Greenpacket and Sequans Introduce Dual-Mode WiMAX/LTE TDD Device

Greenpacket introduced the industry’s first 4G WiMAX and LTE TDD indoor dual-mode integrated access device (IAD). The customer premises equipment (CPE) is specifically designed to support WiMAX operators who are currently making the transition to LTE networks. The unit is powered by Sequans’ dual mode chip that integrates both WiMAX and LTE in a highly efficient, single die. Packet One Networks (Malaysia) will be one of the very first to deploy the new Greenpacket dual mode CPE in 2013.



The IAD is compliant with the latest LTE Category-4 (3GPP- R9) and WiMAX 802.16e-2009 standards, providing downlink and uplink speeds of up to 150 Mbps and 50 Mbps for LTE TDD and combined speed of 40 Mbps for WiMAX. Additional connectivity interfaces include 802.11n, 1 LAN port and 1 RJ-11 port. http://www.greenpacket.com

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Data Roaming Transparency Initiative Gets Traction

Twenty four leading mobile operators are backing a new Data Roaming Transparency Initiative that aims to provide consumers greater visibility of their roaming charges and usage of mobile data services when travelling abroad.



The initiative is organized by the GSMA, which is working with mobile operators worldwide to adopt the following measures:

• Sending text messages to remind customers of their data roaming tariffs when they arrive in another country and turn on their mobile device;



• Implementing a monthly data roaming spending limit to help consumers manage their roaming bill and sending alerts when their data usage approaches the limit; and



• Temporarily suspending data service when usage exceeds the spending limit.



• In the first phase of this initiative, these operators and their group subsidiaries have agreed to implement these data roaming transparency measures by the end of 2012, covering more than 4 billion mobile connections worldwide.

The GSMA will also work to promote the adoption of these guidelines across its full membership base of nearly 800 mobile operators globally. Further, the GSMA will develop a trust mark that will identify to consumers that their mobile operator is implementing these measures.



Backers of the initiative include: America Movil, AT&T, Axiata Group Berhad, Bharti Airtel, China Mobile, China Unicom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom-Orange, Hutchison 3 Group, KT, MTS, Qtel, SK Telecom, Smart Communications, SoftBank Mobile Corp., Tata Teleservices, Telecom Italia Group, Telefonica, Telekom Austria Group, Telenor Group, TeliaSonera, Verizon Communications, VimpelCom and Vodafone.



"A number of our operator members are already implementing sound transparency practices, benefiting more than a billion subscribers worldwide," said Franco Bernabe, Chairman of the GSMA and Chairman and CEO of Telecom Italia Group. "The initiative announced today will help to promote an even broader adoption of principles that will offer a more transparent and uniform experience for billions of consumers, wherever they travel."http://www.gsmworld.com

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Mobile Networks Are Capturing Significant Energy Efficiency Gains

Despite considerable growth in mobile connections and traffic, total network energy consumption of leading mobile networks worldwide increased only slightly from 2009 to 2010, according to the GSMA. Based on analysis of 34 mobile networks worldwide, GSMA calculates that the total energy per unit traffic declined by approximately 20 percent and energy per connection declined by five percent over this period, indicating that the industry is making strong progress towards its goal of reducing its total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per connection by 40 percent by 2020.



The analysis is an update to the GSMA's "Mobile Green Manifesto" which outlines the positive impact of operator initiatives in the areas of energy and carbon management. Some highlights:

• If all networks with above average energy consumption are improved to the industry average, there is a potential energy cost saving for mobile operators of $1 billion per annum at 2010 prices; improving to the top quartile could save over $2 billion annually.



• Smartphones, tablets, consumer electronics and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices are beginning to connect everything from cars to health services and even entire cities, which will have a positive impact on many industries. Through these and other developments, the mobile industry today



• Mobile technology is enabling significant reductions in GHG emissions and energy costs across a range of sectors of the economy, and the opportunity exists for mobile to enable even further savings. Approximately 26 million mobile M2M connections worldwide are enabling GHG emissions savings estimated to be about 3 million tonnes (Mt) of CO(2)e annually.



