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:
PON sales perk up in 1Q18: Dell’Oro
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/pon-sales-perk-up-in-1q18-delloro.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2134868
Reversing a five-quarter losing streak, sales of PON gear grew during the first quarter of 2018, according to a recently published report from Dell’Oro Group. Not surprisingly, a pickup in demand for optical network terminals (ONTs) in China accounted for most of the good news, says the market research firm.
“China added over 11 million new broadband subscribers in 1Q18, and network operators such as China Mobile purchased large volumes of ONTs to connect those customers to high-speed internet services,” commented Alam Tamboli, senior analyst at Dell’Oro Group. “Huawei was the primary beneficiary of the surge, capturing the largest ONT market share.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Makena Kelly / The Verge:
A look at what happens now that net neutrality rules have been rolled back, including its immediate implications and legal pushback — A field guide to Ajit Pai’s internet — As of June 11th, the legal protections against content discrimination on the internet are gone.
Net neutrality is dead — what now?
A field guide to Ajit Pai’s internet
https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/11/17439456/net-neutrality-dead-ajit-pai-fcc-internet
As of June 11th, the legal protections against content discrimination on the internet are gone. As far as the FCC is concerned, net neutrality is dead.
The policy’s fate was sealed back in December 2017, when FCC chairman Ajit Pai’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order was approved in a 3-2 vote along party lines.
What just changed?
At its core, net neutrality means that all online traffic is treated equally. The rules put in place by Wheeler’s 2015 Open Internet Order prevented internet providers from throttling or blocking traffic or offering paid fast lanes. This was done by classifying providers as Title II carriers under the Telecommunications Act of 1934 (and 1996). As long as Wheeler’s classification was in place, it provided a strong legal backing for treating the internet as a public utility, along the lines of telephone service, electricity, and running water.
The Pai order rescinds this classification in an attempt to return to what he often refers to as a “successful, light-touch regulatory framework.” The Restoring Internet Freedom Order reclassifies the internet as a Title I service instead of a common carrier.
What happens to the internet now?
The good news is that nothing on your phone or laptop will look drastically different in the immediate future. Your webpages will continue to load at the same rate, and the content you already like to consume won’t dramatically flash a giant 404-like error message anytime soon. Carriers aren’t going to drop the throttle-hammer on day one, but they will continue on the path they have been on for years: using their control over the network to promote carrier-owned services and products.
We already have a pretty good sense of how cable companies and wireless carriers will behave now that the FCC has backed off. For years, carriers have been striking deals with video and streaming services like Netflix, allowing for more reliable data delivery (also known as paid peering) or free mobile data (also known as zero-rating).
With Wheeler’s rules out of the way and Pai taking a “light touch,” carriers are free to use that same playbook more aggressively. Paid prioritization deals could allow carriers to boost specific companies and products, depending on what makes the most money. Throttling could actively degrade service for non-partnered companies. The result would make it difficult for smaller streaming and video services to even get in the game. Over time, your internet bill may start to look a lot more like your cable bill.
Tomi Engdahl says:
China’s telco giant ZTE sees shares collapse 39%
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-44463976
Shares in Chinese technology company ZTE plummeted 39% in Hong Kong as trading in the firm resumed after a two-month suspension.
In April, the US Commerce Department found ZTE had violated trade bans with North Korea and Iran.
A ban was placed on the firm that prevented it from buying parts from US suppliers.
The ban forced ZTE to suspend major operations, and trading in its shares in were halted on 17 April.
Last week, the US reached a deal with the Chinese technology giant that would remove the ban.
The deal will involve ZTE paying a $1bn penalty and hiring a US-approved compliance team. It will also have to replace its management board.
ZTE, which is based in Shenzhen, is China’s second biggest telecoms maker. It depends on US-made components for the production of handsets.
ZTE in jeopardy again as Senate defies Trump with potential new ban
A face-off with the president could be brewing
https://www.cnet.com/news/zte-in-jeopardy-again-as-senate-defies-trump-with-potential-new-ban/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b&linkId=52916300
Tomi Engdahl says:
Anne Marie Roantree / Reuters:
ZTE shares slide as much as 41% in Hong Kong, wiping $3B off its market cap, after the company agreed to pay up to $1.4B in penalties to the US government
Investors wipe $3 billion off China’s ZTE as U.S. settlement sinks in
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-zte/investors-wipe-3-billion-off-chinas-zte-market-value-after-u-s-settlement-idUSKBN1J904Q
Tomi Engdahl says:
PON revenue up after 5 down quarters
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/pon-revenue-up-after-5-down-quarters.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to the Dell’Oro Group, passive optical network (PON) market revenue rebounded in the first quarter of 2018 after five consecutive quarters of decline. The majority of the market growth occurred in China where broadband subscriber growth drove optical networking terminal (ONT) shipments to a record level.
“China added over 11 million new broadband subscribers in 1Q18, and network operators such as China Mobile purchased large volumes of ONTs to connect those customers to high-speed Internet services. Huawei was the primary beneficiary of the surge, capturing the largest ONT market share,” said Alam Tamboli, senior analyst at Dell’Oro.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The fixed telephone network that is in permanent contact is being dismantled by sparsely populated areas in Finland.
