphi, Intel, Juniper Networks, Lumentum, Luxtera, MACOM, MaxLinear, Microsoft, Molex, NeoPhotonics, Nokia, Oclaro, Semtech, Source Photonics, and Sumitomo Electric. The group is actively soliciting contributor members.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telenor taps Nokia for optical backbone network in Norway and Sweden
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/telenor-taps-nokia-for-optical-backbone-network-in-norway-and-sweden.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-01-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1971627
Nokia says Telenor Group has selected the communications technology vendor to deploy its new optical backbone network that serves Norway and Sweden. Operating in Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, and Asia, the mobile telecommunications company Telenor is replacing its existing optical core network that connects 200 key centers throughout Norway and Sweden with the new optical backbone to establish bandwidth capacity growth, Nokia says.
According to the systems vendor, 5G mobile progress is accelerating multi-terabit capacity demand, which is contributing to growing online video and internet use among customers, and increasing cloud applications use and data center interconnections demand. Nokia will provide its next-generation optical network systems to Telenor to enable dynamic network management and automation and improved flexibility.
The optical network features Nokia’s coherent optical transmission technology, and is built on the company’s colorless/directionless/contentionless flex-grid (CDC-F) wavelength routing technology
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mobile World Congress is the world’s largest gathering for the mobile industry, organised by the GSMA and held in the Mobile World Capital, Barcelona, 26 February – 1 March 2018.
https://www.mobileworldcongress.com/?utm_source=sfmc&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=regular_highlights_innovation_010818_B&ID=00Qw0000016UlecEAC&BU
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tuning for Zero Packet Loss in Red Hat OpenStack Platform – Part 1
https://redhatstackblog.redhat.com/2017/07/11/tuning-for-zero-packet-loss-in-red-hat-openstack-platform-part-1/?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
Tomi Engdahl says:
HAFVRUE consortium targets transatlantic submarine cable system
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/hafvrue-consortium-targets-transatlantic-submarine-cable-system.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-01-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1973789
A consortium that comprises Aqua Comms, Bulk Infrastructure, Facebook, and others has announced their intention to construct an undersea cable network between the U.S. and Northern Europe. Route survey operations for the HAFVRUE submarine cable system have begun, with an eye toward making the submarine network ready for service in the fourth quarter of 2019.
The consortium has selected TE SubCom, a TE Connectivity Ltd. Company (NYSE: TEL), to supply the necessary submarine network hardware. TE SubCom says its systems will support a cross-sectional cable capacity of 108 Tbps, with capacity increases possible via future hardware upgrades.
Aqua Comms says it will market its portion of the HAFVRUE submarine cable as America Europe Connect-2 (AEC-2); it operates America Europe Connect-1 (AEC-1, also known as AEConnect) as well.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G Rolls Up its Sleeves in 2018
https://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332825
I expect 2018 will be a productive year when wired and wireless network operators really start sorting out what’s possible from the hype with 5G cellular.
This year it’s time to get down to what’s really possible. Densification, virtualization, optimization and simplification of networks will continue to be operator goals. I also see the spirit experimentation among customers, as test beds and trials build steam.
Among the many challenges ahead, perhaps the greatest is the convergence of wired and wireless networks, opening up new business models. Many of our customers are reorganizing around this concept, breaking down silos within their company as formerly separate businesses come together.
Many operators are focused on driving fiber deeper into their networks to enable Centralized or Cloud RAN architectures and large-scale small-cell deployments that bring the fiber closer to subscribers. Companies with existing fiber networks are monetizing them by selling access for small cell backhaul. Some are even building their own small cell networks and leasing them out to wireless operators.
These dynamics are spawning unlikely partnerships between cable companies, wireless providers and neutral hosts. Market dynamics are in flux which, of course, can create anxiety but also points toward new opportunities.
There’s also convergence of licensed and unlicensed spectrum as new frequencies such as 3.5 GHz open up as one of the global 5G bands. The Citizen Broadband Radio Service in the U.S. will support both licensed and unlicensed users and enable new use cases such as private and wholesale LTE networks.
