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
Tomi Engdahl says:
Senate Votes to Save Net Neutrality, Proving Shame Still Works Sometimes
https://gizmodo.com/senate-votes-to-save-net-neutrality-proving-shame-stil-1826054197
In a monumental decision that will resonate through election season, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted 52-47 to reinstate the net neutrality protections the Federal Communications Commission decided to repeal last December.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ADVA and German Aerospace Center transmit 13.16 Tbps of data across 10.45 km and set free-space optics record
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/adva-and-german-aerospace-center-transmit-13-16-tbps-of-data-across-10-45-km-and-set-free-space-optics-record.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-05-18&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2109698
ADVA (FSE: ADV) said that, together with the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt DLR), it has successfully transmitted 13.16 Tbps of data across 10.45 km using free-space optics, setting what it asserts is a new data transmission record for the optical transmission medium. Mirroring a ground to geostationary satellite link, the demonstration is an milestone in providing high-speed broadband to rural and underdeveloped areas, says ADVA.
The trial involved a laser connection between a ground station in Weilheim, Germany, and a mock satellite on the mountain Hohenpeißßnberg, over 10 km away. With the figure of 13.16 Tbps approximately eight times the DLR’s previous record, every printed book in the world could be transmitted within nearly half a minute, ADVA attests.
Tomi Engdahl says:
NEC, Google conduct commercial submarine network transmission tests using AI and probabilistic shaping
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/nec-google-conduct-commercial-submarine-network-transmission-tests-using-ai-and-probabilistic-shaping.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-05-18&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2109698
NEC Corp. (NEC; TSE: 6701) announced successful completion of transmission tests across a commercial submarine network using artificial intelligence (AI) and probabilistic shaping at a modulation of 64 QAM.
In a joint research publication with Google, NEC says it demonstrated for the first time a spectral efficiency of 6 bps/Hz over an 11,000-km submarine cable segment. The publication’s authors assert the demonstration set a spectral efficiency-distance product record of 66,102 bps/Hz in a field trial performed with live traffic neighboring channels. With a potential capacity of over 26 Tbps in the C-band, this is more than 2.5 times the capacity intended for the undersea cable initially, with no additional wet plant capital expenditure, asserts NEC.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mark Hachman / PCWorld:
Facebook and Qualcomm partner to develop high-speed Terragraph WiFi for cities, will begin field trials in 2019 using 60GHz technology from Qualcomm — Facebook’s plan to connect neighborhoods and businesses wirelessly, known as Terragraph, will begin field trials in 2019 using 60GHz technology …
Facebook’s Terragraph hopes to replace fiber broadband beginning with 2019 trials
It could replace DSL and cable, or it could lose it all to 5G.
https://www.pcworld.com/article/3273409/networking/facebooks-terragraph-hopes-to-replace-fiber-broadband-beginning-with-2019-trials.html
Facebook’s plan to connect neighborhoods and businesses wirelessly, known as Terragraph, will begin field trials in 2019 using 60GHz technology from Qualcomm, the two companies said on Monday.
Facebook began talking about Terragraph in 2016, part of a bid to replace fiber broadband with 60GHz millimeter-wave wireless. The technology wouldn’t replace Wi-Fi, but was designed to offer a replacement for fiber or cable to homes and businesses, forgoing the need to rip up streets and sidewalks.
Now we have a date: 2019, the first time the technology will be tested
Terragraph is expected to begin field trials using a technology called 802.11ay, the successor to 802.11ad that debuted around 2016 or so. Though 802.11ay coud be used inside the home, it’s generally considered to be a wireless backhaul technology, providing the “last mile” connection directly to your home. According to Burke, the 60GHz 802.11ay technology would provide “two-digit” gigabit bandwidth to your doorstep.
Network World talked to cited 20 to 30 Gbps as the most likely range.
The problem, if there is one, is that 802.11ay signals travel short distances, about 33 to 100 feet. That means that numerous “small cells” would need to be installed around the neighborhood, most likely within a mesh network
Metropolitan wireless had its heyday, then quietly went away—probably because of a combination of slow speeds, high cost, and the recognition that smartphones simply made it irrelevant.
What this means to you: Replacing existing wired infrastructure with a massive wireless push has been tried before. You might recall Intel’s grand WiMAX plans
generally cable and DSL hold sway
It’s very possible that Terragraph, whatever it looks like, will be rendered irrelevant by 5G technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joe Reisigl / Atlanta Magazine:
Google Fiber was supposed to transform Atlanta by helping close its digital divide, but three years later the city is still waiting — After three years of stalled promises, Atlanta is fed up. Will we ever get Google’s high-speed internet? — It’s been more than three years since Google Fiber frenzy took hold of the Atlanta area.
The Big Disconnect: What happened to Google Fiber in Atlanta?
http://www.atlantamagazine.com/great-reads/what-happened-google-fiber-atlanta/
After three years of stalled promises, Atlanta is fed up. Will we ever get Google’s high-speed internet?
Tomi Engdahl says:
there are a number of technologies to consider when planning any upgrades to your enterprise network, including SD-WAN, PoE++, 5G Cellular Wireless and Advanced Wi-Fi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Backchannel Modeling And Simulation Using Recent Enhancements To The IBIS Standard
https://semiengineering.com/backchannel-modeling-and-simulation-using-recent-enhancements-to-the-ibis-standard/
How to determine optimum equalization settings with higher-quality models.
Recent enhancements to the upcoming IBIS standard now support backchannel training, enabling IBIS-AMI models to emulate this real-world SerDes behavior. AMI modelers now can incorporate backchannel algorithms into their IBIS-AMI models, automating the optimization of transmitter and receiver equalization settings in the same manner as their actual SerDes hardware devices. This saves system designers significant time by avoiding a multitude of computationally intensive sweeping to determine optimum equalization settings for their link, while at the same time yielding more realistic and higher quality results that are more consistent with the hardware they seek to model.