The number and capacity of mobile network base stations are not sufficient to ensure the functioning of the information society. Fiber is the “best and most expensive option” for others.
“Consumer supply also depends a lot on consumers themselves. There must be enough customers to make the fiber optic networks come true, ”
Source: https://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/ainutlaatuista-vihdin-uutiset-kunta-rakentaa-valokuituverkkoa-uudenlaisella-kimpalla-6729468
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T wins: Judge clears $85 billion bid for Time Warner with no conditions
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/12/att-time-warner-ruling.html
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon did not impose conditions on the merger’s approval.
He also urged the government not to seek a stay when issuing his decision in a closed-door room with reporters.
Shares of Time Warner jumped roughly 5 percent in extended trading. Shares of AT&T dropped as much as 2 percent
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jon Brodkin / Ars Technica:
Comcast has disabled its “congestion management” throttling system that it deployed in 2008, but retains data caps and overage fees in 27 states
Comcast disabled throttling system, proving data cap is just a money grab
Congestion-management system was deployed after 2008 BitTorrent controversy.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/06/comcast-says-it-doesnt-throttle-heaviest-internet-users-anymore/
Comcast has disabled a throttling system that it deployed in 2008 in order to slow down heavy Internet users.
Comcast’s network is now strong enough that a congestion management system isn’t needed, the company says. The system has been “essentially inactive for more than a year,” and is now disabled entirely.
Yet the nation’s largest cable operator still imposes data caps and overage fees in 27 states, claiming that it limits the amount of data customers use each month “based on a principle of fairness.”
The broadband disclosure helps Comcast comply with the Federal Communications Commission’s transparency rule, which the FCC updated at the same time that it eliminated net neutrality rules. “Comcast currently does not maintain a separate system to assist with managing times of congestion,” the disclosure says.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/12/netflix-and-alphabet-will-need-to-become-isps-fast/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
This week completely scrambled the video landscape, and its implications are going to take months to fully understand.
First is the district court’s decision to approve the merger of AT&T and Time Warner announced just moments ago. That will create one of the largest content creation and distribution companies in the world when it closes.
It is also expected to encourage Comcast to make a similar bid for 21st Century Fox, further consolidating the market.
But the second major story was the final (final final) repeal of the FCC’s net neutrality rules yesterday that will allow telecom companies like AT&T to prioritize their own content over that of competitors.
The combination of these two stories is spooking every video on demand service, from YouTube to Netflix
ISPs want to deliver the content that their consumers want — a slow degrading of the experience for YouTube or Netflix could be enough to move consumers to “preferred” content.
Ultimately, Alphabet’s strategic advantage against Comcast, AT&T and other massive ISPs is going to rest on a sort of mutually assured destruction. If Comcast throttles YouTube, then Alphabet can propose launching in a critical (read: lucrative) Comcast market. Further investment in Fiber, Project Fi or perhaps a 5G-centered wireless strategy
For Netflix, it is going to have to get into the connectivity game one way or the other. Contracts with carriers like Comcast and AT&T are going to be more challenging to negotiate
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast bids $65B for Fox assets, setting the stage for a fight with Disney
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/13/comcast-bids-65b-for-fox/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Comcast made good on its plans to make an offer for 21st Century Fox’s film and TV assets today, with a cash bid of $65 billion, or $35 per share.
That’s 19 percent more than the $52.4 billion that Disney agreed to pay in December.
This follows yesterday’s U.S. court approval of the merger of AT&T and Time Warner, which was widely expected to lead Comcast to make a new bid for Fox and, in the long-term, set the stage for broader consolidation between ISPs and media companies.
“In light of yesterday’s decision in the AT&T/Time Warner case, the limited time prior to your shareholders’ meeting, and our strong continued interest, we are pleased to present a new, all-cash proposal that fully addresses the Board’s stated concerns with our prior proposal,” Roberts said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Exploring complex hotels, resorts, and casinos
https://www.csemag.com/single-article/exploring-complex-hotels-resorts-and-casinos/a9d9168748a360f3c93cd64011d01530.html?OCVALIDATE=
Casinos and resorts are designed for fun and relaxation, but with such projects becoming increasingly complex and high-tech, engineers charged with tackling these structures have challenging work ahead of them.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Strongest revenue growth in five years for data center switching market: Dell’Oro
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/strongest-revenue-growth-in-five-years-for-data-center-switching-market-dell-oro.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2136914
According to Dell’Oro Group, the data center switching market recorded the strongest year-over-year revenue growth in more than five years in the first quarter of 2018. A new report from the market research firm states that 100 Gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) port shipments more than doubled year-over-year, and 100GbE switch ports contributed to over 30% of total revenue.
