Cisco backs Open vRAN initiative for disaggregated mobile networks

Cisco is backing a new, open virtualized Radio Access Network (vRAN) initiative aimed fostering end-to-end, software-defined mobile networks. Additional backers include Altiostar, Aricent, Intel, Mavenir, Phazr, Red Hat and Tech Mahindra to spur rapid innovation in both hardware and software domains. Reliance Jio is the first carrier to join. While virtualization already plays a key role in other domains of mobile networking, such as in the Evolved...

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GTT's acquisition of Interoute would add 72K km of European fiber to its transatlantic cables

GTT Communications agreed to acquire Interoute, operator of one of Europe’s largest independent fiber networks and cloud networking platforms, for approximately €1.9 billion ($2.3 billion) in cash. Interoute's European fiber backbone spans 72,000 route kilometers connects nearly 200 data centres and colocation facilities.  Interoute also owns 15 of its own data centers and 33 colocation facilities. Its customers include international enterprises,...

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Intel enters 5G pact with China's Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA

Intel announced a strategic alliance with Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA, a core subsidiary of Tsinghua Unigroup. The plan is to develop a 5G smartphone platform for the China market that will feature an Intel 5G modem and will be targeted to coincide with 5G network deployments in 2019. “Undoubtedly, China will be an important market at the forefront of 5G. Together with Unigroup Spreadtrum & RDA, Intel looks forward to making a 5G smartphone...

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KT, Qualcomm and Samsung Achieve Multi-vendor 5G NR Interoperability

KT Corporation, Qualcomm, and Samsung Electronics have completed multi-vendor 5G NR interoperable testing compliant with the 3GPP Release-15 Non-Standalone (NSA) 5G NR global standard. The live, over-the-air interoperable testing demonstrated data connections operating in 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz bands, utilizing pre-commercial 5G NR base stations from Samsung and 5G NR UE prototype devices from Qualcomm. The end-to-end 5G NR interoperability testing...

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GSMA study warns the megacities could face bandwidth crunch by 2025

The world’s largest and densest cities, such as New York, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Tokyo, could face a wireless bandwidth crunch in their urban cores by 2025 warns a new report published by the GSMA. The gap between mobile data traffic demand and available network capacity could become acute, with as much as 48 percent of traffic demand going unserved in ultra-dense urban areas by 2025. The report cites the rise of 5G and IoT as potentially increasing...

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Metaswitch lands extended reseller agreement with HPE

Metaswitch has signed a global resale agreement with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) aimed at accelerating fixed and mobile network operators’ deployments of advanced services including VoLTE and VoWiFi on private, public or hybrid cloud infrastructures. Under the deal, Metaswitch’s core network software products, including the Clearwater IMS core and Perimeta session border controller (SBC), will be integrated with HPE’s own virtual network...

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Ericsson announces first Energy Infrastructure Management contract

Ericsson announced its first Energy Infrastructure Management contract with a mobile network operator -- Crnogorski Telekom, Montenegro’s leading telecommunications service provider and a member of the Deutsche Telekom Group Ericsson’s Energy Infrastructure Management integrates big data analytics, energy management software, and lithium-ion batteries for energy storage. The solution provides an efficient means of measuring, monitoring and maintaining...

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NETSCOUT brings NFV Service Assurance to VodafoneZiggo

NETSCOUT has been awarded a new multi-year agreement by VodafoneZiggo to support its Network Function Virtualization (NFV) transformation. Specifically, NETSCOUT will deliver end-to-end visibility and analytics into VodafoneZiggo’s converged, hybrid network to ensure the seamless delivery of services. VodafoneZiggo is a joint venture of Liberty Global, the largest international TV and broadband internet company, and Vodafone Group. It provides fixed,...

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Ranovus ships its On-Board Optics and CFP2 Direct Detect Transceivers

Ranovus announced the general availability of its 200G On-Board Optics and CFP2 optical transceiver solutions. The devices are based on the company’s multi-wavelength Quantum Dot Laser (QDL), Ring Resonator based Silicon Photonic (SiP) modulators, Driver ICs as well as Receiver building blocks.  Highlights of Ranovus’ 200G CFP2 and Optical Engine product features are: Supporting DCI, metro access, 5G Mobility and multi-access edge computing...

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Hetzner Online connects data centers in Germany and Finland with Infinera XTS-3300

Hetzner Online, a leading web hosting and data center operator in Germany, has deployed the Infinera XTS-3300 to extend its data center business into Finland. Hetzner Online owns several data centers in Germany and expanded its network into Finland with a subsea optical network powered by the Infinera XTS-3300 to address demand from customers in Eastern Europe and Russia. The new subsea network connects Hetzner Online’s existing metro terrestrial...

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Sequans teams with Skyworks on LTE-M/NB-IoT

Skyworks Solutions, a developer of analog semiconductors, and Sequans Communications announced a jointly-developed connectivity engine for next generation LTE devices. Specifically, the new solution combines Skyworks’ front-ends with Sequans’ Monarch LTE-M/NB-IoT platform. The feature-rich product includes an integrated baseband, SRAM, RF transceiver, RF front-end, passives and power management in a single 8.8 x 10.8 x 0.95 mm package with proprietary...

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All data centre traffic becomes cloud data centre traffic

Cisco is now predicting that global cloud data center traffic will reach 19.5 zettabytes (ZB) per year by 2021, up from 6.0 ZB per year in 2016 – a 3.3-fold growth, representing a 27 percent compound annual growth rate from 2016 to 2021.  By that year, the Cisco forecasters will have a very difficult time distinguishing regular data centre traffic from cloud data centre traffic.  Fully 95 percent of data centre traffic will be cloud data...

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Metaswitch and Cloudify partner of NFV automation

Metaswitch and Cloudify are partnering to automate NFV management and orchestration (MANO) for global operators, increasing service agility and reducing service-affecting manual errors. Under the deal, Metaswitch will OEM Cloudify’s virtual network functions management (VNFM) capabilities in delivery of its own VoLTE TAS, vSBC and vIMS VNFs and the two companies are collaborating closely in customer engagements, bridging gaps in operators’ NFV MANO...

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