• The US and Canada together comprise 50 per cent of mobile M2M connections and 38 per cent of global GHG emissions savings;



• Asia Pacific accounts for 23 per cent of M2M connections and 30 per cent of emissions savings; and



• Western Europe represents 17 per cent of connections and 23 per cent of GHG savings.



• Global mobile M2M connections in smart grids, smart meters and fleet management are forecast to grow strongly, at 30 to 40 per cent per annum, reaching approximately 100 million mobile M2M connections(4) worldwide by 2015. This would result in possible GHG savings of 18 Mt CO(2)e.



• Mobile has the potential to enable much greater emissions savings of at least 900 Mt CO(2)e in 2020, which is 1.7 per cent of the global 2020 GHG emissions forecast by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its "business-as-usual" scenario;



• Emissions savings in 2020 will result from the use of 3.5 billion mobile M2M connections(7) and also from mobile dematerialisation applications, where travel, products and processes are substituted by virtual alternatives.

"This is the first ever detailed global estimate of mobile network energy consumption and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO(2)e) emissions and it shows that the mobile industry is making progress in reducing its own emissions and energy costs, as well as those in other industry sectors," said Gabriel Solomon, Head of Regulatory Policy, GSMA. "Mobile can enable savings through a range of smart applications and can contribute to a reduction of total emissions that is at least four to five times its own carbon footprint."
http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/mobiles-green-manifesto

• In November 2009, the GSMA published its "Mobile's Green Manifesto" -- a position paper that sets out how the mobile industry should lower its greenhouse gas emissions per connection, and demonstrates the key role that mobile communications can play in lowering emissions in other sectors and industries. Specific goals listed in 2009 included:
  
  
  
  To reduce its total global greenhouse gas emissions per connection by 40% by 2020 compared to 2009. This forecast covers all emissions from energy sources under the control of the mobile operators, including energy consumption from the radio network, buildings, and energy consumption and emissions from transport.
  
  
  
  Carbon neutral growth. The number of mobile connections is set to rise by 70% to 8 billion by 2020 as the industry builds out a new generation of mobile broadband networks, bringing billions of people into the information economy. Despite this growth, the mobile industry forecasts that, through its activities, its total emissions will remain constant at 245 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e) - equivalent to 0.5% of total global emissions in 2020, or the greenhouse gas emissions of the Netherlands.
  
  
  
  To work with handset vendors to ensure that the energy consumed by a typical handset, in standby and while being used, is reduced by 40% by 2020.
  
  
  
  To work with equipment vendors to ensure that the life cycle emissions of network equipment components are reduced by 40% by 2020.

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Broadcom Debuts 2X MIMO 802.11n + Bluetooth Combo Chip & Miracast Dongle

Broadcom introduced its first combo chip optimized to add dual-stream, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity to CE devices. It also debuted an integrated wireless dongle design that will bring Wi-Fi Display (now called Wi-Fi Miracast) to existing digital TVs and media boxes.



The new Broadcom® BCM43242 combo chip features advanced dual-band 802.11n 2x2 MIMO technology to boost data rates and enable 70% greater range at high-speed than single stream Wi-Fi.It also offers advanced error correction and an innovative capability to support simultaneous Wi-Fi connections to two devices, allowing a smart TV to simultaneously access Internet content and stream high-bandwidth video from a smartphone, tablet or PC. The chip can also enable peer-to-peer transmissions in the 5 GHz band, with more spectrum and less congestion in that frequency range allowing better quality video streaming and smartphone-to-TV video sharing.



The combo chip also integrates Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to advanced remotes, game controllers, stereo headphones, keyboards, 3D glasses and other interface devices. Broadcom Bluetooth also features the ability to stream audio to home stereos, enable voice recognition in remote controls and connect smartphones and other devices to the CE ecosystem.