https://www.cadence.com/content/dam/cadence-www/global/en_US/documents/tools/ic-package-design-analysis/backchannel-modeling-wp.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hirose Electric BF4M Series Active Optical Connectors
https://eu.mouser.com/new/hiroseconnector/hirose-bf4m-connectors/?utm_source=may2018&utm_campaign=elektronikka-hirose-supplier4-emea-fi
Hirose Electric BF4M Series Active Optical Connectors allows optical transmission between boards incorporated in devices. The micro connectors use a semiconductor component to convert electrical signals and transfers the data via optical fiber. A revolutionary design allows for the use of electromagnetic noise-free, insulated, long distance, high-speed transmission. Applications include medical appliances, measurement equipment, and FA systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hirose Electric ix Industrial Ethernet Mating Interface
https://eu.mouser.com/new/hiroseconnector/hirose-ix-industrial/?utm_source=may2018&utm_campaign=elektronikka-hirose-supplier4-emea-fi
Hirose Electric ix Industrial Ethernet Mating Interface is a new standardized, miniaturized Ethernet mating interface in compliance with IEC/PAS 61076-3-124. The ix Industrial features a 75% reduced size compared to the existing RJ45 modular connectors and offers ideal space saving cabling for applications with miniaturized requirements. The receptacles allow for a parallel 10mm pitch mounting for daisy-chaining in compact units contributing to size reduction of end use products.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ixia ships 400GbE test system with multi-rate speed options
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/ixia-ships-400gbe-test-system-with-multi-rate-speed-options.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-05-24&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2116902
Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) said that its solutions group Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA) is the first to ship a 400 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) test system with multi-rate speed options thanks to the K400 QSFP-DD-R400GE load module family. With these multi-rate options, network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) can test products at speeds based on the new IEEE 802.3cd draft standard and IEEE 802.3bs standard using the 400GbE QSFP-DD optical module at 200GbE, 100GbE, and 50GbE speeds, from a single port.
Network equipment manufacturers are moving from technology based on 28-Gbps electrical lanes with non-return-to-zero (NRZ) encoding to more accelerated 56-Gbps electrical lanes with PAM4 encoding, says the test and measurement instrument maker. Optical transceivers that leverage 56-Gbps technology to support the need for 200GbE, 100GbE, and 50GbE interfaces are expected to enter the market this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tapping into Tactical Targeting Network Technology
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/tapping-tactical-targeting-network-technology?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180524_MWRF-001_95&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=17532&utm_medium=email&elq2=3c6544ad2f7b4f139c9a201362ffa643
This wideband, high-speed, and secure networking technology has been developed for users moving at high speeds to enlist Internet Protocol communications for military engagements.
To say that data is an important part of modern life may be a bit of an understatement. In an ever-more digital world, data is everywhere. During the past two years, more data was created than during the history of the planet leading to that two-year period. And by as soon as 2020, approximately 1.7 MB of new information (data) will be created per second for every living person on the planet.
On its own, data is largely meaningless. It can be considered digital noise, a series of 1’s and 0’s. Value comes from specific, targeted, and critical data that can be placed in the hands of those who need it the most at precisely the right moment, allowing them to extract and use the data for meaningful results. All of this raises a larger issue of security, particularly in terms of military- and defense-based environments.
What Exactly is TTNT?
TTNT is a very specific type of waveform technology intended to meet a pressing need for high-throughput, anti-jam, low-latency, and quick-network-join waveforms for Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity as it relates to the Global Information Grid. Essentially, it’s a way to deliver the fastest and most secure ad hoc mesh network for instantly and accurately sharing voice, video, and data between two points, especially for fast-moving users. The architecture of the technology is based largely on the Joint Airborne Network-Tactical Edge (JAN-TE) capabilities document, which itself was based on the Time Sensitive Target Networking Technology requirements of the Tactical Data Link Transformation Capability Document.
Not only does it provide a low-latency, ad hoc, IP-based network functionality, but it can successfully do so for more than 200 users at any given time. The connection itself is also “self-forming” and “self-healing.”
TTNT is designed for secure, high-speed communications by users moving at high speeds. It enables instant and secure sharing of voice, video, and data between radios at relative speeds to Mach 8, or about 6138 mph. This capability is beneficial when two high-speed aircraft must be in secure communications with each other, even when they are moving in different directions. Beyond the speed of the users, the volume of data for TTNT is significant, with a specification of 10 Mb/s at a distance of 300 nautical miles.
TTNT sends critical data first; lower-priority data is not transmitted in a communication until absolutely needed.
Additional benefits of TTNT include a strong “anti-jam” feature
Applications for TTNT
Although TTNT has been designed for a particular group of (government and defense) users, the communications technology actually has a wide range of possible applications because of the viability and flexibility of the basic concept. For example, in 2005, the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) successfully demonstrated the core technology by connecting tactical aircraft and ground communications nodes under a wide range of circumstances. These featured support for various applications that included, but are not limited to:
Standard internet-based communications techniques such as e-mail, Internet chat, and internet access for aircraft that were already in the air.
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), which transmits voice information over a data connection as an alternative to traditional telephone service.
Support for the transmission of still images from both an aircraft to users on the ground, as well as from users on the ground to an in-flight aircraft.
Support for the transmission of streaming, full-motion video from airborne aircraft to users on the ground.
Enabling sophisticated aircraft procedures, such as implemented by the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) and the Automated Aerial Refueling System (AARS).
Overcoming the Hurdles
Of course, TTNT is not without its challenges. Developments in new technologies will be needed to make TTNT a practical and realizable technology. Broadband hardware components for systems using TTNT include power amplifiers, antennas, and transceivers compatible with existing Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) hardware.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm, Facebook team on fixed wireless Internet
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/05/qualcomm-facebook-team-on-fixed-wireless-internet.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-05-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) and Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) are working together to deliver high-speed Internet connectivity with Facebook’s Terragraph technology through the development of a multi-node wireless system based on 60 GHz technology from Qualcomm Technologies. The terrestrial connectivity system aims to improve the speed, efficiency and quality of Internet connectivity at lower cost than fiber deployments.
Qualcomm will integrate its QCA6438 and QCA6428 family of pre-802.11ay chipsets with Facebook’s Terragraph technology to help enable manufacturers to build 60 GHz mmWave solutions using the unlicensed 60 GHz spectrum and provide fixed wireless access in urban areas. The companies expect to begin trials of the integrated solution mid-2019.
Facebook’s Terragraph technology uses a network based on millimeter-wave wireless backhaul. It is based on the pre-802.11ay standard, Qualcomm’s chipset and the integrated software between Facebook and Qualcomm. Qualcomm’s solution is designed for outdoor backhaul and features TDMA-based protocol, time synchronized nodes, channel bonding and massive antenna array to overcome large obstacles in dense urban environments.
