AT&T releases its Virtual Optical Line Termination Hardware Abstraction to ONF

AT&T is contributing its Virtual Optical Line Termination Hardware Abstraction (VOLTHA) code into the Open Networking Foundation (ONF).

VOLTA provides the framework behind AT&T's XGS-PON access network in the cloud. AT&T is currently performing proof-of-concept testing of VOLTHA in its labs and are planning to deploy XGS-PON field trials before the end of 2017.

AT&T described its decision to contribute its VOLTHA code as one more step in its commitment to move toward open source software and SDN/NFV frameworks.

AT&T to launch software-based 10G XGS-PON trial

Friday, June 30, 2017  ATT, FTTH, OCP, ON.Lab, XGPON  No Comments

AT&T announced it will conduct a 10 Gbit/s XGS-PON field trial in late 2017 as it progresses with plans to virtualise access functions within the last mile network.

The next-generation PON trial is designed to deliver multi-gigabit Internet speeds to consumer and business customers, and to enable all services, including 5G wireless infrastructure, to be converged onto a single network.

AT&T noted that XGS-PON is a fixed wavelength symmetrical 10 Gbit/s passive optic network technology that can coexist with the current GPON technology. The technology can provide 4x the downstream bandwidth of the existing system, and is as cost-effective to deploy as GPON. As part of its network virtualisation initiative, AT&T plans to place some XGS-PON in the cloud with software leveraging open hardware and software designs to speed development.

AT&T has worked with ON.Lab to develop and test ONOS (Open Network Operating System) and VOLTHA (Virtual Optical Line Terminator Hardware Abstraction) software. This technology allows the lower level details of the silicon to be hidden. AT&T stated that it has also submitted a number of open white box XGS OLT designs to the Open Compute Project (OCP) and is currently working with the project to gain approval for the solutions.

The company noted that interoperability is a key element of its Open Access strategy, and prompted the creation of an OpenOMCI specification, which provides an interoperable interface between the OLT and the home devices. This specification, which forms a key part of software-defined network (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV), has been distributed to standards and open source communities.

http://about.att.com/story/xgs_pon_broadband_field_trial.html

• AT&T joined OCP in January 2016 to support its network transformation program. Earlier this year at the OCP Summit Edgecore Networks, a provider of open networking solutions and a subsidiary of Accton Technology, announced design contributions to OCP including a 25 Gigabit Ethernet top-of-rack switch and high-density 100 Gigabit Ethernet spine switch. The company also showcased new open hardware platforms.
• At the summit, Edgecore displayed a disaggregated virtual OLT for PON deployment at up to 10 Gbit/ based on the AT&T Open XGS-PON 1 RU OLT specification that was contributed to the OCP Telco working group.
• Edgecore's ASFvOLT16 disaggregated virtual OLT is based on the AT&T Open XGS-PON 1 RU OLT specification and features Broadcom StrataDNX switch and PON MAC SOC silicon, offering 16 ports of XGS-PON or NG-PON2, with 4 x QSFP28 ports and designed for next generation PON deployments and R-CORD telecom infrastructure.

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IDC: Worldwide cloud IT infrastructure revenues up 25.8% in Q2

Vendor revenue from sales of infrastructure products (server, storage, and Ethernet switch) for cloud IT, including public and private cloud, grew 25.8% year over year in the second quarter of 2017 (2Q17), reaching $12.3 billion, according to IDC's updated Worldwide Quarterly Cloud IT Infrastructure Tracker service.

"The strength in public cloud growth continued at an accelerated pace through the first half of 2017," said Kuba Stolarski, research director for Computing Platforms at IDC. "We have already reported that most of this growth is being driven by Amazon. However, it is important to remember that many of the other hyperscalers – Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Alibaba, Tencent, and Baidu – are preparing for their own expansions and Skylake/Purley refreshes of their infrastructure.

Here are some highlights from IDC

• Public cloud infrastructure revenue grew 34.1% year over year and now represents 33.5% of total worldwide IT infrastructure spending at $8.7 billion, up from a 27.0% share one year ago. 
• Private Cloud revenue reached $3.7 billion for an annual increase of 9.9%. 
• Total worldwide cloud IT infrastructure revenue has almost tripled in the last four years, while the traditional (non-cloud) IT infrastructure revenue continues to decline and is down 3.8% from a year ago, although it still represents 52.4% of the worldwide share of overall IT revenue at $13.6 billion for the quarter. 
• Public Cloud now represents 70.2% of the total cloud IT infrastructure revenue. 
• The market with the highest growth in the public cloud infrastructure space was Enterprise Storage Systems with revenue up 30.4% compared to the same quarter of the previous year, and making up over a third of the revenue in public cloud. 
• Server and Ethernet Switch public cloud IT infrastructure revenues were up 24.6% and 26.8% respectively. 
• Private cloud infrastructure spending continues to be driven by the server market, which has remained nearly 60% of the revenue in that space for the past 18 quarters.

