ZTE Engages in MEC Pilots with Chinese Carriers

ZTE announced that it is implementing mobile edge computing (MEC) pilots and technical verification trials with major carriers China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, ahead of plans to deploy the technology commercially in 2018.

ZTE stated that it launched MEC pilots in collaboration with China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom during 2016. Specifically, it worked with China Telecom company Ningbo Telecom on a campus network to implement local traffic offloading. In addition, in Beijing and Zhuhai ZTE and China Mobile conducted an indoor positioning project. ZTE also carried out smart parking projects leveraging MEC and narrow band IoT (NB-IoT) technology in the city of Ningbo.

Additionally, At MWC Shanghai 2016, ZTE demonstrated a 5G MEC-based virtual reality (VR) service in partnership with China Unicom.

ZTE noted that it has developed a suite of MEC solutions that encompasses core technologies and patents spanning areas such as virtualisation, container, precision positioning, shunting and close-to-user content delivery network (CDN). ZTE also provides an integrated 4G/5G MEC solution with network slicing capability. The solutions are designed to address multiple scenarios, including service localisation, local caching, Internet of Vehicles (IoV) and Internet of Things (IoT).

MEC technology integrates wireless networks and the Internet and implements computing, storage and processing functionality on the wireless network side, while open APIs enable data exchange between the wireless network and service processing servers. This allows carriers to reduce the load on the transmission network and process information more quickly at base stations, improving efficiency and services to end users.

http://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/press-center/news/2017ma4/0427ma2

• In June 2016 at MWC Shanghai, ZTE and China Unicom demonstrated a MEC solution for 5G based on cloud-aware, soft-network architecture. ZTE displayed an integrated solution featuring its QCell indoor coverage and MEC products designed to enable big data applications.
• Earlier in 2016, ZTE and China Mobile showed a joint 5G-oriented network architecture and network slice prototype system that utilised the latest generation Intel Xeon processor. The prototype system featured 5G network function componentisation and requirement-based orchestration and enabled dynamic 5G applications network slices including for mobile broadband (xMBB), IoT and MEC.

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Thales to Acquire Guavus for Data Analytics

Thales agreed to acquire Guavus, which specializes in big data analytics, for US$215 million.

Guavus said it currently analyzes more than 5 petabytes of data every day on behalf of its customers, which include telecom and cable operators.  The company supports more than 20 major operators around the world, including the 5 largest North-American mobile operators (AT&T, Rogers, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon), 4 out of the top 5 Internet backbone carriers, and 7 out of the top 8 cable operators. Guavus is based in San Mateo, California and has about 250 employees, including 140 in Gurgaon (India).

Patrice Caine, Thales’s Chairman and CEO, commented: “Combined with our established expertise in other key digital technologies, the acquisition of Guavus represents a tremendous accelerator of our digital strategy for the benefit of our customers. The application to Thales’s core businesses of Guavus's technologies and expertise in big data analytics will strengthen our ability to support the digital transformation of our customers, whether in aeronautics, space, rail signaling, defense or security.”

https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/group/press-release/thales-acquires-guavus-one-pioneers-real-time-big-data-analytics
http://www.guavus.com

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Dispute Intensifies between Apple and Qualcomm

Qualcomm reported that it has been informed by Apple that Apple is withholding payments to its contract manufacturers for the royalties those contract manufacturers owe under their licenses with Qualcomm for sales during the quarter ended March 31, 2017.

Qualcomm's statement:

“Apple is improperly interfering with Qualcomm’s long-standing agreements with Qualcomm’s licensees,” said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel of Qualcomm.  “These license agreements remain valid and enforceable.  While Apple has acknowledged that payment is owed for the use of Qualcomm’s valuable intellectual property, it nevertheless continues to interfere with our contracts.  Apple has now unilaterally declared the contract terms unacceptable; the same terms that have applied to iPhones and cellular-enabled iPads for a decade.  Apple’s continued interference with Qualcomm’s agreements to which Apple is not a party is wrongful and the latest step in Apple's global attack on Qualcomm.  We will continue vigorously to defend our business model, and pursue our right to protect and receive fair value for our technological contributions to the industry.”

http://www.qualcomm.com

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Analog Devices unveils 28 nm DA converter for 4G/5G

Analog Devices has introduced a 28 nm D/A converter as part of a new series of high speed digital-to-analogue converters, designed to address the requirements of gigahertz bandwidth applications and provide the spectral efficiency needed for 4G/5G multi-band base stations and 2 GHz E-band microwave point-to-point backhaul platforms.

Based on 28 nm CMOS technology, the new AD9172 device is claimed to set performance benchmarks in terms of dynamic range, signal bandwidth and low power consumption.

Analog Devices' dual 16-bit AD9172 product supports 12 GSPS and provides direct-to-RF synthesis up to 6 GHz, eliminating the IF-to-RF up-conversion stage and LO generation to simplify the overall RF signal chain and reducing system cost. The device is designed to maintain superior linearity and noise performance across the RF frequencies to allow a high level of configurability.