Tomi Engdahl says:
a number of technologies to consider when planning any upgrades to your enterprise network, including SD-WAN, PoE++, 5G Cellular Wireless and Advanced Wi-Fi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Optical connectivity cloud sales forecast bright, but hazy in China
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/05/cloud-sales-lw.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-05-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2112784
According to LightCounting, the optical components market benefited last year from strong sales related to cloud networking, and the market research firm anticipates this segment will remain strong in 2018. Robust demand from key U.S. data center operators for 100GbE transceivers continues, and deployment of the technology by Chinese cloud companies has commenced. However, the current trade situation between China and the U.S. could put a damper on overall sales in 2018, the industry analyst suggests.
Including cloud in China, LightCounting currently forecasts that 400GbE optics sales will expand the cloud market segment from approximately $2 billion in 2017 to over $6 billion in 2023
Tomi Engdahl says:
3 choices for data center media types: Copper, fiber or nothing at all?
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/05/belden-dc-choices.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-05-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2112784
Choices for data center media types: always a contentious topic, especially in purpose-built facilities like data centers. There are technical and business issues to consider, which are often complicated by things like personal preference and the herd mentality.
From a technical perspective, we tend to choose a data center media type based on a few basic factors:
What is the media’s capability to transmit signals and, conversely, to be immune from other signals?
Is delivery of power over the cable required?
What about issues like portability or mobility?
One Size Does Not Fit All
Remember, most user groups/clients have business needs and core goals that do not include telecommunications infrastructure, even in a mission-critical facility like the data center. Hospitals focus on clinical care. Universities need to attract and retain faculty and students. Airports have to move planes, people and baggage safely and efficiently. Even multi-tenant data center owners are focused on providing real estate, power and cooling for their varied user base.
All of these clients need robust technology strategies, which rely on having an incredibly strong telecommunications infrastructure lest that technology strategy be built on a foundation of quicksand. Yet, as groups, their individual requirements are vastly different; within each group, even, there are a number of subgroups that further variate the need. This is where herd mentality or tribal knowledge can be seemingly harmful or helpful, depending on how it’s used and interpreted.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Molex, Samtec to collaborate on next-gen data center systems
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/05/molex-samtec-to-collaborate-on-next-gen-data-center-systems.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-05-22&pwhid=e8db06ed14609698465f1047e5984b63cb4378bd1778b17304d68673fe5cbd2798aa8300d050a73d96d04d9ea94e73adc417b4d6e8392599eabc952675516bc0&eid=293591077&bid=2112784
Molex and Samtec have announced a Licensed Source Agreement which brings together innovations that the companies say provide a new generation of solutions to meet the evolving needs of 56G and 112G data speeds.
Per a Molex press statement, “[The two companies] are the only suppliers licensed to offer the Molex BiPass and Samtec Twinax Flyover Systems to meet the needs of the growing number of high-speed applications required as data centers evolve with hyperscale models and increased virtualization. The scope of the Licensed Source Agreement includes next generation high speed cable, cable assemblies and connectors and is intended to offer customers two sources for a complete optimized channel that will allow for a broader base of twinax technology both inside and outside of the box.”
“Molex and Samtec have a rich history of delivering unique connectivity solutions to the market. Through this collaboration, we expect these core technology building blocks will enable the industry with a viable platform supporting 112Gbps+ channels.”
Molex & Samtec collaborate on next-gen data center solutions
https://evertiq.com/design/44100
The two companies announces a Licensed Source Agreement which brings together innovations that provide a new generation of solutions to meet the evolving needs of 56G and 112G data speeds.
Molex and Samtec are the only suppliers licensed to offer the Molex BiPass and Samtec Twinax Flyover Systems to meet the needs of the growing number of high-speed applications required as data centers evolve with hyperscale models and increased virtualization. The scope of the Licensed Source Agreement includes next generation high speed cable, cable assemblies and connectors and is intended to offer customers two sources for a complete optimized channel that will allow for a broader base of twinax technology both inside and outside of the box, a press release from Molex reads.
As bandwidth requirements rapidly increase, routing signals through lossy PCBs, vias and other components has become one of the most complex challenges designers face. The Molex and Samtec collaboration aims to bring an electrical and mechanical solution with advanced features for improved signal integrity, longer reach, EMI containment and thermal efficiencies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm readies 60GHz goodies for Facebook’s Terragraph
Also unveils silicon for 5G NR small cells, because big rigs will drown on traffic any year now
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/22/qualcomm_60ghz_facebook_terragraph/
Tomi Engdahl says:
IPv6 growth is slowing and no one knows why. Let’s see if El Reg can address what’s going on
Get it? Address? As in, oh never mind
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/21/ipv6_growth_is_slowing_and_no_one_knows_why/
Analysis Stop us if you’ve heard this one before: the rollout of IPv6 is going slower than expected.
In fact, nearly seven years after the eternally optimistic World IPv6 Launch launched, we are still only at just over a quarter availability of the new internet protocol.
But if that wasn’t bad enough, the latest news is that even that unimpressive level of growth is slowing and may even been tailing off.
In the lead-up to regional internet registries literally running out of IPv4 blocks, it seems that quite a few big companies – including tech giants and ISPs – decided to go all-in on IPv6. And that led to a relatively fast growth in the availability of IPv6 – up from virtually nothing to around 15 per cent in mid-2017.
But as those address blocks really have run out, it appears as though the larger corporate world has moved IPv6 adoption in their minds from “important” to “nice to have.” After all, their systems still work and users aren’t complaining about not being able to get online (thanks increasingly to the work of engineers making the most out of what IPv4 they have).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Router admin? Bored? Let’s play Battleships using BGP!
Protocol how-to turns into
EPIC AS-vs-AS SLUGOUT
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/22/benjojo_bgp_battleships/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ana Swanson / New York Times:
Trump tweets that ZTE will have to pay $1.3B fine, give high-level security guarantees, and change its management and board to have US sanctions lifted — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration told lawmakers it had reached a deal that would keep the Chinese telecom firm ZTE alive …
http://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/25/us/politics/trump-trade-zte.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ana Swanson / New York Times:
Trump tweets that ZTE will have to pay $1.3B fine, give high-level security guarantees, and change its management and board to have US sanctions lifted — WASHINGTON — The Trump administration told lawmakers it had reached a deal that would keep the Chinese telecom firm ZTE alive …
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/25/us/politics/trump-trade-zte.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Corning ONE™ Fiber-to-the-Room Deployment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5DUvH3n4yE
Tomi Engdahl says:
North America, CALA hamper optical equipment market growth in 1Q18: IHS Markit
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/north-america-cala-hamper-optical-equipment-market-growth-in-1q18-ihs-markit.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-01&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2125249
Revenues of $3.1 billion from optical equipment sales represented a modest 3% year-over-year bump up during the first quarter of 2018, reports Heidi Adams, senior research director, IP and optical networks at IHS Markit. Spending increases in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) and Asia Pacific were just robust enough to overcome comparative softness in North America and the Caribbean and Latin America (CALA) regions, writes Adams in the market research firm’s “Optical Network Hardware Market Tracker – Q1 2018.” The year-over-year growth contrasts to a 25% sequential decline from the fourth quarter of 2017.