Broadcom's new wireless dongle design features the proven capabilities of the BCM43236 dual-band Wi-Fi chip and the low power, high performance BCM2835 VideoCore media processor, enabling cost-effective adapter products that easily add Wi-Fi Display capabilities to existing CE devices with an HDMI port. http://www.broadcom.com

Read More

Cyan Enhances its CyPortal Software Suite

Cyan introduced a number of enhancements to its CyPortal SLA assurance suite to support expanding service requirements and key operational attributes as part of a strategic role in the emerging software-defined metro network. Key milestones and recent enhancements to CyPortal include:

• Monitoring over 20,000 wireless backhaul and business service endpoints for service level agreement (SLA) conformance



• Expansion of monitored services to include IP and ATM services -- as well as Ethernet



• Compatibility with more than a two-dozen products from more than ten vendors



• Expanded functionality from passive (view-only) customer portal, to virtual Network as a Service (NaaS) management portal allowing wholesale and Enterprise customers to self-activate authorized tests



• Published API allowing service providers to write their own applications to easily automate the monitoring of new services and to automatically extract data from CyPortal for billing purposes.

Cyan said it is committed to more open, software-defined metro networks. It noted that while wireless backhaul continues to be a key application for SLA assurance monitoring, multiple service providers are now bundling CyPortal with high-performance business Ethernet, IP and ATM services, while laying a foundation for expanding customer portal capabilities in the future. http://www.cyaninc.com

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Lockheed Martin Selected for Department of Defense's Global Data Network

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded a seven-year contract to Lockheed Martin to manage the transformation of the Department of Defense's global data network. The Global Systems Management Operations (GSM-O) contract runs for three years and includes two two−year options, with a total contract ceiling of $4.6 billion.



GSM-O, which is headquartered at Fort Meade, Md. with multiple support locations worldwide, is the largest of three DISA Global Systems Management contracts. It provides programmatic, operations, and engineering services; material; equipment; and facilities to support the lifecycle management of the network. Lockheed Martin teammates include AT&T, ACS, Serco, BAE Systems, ManTech, and other specialized and small businesses.



"Lockheed Martin is honored to be selected for this critical responsibility, which we regard as a singular opportunity to coordinate with DISA to improve the speed and efficiency of information exchange between our joint warfighters around the world and their commanders and allies," said Gerry Fasano, president of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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Telefónica Selects Alcatel-Lucent's Femtocells

Telefónica has selected Alcatel-Lucent's femtocells to enhance mobile voice and broadband Internet services for use in homes and workplaces throughout Europe and South America. The companies have signed a framework agreement under which Alcatel-Lucent will provide Telefónica with its residential and enterprise femtocells.




Femtocells are plug-and-play units no larger than a typical Wi-Fi router and can easily be installed by the user. They extend the operator’s network into residential or enterprise buildings, increasing both voice quality and the capacity for mobile broadband services, such as watching high definition sport coverage streamed live.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

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Ericsson and China Mobile Test Bidirectional LTE FDD/TDD Handovers

Ericsson and China Mobile have performed bidirectional LTE FDD/TDD handovers for the first time in a live network. The tests were performed in China Mobile Hong Kong’s network on a commercial chipset from Altair Semiconductor, providing a seamless end-user experience in a converged LTE FDD/TDD network. This was the first LTE FDD/TDD handover in a live network.



Ericsson said it will be possible for operators to offer seamless mobile broadband services using both FDD and TDD spectrum. From a systems point of view, FCC/TDD is as simple as handover between a system running two frequencies.



China Mobile Hong Kong’s LTE network is provided by Ericsson and currently uses the FDD mode.



Mats H Olsson, President Region China & North East Asia, says: “Ericsson is dedicated to ensuring the success of converged LTE FDD/TDD for operators, so that they can make the most of their spectrum investments and provide the best quality service for their customers. Seamless handover and a well-functioning LTE ecosystem are both essential to that end. Ericsson’s collaboration with Altair is helping to drive the ecosystem.�?http://www.ericsson.com

Read More

Verizon's LTE Push Gives it Big Lead

Verizon Wireless is activating LTE in 46 new markets this week as well as expanding its footprint in 22 others. This means that the Verizon LTE service is available in 304 markets across the U.S.