“[The] data center switching market grew 16% year-over-year in the first quarter of the year,”
Capital spending by hyperscale customers such as Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, as well as smaller Tier 2 and 3 cloud service providers was really strong in the first quarter of 2018, contributing to the strong growth in switching and 100 gigabit ports.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zayo to provide 40G private dedicated wavelength network for leading U.S. health system
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/zayo-to-provide-40g-private-dedicated-wavelength-network-for-leading-u-s-health-system.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2136914
Zayo (NYSE: ZAYO) says that a leading health system in the south-central United States has chosen it to provide a 40G private dedicated wavelength network (PDN-W), supplying diverse connectivity between the customer’s central hospital campuses and data centers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WHITEPAPER
Roadmap to 400 Gigabit Ethernet over Multimode Fiber
https://www.rosenberger-osi.com/fileadmin/pdf_downloads/Whitepaper/Whitepaper-Roadmap_to_400GBE_over_MM_Fiber_EN.pdf
Market studies are presenting figures projecting
the future dominance of 100G transceivers in data
centers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BT offers SD-WAN managed service based on Cisco technology
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/bt-offers-sd-wan-managed-service-based-on-cisco-technology.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2136914
BT said it has unveiled a new software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) managed service using Cisco technology to increase network functions virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) options for its enterprise customers.
Additionally, the company says its team supports the network evolution of its customers by providing skills, systems, and processes to enable the benefits of SDN and NFV services
The new SD-WAN managed service is being launched within BT’s Dynamic Network Services program to offer customers more security and agility in the roll-out of SDN and NFV-based networks.
“Over 90% of BT’s global WAN customers use Cisco technology and the vast majority ask us to manage it,” said Keith Langridge, BT’s vice president of network services. “Today’s announcement gives them a choice of physical or virtualized Cisco SD-WAN portfolio delivered as managed services backed by our excellent security credentials.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Increasing penetration of PoE a major driver of industrial communication cables market: Analyst
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-26/issue-5/departments/infrastructure-insights/increasing-penetration-of-poe-a-major-driver-of-industrial-communication-cables-market-analyst.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-14&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2139492
Technavio’s latest market research report on the global industrial communication cables market provides an analysis of the most important emerging trends expected to impact the market’s outlook from 2018-2022. The firm defines an “emerging trend” as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline. According to Technavio’s analysts, the global industrial communication cables market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 12 percent during the forecast period.
The increasing penetration of Power over Ethernet (PoE) is cited as a major factor driving the market’s growth. Per the report, “Power over Ethernet enables a single 8-wire cable to transmit data and direct current. PoE is used as an essential power feature of a network switch, or via peripheral devices, installed between the switch and the physical devices in the network. The adoption of PoE in industrial facilities has proven to be economical for the end-user while increasing the connectivity strength. PoE also allows physical devices to be easily configured within a network.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fusion splicing: Tools and techniques
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-26/issue-5/features/installation/fusion-splicing-tools-and-techniques.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-14&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2139492
Fusion splicers are being used in increasing numbers of applications, indoors and out.
The fusion splicer is a long-used tool in outside plant (OSP) fiber-optic installation, and in recent years has been more commonly used in indoor environments as well. In addition to being used on pigtails, fusion splicers are now commonly used to join optical fibers to splice-on connectors (SOCs).
Jim Hayes, president of The Fiber Optic Association, observed, “Our experience recently, including teaching a couple of courses, is fusion splicing is getting more economical and easier, and the SOCs are super. You can get a fusion splicer for practically the same price as a top-end prepolished/splice-connector kit, and the connectors are much cheaper. The results of terminations with SOCs are much faster terminations, and much better ones too.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
European and Indian regulators team up to defend net neutrality
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/15/european-and-indian-regulators-team-up-to-defend-net-neutrality/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Representatives of Europe’s BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) and India’s TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) met up yesterday to sign a joint statement to promote an open internet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OIF launches CEI-112G-XSR project enabling intra-package interconnects
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/oif-launches-cei-112g-xsr-project-enabling-intra-package-interconnects.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-14&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2140542
The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) launched the CEI-112G-XSR project for die-to-die (D2D) and die-to-optical engine (D2OE) Common Electrical Interface at its second quarter meeting in April, held in Nuremberg, Germany. The project is intended to enable intra-package interconnects to optical engines, or between dies, with high throughput density and low normalized power with a reach up to 50 mm.
The existing CEI-112G-MCM OIF project is intended for wide, high-bandwidth CMOS-to-CMOS interconnects. OIF says that the new CEI-112G-XSR project also aims to support a mix of technology, specifically the CMOS-to-SiGe often used to build optical engines. System-in-package (SIP) designs lead to a requirement to support as much as 50-mm trace length between the multiple chips on an organic package substrate.
The group says the CEI-112G-XSR project will enable lower normalized power, double shoreline throughput density, and provide a multi-source 72-Gbps to 116-Gbps D2D and D2OE electrical I/O interface.
“We jointly designed this project to address the problem of integrating multiple dies, including driver devices for optical engines on non-CMOS technologies, onto a common substrate within a large multi-chip-package design,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Juniper Networks unveils MX Series 5G Universal Routing Platform
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/juniper-networks-unveils-mx-series-5g-universal-routing-platform.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-14&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2140542
Juniper Networks has extended the capabilities of its MX Series router line with the MX Series 5G Universal Routing Platform. The technology, which leverages the new Juniper Penta Silicon packet forwarding engine along with 5G mobile focused software, will reach the field in the form of new line cards for the MX960, MX480 and MX240 routers as well as the equally new MX10008 and MX10016 Universal Chassis.