China was responsible for the overall good news. Absent that country’s contribution, spending throughout the rest of the world was down 2% versus 1Q17. Not surprisingly, Huawei topped the market share leaderboard, with 26% of the category’s sales during the quarter.
Almost all the money spent on optical equipment in the first quarter of 2018 went to WDM gear, says IHS Markit. Spending on such systems totaled $2.9 billion, an increase of 3% versus the first three months of 2017. SONET/SDH gear attracted $206 million in sales during this year’s initial quarter, down 25% year over year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Deal reached to rescind ZTE Denial Order
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/deal-reached-to-rescind-zte-denial-order.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-01&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2125249
The U.S. Government has reached a deal with China that will enable ZTE to access U.S. technology once again, reported media outlets on Friday. A tweet from President Donald Trump that day appeared to corroborate the reports.
Outlets such as Reuters, The New York Times, and others reported Friday that a deal has been reached. The Chinese telecommunications technology company will have to pay another fine, make changes to its management personnel, and agree to have U.S. compliance officers onsite, according to the reports. The terms echo statements made earlier in the week by U.S. officials
Senator Schumer and Obama Administration let phone company ZTE flourish with no security checks
Tomi Engdahl says:
Production ramps for DustPhotonics’ 100-Gbps QSFP28-SR4 optical transceivers
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/05/production-ramps-for-dustphotonics-100-gbps-qsfp28-sr4-optical-transceivers.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-01&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2125249
DustPhotonics, an optical technology company facilitating data communications at up to 400 Gbps, says its QSFP28-SR4 optical transceivers are now available, and production of the transceivers has begun to ramp. The 100-Gbps optical transceivers integrate DustPhotonics’ patented passive alignment technology to eliminate manual active alignment, resulting in minimized manufacturing cost.
According to the company, the QSFP28-SR4 is well-suited for short reach, high-density applications over multimode optical fiber in cloud, data centers, and HPC applications. As it begins accepting volume orders for the 100-Gbps optical module, the company says it plans to sample 400-Gbps transceivers later this year.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spectrum sharing: Another way to better use the airwaves
https://www.edn.com/design/test-and-measurement/4460663/Spectrum-sharing–Another-way-to-better-use-the-airwaves
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber, cable account for 77% of fixed broadband
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/05/fiber-cable-account-for-77-of-fixed-broadband.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-05-31&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to research from Point Topic, fiber and cable networks are dominating the global broadband market, with the technologies now servicing 77% of fixed subscriptions.
According to the Global Broadband Statistics, which take into account subscriptions up to the end of 2017, more than 50% of people in more than 40 countries, including Singapore (97%), China (89%), the United States (87%), and the UK (55%), are connected via full-fiber, fiber-fed copper or cable.
Speaking with the Broadband Forum, Point Topic Research Director Dr. Jolanta Stanke said: “We are finding that customers across most global regions increasingly prefer faster broadband services delivered over fiber and cable platforms, as opposed to ADSL. This trend will continue as more bandwidth-hungry young consumers become paying decision makers, even though superfast 4G LTE and 5G mobile broadband services will compete for their wallets.”
Fiber-fed subscriptions – including fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), fiber-to-the-building (FTTB), fiber-to-the-cabinet (FTTC), very high bitrate digital subscriber line (VDSL), VDSL2 and Gfast – accounted for 57% of broadband subscriptions, with more than 530 million connections. Stanke said VDSL and Gfast were together largely responsible for the growth that fiber has seen, with more than 30 operators across all continents deploying or trialing Gfast.
In total, cable, including hybrid fiber-coax (HFC), accounted for 20% of all fixed broadband connections.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet engineers tear into United Nations’ plan to move us all to IPv6
Flawed beyond repair, utterly broken, critically endangers the web – and that’s the good news
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/30/internet_engineers_united_nations_ipv6/
A newly released draft of the United Nations’ masterplan to transition the internet to IPv6 has met a furious and despairing response from internet engineers.
“Utterly, utterly, broken. It has no redeeming or worthwhile qualities at all,” commented one engineer to an dedicated IPv6 working group at Europe’s regional internet registry, RIPE.
Others called the draft “fundamentally flawed,” “ill-conceived,” “awful,” and “pointless to the degree of being self-destructive.”
With one day left before RIPE is due to provide formal comments, there is not a single positive sentence, and the general consensus appears to be that the entire document should be binned.
basically moving everything step-by-step from IPv4 to IPv6 and then expanding once done – but internet backbone engineers who actually build out real-world networks are horrified. One guru broke down his concerns into five bullet points:
The model is inapplicable to real-world networks.
The model will dramatically hinder any further evolution of all IP based networking.
The model carries all legacy problems from IPv4 into the IPv6 era.
The model precludes the application of several of the most basic security measures considered best practice by todays standards.
The model shortens the expected usable life time of IPv6 by at least 25 per cent, or 42-plus years at the current internet growth.
https://www.ripe.net/ripe/mail/archives/ipv6-wg/2018-May/thread.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Verizon’s Lee Hicks receives 2018 FTTXcellence Award
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/verizon-s-lee-hicks-receives-2018-fttxcellence-award.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2128460
Lee Hicks, vice president, network planning at Verizon, received today the 15th Annual FTTXcellence Award during a ceremony as part of the 2018 Fiber Connect Conference in Nashville, TN. The award, co-sponsored by Corning and Lightwave, recognizes an individual who has advanced the use of optical access network technology in the Americas.