"Our aggressive 4G LTE network build-out is on track, providing our customers with the largest 4G LTE network in the United States - and the world - today. We are committed to cover more than 400 markets by the end of 2012. We will continue to expand and strengthen our 4G LTE network and plan to offer full nationwide coverage everywhere we have 3G coverage today, by the end of 2013," said Nicola Palmer, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.



Verizon Wireless currently offers 24 LTE devices, the largest selection of 4G LTE devices offered by any carrier, including the new Samsung Galaxy S III. http://www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE

Read More

Transmode Wins Metro Packet Optical Contract with XO

XO Communications has selected Transmode's TM-Series for metro capacity expansion across XO Communications' nationwide network. The five year contract covers deployment of Transmode's TM-Series metro DWDM platform as well as training, installation and ongoing technical support. Initial deployments support Gigabit Ethernet and 10G Ethernet connectivity including WDM muxponders and low latency transponders. In addition to supporting XO Communications' expansion in Ethernet based services, the TM-Series will also support legacy SONET services. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.transmode.com

Read More

Greenpacket and Sequans Introduce Dual-Mode WiMAX/LTE TDD Device

Greenpacket introduced the industry’s first 4G WiMAX and LTE TDD indoor dual-mode integrated access device (IAD). The customer premises equipment (CPE) is specifically designed to support WiMAX operators who are currently making the transition to LTE networks. The unit is powered by Sequans’ dual mode chip that integrates both WiMAX and LTE in a highly efficient, single die. Packet One Networks (Malaysia) will be one of the very first to deploy the new Greenpacket dual mode CPE in 2013.



The IAD is compliant with the latest LTE Category-4 (3GPP- R9) and WiMAX 802.16e-2009 standards, providing downlink and uplink speeds of up to 150 Mbps and 50 Mbps for LTE TDD and combined speed of 40 Mbps for WiMAX. Additional connectivity interfaces include 802.11n, 1 LAN port and 1 RJ-11 port. http://www.greenpacket.com

Read More

Mobile Networks Are Capturing Significant Energy Efficiency Gains

Despite considerable growth in mobile connections and traffic, total network energy consumption of leading mobile networks worldwide increased only slightly from 2009 to 2010, according to the GSMA. Based on analysis of 34 mobile networks worldwide, GSMA calculates that the total energy per unit traffic declined by approximately 20 percent and energy per connection declined by five percent over this period, indicating that the industry is making strong progress towards its goal of reducing its total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per connection by 40 percent by 2020.



The analysis is an update to the GSMA's "Mobile Green Manifesto" which outlines the positive impact of operator initiatives in the areas of energy and carbon management. Some highlights:

• If all networks with above average energy consumption are improved to the industry average, there is a potential energy cost saving for mobile operators of $1 billion per annum at 2010 prices; improving to the top quartile could save over $2 billion annually.



• Smartphones, tablets, consumer electronics and machine-to-machine (M2M) devices are beginning to connect everything from cars to health services and even entire cities, which will have a positive impact on many industries. Through these and other developments, the mobile industry today



• Mobile technology is enabling significant reductions in GHG emissions and energy costs across a range of sectors of the economy, and the opportunity exists for mobile to enable even further savings. Approximately 26 million mobile M2M connections worldwide are enabling GHG emissions savings estimated to be about 3 million tonnes (Mt) of CO(2)e annually.



• The US and Canada together comprise 50 per cent of mobile M2M connections and 38 per cent of global GHG emissions savings;



• Asia Pacific accounts for 23 per cent of M2M connections and 30 per cent of emissions savings; and



• Western Europe represents 17 per cent of connections and 23 per cent of GHG savings.



• Global mobile M2M connections in smart grids, smart meters and fleet management are forecast to grow strongly, at 30 to 40 per cent per annum, reaching approximately 100 million mobile M2M connections(4) worldwide by 2015. This would result in possible GHG savings of 18 Mt CO(2)e.