Pesky small cells, millimeter waves
Among the near-term challenges, small cells are still too hard to deploy. Site acquisition is a huge challenge. We’re starting to see larger volume projects, but it still takes longer than anyone wants.
Zoning processes that last 12 months or more are too long. My hope for 2018 is real movement on nationwide efforts to standardize and speed small cell deployments. We need to agree on a common set of siting rules, nationalize roles and compress timelines for the plotting cycle of new sites.
5G’s use in millimeter wave bands brings other challenges because signal distortion is rampant in the higher frequencies. Fixed wireless access deployments in mm-wave bands will be well suited to massive MIMO and active antennas.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Who are the major players in the Asia-Pacific fiber-optic cable market?
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/01/who-are-the-major-players-in-the-asia-pacific-fiber-optic-cable-market.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-16&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=1974690
Top market players, according to the analyst, include Corning, Prysmian, OFS (Furukawa), Fujikura, AFL, CommScope, General Cable, TE Connectivity, Belden, Nexans, Sumitomo Electric, YOFC, HTGD, Futong, Tongding Optic-Electronic, FiberHome, ZTT, Kaile, Fasten, Jiangsu Etern, Yangtze Communications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maximizing the advantages of the MTP connector
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-25/issue-12/features/perspective/maximizing-the-advantages-of-the-mtp-connector.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-16&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=1974690
Serving networks since 1996, the MTP multifiber connector is poised to serve higher speeds well into the future.
Editor’s note: This article details the history and performance capabilities of the MTP connector. MTP is a trademarked brand of multifiber push-on (MPO) connector.
Seasoned industry professionals may recall the excruciating, painstaking days of installing and connecting countless fibers, one at a time. As the number of data centers grew exponentially in the 2000s, designers and installers were tasked with managing hundreds and even thousands of single- and two-fiber connector solutions. To accommodate the high volume of connectors within ever-tighter space constraints, installers and designers were forced to create more-elaborate storage and routing solutions that came with their own sets of challenges.
The MPO format dramatically reduced the amount of time, effort, and space required to install and deploy network technologies, particularly in parallel optic applications.
Even beyond its value in the parallel optics space, a closer look at the MPO format reveals the full scope of its applications.
At the heart of the MPO connector lies mechanical transfer (MT) ferrule technology, originated by a leading Japanese telecom company in the mid-1980s for use in its consumer telephone service. This MT ferrule technology became the basis for the first MPO connector, introduced in the early 1990s
The MPO connector format succeeded in establishing a compact means to efficiently couple and decouple the high-density MT ferrule format via a bulkhead-mounted coupler. More fibers, however, also meant more installation considerations.
To remedy the installation challenge presented by ever-increasing quantities of fibers, Corning joined forces with US Conec. In 1996, the MTP connector brand—a family of advanced MPO connectors designed for 4-, 8-, and 12-fiber ribbon applications—was released to the U.S. market. That same year, the MPO format was standardized by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and embraced by an industry thirsty for a better way to install, deploy, and manage high-density fiber networks.
Before the MTP connector came to market, it typically took two installers a full day to terminate and test 144 fibers. With MTP connectors, suddenly installers had the ability to rapidly connect 8 to 12 fibers at a time with the snap of a tool, or using a preterminated plug-and-play cable, trimming a daylong job to just a few hours.
Faster deployment was one thing. But installers also needed a way to fit more fibers into smaller spaces. MTP connectors addressed this challenge as well.
In place of a 1U housing with duplex connections holding 144 fibers, the MTP housing was capable of holding 864 fibers—six times the capacity.
With the increasing prevalence of plug-and-play solutions, MTP connectors quickly became the format of choice for data centers, offering an alternative to LC and SC connectors.