Hicks was recognized for his role in developing Verizon’s “One Fiber” converged network strategy. The initiative combines fiber to the premises (FTTP) for delivery of business and residential services with support of 5G wireless and small cell networking under a single multiplatform network umbrella. This includes the deployment of NG-PON2 technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MEF SD-WAN vendor members collaborate for 3.0 Multi-Vendor SD-WAN Implementation project
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/mef-sd-wan-vendor-members-collaborate-for-3-0-multi-vendor-sd-wan-implementation-project.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2128460
MEF said that several of its software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) vendor members are collaborating for the MEF 3.0 Multi-Vendor SD-WAN Implementation project. The effort aims to address increasing demand for orchestrating services over multiple SD-WAN deployments based on multiple vendor products.
Along with other SD-WAN work within MEF, this project is a significant aspect of the MEF 3.0 Framework to enable the definition, delivery, and certification of agile, assured, and orchestrated communication services across automated networks.
MEF said that several of its software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) vendor members are collaborating for the MEF 3.0 Multi-Vendor SD-WAN Implementation project. The effort aims to address increasing demand for orchestrating services over multiple SD-WAN deployments based on multiple vendor products.
Along with other SD-WAN work within MEF, this project is a significant aspect of the MEF 3.0 Framework to enable the definition, delivery, and certification of agile, assured, and orchestrated communication services across automated networks.
MEF’s 3.0 Multi-Vendor SD-WAN Implementation has two phases. The first phase involves SD-WAN vendors Riverbed, VeloCloud (part of VMware), Nuage Networks from Nokia, software development services provider Amartus, and other MEF member companies. Each SD-WAN vendor is enabling an SD-WAN based on its own products on MEF’s cloud-based Dev/Test platform, MEFnet; the individual SD-WAN implementations will then be interconnected through a central gateway.
According to MEF, project participants in Phase 2 intend to contribute security functions to the SD-WAN implementations to demonstrate adding security-as-a-service (SECaaS) to an SD-WAN service deployment.
Future phases will include efforts to create an intent-based LSO Presto NRP API, a VNF license management mechanism, and real-time media-oriented LSO orchestration, maintains MEF.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber and cable networks dominate global broadband market: Point Topic
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/fiber-and-cable-networks-dominate-global-broadband-market-point-topic.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-06-04&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2127162
New figures from broadband analyst firm Point Topic show that fiber and cable networks are currently servicing 77% of fixed subscriptions, dominating the global broadband market, reports The Broadband Forum.
According to the Global Broadband Statistics, either full-fiber, fiber-fed copper, or cable connects over 50% of people in more than 40 countries. This includes 97% in Singapore, 89% in China, 87% in the U.S., and 55% in the UK. The statistics take into account subscriptions through the end of 2017.
With over 530 million connections, fiber to the home (FTTH), fiber to the building (FTTB), fiber to the cabinet (FTTC), VDSL, VDSL2, G.fast, and other fiber-fed subscriptions made up 57% of broadband subscriptions. Jolanta Stanke, Point Topic’s research director, said that VDSL and G.fast combined were primarily responsible for fiber’s visible growth, with over 30 operators throughout the world deploying or trialing G.fast.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Teleste to debut Remote PHY device at ANGA
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/teleste-to-debut-remote-phy-device-at-anga.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
At ANGA COM 2018 in Cologne, Germany, Teleste will be launching a DOCSIS 3.1 Remote PHY device (RPD), the DAN300, designed for Distributed Access Architecture deployments.
“The Remote PHY technology creates major opportunities for operators who wish to take a quantum leap to networks with substantially higher capacity. To support operators in benefitting from the technology’s potential and to perform faster rollouts, we have created a portfolio of carefully designed Remote PHY products, meeting the requirements of future technology transformation. At ANGA COM 2018, we will be pleased to introduce DAN300, the latest addition to our portfolio, in which high capacity, extensive interoperatibility with CCAP cores and flexibility towards future needs have been taken into account from scratch,” said Olli Leppänen, vice president of distributed access business for Teleste.
The DAN300 is designed to convert a 10 Gbps IP connection into 1.2 GHz coax-based data transmission for faster broadband connectivity. The product is intended for the last mile over coax and deep digital fiber implementations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
All eyes on IoT: Comcast, Cox going big
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/all-eyes-on-iot-comcast-cox-going-big.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and Cox Communications are making serious moves into the Internet of Things (IoT) as both have launched large-scale projects, which indicates a move into a new business services market for cable operators.
Just recently, Cox announced that it will use Leverage’s IoT platform as part of its Cox2M Connected Asset Services business line. Leverege will provide system integration services across Cox’s target verticals, including transportation, fleet management, smart cities, energy, agriculture, real estate and retail.
Cox2M is a relatively new venture. It was launched in March, after an incubation period of two years in the company’s New Growth organization.
Comcast’s enterprise IoT service, machineQ, has been around for a little while longer. It was launched in 2016 as a trial and was expanded in July 2017.
In recent news, machineQ activated its LoRaWAN IoT network in the San Francisco Bay Area. Coverage areas include in Cupertino, Fremont, Hayward, Menlo Park, Mountain View, Oakland, Palo Alto, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Disaster Area Communications With Cloud Gateways
https://hackaday.com/2018/05/26/disaster-area-communications-with-cloud-gateways/
2017, in case you don’t remember, was a terrible year for the Caribbean and Gulf coast.
There is, obviously, a problem to be solved here, and that problem is communications. Amateur radio only gets you so far, but for their Hackaday Prize entry, [Inventive Prototypes] is building an emergency communication system that anyone can use. It only needs a clear view of the sky, and you can use it to send SMS messages. It’s the PR-Holonet, and it’s something that’s already desperately needed.
The basis for the PR-Holonet is built around an Iridium satellite modem.
PR-Holonet: Disaster Area Emergency Comms
https://hackaday.io/project/140426-pr-holonet-disaster-area-emergency-comms
An easy to build, setup, and use emergency communicator for disaster-struck zones with no working power or comms infrastructure.
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This project was created on 04/16/2018 and last updated a month ago.
Description
PR-Holonet is a communications module that can be used by any device with WiFi and an internet browser (computers, cellphones, others) to send and receive SMS messages. It is a project inspired by the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Harvey in Houston, and Irma in Key West.
It is built to support response and relief efforts to natural disasters by:
- first responders
- community leaders
- volunteer organizations and efforts
It is built to:
- facilitate the organization of relief and response efforts after a natural disaster
- work in areas with no power or communications infrastructure
- be easy to use
- isolate the communications infrastructure from the area affected by the natural disaster
- be used anywhere in the country, potentially the world
- help prevent the loss of life due to lack of communications infrastructure, as seen after Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico
Tomi Engdahl says:
nbn™ ponders a gamers’ gate to throttle heavy wireless users
Using your service as advertised? How dare you!
