Monday, November 19, 2012

NSN Teams with Ballard on Mobile Network Fuel Cell

Nokia Siemens Networks and Ballard Power Systems are collaborating on a fuel cell system that could provide extended electrical backup to a cell site during an emergency.

The companies cited a number of advantages to fuel cell over battery back-ups or diesel generators.  These include higher reliability across a wide range of operating conditions, lower maintenance costs, longer operating life as well as reduced size, weight, installation footprint, noise signature and environmental impact.

The base station and fuel cell combination developed by Nokia Siemens Networks with Ballard can provide 4.5 kW of power for approximately 40 hours on a single tank of fuel.

NTT DOCOMO is testing the system alongside the Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi Multiradio base station at  Yokosuka Research Park (YRP) for potential commercial deployment.
The solution from Nokia Siemens Networks and Ballard Power Systems has already received the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) statutory approval in Japan.

“Mobile networks can be vital when a natural disaster strikes, and power outages make other forms of communication difficult,” said Mark Donaldson, head of energy solutions for mobile broadband networks at Nokia Siemens Networks. “Integrating fuel cells with our base stations can significantly increase the resilience of the mobile networks we provide.”

“Our fuel cell systems provide power for extended periods during outages caused by natural calamities and commercial grid failures,” said Larry Stapleton, vice president of sales, Ballard. “The collaboration with Nokia Siemens Networks has helped us leverage our service and integration expertise in order to deliver an emergency-ready alternative power solution for mobile networks.”

http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
http://www.ballard.com/about-ballard/newsroom/news-releases/news11191201.aspx

DOCOMO Develops 3G/LTE Femtocell

NTT DOCOMO has developed a dual-mode small-cell base station, or femtocell, supporting 3G (W-CDMA) and LTE simultaneously.   The dual-mode femtocell, which will be commercially launched from December, is designed for indoor locations such as offices, shops and homes.

The new femtocell weighs only 0.7 kg and measures just 18.5cm by 17.5 cm by 4.5 cm.  It supports 3G/LTE service coverage in a range of up to several tens of meters, depending on actual conditions.  The LTE radio supports maximum downlink rates of 112 Mbps.  The unit is plug-and-play, automatically configuring itself to the surrounding radio environment.

T-Mobile USA Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

T-Mobile USA announced the appointment of  Michael Sievert as the company’s new chief marketing officer, effective immediately.  Most recently, Sievert served as CEO of Seattle-based Discovery Bay Games.  He has also held positions at Clearwire, AT&T Wireless, Microsoft, IBM and Procter & Gamble.

http://newsroom.t-mobile.com

  • In September, Deutsche Telekom appointed John Legere as CEO of T-Mobile USA, replacing Jim Alling, who will return to his position of Chief Operating Officer. Legere, a 32-year veteran of the U.S. and global telecommunications and technology industries, is the former CEO of Global Crossing, where he successfully transformed the company to become a leading provider of IP services worldwide. Prior to joining Global Crossing, Mr. Legere was CEO of Asia Global Crossing, a Microsoft, Softbank and Global Crossing joint venture. Before that, Mr. Legere served as Senior Vice President of Dell Computer Corporation, where he was President of the Company’s operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, as well as in the Asia-Pacific region.

Broadcom Supplies Low Latency 5GHz Wi-Fi for Nintendo's Wii U


Broadcom supplied wireless connectivity, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC, for the new Wii U system from Nintendo. The companies jointly developed customized 5GHz Wi-Fi technology that supports low-latency video and audio transmission between the console and GamePad controller.  Bluetooth 4.0 support with backward compatibility enables most legacy games and legacy peripherals to be used with the new system.





The Verge: Verizon Rushes to Replace Copper with Fiber in Lower Manhattan

The storm surge from Hurricane Sandy inflicted catastrophic damage at Verizon's central office on Broad Street in lower Manhattan when an underground cabling vault was completely submerged in salt water. 

Verizon's Executive Director of Operations, Christopher D. Levendos, tells The Verge's Dante D'Orazio that the best choice is to strip out the spoiled copper and simply to rebuild with fiber.


DOJ Requests Additional Info on T-Mobile USA + MetroPCS Deal


The U.S. Department of Justice issued a request for additional information from MetroPCS in regards to its proposed transaction with T-Mobile USA.   MetroPCS said it will cooperate fully with the DOJ to obtain approval of the transaction as soon as possible and remains confident that the DOJ will find that the transaction is both pro-competitive and pro-consumer. 

http://www.metrpopcs.com

Overture Boosts its Carrier Ethernet Edge Platform

Overture rolled out a 3-port DS3 interface module and software enhancements for its Overture 1400 gigabit Carrier Ethernet edge platform, which enables premium business Ethernet and mobile backhaul service delivery over a variety of infrastructures, including native optical Ethernet, SONET/SDH, DS3/E3, DS1, and E1.

The new card can bond up to three DS3 circuits to overcome Ethernet service delivery challenges in areas outside of existing fiber network footprints and offer 100 Mbps or more using readily available DS3s.  The new card also supports Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) and Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) bonding using Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS).

The software upgrades add MLPPP bonding to the existing T1/E1 interface module, as well as capabilities for rapid service activation, dynamic re-marking of service classes, and synthetic loss measurements.

“Carriers are looking for ways to better serve the needs of all customers, including those who require reliable high bandwidth services but can’t connect directly to the optical network due to physical or geographical barriers, or other gating factors,” said Vijay Raman, vice president of product management and marketing, Overture Networks. “With the Overture 1400 Release 12.1 and the 3-port DS3 interface module, service providers can quickly and easily meet customer demand for premium business services. It’s another powerful solution that allows us to turn the difficult into the doable.”

http://www.overturenetworks.com


Ciena Gains 10G FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Certification

Ciena has received Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 140-2 Level 2 certification for its 10G wire-speed encryption solution from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE).

FIPS 140-2 is an officially recognized North American standard that validates proper use of standard, peer-reviewed methods of encryption. All government agencies and departments in the U.S. and Canada that use commercial grade encryption are required to use FIPS-certified solutions in their networks. Additionally, enterprise organizations in healthcare, financial services and other security conscious industries worldwide often seek network solutions with FIPS certification.

http://www.ciena.com

Russia's VimpelCom Selects Cisco ASR 5000

VimpelCom has selected the Cisco ASR 5000 mobile multimedia core platform as a core element of its 3G mobile network and as a foundation for its 4G LTE development in key regions, including St. Petersburg and Rostov-on-Don. The project is implemented by CTI, a Cisco Gold Certified Partner in Russia. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.cisco.com