Finland's Elisa claims commercial 5G launch

Elisa Oyj, a Finnish telecommunications company based in Helsinki, is the first operator in the world to begin a commercial 5G service. Elisa's 5G networks now operational in Tampere and Tallinn.

On 27-June-2018, Elisa announced that it had begun to sell 5G subscriptions.

The first person to use the 5G network was Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, who made a video call to Kadri Simson, Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure in Estonia.

Elisa noted that the first GSM telephone call in the world was also made using its network.

However, Finland has yet to officially issue 5G licenses.

"We aim to make Finland the leading nation as a developer of 5G mobile services. The Ministry of Communications is ready to allocate the first 5G licenses to the 3,400–3,800 megahertz frequency band in autumn, which will make Finland among the first countries in the world to start building 5G networks, says Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications.

• On 14-May-2018, Ooredoo claimed to be the first operator in the world to launch a live 5G network. Its deployment runs on the 3.5GHz spectrum band. Ooredoo announced that its first 5G site was activated just days are its 5G commercial core came online.
  
  The first stage of Ooredoo’s 5G Supernet deployment will cover an area from The Pearl Qatar to Hamad International Airport, with Lagoona, Katara Cultural Village, West Bay, the Corniche and Souq Waqif also included in the initial commercial launch coverage area.
  
  The carrier did not say whether it had begun to sell 5G subscriptions, 5G smartphones or 5G CPE.
  
  Speaking at the event, Waleed Al Sayed, Chief Executive Officer, Ooredoo Qatar, said: “Today, Ooredoo and Qatar make history. We are the first company in the world to offer access to 5G technology and services, and the people of Qatar are the first to have access to the incredible benefits this technological upgrade will bring. We dedicate this important milestone to the people of Qatar and to our beloved leaders, who have encouraged this step in building the knowledge-based economy of Qatar.”  

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AT&T hits gigabit speed with fixed 5G pilot service

AT&T is seeing peak wireless downlink speeds nearing 1 Gbps and latency rates less than 20 milliseconds in its field trials of fixed 5G service.

The results were achieved in AT&T's 5G pilot in South Bend, Indiana.

AT&T updates its 5G and FTT rollout plans

Thursday, January 04, 2018  5G, ATT, G.Fast  No Comments

AT&T confirmed plans to roll out mobile 5G service in a dozen U.S. markets by late 2018, making it the first U.S. carrier to do so. The initial launch is aimed at consumers. Trials of 5G business applications are also planned this year.

The company also updated its plans in the following areas:

• LTE-LAA - AT&T, which deployed its first commercial LTE-Licensed Assisted Access (LTE-LAA) site in downtown Indianapolis in November 2017, now says it intends to launch the technology in at least 2 dozen additional metros this year. LAA offers theoretical peak speeds of up to 1 Gbps. In previous field tests, AT&T observed actual peak wireless speeds of 979 Mbps. 
• AT&T 5G Evolution - this series of upgrades based on LTE-Advanced technologies launched in 23 major metros in 2017. Further rollouts are underway. 
• LTE-M - AT&T's nationwide, low-power, wide-area LTE-M network went live in 2017. LTE-M supports large-scale IoT applications, like smart city services, smart metering, asset tracking, supply chain management, security and alarm monitoring, and personal wearables. 
• Fixed Wireless Internet - in 2017, AT& launched high-speed internet access to over 440,000 locations across 18 states in mostly rural areas through technologies like Fixed Wireless Internet, as part of the FCC Connect America Fund. In 2018, AT&T plans to reach over 660,000 total locations in 2018 and 1.1 million locations by the end of 2020 in those 18 states.
• Fixed 5G and AirGig - AT&T has pre-standard 5G fixed wireless trials underway in Austin, Texas; Waco, Texas; Kalamazoo, Michigan and South Bend, Indiana with residential, small business, and education customers. The company has also announced 2 trials of its AirGig technology, which targets transport for ultra-fast low latency internet over power lines. 
• Fiber for Consumers and Businesses - AT&T Fiber currently reaches more than 7 million locations across 67 metros nationwide. This year, AT&T plans to add 3 million more locations on. By mid-2019, AT&T Fiber should reach at least 12.5 million locations across at least 82 metro area/ 
• G.fast - In 2017, AT&T launched G.fast service supporting Internet speeds up to 500 Mbps for multifamily properties across 8 metro areas outside of its 21-state traditional service area. AT&T now to extend G.fast to apartment communities.

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Nuro tests its autonomous vehicles for grocery delivery

Nuro, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, will work with Kroger, one the largest grocery store chains in the U.S., to test a fully-autonomous vehicle for home delivery service.

Nuro said this is the the first application test for its autonomous vehicle hardware and software. The pilot testing is expected to begin this fall.