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/04/nbn_wireless_traffic_shaping/
Gamers are the enemy of fixed wireless connections on Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN).
Bill Morrow, the outgoing CEO of nbn™, the company building and operating the NBN, yesterday told the Joint Standing Committee on the NBN yesterday that the company is considering download throttling during peak times as a way to cope with congestion experienced by users on fixed wireless connections.
While average usage of the network is around 200 GB month, he said, there are users on the wireless network sucking down data by the terabyte.
The wireless component of the network is built to catch users outside the fixed-line NBN footprint, but not so remote as to require satellite services.
Speaking of “super users” who are “consuming terabytes of data”, Morrow said nbn™’s “question is should we actually groom those down?”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco intros cloud-native router
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/cisco-intros-cloud-native-router.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) has unveiled the Cisco Cloud-Native Broadband Router, intended to offer cable operators a new approach to support core broadband routing functions and simplify network operations by converting to cloud- and IP-based cable networks.
The Cisco Cloud-Native Broadband Router is a containerized, full software rewrite of converged cable access platform (CCAP) services, built as a set of microservices using standard tools such as Kubernetes for container orchestration and Docker for creating, deploying, and operating containerized applications.
Features include:
Composable: Designed as a composition of multiple services that are elastic, resilient and flexible to support multicloud architectures
Containerized software architecture: Open standards-based, modular software for feature development and deployment
Automation and analytics: Real-time monitoring, analysis and remediation, including Cisco Crosswork Network Automation
Tomi Engdahl says:
InCoax to debut MoCA-based fiber extension family
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/incoax-to-debut-moca-based-fiber-extension-family.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
At ANGA COM 2018 in Cologne, Germany, InCoax Networks will introduce In:xtnd, which is intended to transform in-building coaxial networks into multi-gigabit fiber extensions. Based on the MoCA Access standard, In:xtnd is aimed at cable MSOs, fiber-optic ISPs/network builders, telcos and mobile operators, as well as systems integrators/resellers targeting the hospitality sector.
In:xtnd is designed to coexist with DOCSIS and to provide up to 2.5 Gbps net throughput (2 Gbps upstream). In:xtnd is available for operator trials and evaluation immediately.
Cable MSOs and broadband providers, as well as commercial integrators installing networks in hospitality, restaurants, offices and other buildings, can use In:xtnd as a fiber extension for FTTB using the existing coax to each apartment, room or office. It is also intended for mobile operators looking to add wired backhaul capacity to apartment blocks for 4G/5G fixed mobile convergence.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Progress report: Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/02/progress-report-full-duplex-docsis-3-1.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
CableLabs announced last month that Full Duplex (FDX) DOCSIS 3.1 now has MAC layer functionality, which will support FDX operation on the hybrid fiber/coax (HFC) link. It is focused on MAC management messaging and operation needed to enable FDX between the CMTS and cable modem.
The CMTS is full duplex and can listen and talk at the same frequency and channel at the same time thanks, in part, to echo cancellation. On the cable modem side, it is full duplex with respect to the fact that there are multiple options for the width of a channel. There typically are three sub-bands that can be designated as either upstream or downstream. The echo cancellation here refers to making sure there is no interference between channels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MaxLinear, GiaX team on symmetrical 10G over coax
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/maxlinear-giax-team-on-symmetrical-10g-over-coax.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
GiaX GmbH has selected MaxLinear’s (NYSE:MXL) MxL85110 Virtual Fiber broadband modem system on chip (SoC) for its HelEOS network system that is designed to deliver 10 Gbps symmetrical throughput over coaxial cable infrastructure.
The MxL85110 is designed to provide 20 Gbps throughput (10 Gbps downstream and 10 Gbps upstream) and to support both distributed access architectures (DAA) and Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 (FDX) use cases. The MxL85110 offers latency of 5 microsends per node and adaptive code modulation ranging from BPSK to 1,024 QAM.
The GiaX HelEOS is intended to let cable operators to reuse existing coaxial infrastructure, provide high throughput, and be deployable on short notice on an as-needed basis.
GiaX says a European cable operator is now evaluating the HelEOS solution to provide a 10G Ethernet overlay network as backhaul technology for remote PHY or remote MAC PHY devices, utilizing the existing coaxial network.
For Ethernet data transmission, unused spectrum above frequencies used for DOCSIS 3.x and DVB-C or MPEG is utilized. HelEOS is designed to transport up to 10 Gbps both upstream and downstream. Depending on the cable type and frequencies used, transmission can be accomplished over several hundred meters.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE launches task forces for high-speed electronic interfaces, 400G over multimode fiber standards development
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/ieee-launches-task-forces-for-highspeed-electronic-interfaces-400g-over-multimode-fiber-standards-de.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2131261
The IEEE launched two task forces at its May 21–25, 2018, interim meeting in Pittsburgh. The IEEE P802.3ck 100 Gb/s, 200 Gb/s, and 400 Gb/s Electrical Interfaces Task Force will specify electrical interfaces based on 100-Gbps signaling. The IEEE P802.3cm 400 Gb/s over Multimode Fiber Task Force will define one or more lower-cost alternatives to the current 400GBASE-SR16.
P802.3ck will seek to define electrical interface specifications that will enable electrical lanes to keep pace with the accelerating data rates of optical lanes in Ethernet applications. The IEEE recently has completed specifications work not only on 400 Gigabit Ethernet, but 200 Gigabit Ethernet for single-mode fiber. Meanwhile, work is ongoing to create a more cost-effective version of 100 Gigabit Ethernet.
The IEEE P802.3cm 400 Gb/s over Multimode Fiber Task Force is a follow-on to the “Next-Generation 200 Gb/s and 400 Gb/s PHYs over Fewer MMF Pairs Than in Existing Ethernet Projects and Standards” Study Group
Tomi Engdahl says:
Corning purchase of 3M’s Communication Markets Division near completion
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/corning-purchase-of-3m-s-communication-markets-division-near-completion.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2131261
Corning Inc. (NYSE: GLW) said that its previously announced acquisition of substantially all of the Communication Markets Division (CMD) from 3M is nearly complete. The company announced it had closed on all of the targeted assets except for the Germany-based telecommunications system integration services business. 3M issued a press release confirming completion of the sale of the other assets for about $870 million, before closing and other adjustments.