Installers welcomed the introduction of the floating ferrule in the MTP connector. The innovative design allowed the ferrules to stay in contact while the connector housings rotated relative to each other. This major step in the MTP connector’s evolution allowed multifiber connectors to provide even more consistent, reliable performance.
In 2002, US Conec migrated MTP’s original thermosetting ferrule technology to polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) thermoplastic injection molding, which is much less susceptible to moisture absorption
So whether you’re working with duplex, 8-, or 16-fiber transmissions, the MTP connector scales to whatever technology you’re using—including new parallel applications such as 400-Gbit Ethernet capable of running across 32, 16, and 8 fibers. With their robust engineering, MTP connectors also perform in a wide range of operating environments, including those with high humidity, extreme heat and cold, and fluctuating temperatures.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE 802.3bs 200-Gbit/sec and 400-Gbit/sec Ethernet standard approved
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/01/ieee-8023bs-200g-400g-ethernet-leviton-blog.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-01-16&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=1974690
In a recent blog post, Leviton’s Gary Bernstein described the different iterations of the IEEE’s 200/400-Gbit Ethernet standard—IEEE 802.3bs—and also explained the practical effects the now-approved standard will have on cabling-system deployments in data centers.
“After four years in committee, the IEEE 802.3bs fiber standard for 200 and 400 Gb/s networks was approved [December 7, 2017],” Bernstein’s post announces. “The new standard is the first to address these speeds, and provides important guidance for data center managers building a network migration plan that spans multiple tech refreshes.
“IEEE 802.3bs Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Operation includes a range of ways to deliver 200 and 400 Gb/s over singlemode fiber using duplex or parallel options. The standard also includes one multimode variant, although it is expected to see little deployment as the industrywide move to singlemode for higher speeds will likely leapfrog this technology.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
New IEEE Standard Brings 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s to Data Centers
https://blog.leviton.com/new-ieee-standard-brings-200-gbs-and-400-gbs-data-centers
After four years in committee, the IEEE 802.3bs fiber standard for 200 and 400 Gb/s networks was approved yesterday. The new standard is the first to address these speeds, and provides important guidance for data center managers building a network migration plan that spans multiple tech refreshes.
IEEE 802.3bs Media Access Control Parameters, Physical Layers and Management Parameters for 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s Operation includes a range of ways to deliver 200 and 400 Gb/s over single-mode fiber using duplex or parallel options. The standard also includes one multimode variant, although it is expected to see little deployment as the industry-wide move to single-mode for higher speeds will likely leapfrog this technology.
The new standard supports:
200GBASE‐DR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R Encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
200GBASE‐FR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
200GBASE‐LR4: 200 Gb/s using 200GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐DR4: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over four lanes of SM fiber, with reach up to at least 500 m.
400GBASE‐FR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 2 km.
400GBASE‐LR8: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding and 4‐level pulse amplitude modulation over eight WDM lanes on SM fiber, with reach up to at least 10 km.
400GBASE‐SR16: 400 Gb/s using 400GBASE‐R encoding over sixteen lanes of MM fiber, with reach up to at least 100 m.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T finishes open source XGS-PON field trials
http://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/01/at-t-finishes-open-source-xgs-pon-field-trials.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-01-16&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=1975495
AT&T says it has completed field trials of XGS-PON technology based on a variety of open source specifications, including several it helped create (see “AT&T plans field trial of open system, cloud-based XGS-PON”). The trials, conducted in Atlanta and Dallas, featured XGS-PON network virtualization based on Open Source Access Manager Hardware Abstraction (OSAM-HA), which apparently is the new name for VOLTHA
The trial is part of AT&T’s efforts to use software defined networking (SDN) and virtualization in its access networks. Use of Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP) software is a key enabler. “Our network is constantly evolving. We’ll continue to execute our software-based network strategy to technologies like 5G, virtualized RAN, and G.fast over time. Ultimately, instead of deploying islands of technology that have SDN control, we want to orchestrate the entire end-to-end network through ONAP,” said Eddy Barker, assistant vice president, Access Architecture and Design, AT&T.