Stanford researchers train neural network using optical chip

Researchers at Stanford University have demonstrated the ability to train artificial neural networks directly on an optical chip.

Neural network processing currently relies on conventional computers.  The Optical Society's journal for high impact research, Stanford University researchers report a method for training these networks directly in the device by implementing an optical analogue of the ‘backpropagation’ algorithm, which is the standard way to train conventional neural networks.

“Using an optical chip to perform neural network computations more efficiently than is possible with digital computers could allow more complex problems to be solved,” said research team leader Shanhui Fan of Stanford University. “This would enhance the capability of artificial neural networks to perform tasks required for self-driving cars or to formulate an appropriate response to a spoken question, for example. It could also improve our lives in ways we can’t imagine now.”

https://www.osapublishing.org/optica/abstract.cfm?uri=optica-5-7-864

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Hawaiki transpacific subsea cable enters service

The Hawaiki transpacific subsea cable is now ready for service.

Hawaiki is a 15,000 km fibre optic deep-sea cable linking Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and United States. The system uses TE SubCom's optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes allows for additional landings in the Pacific region to be added as needed. Hawaiki will provide 43 Tbps of new capacity in the Pacific region.

The system was built at a cost of US$300 million. Anchor customers on the new cable include Amazon Web Services, Vodafone, American Samoa Telecommunications Authority (ASTCA) and Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ).

“This 25-year transoceanic infrastructure opens the door for unprecedented levels of economic, social and research collaboration right across the Pacific,” said Hawaiki Chief Executive Officer, Remi Galasso.

“Hawaiki is the fastest and largest cross-sectional capacity link between the U.S. and Australia and New Zealand. It will significantly enhance our connectivity to the rest of the world and, ultimately, improve the everyday life of our communities.”

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AT&T to expand its 5G rollout this year

AT&T will expand its rollout of 5G to three additional cities this year – Charlotte, Raleigh, and Oklahoma City – bringing its total number of cities with 5G launches in 2018 to 12.  The other previously announced cities are Atlanta, Dallas, and Waco.

AT&T also noted that its 5G Evolution technology is now live in more than 140 markets, and will reach at least 400+ markets this year.  5G Evolution enables peak theoretical wireless speeds of at least 400 Mbps on capable devices.

Also, AT&T has just launched LTE-LAA in parts of 8 new markets – Austin, Dallas, Houston, Little Rock, San Antonio, San Jose, Tampa, and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, bringing the total number of LTE-LAA markets to 15. LTE-LAA offers peak theoretical wireless speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps on capable devices.

"We're on track to launch the first mobile 5G services and deliver the first device to customers this year. 5G will be more than just a better network. Especially after our trial learnings with large enterprises, small-and-medium sized businesses and residential locations the past two years, we believe 5G will ultimately create a world of new economic opportunity, greater mobility, and smarter connectivity for individuals, businesses and society as a whole," said Melissa Arnoldi, president, AT&T Technology & Operations.

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

Thursday, June 28, 2018  5G, ATT  

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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Majority of TOP500 supercomputers connect with Infiniband

InfiniBand now powers four of the top five supercomputer systems, according to The InfinBand Trade Association and based on the latest TOP500 List. This includes Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Summit system, which currently holds the title of world's fastest supercomputer

IBTA said InfiniBand technology continues to dominate the HPC category of the TOP500 List, representing nearly 60% of all HPC systems listed, due to its network bandwidth, latency, scalability and efficiency metrics.

The trade association notes that almost half of the platforms in the latest results can be categorized as non-HPC, most of which are Ethernet-based. There is a growing number of RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) capable systems, which constitute over 30% of total Ethernet listings.

“As the makeup of the world’s fastest supercomputers evolve to include more non-HPC systems such as cloud and hyperscale, the IBTA remains confident in the InfiniBand Architecture’s flexibility to support the increasing variety of demanding deployments,” said Bill Lee, IBTA Marketing Working Group Co-Chair.

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