The acquisition of 3M’s CMD is expected to contribute to Corning’s goal of increasing its Optical Communications’ revenue to $5 billion by 2020. Corning anticipates that the transaction will provide additional sales of $200 million, with one-time integration costs resulting in neutral earnings per share for 2018.
The business includes 3M’s fiber optics and copper passive connectivity lines for the telecommunications industry, including xDSL, FTTx, and structured cabling offerings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Frontier to offer 10-Gbps speeds with Nokia’s XGS-PON FTTP technology
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/frontier-to-offer-10-gbps-speeds-with-nokia-s-xgs-pon-fttp-technology.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-07&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2131261
Nokia said that Frontier Communications (NASDAQ: FTR) will deploy its XGS-PON fiber to the premises (FTTP) technology, enabling the provider to deliver 10-Gbps symmetrical broadband speeds using its existing fiber-optic network. Nokia says Frontier will use the FTTP technology to deliver high-speed broadband to business and residential customers.
The service provider will deploy the XGS-PON capabilities by adding the appropriate line cards to its fielded Nokia 7360 platform. Frontier will be able to deploy XGS-PON or, if it wishes, TWDM-PON on the same card with a pluggable optics swap as part of an overall multi-services mix.
“We are excited to be working with Nokia on solutions that bring multi-gigabit services to the home and quickly scale to 10 gigabits and beyond. Nokia’s platform will enable us to effectively support xDSL, P2P fiber, GPON, and 10-Gbps PON requirements and gain the flexibility to seamlessly evolve into future PON technologies,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Moving Beyond TETRA and P25
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/moving-beyond-tetra-and-p25?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20180607_MWRF-001_219&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=17776&utm_medium=email&elq2=af5099d77b7442f1acdd9da21119b113
To improve mission-critical communications, countries are turning to LTE. Low-power programmable transceivers and open-source small cells can help ease the transition
The current standards of traditional land-mobile-radio (LMR) technologies such as P25 and TETRA provide voice with limited data. In contrast, commercial cellular smartphones are used by billions of people to speak, browse the internet, stream video, and view photos, demonstrating that user-friendly technology is available for much richer communications. A similar realization in the armed forces has spurred the move toward software-defined radios (SDRs) and cognitive radios.
Implementing LTE
Some countries have chosen to bite the bullet and update their systems. The plans are to base the new network for the emergency services on the LTE system, which is often called 4G. This would leverage the vast research and development work that has produced the commercial systems and bring the latest capabilities to the public-safety community. Importantly, spectrum in the U.S. has been made available in the 700-MHz band—it offers excellent propagation characteristics for penetrating buildings and providing large geographical coverage from each base station.
LTE employs an all-Internet-Protocol (all-IP) architecture designed for low latency and high resilience that supports interoperability of both data and Voice over LTE (VoLTE) transmissions. It also can exploit sophisticated digital encryption.
In 2015, 3GPP issued Release 12, which had a focus on technical specifications for mission-critical applications. It included a feature called Proximity Services (ProSe) that allows direct broadcast communication between nearby phones used by safety personnel in the event of a disaster taking down the network. It also includes enhancements in a capability called Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services, which is required for push-to-talk.
The specification for Release 13 was finalized in 2016 and includes support for Mission Critical Push-to-Talk (MCPTT). This provides group calling, person-to-person calls, as well as prioritization of calls, which are all needed by first responders. It supports direct-mode voice communications, along with a “discovery” feature that lets the user know of other radios within direct-mode range.
The LTE specification now includes the “must-have” features for public-safety radios, but that does not mean users will switch over immediately. As an example, Germany has around 500,000 users of TETRA and just placed a sizable order for 20,000 more sets. Like many countries, Germany has made significant investments in equipment and infrastructure.
One possible implementation strategy would be the gradual introduction of LTE as a parallel service.
Building Flexibility into Phones
Handset manufacturers now have a viable solution from Lime Microsystems to produce a very flexible multi-standard phone that supports both LMR and LTE technologies in a single unit. The technology would provide interoperability, which is a very important issue for public safety communications during joint-response efforts. This would allow for a hybrid or blended mix, where the phone can communicate with users of LMR equipment, as well as provide access to LTE networks.
Lime manufactures a range of highly integrated and low-power programmable transceivers, called field-programmable RF (FPRF) devices. These open-source devices are used in a wide range of applications that spans commercial and military communications, as well as industrial and scientific use. The dual-transceiver LMS7002M, for example, covers all LTE, TETRA, and P25 frequencies with in-system programmable frequency, gain, and bandwidth
Maximizing Coverage
To date, population coverage rather than geographical coverage has driven LTE service providers. This is one aspect that must be addressed for emergency services, which may be called to operate in remote or devastated areas. Fortunately, there are several options.
The maximum transmitted power is covered by 3GPP, and so would need revised standardization first. However, LTE allows for the option of adding fixed small cells to a network. Another option afforded by LTE is to use temporary cells either on a ground vehicle (cells on wheels, known as COWs) or even held aloft by a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or drone. These cells can supplement poor coverage or fill in for first responders where the infrastructure has been destroyed.
Lime has created open-source small cells under the banner of LimeNET. The open hardware units are based around SDR cards together with additional CPU processor and memory resources
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mode emerges from stealth with new approach to software-defined WANs
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/07/mode-emerges-from-stealth-with-new-approach-to-software-defined-wans/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Mode, a San Francisco-based startup, came out of stealth today with a new approach to software-defined wide area networks they call software-defined core network (SD-CORE), which they say will dramatically reduce the cost of running these networks over traditional methods.
“Traditional hardware-defined private networking solutions like MPLS guarantee reliability, but are inelastic, hard to manage and costly. Mode Core was built to enhance SD-WAN, leveraging our breakthrough in routing efficiency to deliver the performance and reliability of networks like MPLS, but with the flexibility, elasticity and affordability of a cloud service,” Dawes explained in a statement.
a software-defined, automated way to route traffic on each node on the network. “It doesn’t need any intervention from anybody to tell it how to route packets,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Uberization of telcos
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/05/the-uberization-of-telcos/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
For the past decade, telecommunications companies around the globe have been grappling with falling average revenues per user equaling stagnant growth rates.