The MX Series 5G Universal Routing Platform addresses the increased complexity and resource intensity secure software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and upcoming Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G mobile services will create
Much of the new capabilities come from the Juniper Penta Silicon packet forwarding engine. The programmable 16-nm device enables a 50% improvement in power efficiency (0.5 W per gigabit) versus the company’s Junos Trio chipset, which will mean a 3X increase in bandwidth capacity for the MX960, MX480, and MX240 routers. The Juniper Penta Silicon also will support both MACsec and IPsec natively for enhanced transmission security. The device also will offer Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) capabilities.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Talon RTR 2555 1-, 10-, 40-Gigabit Ethernet Rugged SFF Recorder
https://www.pentek.com/products/detail.cfm?model=2555&GC=12557
Records gigabit, 10-gigabit or 40-gigabit Ethernet streams
TCP and UDP protocols
Copper or optical interfaces
Aggregate recording rates to 4.0 GB/sec
Up to 30 terabytes of storage to NTFS RAID disk array
RAID levels of 0, 5, and 6
SystemFlow® GUI virtual instrumentation panel for fast, intuitive operation
C-callable API for integration of recorder into applications
File headers include time stamping and recording parameters
Optional GPS time and position stamping
Windows® workstation with high performance Intel® CoreTM i7 processor
Tomi Engdahl says:
Technetix, Harmonic showing Remote PHY at ANGA
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/technetix-harmonic-showing-remote-phy-at-anga.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-14&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Technetix is showcasing its DBx Remote PHY node solution at ANGA COM 2018, which has been developed incorporating Harmonic’s (NASDAQ:HLIT) Pebble-1 Remote PHY device (RPD). The RPD is designed to be compatible with the Harmonic CableOS Virtual CMTS and other industry core CMTS systems. Optionally also powered by Virtual Segmentation, the solution is intended to allows operator to deploy Remote PHY faster than using traditional fiber uplinks
Tomi Engdahl says:
ZTE must disclose Chinese government stake as part of new agreement
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/zte-must-disclose-chinese-government-stake-as-part-of-new-agreement.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2142064
The Bureau of Industry and Security unit of the U.S. Department of Commerce yesterday unveiled the agreement that will lift the denial order placed upon ZTE. Among other demands, the agreement calls for ZTE to disclose within 90 days the amount of Chinese government ownership of the company, including public and private shares. Meanwhile, U.S. senators moved yesterday to block the deal. Nevertheless, ZTE announced that it has applied to resume trading of its shares June 13 on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T closes Time Warner purchase
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/att-closes-time-warner-purchase.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2142064
AT&T closed its $85.4 billion purchase of Time Warner late Thursday
Tomi Engdahl says:
Strongest revenue growth in five years for data center switching market: Dell’Oro
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/strongest-revenue-growth-in-five-years-for-data-center-switching-market-dell-oro.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2142064
Tomi Engdahl says:
2 new IEEE 802.11 study groups are formed for wireless access in vehicular environments (WAVE), WLAN local broadcast services
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/06/2-new-ieee-802-11-study-groups-are-formed-for-wireless-access-in-vehicular-environments-wave-wlan-lo.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-18&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2143101
The IEEE 802.11 Next Generation V2X (NGV) Study Group is exploring ways to leverage more recent 802.11 technologies to address new applications of wireless access in vehicular environments, where new requirements for higher throughput, improved reliability and efficiency, and/or extended range are anticipated.
“To support advancements in driverless car technology, car-to-car and car-to infrastructure connectivity, as well as to enable more robust vehicular infotainment offerings, a higher, more reliable and efficient throughput as compared to IEEE 802.11p is foreseeable,” said Bo Sun, chair, IEEE 802.11 Next Generation V2X (NGV) Study Group. “Stakeholders involved in vehicular applications are encouraged to lend their voice in helping advance IEEE 802.11 so that the standard meets all anticipated future requirements in order to increase its adoption in this rapidly expanding market.”
The IEEE Broadcast Services (BCS) Study Group is exploring new use cases for simultaneously broadcasting local information over IEEE 802.11 WLAN without recipients needing to actively connect to an access point, and to do so with enhanced security features in place. Applications include broadcast of “local information” at events, shopping malls, tourist attractions, train stations, airports, etc., but are also well suited for the broadcast of more fluid information, such as vehicular traffic updates, parking availability, emergency information, or information from IoT devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G wireless infrastructure seen pushing high-speed SerDes protocols
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/06/5g-wireless-infrastructure-seen-pushing-high-speed-serdes-protocols.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-18&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2143101
“All major wireless carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T) have announced their intentions to begin 5G rollout in the US by the end of this year. Although this may appear to be a “simple” incremental generation advancement, 5G actually requires significant investments and potential changes in infrastructure compared to previous generations. These changes for 5G, as any other infrastructure that relies on high-speed transfer of data, processing and re-distribution of processed data, rely heavily on ultra-high speed and low latency serial data communication…As the push to 5G brings more complexity to fronthaul network infrastructure, with increased bandwidth and data processing, ASIC interfaces must keep up. In addition to the CPRI and JESD204 standards, the microchips in 5G infrastructures often communicate to a variety of other devices using Ethernet, PCIe and a few other protocols requiring serial data communication interfaces supporting those standards. While there is a set of common requirements, each of the above interfaces pose specific challenges of their own, and high-speed SerDes design will require many design considerations and possible architecture changes to address the more complex channels and higher data rates.”
