Tencent carries multiple 200G 8QAM signals with Acacia

Tencent carried multiple 200G 8QAM signals over 80 kilometers with its OPC-4 open line system (OLS) using Acacia’s CFP2-DCO modules on third-party switch platforms.

The lab demonstration was performed using Acacia’s CFP2-DCO modules with 50GHz channel spacing and 200G 8QAM modulation. Acacia said the demonstration showcases the ability to support transmission of up to 19.2T on a single fiber using Tencent’s 96 channel OPC-4 and Acacia’s CFP2-DCO modules.

In order to emulate the higher fiber loss in its metro networks, Tencent added additional 10 dB optical attenuators to the tested link, and was still able to achieve error-free operation in all the ports.

OPC-4, which was developed by Tencent, meets Tencent’s SDN requirements for a disaggregated transport network and is fully integrated into Tencent’s network controller. Tencent believes that this lab demonstration validates the deployment readiness of their IP over DWDM solution using OPC-4 in their metro DCI networks.

“This demonstration validated that Acacia’s CFP2-DCO product has been integrated into switch platforms in terms of mechanical, electrical, power and firmware interfaces. The switch platform was able to configure the CFP2-DCO and access advanced performance monitoring functionality for the module, as well as the link,” said Jengyi Geng, Senior Network Architect at Tencent. “With Acacia’s 200G CFP2-DCO, our switch platform can support 8 ports, for up to 1.6T per line card and our OPC-4 can support transmission of up to 19.2T over a single fiber for metro DCI applications. In addition, the CFP2-DCO form factor provides us with a pay-as-you-grow deployment model.”

“We are excited that our high-performance, low-power CFP2-DCO was able to address the performance required in Tencent’s metro DCI network, and were impressed by the level of integration in the switch platform and OPC-4 open line system,” said Tom Williams, Associate Vice President of Marketing at Acacia Communications. “We believe this lab demonstration underlines the importance of pluggable coherent modules in applications such as Tencent’s metro DCI network, potentially creating opportunities for our NEM customers to offer differentiated solutions in these applications.”

Acacia’s module is compliant with the OIF CFP2-DCO Implementation Agreement, which also includes support for next generation 400G solutions, further improving board density and fiber capacity. Based on its Meru DSP ASIC, Acacia’s CFP2-DCO module has been shipping in production since December 2017.

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Huawei posts 39% rise in Q1 Sales

Huawei reported 1Q2019 revenue of CNY179.7 billion, an increase of 39% year-on-year.

The company said its net profit margin in Q1 2019 was about 8%, slightly higher than the same period last year.[1]

As of the end of March, Huawei had forty 5G contracts and had shipped more than 70,000 5G base stations to markets around the world.

Also in Q1 2019, Huawei's Enterprise Business Group launched its Digital Platform and its new "Huawei Inside" strategy. Huawei is committed to building the foundations of a digital China and the core of a digital world by delivering the Digital Platform along with ubiquitous connectivity and pervasive intelligence. Huawei's Enterprise Business Group also deployed the world's first 5G-enabled Wi-Fi 6 access point. As of the end of Q1 2019, Huawei had shipped more Wi-Fi 6 products than any other company worldwide.

Huawei's Consumer Business Group continues to create value for consumers with its innovative products. Its core strategy is to deliver an intelligent experience to consumers across all scenarios. In Q1 2019, Huawei shipped 59 million smartphones. In other business segments like PCs, wearables, and smart home, Huawei has been welcomed by global consumers for its leading, innovative products and superior user experiences.

HUAWEI CLOUD remains committed to innovation. It aims to build the best possible hybrid cloud, provide full-stack AI solutions for intelligent industries, and make inclusive AI a reality. More than one million enterprise users and developers have chosen to work with HUAWEI CLOUD. In Q1, HUAWEI CLOUD services were launched in Singapore, and HUAWEI CLOUD released its AI model market. HUAWEI CLOUD's one-stop-shop AI development platform – ModelArts – came first in both image classification training and inference in the Stanford DAWNBench deep learning competition.

https://www.huawei.com/en/press-events/news/2019/4/huawei-q1-2019-business-results

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Huawei's "Four-Engines" Brand Strategy

Huawei outlined a new brand strategy for IP networking that centers on "engines" for enabling ubiquitous connectivity.

At the Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2019 last week in Shenzhen, Huawei introduced its four new engine series products for the IP network:

• AirEngine: Huawei first Wi-Fi 6 commercial product. It uses Huawei 5G smart antenna and intelligent application acceleration technologies to increase the Wi-Fi coverage area by 50 percent, shorten the Wi-Fi network latency to 10 milliseconds, and achieve an optimal mobile experience.
• CloudEngine: Huawei says its embedded AI chip and unique AI algorithm enable zero packet loss and the fastest forwarding performance in the industry. The chip will be used in Huawei campus switches for AI-powered application identification and dynamic network algorithms. The company aims to reduce fault identification from minutes to seconds, shorten automatic fault location from hours to minutes, and reduce OPEX by 40 percent.
• NetEngine: Huawei says its NetEngine intelligent metro routers have the largest capacity in industry, are SRv6 ready, and offer full-lifecycle intelligent automation. Huawei next-generation NetEngine AR6000 series SD-WAN routers use a brand-new architecture and are designed with rich hardware acceleration engines and unique Ultra-Fast forwarding algorithms, improving SD-WAN performance to three times the industry average. 
• HiSecEngine: Based on core concepts of Huawei's HiSec security solution, this high-performance network security engine accurately identifies unknown threats to ensure always-on core services. It provides an intelligent defense system to protect the fully connected, digital world.