While particularly mobile operators have enabled increasing prosperity in third-world countries, new ways of working and fueled entirely new markets, much of the wealth created has landed on the books of companies that we look upon with increasing discomfort: Google, Amazon, Alibaba, Tencent and others. And as if this was not enough, the very ingredient — ubiquitous connectivity — that has served as lubricant for the disruption of entire industries is now on the verge of being disrupted itself.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Light Communications for Wireless Local Area Networking
https://5g.ieee.org/tech-focus/may-2018/light-communications-for-wireless-local-area-networking
A recent study by the Wi-Fi Alliance has acknowledged the imminent need for more unlicensed spectrum, where it has identified:
“Between 500 MHz and 1 GHz of additional spectrum in various world regions may be needed to support expected growth in Wi-Fi by 2020;
If demand for Wi-Fi exceeds expected growth, then between 1.3 GHz and 1.8 GHz more spectrum may be required by 2025; and
Wi-Fi spectrum needs to be sufficiently contiguous to support 160 MHz wide channels, which are required to support a growing number of bandwidth-intensive applications and to allow maximum Wi-Fi benefits to be attained.”
There are multiple solutions that can provide an increase in the available spectrum. As an example, WiGig solutions, defined in IEEE 802.11ad and being revised in IEEE 802.11ay that operate in the 60 GHz spectrum have access to around 14 GHz of bandwidth in the USA. However, WiGig and other mm-wave RF solutions all exhibit similar challenges.
The visible light spectrum alone stretches from approximately 430 THz to 770 THz, which means that there is potentially more than 1000x the bandwidth of the entire RF spectrum of approx. 300 GHz. Both the visible light spectrum and the infrared spectrum are globally unlicensed. Light Communications (LC) devices are promising to make use of this previously untapped spectrum.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE launches task forces for high-speed electronic interfaces, 400G over multimode fiber standards development
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/ieee-launches-task-forces-for-highspeed-electronic-interfaces-400g-over-multimode-fiber-standards-de.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-08&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2133034
The IEEE launched two task forces at its May 21–25, 2018, interim meeting in Pittsburgh. The IEEE P802.3ck 100 Gb/s, 200 Gb/s, and 400 Gb/s Electrical Interfaces Task Force will specify electrical interfaces based on 100-Gbps signaling. The IEEE P802.3cm 400 Gb/s over Multimode Fiber Task Force will define one or more lower-cost alternatives to the current 400GBASE-SR16.
P802.3ck will seek to define electrical interface specifications that will enable electrical lanes to keep pace with the accelerating data rates of optical lanes in Ethernet applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ron Miller / TechCrunch:
Mode, a startup with a new approach to software-defined wide area networks, emerges from stealth and announces a total of $24M in funding led by GV and NEA
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/07/mode-emerges-from-stealth-with-new-approach-to-software-defined-wans/
Mode, a San Francisco-based startup, came out of stealth today with a new approach to software-defined wide area networks they call software-defined core network (SD-CORE), which they say will dramatically reduce the cost of running these networks over traditional methods.
“Traditional hardware-defined private networking solutions like MPLS guarantee reliability, but are inelastic, hard to manage and costly. Mode Core was built to enhance SD-WAN, leveraging our breakthrough in routing efficiency to deliver the performance and reliability of networks like MPLS, but with the flexibility, elasticity and affordability of a cloud service,” Dawes explained in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sonnet’s 10GbE PCIe networking card delivers 10GBASE-T, NBASE-T copper connectivity for under $100
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/06/sonnet-pcie-100.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2134259
Sonnet Technologies (Irvine, CA) has launched its Solo10G PCIe Card as the latest product in the company’s line of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) solutions. The Solo10G card adds 10GbE network connectivity to any Mac, Windows, or Linux computer with PCI Express (PCIe) slots, and to Mac and Windows computers with Thunderbolt ports when the card is installed in a Thunderbolt to PCI Express card expansion chassis.
“We are committed to bringing 10Gb Ethernet connectivity to market at the lowest possible price while maintaining our high standards for quality and performance,” says Robert Farnsworth, CEO of Sonnet Technologies.
The Solo10G PCIe Card (part number G10E-1X-E3) will be available June 19 at a suggested retail price of $99. More information on the product is available at http://www.sonnettech.com/product/solo10g-pcie-card.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
MaxLinear’s Virtual Fiber SoC fits with Europe’s GiaX to drive 10G Ethernet coax cable overlay network
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/06/hfc-overlay-soc.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2134259
MaxLinear (NYSE: MXL), a provider of radio frequency (RF) and mixed-signal integrated circuits for driving connected home, wired and wireless infrastructure, as well as industrial and multimarket applications, announced that GiaX GmbH has selected its MxL85110 broadband modem system on chip (SoC) for its HelEOS network system, which delivers 10 Gbps symmetrical throughput over coaxial cable infrastructure. Delivering 20 Gbps throughput, Maxlinear says its MxL85110 silicon provides “a flexible Virtual Fiber solution that meets the evolving demands of cable backhaul networks, supporting both distributed access architectures (DAA) and Full Duplex DOCSIS 3.1 (FDX) use cases in products like the GiaX HelEOS.”
The GiaX HelEOS provides the option for cable multiple-system operators (MSOs) to reuse existing coaxial infrastructure, provide high throughput, and be deployable on short notice on an as-needed basis.
As noted by the companies, “With the ever-increasing hunger for bandwidth from their customers, cable operators are looking at new technologies for cable access networks to offer higher and symmetrical bandwidth services. Both DAA and FDX are key enablers for these requirements, in combination with re-segmentation of the service groups (node splits). Implementing these changes requires parts of the coaxial network to be replaced with fiber cable, implementing so called ‘fiber deep’ network architectures. While fiber deep architectures provide lower subscriber counts per service-group and hence make more bandwidth available for those subscribers, there are also several drawbacks. The cost of equipment and labor can quickly add up, particularly with underground networks. Further, the time, cost and uncertainty around securing necessary approvals can be equally burdensome.”
GiaX notes that for the Ethernet data transmission in its HeIEOS system, unused frequency spectrum above frequencies used for DOCSIS 3.x and DVB-C or MPEG is utilized. The HelEOS platform can currently transport up to 10Gbps in both upstream and downstream directions.
The MxL85110 offers ultra-low latency of five microseconds per node and adaptive code modulation ranging from BPSK to 1024 QAM. The device can be programmed for flexible bandwidth from 25MHz to 2GHz, with independent asymmetric transmit and receive configuration.