5G Wireless Infrastructure Pushes High-Speed SerDes Protocols
https://semiengineering.com/5g-wireless-infrastructure-pushes-high-speed-serdes-protocols/
Reducing SerDes latency variation and jitter is necessary for long-reach networking applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
In Trump Rebuke, US Senate Votes to Reimpose Ban on China’s ZTE
https://www.securityweek.com/trump-rebuke-us-senate-votes-reimpose-ban-chinas-zte
The US Senate defied President Donald Trump by voting Monday to overrule his administration’s deal with Chinese telecom firm ZTE and reimpose a ban on high-tech chip sales to the company.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The fastest Internet connection in the world
Swedish operator Com Hem says he has implemented the world’s fastest internet connection to the DreamHack Summer event in Jönköping. The players were connected directly to the Com Hemi backbone with 1.6 terabytes.
1.6 terabytes is enough for 230,000 people to view Netflix’s high definition movie at the same time. With 1.6 terabytes of connections, it would take less than a second to download ten copies of Fortnight to the PC, Com Hem praises.
The technology is based on DWDM multiplexing in the 300 km fiber link between Jönköping and Stockholm.
Last year, the average fastest net was 28.6 megabits per second, which was enjoyed by South Koreans. The Swedes were on the list with the third average 22.5 megabits and the Finns sixth at 20.5 megabits.
Source. http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8140-maailman-nopein-internetyhteys
Tomi Engdahl says:
Corning wins Data Center Solutions award for 6th consecutive year
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/06/corning-dcs-award.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-19&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2145203
On May 29, Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) announced that its EDGE Mesh Module has been named “Data Center Cabling & Connectivity Product of the Year” at the 2018 Data Center Solutions (DCS) Awards in London.
The awards program stated that “Corning’s EDGE Mesh Modules have emerged as a critical enabler of future-ready data center networks. They provide operators of spine-and-leaf network architectures with an easily adaptable solution that improves deployment speed and network capability, supports current and future bandwidth requirements, and reduces total cost of ownership. Also, the EDGE Mesh Modules require significantly less rack space than alternatives and will allow for higher port densities per switch, with lower power consumption and lower cost per 10G port.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cisco intros cloud-native router
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/cisco-intros-cloud-native-router.html?cmpid=enl_btr_docsis_2018-06-20&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.
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:
Teleste collaborates with Cisco, Iskratel
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/teleste-collaborates-with-cisco-iskratel.html?cmpid=enl_btr_docsis_2018-06-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Teleste’s Remote PHY-based node, the AC9100 Neo RPD, has been implemented by Telia in Finland. Teleste’s node is in operation in Telia’s live network alongside Cisco’s (NASDAQ:CSCO) cBR-8 CCAP core.
“Our learnings prove that the Remote PHY technology fits extremely well with bringing the next-generation broadband services to our customers,” said Sakari Kangasvieri, department manager for Telia. “As a service provider, our goal is to be ahead in utilizing the possibilities of the ongoing technology transformation to create an attractive customer experience and meet the customers’ future digital needs. We are pleased to note that the Remote PHY technology now provides us an exciting option to achieve our goal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ARRIS puts RDK software on EPON gateways
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/arris-puts-rdk-software-on-epon-gateways.html?cmpid=enl_btr_docsis_2018-06-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS) announced support for the RDK software stack across its next generation of EPON gateways. RDK support is intended to allow a unified back-office system for managing both fiber and DOCSIS architectures, simplified network provisioning, carrier-grade management features, and integration with the ARRIS HomeAssure solution.
“RDK is important to ARRIS, as we continue providing best-in-class software options for our global customer base. ARRIS has been a pioneer in RDK from the beginning – and today, we’re proud to extend that leadership by supporting RDK in EPON gateways,” said Larry Robinson, president, CPE, ARRIS. “This decision aligns with our vision to provide a unified operations and management platform to our service provider customers who are delivering the future of gigabit and WiFi.”
40 million devices running on RDK globally
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/03/40-million-devices-running-on-rdk-globally.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
ATX intros digital DWDM gateway platform
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/atx-intros-digital-dwdm-gateway-platform.html?cmpid=enl_btr_docsis_2018-06-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
ATX Networks has introduced GigaWave, a digital optical gateway platform designed to provide cable operators with a protocol-agnostic solution to expand the capacity of fiber access links between headends/hubs and outside plant facilities in a cost-effective and pay-as-you-grow manner. The Digital Link Extender 40 (DLX40) is the first announced product within the GigaWave platform.