In addition, independent numerically controlled oscillator (NCO), digital gain control and a range of interpolation filter combinations per input channel provide a suite of signal processing options to allow flexible signal chain partitioning between the analogue and digital domains, enabling the development of software defined platforms. The AD9172 is complemented by the AD9208 28 nm analogue-to-digital converter.

Key features of Analog Devices' new AD9172 device, which is offered in a 10 x 10 mm 144-ball BGA-ED package, include:

1.         Support for single- and multi-band wireless applications with 3 bypassable complex data input channels per RF DAC at a maximum complex input data rate of 1.5 GSPS with independent NCO per input channel.

2.         Selectable interpolation filters enabling up to 8x configurable data channel interpolation and up to 12x configurable final interpolation to support a full set of input data rates.

3.         Final 48-bit NCO that operates at the DAC rate to support frequency synthesis up to 6 GHz.

4.         Flexible 8-lane 15 Gbit/s JESD204B (subclass 0 and 1) interface that supports 12-bit high density mode for enhanced data throughput.

5.         Low noise on-chip PLL clock multiplier that supports 12 GSPS DAC update rate and provides observation ADC clock driver with selectable divide ratios.

In conjunction with the AD9172, Analog Devices also introduced its dual 14-bit AD9208 product optimised to deliver wide input bandwidth, high sample rate, excellent linearity and low power in a small package. With sampling speeds up to 3.0 GSPS, the A/D converter is designed to facilitate direct RF signal processing architectures and enable high oversampling.

The device's full power bandwidth supports IF signal sampling up to 9 GHz (-3 dB point), with up to 96-tap programmable finite impulse response (FIR) filter block that can be configured for channel equalisation and/or quadrature error correction. In addition, four integrated wide-band decimation filters and 48-bit NCO blocks enable support for multi-band receivers.

http://www.analog.com/en/about-adi/news-room/press-releases.html

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MACOM introduces 5 V CATV amplifiers for DOCSIS 3.1

MACOM Technology Solutions, introduced seven new CATV amplifiers designed for 5 V operation and covering the upstream 5-300 MHz and downstream 45-1,218 MHz bands for DOCSIS 3.1 applications.

MACOM's new devices comprise two product families - single ended 5 V SOT-89 and differential 5 V SOIC-8EP – and are designed for DOCSIS 3.1 distributed and legacy HFC networks

The single ended 5 V SOT-89 family includes the following products:

1.         MAAL-011139, a 21.5 dB gain, low noise, high linearity amplifier that operates from 5-1,218 MHz, is delivered in a 3lead SOT-89 plastic package, with bias from 3 to 5 V with adjustable current enabling a noise figure of 1.2 dB and OIP3 of 34 dBm.

2.         MAAM-011162, a high linearity, low noise figure amplifier covering both up and downstream bands of 5-1,218 MHz assembled in a 3lead SOT-89 plastic package and providing 18 dB of flat gain for up and downstream applications.

3.         MAAM-011251, a high linearity, low noise amplifier covering the up and downstream bands of 5-1,218 MHz, offered in a 3lead SOT-89 plastic package and provides 15 dB of flat gain for up and downstream applications.

4.         MAAM-011258, a high linearity, low noise amplifier covering up and downstream bands of 5-1,218 MHz, assembled in a 3lead SOT-89 plastic package and providing 12 dB of flat gain in up and down stream applications.

The differential 5 V SOIC-8EP family comprises the following products:

1.         MAAM-011163, a 19 dB gain differential amplifier covering up and downstream band 5-1218 MHz, delivered in a SOIC-8EP plastic package with noise figure of 2.4 dB and OIP3 of 42 dBm.

2.         MAAM-011240, a 17 dB gain differential amplifier covering up and downstream bands 5-1,218 MHz, assembled in a SOIC-8EP plastic package, with noise figure of 2.6 dB and OPI3 of 44 dBm.

3.         MAAM-011250, a 15 dB gain differential amplifier for up and downstream bands 5-1,218 MHz, delivered in a SOIC-8EP plastic package, offering a noise figure of 2.8 dB and OPI3 of 44 dBm.

Both of MACOM's new amplifier product families are layout compatible, providing designers with performance flexibility on the same system board.

https://www.macom.com/about/news-and-events/press-release-archive

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Mediacom launches DOCSIS 3.1 in Georgia

Mediacom Communications, which claims to be the 5th largest U.S. cable operator with 1.3 million customers, announced that it has launched gigabit Internet speeds within its Georgia service territory, enabling 275,000 households in over 50 southwest Georgia communities to sign up for the service.

Mediacom claims it was the first major U.S. cable company to transition to DOCSIS 3.1 broadband technology with the roll-out of its Gigasphere platform, and plans to bring gigabit broadband services to the bulk of the 3 million homes and businesses within its 22 state footprint. To date, Mediacom has launched its gigabit Internet service in over 600 communities.

As DOCSIS 3.1 cable modems become more readily available, Mediacom expects to announce the availability of gigabit Internet service in additional areas on a market by market basis during 2017. In these markets it will also introduce a new 500 Mbit/s service offering.