• Mobile has the potential to enable much greater emissions savings of at least 900 Mt CO(2)e in 2020, which is 1.7 per cent of the global 2020 GHG emissions forecast by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its "business-as-usual" scenario;



• Emissions savings in 2020 will result from the use of 3.5 billion mobile M2M connections(7) and also from mobile dematerialisation applications, where travel, products and processes are substituted by virtual alternatives.

"This is the first ever detailed global estimate of mobile network energy consumption and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO(2)e) emissions and it shows that the mobile industry is making progress in reducing its own emissions and energy costs, as well as those in other industry sectors," said Gabriel Solomon, Head of Regulatory Policy, GSMA. "Mobile can enable savings through a range of smart applications and can contribute to a reduction of total emissions that is at least four to five times its own carbon footprint."
http://www.gsma.com/publicpolicy/mobiles-green-manifesto

• In November 2009, the GSMA published its "Mobile's Green Manifesto" -- a position paper that sets out how the mobile industry should lower its greenhouse gas emissions per connection, and demonstrates the key role that mobile communications can play in lowering emissions in other sectors and industries. Specific goals listed in 2009 included:
  
  
  
  To reduce its total global greenhouse gas emissions per connection by 40% by 2020 compared to 2009. This forecast covers all emissions from energy sources under the control of the mobile operators, including energy consumption from the radio network, buildings, and energy consumption and emissions from transport.
  
  
  
  Carbon neutral growth. The number of mobile connections is set to rise by 70% to 8 billion by 2020 as the industry builds out a new generation of mobile broadband networks, bringing billions of people into the information economy. Despite this growth, the mobile industry forecasts that, through its activities, its total emissions will remain constant at 245 mega-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e) - equivalent to 0.5% of total global emissions in 2020, or the greenhouse gas emissions of the Netherlands.
  
  
  
  To work with handset vendors to ensure that the energy consumed by a typical handset, in standby and while being used, is reduced by 40% by 2020.
  
  
  
  To work with equipment vendors to ensure that the life cycle emissions of network equipment components are reduced by 40% by 2020.

Read More

Broadcom Debuts 2X MIMO 802.11n + Bluetooth Combo Chip & Miracast Dongle

Broadcom introduced its first combo chip optimized to add dual-stream, dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity to CE devices. It also debuted an integrated wireless dongle design that will bring Wi-Fi Display (now called Wi-Fi Miracast) to existing digital TVs and media boxes.



The new Broadcom® BCM43242 combo chip features advanced dual-band 802.11n 2x2 MIMO technology to boost data rates and enable 70% greater range at high-speed than single stream Wi-Fi.It also offers advanced error correction and an innovative capability to support simultaneous Wi-Fi connections to two devices, allowing a smart TV to simultaneously access Internet content and stream high-bandwidth video from a smartphone, tablet or PC. The chip can also enable peer-to-peer transmissions in the 5 GHz band, with more spectrum and less congestion in that frequency range allowing better quality video streaming and smartphone-to-TV video sharing.



The combo chip also integrates Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to advanced remotes, game controllers, stereo headphones, keyboards, 3D glasses and other interface devices. Broadcom Bluetooth also features the ability to stream audio to home stereos, enable voice recognition in remote controls and connect smartphones and other devices to the CE ecosystem.



Broadcom's new wireless dongle design features the proven capabilities of the BCM43236 dual-band Wi-Fi chip and the low power, high performance BCM2835 VideoCore media processor, enabling cost-effective adapter products that easily add Wi-Fi Display capabilities to existing CE devices with an HDMI port. http://www.broadcom.com

Read More

Cyan Enhances its CyPortal Software Suite

Cyan introduced a number of enhancements to its CyPortal SLA assurance suite to support expanding service requirements and key operational attributes as part of a strategic role in the emerging software-defined metro network. Key milestones and recent enhancements to CyPortal include:

• Monitoring over 20,000 wireless backhaul and business service endpoints for service level agreement (SLA) conformance



• Expansion of monitored services to include IP and ATM services -- as well as Ethernet



• Compatibility with more than a two-dozen products from more than ten vendors



• Expanded functionality from passive (view-only) customer portal, to virtual Network as a Service (NaaS) management portal allowing wholesale and Enterprise customers to self-activate authorized tests



• Published API allowing service providers to write their own applications to easily automate the monitoring of new services and to automatically extract data from CyPortal for billing purposes.