The 1-RU DLX supports two DLX40 modules, each designed to aggregate up to 40 wavelengths across optical access links of up to 60 km. The modular GigaWave DLX I designed to support Remote PHY and Remote MACPHY Distributed Access Architectures (DAA), as well as passive optical network (PON), small cell/5G and enterprise business services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
VIAVI intros field meter for Remote PHY, 5G
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/viavi-intros-field-meter-for-remote-phy-5g.html?cmpid=enl_btr_docsis_2018-06-20&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
VIAVI Solutions (NASDAQ:VIAV) has launched the T-BERD/MTS 5882, a handheld network test and measurement meter designed to enable fiber characterization, multi-protocol service activation, troubleshooting and maintenance for mobile and cable networks into a small form factor.
The T-BERD/MTS 5882 portable solution covers a range of tests in an automated workflow and is designed to support precise timing to synchronize distributed equipment, such as with the IEEE 1588v2 Precision Timing Protocol. This applies to mobile networks with distributed 5G radios interoperating with LTE macro cells, in cable networks where distributed Remote PHY devices (RPD) require synchronization for proper DOCSIS functionality, and in utility networks for the synchronization of distributed power transmission equipment.
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_docsis_2018-06-20&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.
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.
To ensure interoperability with CCAP cores, the DAN300 is compliant with CableLabs Remote PHY specifications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hypnotizing test engineers with figures of dubious merit
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-standards/4460771/hypnotizing-test-engineers-with-figures-of-Dubious-Merit?utm_source=Aspencore&utm_medium=EDN&utm_campaign=social
As standards increasingly adopt complicated figures of merit for high-speed serial data links that are calculated by one touch of a button, like channel operating margin (COM), transmitter dispersion eye closure quaternary (TDECQ), and signal to noise and distortion ratio (SNDR), with effective return loss (ERL) coming to a specification near you, do we risk test engineers losing sight of their jobs? Can these aggregate measurements provide insight? Is it possible to understand their uncertainties?
COM, TDECQ, SNDR, and ERL all process and combine measurements into figures of merit
Each of these figures of merit have, well, merit
Calculating the uncertainty of a COM, TDECQ, or SNDR measurement would require more software than the measurement itself.
COM, TDECQ, and SNDR all offer insights into the performance of network elements. At their best, they allow designers the freedom to innovate designs with new ways of balancing different performance parameters. At their worst, they threaten to lull designers into a stupor of assumed, but unwarranted understanding of the performance of their designs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Perfect Budget Router? Sub £200 1U Server from Aliexpress
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgBaRzmOqjQ
In this video I take a look at a cheap 1U server from Aliexpress that looks like the perfect hardware to build a router. NOTE ABOUT PFSENSE COMPATIBILITY: Unfortunately the CPU in this device (and other similar devices on Aliexpress) does not support AES-NI instructions. Netgate (the creators of PFSense) have decided to make this a requirement of PFSense 2.5 which is due to be released in a couple of years. This means that this system won’t be able to run PFSense 2.5. There are, however, many alternative operating systems that will run great on this hardware such as OPNSense, VyOS, Sophos UTM, IPFire, Untangle.etc or alternatively you could just run a bare OS. Personally I’ve stopped using PFSense and replaced it with bare FreeBSD using a combination of PF and dnsmasq to serve my needs. Hopefully in a couple of years time, CPUs supporting AES-NI will have started to find their way into devices like this (since these devices tend to use slightly older CPUs).
Tomi Engdahl says:
The week that QoS in networking, aka WAN, RAN, thank you ma’am
Aruba gets the SD-WAN bug, Huawei patches slowly and so much more
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/06/24/networking_roundup_june_21/
Nokia has claimed a first by demonstrating a cloud-based radio access network (RAN) running on an operational carrier network.
The demonstration was on the Orange network in Poland.
The March – May 2018 trial used Nokia’s AirScale Cloud RAN, and was designed to help both carrier and vendor get ready for 5G deployments. The demo connected radio sites in the Polish city of Chelm to a virtualised baseband infrastructure running in a data centre 70 km away in Lublin.
The AirScale base station provided equivalent network performance both on Nokia’s reference infrastructure and the Orange cloud environment, Nokia said.
In the demonstration, only time-critical functions remained at the base stations. Ethernet carried over the Orange network allowed non-real-time operations to be hosted at the data centre.
Aruba software defines branch networks
Aruba Networks dropped a software-defined branch solution integrating a cloud-managed SD-WAN with wired and wireless access, and context-based security policy enforcement.
Extreme gets edgy
Extreme Networks this week released a slew of management products.
Smart OmniEdge adds its own AI sauce into wired/wireless infrastructure management. ExtremeAI for Smart OmniEdge is a hosted application for RF management, collecting “network analytics, device statistics, connection rates, and user and application experience characteristics”.
The ExtremeCloud Appliance is an on-premises management device designed to replicate the company’s cloud-based management system, and is delivered with what Extreme Networks calls “cloud-like licensing and management”.