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Carrier-1 Dallas offers "data center with a data center"

Carrier-1, which owns a wholesale colocation building in Dallas, has begun offering private, purpose-built, dedicated suites within its 106,866 square foot facility.

Carrier-1 refers to its offering as a "data center within a data center" because the private suites are separated from the general colocation area.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is widely acknowledged as one the hottest data center markets in the U.S.

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General Electric picks AWS as its preferred cloud

General Electric has named Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its preferred cloud provider. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The companies said that GE has been migrating thousands of its core applications to AWS in process that began in 2014. So far, more than 2,000 applications have been migrated to AWS, including several that leverage AWS’s analytics and machine learning services. Business units with applications on AWS include GE Power, GE Aviation, GE Healthcare, GE Transportation, and GE Digital.

“Adopting a cloud-first strategy with AWS is helping our IT teams get out of the business of building and running data centers and refocus our resources on innovation as we undergo one of the largest and most important transformations in GE’s history,” said Chris Drumgoole, Chief Technology Officer and Corporate Vice President at General Electric. “We chose AWS as the preferred cloud provider for GE because AWS’s industry leading cloud services have allowed us to push the boundaries, think big, and deliver better outcomes for GE.”

“Enterprises across industries are migrating to AWS in droves, and in the process are discovering the wealth of new opportunities that open up when they have the most comprehensive menu of cloud capabilities–which is growing daily–at their fingertips,” said Mike Clayville, Vice President, Worldwide Commercial Sales at AWS. “GE has been at the forefront of cloud adoption, and we’ve been impressed with the pace, scope, and innovative approach they’ve taken in their journey to AWS. We are honored that GE has chosen AWS as their preferred cloud provider, and we’re looking forward to helping them as they continue their digital industrial transformation.”

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AT&T now has temporary cell sites in 11 sites in Puerto Rico

AT&T announced that it now has temporary cell sites operational in the following locations in Puerto Rico: Fajardo, San German, Ponce Cursillo, Manati, Cayey, Mayaguez Mesa, Ponce, Arecibo, Humacao, Rio Grande, and Aguadilla. Further deployments are planned in Yauco, Guayama, and Vega Alta.

AT&T is currently carrying more than 9 million calls and 5 million text messages a day on its network in Puerto Rico. The temporary cell sites are carrying more than 250,000 calls and 1 million text messages a day.

AT&T is transporting temporary cell sites, trucks, Emergency Communications Portable satellite units, generators, and restoration equipment to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands via military air transport as well as by sea.

A satellite COLT began processing more than 2,800 calls per hour immediately after it was deployed in the city of Ponce on September 29th.

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NeoPhotonics announces layoffs and cost reduction efforts

Citing uncertainty in demand from China, NeoPhotonic announced a set of restructuring actions, including a reduction in force, real estate consolidation, a write-down of inventory for certain programs and assets and a write-down of idle assets.

NeoPhotonics also trimmed its financial outlook for the third quarter of 2017, saying revenue is now expected to be in the range of $69 to $71 million, with GAAP gross margin of approximately 10% to 13% and GAAP loss per share of $0.50 to $0.40, inclusive of restructuring charges. Previously, the company had stated revenue expectations for the third quarter of 2017 to be $70 to $76 million, GAAP gross margin of 23% to 26%, and GAAP net loss per share of $0.21 to $0.11 and non-GAAP gross margin of 24% to 27%.

“Lacking a clear indication of increased demand in China in the third quarter, we initiated several operational changes with the goal of expediting our return to profitability, including implementing certain restructuring initiatives designed to align our business with the current demand environment and lowering manufacturing output to manage inventory levels,” said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics. “In taking these actions, we have maintained our research and development focus on products for next-generation coherent systems, operating at 400 Gigabits/sec to beyond 1 Terabit/sec, wherein our advanced hybrid photonic integration provides the highest value,” concluded Mr. Jenks.

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Colt upgrades Asia Pac networks with Ciena's 6500

Colt Technology Services is deploying Ciena’s 6500 Converged Packet Optical Platform as part of an upgrade to its core network assets in the Asia Pacific region.

The deployment on the Colt IQ Network began in September 2017 and includes installations in Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as help strengthen intercontinental connections into Europe.  Financial terms were not disclosed.

Ciena noted that Colt is also using its Unified Management solution, which provides greater network control across domains and network layers, reducing troubleshooting and ensuring efficient use of resources.

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WSJ: Russian hackers stole NSA data in 2015

There was another major cyber breach at the U.S. National Security Agency. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, an NSA employee accessed classified information using a personal computer at home that was running  Kaspersky's antivirus software. The incident reportedly occurred in 2015 and led to the cyber theft of sophisticated hacking tools used by the NSA's Tailored Access Operations group.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/russian-hackers-stole-nsa-data-on-u-s-cyber-defense-1507222108

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