"Unmanned delivery will be a game-changer for local commerce, and together with Kroger, we're thrilled to test this new delivery experience to bring grocery customers new levels of convenience and value," said Dave Ferguson, Co-Founder, Nuro. "

https://nuro.ai/

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Sierra Wireless intros FirstNet vehicle router

Sierra Wireless unveiled its AirLink MG90 High-Performance Multi-Network Vehicle Router supporting FirstNet’s First Priority – which includes priority and pre-emption for first responders – and FirstNet’s 700MHz Band 14 spectrum. The router supports LTE-Advanced Pro (Cat-12 speeds) and can switch seamlessly between FirstNet Band 14 wireless spectrum and other U.S. commercial mobile networks, with dual concurrent Gigabit Wi-Fi and Gigabit Ethernet and extensions to Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and satellite systems.  This is the first device of its kind to achieve the FirstNet Ready designation.

The router is based on Sierra Wireless' AirPrime EM7511 LTE-Advanced Pro embedded module, which was also recently approved by AT&T and is the first embedded module available for the FirstNet network.

“We’re pleased to welcome Sierra Wireless to the FirstNet ecosystem,” said Chris Sambar, senior vice president, AT&T – FirstNet. “The more tools public safety has access to on their network, the more we can help them achieve their mission. Sierra Wireless already has a well-established relationship with the first responder community, and with the FirstNet Ready designation, first responders can be confident that Sierra Wireless’ AirLink MG90 router is a trusted solutioand performance.”
n that meets FirstNet’s standards for relevancy, high security

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SM Optics debuts WSS-free metro ROADM

SM Optics, a start-up with operations in Italy and China, introduced a new WDM ROADM solution combining the flexibility of a disaggregated platform with the cost-effectiveness of WSS-free architecture.

SM Optics' LIGHTMODE LM-1 micro ROADM open line system is a disaggregated WDM functional block offering in a single rack unit a multi-degree ROADM.

The company says its stackable design can expand to cover any capacity growth and cost-effectively cope with any configuration, as well as supporting any lambda capacity rate as it operates on a grid-less and filter-less optical multiplexer.

“Highly compact, extreme versatile and cost-effective are what our customers are asking us to update and upgrade their transport network with” says Stefano Schiavoni Sales General Manager in SM Optics, adding “with the introduction of this open line system we are offering an open line system with ROADM capabilities at a fraction of traditional vertical integrated solutions”

https://www.sm-optics.com/index.php/news-events/item/10-sm-optics-launches-its-new-wss-free-metro-wdm-roadm-platform

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Silver Peak adds $90 million in funding for SD-WAN

Silver Peak, which specializes in broadband and hybrid WAN solutions, announced a $90 million strategic investment from TCV.

"It’s rare that we see an opportunity to disrupt a massive, entrenched $100 billion technology category supporting mission-critical applications and communication,” said Tim McAdam, general partner at TCV. “After researching all the players in the multi-billion-dollar SD-WAN market and speaking with enterprise CIOs, it is clear that Silver Peak has the most complete solution, clear market differentiation and traction, and a unique vision for the future of the new WAN edge. We look forward to working with the team to rapidly grow the business."

"With more than $100 billion spent on the WAN every year by enterprises, much of it on technology that pre-dates the cloud, Silver Peak has an enormous opportunity as we deliver disruptive new WAN edge solutions for enterprises,” said Silver Peak Founder and CEO, David Hughes. “TCV has a proven track record for identifying high-growth markets and investing in those innovative companies with the right solution and the right team in place to achieve market leadership. Our partnership with TCV will help accelerate our growth trajectory, increase our competitive advantages and extend our market leadership. We are excited to work with the TCV team."

Silver Peak is based in Santa Clara, California.

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Viasat launches 35-100 Mbps business Internet across U.S.

Viasat began offering a nationwide, business-class Internet service with a variety of unlimited and metered data plans featuring download speed options ranging from 35 Mbps to 100 Mbps across U.S. Maximum speeds vary by location.

Viasat broadband business internet will also provide a more resilient secondary/backup connection for businesses in urban locations.

The new business Internet service is delivered via the ViaSat-2 satellite system, which was launched on June 1, 2017 by Arianespace.  The Ka-band satellite was built by Boeing.

"Businesses across the U.S. expect an internet service that can support their sales and operational needs—anywhere they are based," said Cody Catalena, vice president and general manager, Global Business Solutions, Viasat. "With our new ViaSat-2 service for business, we’re now able to provide broadband speeds across all plans and even more coverage to enable businesses to stay connected, productive and profitable.”

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Belgium's KU Leuven selects ADVA's FSP 3000 CloudConnect

The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KU Leuven), a leading research university in Flanders, Belgium, has deployed ADVA's FSP 3000 CloudConnect to enable 32Gbit/s Fibre Channel and 100Gbit/s Ethernet services.

KU Leuven's research and education (R&E) network is the first in the region to support Gen 6 Fibre Channel technology.

The deployment uses ADVA's FSP 3000 CloudConnect platform along with its QuadFlex line card and OpenFabric cross-connect – two technologies optimized for maximum flexibility and efficiency in metro data center interconnect networks.