Huawei plugs OpenSSL bug
Huawei has patched an OpenSSL bug that emerged in November 2017.
CVE-2018-0739 is a possible stack overflow if there’s a recursive definition in constructed ASN.1 types.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Jacob Kastrenakes / The Verge:
Wi-Fi Alliance begins certifying products that support WPA3, the successor to the WPA2 security protocol that provides additional protections against attacks
Wi-Fi security is starting to get its biggest upgrade in over a decade
WPA3 certification starts today
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/6/26/17501594/wpa3-wifi-security-certification
Wi-Fi devices have been using the same security protocol for over a decade. But today, that’ll begin to change: the Wi-Fi Alliance, which oversees adoption of the Wi-Fi standard, is beginning to certify products that support WPA3, the successor to the WPA2 security protocol that’s been in use since 2004.
The new protocol provides a number of additional protections for devices connected over Wi-Fi. One big improvement makes it harder for hackers to crack your password by guessing it over and over again, and another limits what data hackers can see even once they’ve uncovered the passcode. Nothing will change as far as users see it; you’ll still just type in your password and connect to the network.
WPA3 protections won’t just flip on overnight — in fact, it’s going to be a many-years-long process.
The Wi-Fi Alliance expects WPA3 rollout to ramp up over the next year. For now, it won’t be mandatory in new products. But the next generation of Wi-Fi itself — 802.11ax — is also starting to come out and is expected to hit mass adoption in late 2019; as those devices become available, the Alliance expects the pace of WPA3 adoption to pick up.
You’ll start to see WPA3 a lot more in 2020
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wi-Fi Alliance® introduces Wi-Fi CERTIFIED WPA3™ security
Next-generation Wi-Fi® security for personal and enterprise networks
https://www.wi-fi.org/news-events/newsroom/wi-fi-alliance-introduces-wi-fi-certified-wpa3-security
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook permanently grounds its Aquila solar-powered internet plane
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/26/facebook-permanently-grounds-its-aquila-solar-powered-internet-plane/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
Facebook has announced that it will no longer pursue its dream of building a gigantic, solar-powered plane to blast internet to underserved communities via laser. Surprisingly, it’s just not practical.
In a news post on the company’s coding sub-site, Facebook’s Yael Maguire announced that “we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgewater.”
High altitude connectivity: The next chapter
https://code.facebook.com/posts/190457848334738/high-altitude-connectivity-the-next-chapter/
Today nearly 4 billion people globally do not have access to the Internet.
So we decided to start from scratch and invest in the building blocks needed to make this technology work — most important of all, the aircraft.
Of course, HAPS connectivity requires more than just an aircraft.
aerospace industry start investing in this technology too — including the design and construction of new high-altitude aircraft. Given these developments, we’ve decided not to design or build our own aircraft any longer, and to close our facility in Bridgwater. Going forward, we’ll continue to work with partners like Airbus on HAPS connectivity generally
Tomi Engdahl says:
Norway’s Broadnet to deliver SD-WAN private line offerings via Huawei
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/norway-s-broadnet-to-deliver-sd-wan-private-line-offerings-via-huawei.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_datacom_2018-06-26&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2154973
Huawei used the CEBIT 2018 trade show earlier this month to announce and sign a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) commercial deployment framework contract with Broadnet. The technology company says its SD-WAN portfolio will enable the Norwegian service provider to deliver enhanced private-line offerings to European enterprise customers.
Broadnet will use the SD-WAN capabilities to supply enterprise customers with affordable, on-demand private-line services with cloud-based, visualized operations and maintenance (O&M). Huawei says Broadnet can also use its entire customer premises equipment (CPEs) series to provide WAN connections for enterprises of various sizes and networking demands and reduce the time-to-market of new services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MEF releases SDN/NFV certification
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/mef-releases-sdn-nfv-certification.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-26&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) has released its MEF SDN/NFV professional certification. Following a beta-exam review period, the MEF-SDN/NFV exam is designed to provide an industry-wide certification to validate professionals’ knowledge, skills and abilities in the domains of software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV). MEF also announced that five training companies that are members of the MEF Accredited Training Provider (MEF-ATP) program are qualified to deliver approved training for the certification.
With the help of SDN and NFV subject matter experts around the world, MEF built the certification exam to ISO 17024 quality specifications for accuracy and reliability.
“This is the first certification of its kind in the exploding field of virtualized networking,”
The MEF-SDN/NFV certification exam is built around the themes of “Design, Deploy, and Manage,” and details and references are contained in the newly released examination blueprint.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fiber going deeper, going digital
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/fiber-going-deeper-going-digital.html?cmpid=enl_btr_weekly_network_technology_2018-06-26&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
As demand for ever increasing broadband speeds grows, service providers are looking into driving fiber deeper into their networks, and also at transitioning from analog to digital optical signals. ATX Networks has introduced GigaWave, its next generation of digital optical gateway platform designed to expand the capacity of fiber access links between headends/hubs and outside plant facilities in a cost-effective and pay-as-you-grow manner.