Cyan said it is committed to more open, software-defined metro networks. It noted that while wireless backhaul continues to be a key application for SLA assurance monitoring, multiple service providers are now bundling CyPortal with high-performance business Ethernet, IP and ATM services, while laying a foundation for expanding customer portal capabilities in the future. http://www.cyaninc.com

Read More

Lockheed Martin Selected for Department of Defense's Global Data Network

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded a seven-year contract to Lockheed Martin to manage the transformation of the Department of Defense's global data network. The Global Systems Management Operations (GSM-O) contract runs for three years and includes two two−year options, with a total contract ceiling of $4.6 billion.



GSM-O, which is headquartered at Fort Meade, Md. with multiple support locations worldwide, is the largest of three DISA Global Systems Management contracts. It provides programmatic, operations, and engineering services; material; equipment; and facilities to support the lifecycle management of the network. Lockheed Martin teammates include AT&T, ACS, Serco, BAE Systems, ManTech, and other specialized and small businesses.



"Lockheed Martin is honored to be selected for this critical responsibility, which we regard as a singular opportunity to coordinate with DISA to improve the speed and efficiency of information exchange between our joint warfighters around the world and their commanders and allies," said Gerry Fasano, president of Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions-Defense. http://www.lockheedmartin.com

Read More

Telefónica Selects Alcatel-Lucent's Femtocells

Telefónica has selected Alcatel-Lucent's femtocells to enhance mobile voice and broadband Internet services for use in homes and workplaces throughout Europe and South America. The companies have signed a framework agreement under which Alcatel-Lucent will provide Telefónica with its residential and enterprise femtocells.




Femtocells are plug-and-play units no larger than a typical Wi-Fi router and can easily be installed by the user. They extend the operator’s network into residential or enterprise buildings, increasing both voice quality and the capacity for mobile broadband services, such as watching high definition sport coverage streamed live.

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com

Read More

Ericsson and China Mobile Test Bidirectional LTE FDD/TDD Handovers

Ericsson and China Mobile have performed bidirectional LTE FDD/TDD handovers for the first time in a live network. The tests were performed in China Mobile Hong Kong’s network on a commercial chipset from Altair Semiconductor, providing a seamless end-user experience in a converged LTE FDD/TDD network. This was the first LTE FDD/TDD handover in a live network.



Ericsson said it will be possible for operators to offer seamless mobile broadband services using both FDD and TDD spectrum. From a systems point of view, FCC/TDD is as simple as handover between a system running two frequencies.



China Mobile Hong Kong’s LTE network is provided by Ericsson and currently uses the FDD mode.



Mats H Olsson, President Region China & North East Asia, says: “Ericsson is dedicated to ensuring the success of converged LTE FDD/TDD for operators, so that they can make the most of their spectrum investments and provide the best quality service for their customers. Seamless handover and a well-functioning LTE ecosystem are both essential to that end. Ericsson’s collaboration with Altair is helping to drive the ecosystem.�?http://www.ericsson.com

Read More

Verizon's LTE Push Gives it Big Lead

Verizon Wireless is activating LTE in 46 new markets this week as well as expanding its footprint in 22 others. This means that the Verizon LTE service is available in 304 markets across the U.S.



"Our aggressive 4G LTE network build-out is on track, providing our customers with the largest 4G LTE network in the United States - and the world - today. We are committed to cover more than 400 markets by the end of 2012. We will continue to expand and strengthen our 4G LTE network and plan to offer full nationwide coverage everywhere we have 3G coverage today, by the end of 2013," said Nicola Palmer, chief technical officer of Verizon Wireless.



Verizon Wireless currently offers 24 LTE devices, the largest selection of 4G LTE devices offered by any carrier, including the new Samsung Galaxy S III. http://www.verizonwireless.com/4GLTE

Read More