ADVA’s Elite partner Arcadiz Telecom, which played a key role in the rigorous planning and smooth installation of the transport system, will also provide ongoing maintenance support.

“Through our close partnership with Arcadiz Telecom, we’ve been able to work with KU Leuven to push the boundaries of possibility for R&E networks. We’ve created a transport system capable of carrying much higher data volumes than has ever been achieved in this area before. It’s also a future-proof investment ready to scale even further in years to come,” commented Yann Evain, sales director, Benelux, ADVA. “One of the advantages of this network is that it enables KU Leuven’s data centers to maximize the performance of flash-optimized storage arrays. Having rapid access to phenomenal amounts of data frees academics to achieve even more. The new solution also delivers huge energy savings and, with its incredibly small footprint, occupies very little rack space. Its inherent scalability protects KU Leuven’s investments, helping the university maintain its reputation as a global technology leader and its top position in Reuters’ rankings of Europe’s most innovative universities.”

https://www.advaoptical.com

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India's Sify picks Ciena

Chennai-based Sify Technologies Limited has selected Ciena’s converged packet optical for its backbone.

Sify's network reaches more than 1,400 cities and towns in India. Its Data Center Interconnect footprint covers more than 40 data centers in India and its Cloud Interconnect service provides on-demand access to leading public cloud and SAAS providers in India.

Ciena said its Waveserver Ai and 6500 Packet-Optical Platforms enable Sify to program its network to adapt to changing service requiremand Plan (MCP) software will give Sify real-time software control and improve network visibility.
ents in real-time while supporting large capacities in the metro networks. Ciena's PinPoint software will allow Sify to address with precision any potential trouble spots, while Ciena’s Blue Planet Manage, Control

“As Sify Technologies supports more users, digital applications and connected things across India, they face the challenge of adapting to the demands being placed on their network. Ciena is committed to supporting Sify Technologies through its extensive experience and expertise, to deliver a more programmable infrastructure aided by software control and analytics to respond to changing network demands intuitively,” stated Ryan Perera, Vice President and General Manager, Ciena India.

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JASK raises $25M for Autonomous Security Operations Center platform

JASK, a start-up founded in 2015 with dual headquarters in San Francisco and Austin, announced $25 million in series B funding for its Autonomous Security Operations Center (ASOC) platform.

The funding round was led by Kleiner Perkins with participation from early investors, including Battery Ventures, Dell Technologies Capital, TenEleven Ventures and Vertical Venture Partners. This brings JASK’s total funding to $39 million.

JASK’s mission is to modernize security operations by delivering an asset-independent, open platform that provides prioritized threat information with an autonomous workflow of what, where, why and how SOC analysts should take action.

The JASK ASOC platform automates much of the work of a tier one security analyst by correlating and analyzing vast amounts of data and summarizing the important information via JASK Insights™, streamlined notifications that indicate a combination of events or activities that should be investigated. JASK Insights contain all of the information in one actionable interface to help speed investigation and response times.

“Over the past 20 years, the challenge of sifting through the deluge of alerts has been like finding the needle in a haystack,” said Greg Martin, CEO and co-founder of JASK. “SOC teams now deal with a stack of needles and need to find the sharpest one. Technology can no longer hinder them, but rather support their workflows and improve their efficiency. Our Series B funding and partnership with Ted and Kleiner Perkins will help us accelerate our mission to deliver this technology.”

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MEF adds AT&T exec to its Board

Roman Pacewicz, Chief Product Officer at AT&T Business, has joined the MEF Board of Directors.

The MEF Board of Directors now includes:

• Roman Pacewicz, Chief Product Officer, AT&T Business
• Aamir Hussain, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, CenturyLink
• Kevin O'Toole, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Comcast Business
• Shawn Hakl, Senior Vice President Business Products, Verizon
• Michael Strople, President Enterprise Networks, Zayo Group
• Shahar Steiff, Assistant Vice President New Technology, PCCW Global
• Gabriel Kerner, Vice President Network Products and Offerings, Amdocs Technology
• Scott Mansfield, Standardization Researcher, Development Unit Network Products,Ericsson
• Ralph Santitoro, Head of SDN/NFV/SD-WAN Services, Fujitsu Network Communications
• Nan Chen, Executive Vice Chairman, CENX

"As a leader in software-defined networking, AT&T shares in the MEF 3.0 vision to enable application-aware, leading-edge network services that provide a truly dynamic cloud-centric experience,” said Roman Pacewicz. “As businesses around the globe continue their digital transformation, they need edge-to-edge capabilities to integrate their networks. Businesses looking to provide a seamless connected environment for their customers will benefit greatly from a unified industry ecosystem that’s focused on interoperability. I look forward to collaborating with MEF to help accelerate the rollout of MEF 3.0 services and technologies on a global basis.”

www.mef.net

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