The 1RU DLX supports two DLX40 modules, each of which enables cable companies to aggregate up to 40 wavelengths (80 wavelengths in total) across optical access links of up to 60 km in length. The GigaWave DLX supports DOCSIS 3.1 technologies such as Remote PHY (R-PHY) and Remote MACPHY (R-MACPHY) Distributed Access Architectures (DAA) as well as passive optical networking (PON), small cell/5G and enterprise business services.
With it, cable operator partners can evolve linear analog networks to IP-based software-defined digital networks designed to support full-duplex speeds of 10 Gbps and higher.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Telco Systems to develop Arm-based uCPE and NFV Edge products
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/telco-systems-to-develop-arm-based-ucpe-and-nfv-edge-products.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2152904
Telco Systems said that it will develop service-ready uCPE and NFV Edge products based on a strategic investment and joint development agreement with semiconductor IP supplier Arm. Telco Systems will collaborate with Arm’s technical team in a multi-year development program that includes the productization of existing prototypes for uCPE devices.
The focus will be on further development of uCPE prototypes based on NXP and Marvell system-on-chips (SoCs) as well as upgraded, service-ready uCPE and NFV Edge offerings.
Telco Systems and Arm will work together to launch and promote the uCPE and NFV edge services to the market. This technology partner ecosystem will include VNF and hardware vendors and will aim to meet the needs of Tier 1 service providers and network operators. The Arm-NFVTime ecosystem will provide VNF and whitebox vendors with new business opportunities, develop competitive differentiators, and enhance performance as well, Telco Systems asserts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
dataMate, MaxLinear, and LEA Networks introduce G.hn-based micro-DPU
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/datamate-maxlinear-and-lea-networks-introduce-g-hn-based-micro-dpu.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2152904
dataMate, a business unit of Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE: MEI), MaxLinear Inc. (NYSE: MXL), and LEA Networks have introduced the Methode micro-distribution point unit (DPU), a G.hn-based fiber-to-the-distribution-point (FTTdp) platform designed to make delivery of gigabit broadband services more affordable for service providers.
Operating over a variety of copper media, G.hn is an ITU networking standard that delivers data rates up to 2 Gbps, using the most recent 200 MHz G.hn band-plans standardized in ITU-T G.9960 Amendments 1 and 2. According to Methode, numerous service providers use G.hn technology to bring broadband services to millions of users in Asia, Europe, and North America.
Complete modularity, with replaceable SFP modules for uplink (PON ONT) and downlink (G.hn over twisted-pair, G.hn over coax, and 1G and 2.5G Ethernet over Cat-5e cable).
· Directly supported in mainline OpenWRT, with the most recent Linux 4.14 LTS kernel and Open vSwitch 2.92. The micro-DPU will be an SDN-ready software platform independent from proprietary vendor SDKs.
· ITU-T K.21 over-voltage protection.
· Maximum power usage of 10 W, with flexible powering options such as local 12-V DC power and reverse power feeding (RPF ETSI TS 101 548) over twisted pair or coax.
Flexible bandwidth provisioning to support fixed TDD ratios or dynamic time allocation (DTA) on both coax and twisted-pair.
The Methode micro-DPU and G.hn SFP modules are now available from Methode. Additionally, the PSETT02US power injector is now available from LEA Networks in power class SR2 (15 W) and SR3 (21 W). The LEA Networks’ PSETT02US is a reverse power injector based on the ETSI TS 101 548 standard
Tomi Engdahl says:
DASAN Networks to deliver FTTH equipment to TDF
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/dasan-networks-to-deliver-ftth-equipment-to-tdf.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_service_providers_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2152904
DASAN Networks said it has entered into a long-term strategic partnership with TDF (Telediffusion de France SAS) to provide equipment for the deployment of its optical fiber to the home infrastructure (FTTH).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Global fiber optic circulator consumption to hit almost $270 million in 2018: ElectroniCast
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/global-fiber-optic-circulator-consumption-to-hit-almost-270-million-in-2018-electronicast.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_enabling_technologies_2018-06-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2150425
ElectroniCast Consultants has released a new market forecast of global fiber-optic circulator consumption in optical communications. The worldwide use of fiber-optic circulators is expected to reach $269.2 million this year, according to the study report.
ElectroniCast has segmented the fiber-optic circulator market based on device port counts. Configurations represented in the report are three ports, four ports, and more than four ports. Devices with three ports accounted for over 80% market share in 2017.
With a growth factor of 3X, ElectroniCast anticipates that private networks with expanding data centers will show the fastest annual growth of the consumption value of global fiber-optic circulators. Telecommunications, however, is positioned to continue leading market share throughout the forecast period, and the cable TV optical fiber structure is not far behind it, states ElectroniCast.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Huawei calls Australian security fears ‘ill-informed and not based on facts’
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/huawei-calls-australian-security-fears-illinformed-and-not-based-on-facts.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2150702
Facing the prospect of being banned from bidding on Australia’s national 5G mobile services roll out, the senior leadership of Huawei Australia issued an open letter to members of the country’s Parliament stating that suggestions the company is an agent of the Chinese Government, and therefore a national security threat, are “ill-informed and not based on facts.”