Kevin Hu, President of Huawei Data Communication Product Line, said: "Huawei has more than 20 years of expertise in the IP field. We are committed to building differentiated innovative products and continuously applying digital technologies, such as 5G, cloud computing, and AI to IP networks. We believe that the intelligent IP networks built with the four engine series products can continuously empower users with business intelligence."

https://www.huawei.com/en/press-events/news/2019/4/huawei-four-engines-brand-strategy-intelligent-ip-networks

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Verizon sets 2035 target for carbon neutrality

Verizon announced a commitment to go carbon neutral by 2035.

“Sustainability and social responsibility are part of Verizon’s DNA,” said James Gowen, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Supply Chain Operations at Verizon.  “As an emerging leader in sustainability, Verizon understands its responsibility to continuously evolve and innovate to meet new challenges and expectations.”

Verizon highlights the following milestones and commitments

• A 28% Carbon Intensity reduction since 2016 with the goal set for a 50% carbon intensity reduction by 2025
• A green energy initiative which has offset 20,000 metric tons of CO2
• A 2025 commitment to source renewable energy equivalent to 50% of Verizon's total electricity usage
• Carbon abatement will enable customers to also reduce their carbon footprint
• Verizon solutions have enabled the avoidance of 8.2 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent to removing 1.6 million cars off the road for one year
• 278 ENERGY STAR-certified buildings and 22 onsite renewable energy installations
• 28,000 Green Team employees in 44 countries
• Two million trees planted by 2030 with more than 700,000 planted already

Verizon raises $1 billion "Green Bond"

Sunday, February 10, 2019  Green, Verizon  

Verizon Communications has closed a $1 billion "Green Bond" to fund a variety of new and existing green investments. The company expects to allocate a majority of the funds within three years to support its long-term commitment to minimize its environmental impact, drive operating efficiencies and benefit the communities it serves.

Investments will focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, green buildings, sustainable water management, and biodiversity and conservation,

“Verizon is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its operations, and this funding will support those efforts,” said Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Gowen. “As good corporate citizens, we have made it a priority to deploy more green energy resources, such as solar and fuel cell technology, into our facilities.”

Verizon launched its first formal sustainability program in 2009. The company has committed to source renewable energy equivalent to 50 percent of its total electricity usage by 2025.

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Intelsat 29e is a total loss

Intelsat reported the total loss of Intelsat 29e, which was the first its EpicNG high-throughput satellite (HTS) platform.

Late on April 7, the Intelsat 29e propulsion system experienced damage that caused a leak of the propellant on board the satellite resulting in a service disruption to customers on the satellite. While working to recover the satellite, a second anomaly occurred, after which all efforts to recover the satellite were unsuccessful.

Intelsat 29e (IS-29e), which was launched in January 2016, offered high throughput Ku- spot beams in the Americas to meet broadband demand for carrier-grade telecom and enterprise connectivity as well as the Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean coverage for dense aero and shipping routes. It also offered a transatlantic Ku- wide beam overlay and provided efficient broadcast capabilities for in-flight entertainment. C-band wide beam provides full South American continent coverage for media distribution. Boeing served as the prime contractor.

Intelsat said that since the anomaly, it has been working with affected customers. Restoration paths on other Intelsat satellites serving the region and third-party satellites have been provided for a majority of the disrupted services. Migration and service restoration are well underway; highlighting the resiliency of the Intelsat fleet and the benefit of the robust Ku-band open architecture ecosystem.

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Fastly files for IPO -- edge cloud

Fastly, a start-up offering an edge cloud with global reach, filed an S-1 registration statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to a proposed initial public offering of its Class A common stock.

Fastly intends to list its Class A common stock on The New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “FSLY.”

Fastly operates a network of high-density servers with SSDs located at major peering points around the world. The servers operate as high-performance caches. Key server specs: 24 TB of SSDs, 768 GB of RAM, and 4x 25Gbps network interface cards. Fastly peers with other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and Content Networks with IPv4 and IPv6 connectivity on Autonomous System (AS) 54113. As of February 2019, the company reported 37.5 Tbps of connected global capacity.

Investors in Fastly include Amplify Partners, August Capital, Battery Ventures, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners (DTCP), Iconiq Capital, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures, Ridge Ventures (fka IDG Ventures USA), Sapphire Ventures, Sorenson Capital, Sozo Ventures and Swisscomm Ventures.

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Lumentum completes divestiture to CIG

Lumentum completed its previously-announced divestiture of certain Lumentum datacom transceiver product lines to Cambridge Industries Group (CIG).