Mediacom's operates a hybrid optical fibre and coaxial cable infrastructure, over which it offers its Gigasphere products and services based on advanced DOCSIS 3.1 technology, which can support bandwidth of up to 10 Gbit/s downstream and 2 Gbit/s upstream.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170425006415/en/Mediacom-Communications-Unveils-Gigabit-Broadband-Georgia-Service

• In December last year, Mediacom announced that its entire broadband network would be gigabit-capable by the end of 2016. The company had announced in August that it planned to invest $1 billion over 3 years to upgrade and expand its broadband network. As part of the project, it launched Project Gigabit, a wide-scale deployment of gigabit broadband services to most of the 3 million homes and businesses in 1,500 communities covered by its 22 state footprint.
• Mediacom noted that additional programs of the investment plan included the expansion of the Mediacom Business high-capacity network in downtown areas and commercial districts, the extension of its deep-fibre residential video, Internet and phone network to pass at least an further 50,000 homes, and the deployment of community WiFi access points.

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Teraphysics Raises $50 Million for mmWave Technology

Investment firm Boustead Securities has announced that Teraphysics, based on Cleveland, a developer of high-speed wireless transmission technology, has received SEC qualification for a $50 million capital raise through the issuance of Regulation A+ securities.

In conjunction with the announcement of its Regulation A+ securities issue, which is underwritten by Boustead, Teraphysics also recently detailed its commercialisation plans for the mmLink technology.

Under the terms of the transaction, Teraphysics is issuing 10 million share of common stock at $5 per share. The net proceeds will be used to fund the commercialisation phase of its technology, including the development of a micro link wireless network for the demonstration of wireless terrestrial and stratospheric platforms, the establishment of a piloting facility and the purchase of production capacity.

Teraphysics, founded by three former NASA scientists, has developed mmLink technology that enables high-speed data transmission and targets applications for next generation 5G mobile data connectivity and Internet access. Development of the company's mmLink millimetre-wave amplifiers was supported with funding from the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, Air Force Research Lab and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Based in Cleveland, Ohio, Teraphysics was founded by Louis S. Fisi and scientists Dr. Gerald T. Mearini (PhD) and James A. Dayton,, Jr. (PhD). The company has developed patented devices designed to significantly enhance 5G data delivery. Teraphysics' IP includes its patented and commercially viable THz source that employs miniaturised vacuum electronics.

The mmLink solution is a wireless solution able to transmit at very high data rates using a millimetre-wave amplifier that has been developed from technology installed in NASA vehicles including the Mars Observer and Cassini spacecraft.

The Teraphysics amplifier is designed to provide high power and wide bandwidth in previously inaccessible parts of the millimetre-wave band and is intended to offer a lower cost, quicker to install alternative to fibre connectivity. The company's first amplifier is expected to deliver data rates of 10 to 20 Gbit/s, while future products could support rates of up to 150 Gbit/s.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170425005642/en/Fiber-Optics-Teraphysics-Set-Enable-Future-5G

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ADVA reports Q1 Sales of Euro 141.83m, up 16.3%

ADVA Optical Networking announced financial results for its 2017 first quarter ended on March 31, 2017, prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), as follows:

1.         Revenue for the first quarter of Euro 141.83 million, up 10.8% compared with Euro 128.03 million in the fourth quarter and up 16.3% from Euro 121.96 million in the first quarter of 2016.

2.         Gross profit for the first quarter of Euro 45.54 million, up 7.5% compared with Euro 42.35 million in the fourth quarter and up 14.1% from Euro 39.88 million in the first quarter of 2016.

3.         R&D expenditure for the first quarter of Euro 16.75 million, down 31.9% compared with Euro 24.63 million in the fourth quarter and down 0.9% from Euro 16.90 million in the first quarter of 2016.

4.         SG&A expenditure for the first quarter of Euro 24.49 million, up 6.6% compared with Euro 22.98 million in the fourth quarter and up 3.8% from Euro 23.54 million in the first quarter of 2016.

5.         Total operating expenditure for the first quarter of Euro 41.24 million, down 13.4% compared with Euro 47.61 million in the fourth quarter and up 2.0% from Euro 40.44 million in the first quarter of 2016.

6.         Net income for the first quarter of 2016 of Euro 6.18 million, compared with net income of Euro 13.63 million in the fourth quarter and a net loss of Euro 5.16 million in the first quarter of 2016.

7.         Cash and cash equivalents as of March 31, 2017 of Euro 69.71 million, versus Euro 84.87 million as at December 31, 2016.

Additional results and notes

Reported by region for the first quarter of 2017, ADVA reported that 50.2% of total revenue derived from EMEA, vesus52.6% a year earlier, 44.3% from the Americas, versus 42.1% a year earlier, and 5.5% from Asia Pacific, versus 5.3% in the prior year first quarter.

ADVA recorded a cash flow from operating activities in the fourth quarter of 2016 of Euro 5.6 million, compared with Euro 2.0 million in the 2016 first quarter.

Total employees at the end of the fourth quarter stood at 1,783, compared with 1,764  at the end of December 2016.

Outlook

For the second quarter of 2017, ADVA expects revenue between Euro 143 and 153 million, representing a sequential increase of 4.4% at the midpoint.

http://www.advaoptical.com/en/newsroom/press-releases-english.asp

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