The products were originally developed and manufactured by Oclaro Japan.

CIG also entered into a long-term strategic supply agreement for Lumentum's photonic chips.

"The closing of the transaction with CIG is a key milestone in the shift in Lumentum's strategy to focus on photonic chips while continuing to participate in the anticipated large growth in datacom transceiver volumes driven by datacenter expansion and 5G wireless over the coming years," said Walter Jankovic, Lumentum's Senior Vice President and General Manager, Datacom. "We are highly focused on accelerating innovation at the photonic chip level and have a strong pipeline of new chip products."

As a result of the timing of the divestiture close, which occurred following the end of the fiscal third quarter, the divestiture will not impact Lumentum's financial results for the fiscal third quarter ended March 30, 2019.  Lumentum expects revenue from datacom transceivers will decline in the fiscal fourth quarter relative to the fiscal third quarter by approximately $20 million to $25 million, with approximately $20 million of the decline related to the divestiture and an additional $5 million due to continuing declines in remaining datacom transceiver revenues.

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Docomo and Itochu Logistics test LTE-M for trucks

NTT DOCOMO and Itochu Logistics Corp. are testing an IoT solution that uses easily deployed devices compatible with low-power, wide-area LTE-M technology to enable delivery businesses to visualize the status of outsourced trucks in their fleets. The trial will be conducted in the United States beginning in May 2019.

The solution involves placing hand-held, battery- or solar-powered devices in trucks to collect data, such as truck locations and frequency of sudden braking, which will be sent through an LTE network to a dedicated website. The solution can also provide temperature, humidity, brightness, etc. data depending on delivery needs, as well as notify customers via email when the trucks approach their destinations.

DOCOMO said the trial is part of the Globiot global-IoT initiative that it launched last year to provide global connectivity, operational support and consulting to Japanese enterprises.

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Cadence says ready for TSMC’s 5nm FinFET

Cadence Design Systems confirmed that its digital, signoff and custom/analog tools have been certified for Design Rule Manual (DRM) and SPICE v1.0, and Cadence IP has been enabled for the TSMC 5nm process. The corresponding process design kits (PDKs) featuring integrated tools, flows and methodologies are now available for traditional and cloud-based environments. Additionally, mutual customers have already completed several tapeouts using Cadence tools, flows and IP for full production development on the TSMC 5nm process technology.

Cadence said it has delivered a fully integrated digital implementation and signoff tool flow, which has been certified on TSMC’s 5nm process that has the benefits of process simplification provided by extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. The Cadence full-flow includes the Innovus Implementation System, Liberate Characterization Portfolio, Quantus Extraction Solution, Tempus Timing Signoff Solution, Voltus IC Power Integrity Solution and Pegasus™ Verification System.

“We’re continuing to broaden our collaboration with TSMC to facilitate 5nm FinFET adoption, giving customers access to the latest tools and IP for advanced process design creation,” said Dr. Chin-Chi Teng, senior vice president and general manager of the Digital & Signoff Group at Cadence. “Our R&D team has focused heavily on developing new features and performance improvements so that our digital and signoff and custom/analog tools and IP can be used with complete confidence, enabling customers to achieve first-pass silicon success and deliver end products within aggressive time-to-market schedules.”

http://www.cadence.com/go/tsmc5nmca

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Photronics opens manufacturing facilities in China

Photronics announced the grand opening of two new manufacturing facilities in China to engage in research and development, manufacture and sale of photomasks, becoming a critical local supplier to the China integrated circuit (IC) and flat panel display (FPD) industries.

The new IC manufacturing facility in Xiamen, China is the result of a $160 million investment agreement with The Administrative Committee of Xiamen Torch Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone (Xiamen Torch), a national-level hi-tech zone in China, announced in August 2016. The facility will support semiconductor manufacturing for a wide range of technologies and nodes in both logic and memory. Plans are for initial production to ramp quickly at 40nm and 28nm nodes, with process introduction leading to 14nm and beyond nodes shortly thereafter.

The facility in Hefei is wholly owned and focused on the FPD industry. Created under a $160 million investment agreement formed in August 2017 with the Hefei State High-tech Industry Development Zone (High-tech Zone), a national-level high-tech zone in China, to establish a manufacturing facility in Hefei, China, the factory is equipped to support Generation 10.5+ (G10.5+) substrate production. With this investment, Photronics is the first producer of G10.5+ photomasks in China, with more capacity than any other competitor. The cleanroom is fully automated, and the facility will employ approximately 70 people in manufacturing and supporting functions.

“I am extremely pleased to celebrate this milestone, opening two new state-of-the-art facilities in China to support our customers’ operations with locally sourced photomasks,” said Peter Kirlin, chief executive officer. “A tremendous amount of hard work and dedication have contributed to this achievement. The teams in Xiamen and Hefei have gone above and beyond, ensuring that we reach this goal. In addition, the support we have received from local authorities and investment agreement partners has been remarkable. We are proud to play a part in the development of these industries in China, and look forward to future growth opportunities. With the opening of these facilities, which are among the most advanced sites in our global network, we are the well on our way to extending our leadership position in the merchant mask market.”

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