Facebook to build its next data center in DeKalb, Illinois

Facebook unveiled plans to build a data center in DeKalb, Illinois, approximately 55 miles west of downtown Chicago.

The 907,000-square-foot, LEED Gold facility will be powered entirely by renewable energy. Facebook estimates its investment in the facility at $800 million.

Mortenson Construction was selected as the general contractor.

The DeKalb facility will be its 12th in the United States.

“There are many variables that enter into the decision process for data center locations, and DeKalb provided many compelling reasons for Facebook to bring our newest data center to Illinois,” said Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Data Center Strategy for Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/DeKalbDataCenter/

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Zayo adds U.S. wavelength routes

Zayo announced four new long-haul optical wavelength routes in the U.S:

• Miami to New Orleans features a high-capacity DWDM network, an architecture used to increase bandwidth. This route, which provides a diverse route out of Miami, provides an option for Latin American carriers that require backhaul from cable landing stations in the area. With completion expected in the third calendar quarter, the route will expand Zayo’s growing presence in Florida. The company is currently constructing 2,300 miles of high-fiber count network in Tampa and Orlando.
• Dallas to Atlanta to Washington DC and Ashburn, Virginia is scheduled to be completed soon. Driven by demand from customers that need coast-to-coast capacity, this is a new C+L Band Flex Grid DWDM network. The technology enables much better use of available spectrum, providing more capacity than traditional C-band only systems.
• Chicago to Toronto will create a diverse route from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to the Toronto Stock Exchange, even faster than Zayo’s existing market leading route. The high-capacity Flex Grid DWDM network will connect Lansing and Grand Rapids to Zayo’s North American Waves Network.
• Seattle to the Bay Area has been driven by strong customer demand for a high capacity network between these two important West Coast markets. The C+L Band Flex Grid DWDM network connects to the cable landing stations in Portland / Hillsboro, providing trans-Pacific carriers with backhaul. The route also connects to key data centers located in Oregon and California.

“These strategic routes will provide dedicated, high-capacity connectivity to meet the bandwidth needs of customers in commercial, financial and tech sectors,” said Annette Murphy, executive vice president of Lit Solutions. “Our owned infrastructure and range of flexible solutions position Zayo to be the provider of choice for wavelengths.”

https://investors.zayo.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2020/Zayo-Expands-Wavelength-Networks-Between-Strategic-Markets/default.aspx

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Telma Madagascar switches on 5G

Telma Madagascar activated its 5G commercial network in multiple cities across the nation.

Telma activated the 5G network on 3.6-3.7 GHz mid-band using the latest radio access and transport products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. Two key 5G use cases for the Madagascar market are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

Patrick Pisal Hamida, CEO, Telma Madagascar, says: “5G will transform how we use and adopt technology and will have a huge impact on businesses and society in Madagascar. It will bring high speed, ultra-low latency and highly secure connectivity to a massive number of devices and is a technology that will unlock a vast array of new use cases through Telma’s next-generation network. We are very proud to be among the first countries in the world to roll out this technology. It’s a new step ahead for Madagascar as one of the leading ICT countries in the Indian Ocean and Africa.” 

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in our long-standing partnership with Telma, as we launch the first 5G network in Madagascar. 5G will accelerate the digital transformation of all society sectors as well as industries in the country, enabling new opportunities and applications in areas such as healthcare, education, energy services and agriculture. We look forward to driving joint innovations with Telma, bringing our industry-leading technology in support of Madagascar’s connectivity vision and our commitment to Africa.”

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Ericsson debuts AIR (antenna-integrated radio) for mid-band 5G

Ericsson introduced two new antenna-integrated radio (AIR) solutions to help communications service providers to deploy mid-band 5G networks faster and on a wider scale without adding to their site footprint.

The new Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR additions to the Ericsson Radio System portfolio address physical space restrictions at some base station sites.

Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “It’s a footprint issue. At some network sites, size literally is everything. Communications service providers globally often have limited possibilities to increase the space occupied by network equipment. They need solutions that fit in existing sites and still provide great performance. With the Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR solutions, we can help our customers to quickly deliver the benefits of 5G Massive MIMO to more end users. This launch also shows the effectiveness of fully integrated Kathrein Mobile Communication products in our Ericsson Radio System.”

The new Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR combine antenna-integrated radios and multiband passive antenna technology in one enclosure. Ericsson calculates that an upgrade to Hybrid AIR or Interleaved AIR with Massive MIMO can result in up to seven times greater mobile broadband capacity than currently available from existing multiband antennas. The capacity gains come from improved Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) spectral efficiencies, new FDD bands and added Massive MIMO mid-bands. The new AIR solutions also boost 4G capacity.

Swisscom and the Vodafone Group have been working with Ericsson on these solutions.

Daniel Staub, Head of Mobile at Swisscom, says: “At Swisscom, we have rolled out 5G technology nationwide as the first provider in Europe. We reached 90 per cent population coverage at the end of 2019 already. Close collaboration with Ericsson and deploying the Hybrid AIR helped us to reach that goal. We are now delivering wide mid-band capacity, while reusing established sites and minimizing additional footprint. We continue to work and innovate to bring the best end-user experience to our 5G subscribers.”

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IP Infusion releases Virtual SD-Edge for Cloud-based Secure Routing

IP Infusion announced the general availability of its Virtual SD-Edge router in the Azure Marketplace and as a VM image for private cloud or x86 based virtual environments. It will soon be on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The Virtual SD-Edge router securely extends WAN connectivity into hybrid cloud environments for Enterprises and MSPs. It supports enterprise class networking features such as routing, VPN, firewall, NAT and QoS in a comprehensive package. Virtual SD-Edge provides carrier class routing and enables multiple use cases, including cloud migration, branch to cloud as well as multi-site, multi-cloud connectivity.

IP Infusion said its Virtual SD-Edge is based on DANOS-Vyatta edition (DVe), which is widely deployed across multiple, white box use cases in AT&T’s production network as well as other service provider networks. DVe is built on DANOS, the first open source, carrier-targeted network operating system (NOS) project hosted by the Linux Foundation, and offers industry-leading control plane features and a more complete data plane integration for switching silicon. DANOS is available on GitHub to facilitate evaluations and Proof of Concepts of disaggregation for VNFs and applications.

“To reduce costs and become more agile, large and small businesses are rapidly migrating to the cloud and require enterprise-class cloud connectivity. Our Virtual SD-Edge is optimized for streamlined packet processing and virtualized resource utilization,” said Atsushi Ogata, President and CEO, IP Infusion. “The combination of a compact footprint, ability to drive 10 Gbps+ throughput per Physical Core and advanced control plane enable a broad range of virtual and cloud networking use cases.”

http://www.IPInfusion.com/VirtualSD-Edge
https://www.danosproject.org

IP Infusion's new Open SD-Edge enables uCPE based on DANOS

Wednesday, May 20, 2020  DANOS, IP Infusion, Linux Foundation, UCPE  

IP Infusion introduced its Open SD-Edge platform for universal Customer Premise Equipment (uCPE) based on DANOS-Vyatta edition software, which is widely deployed at scale for multiple, white box use cases in AT&T’s production network.

DANOS is a carrier-targeted network operating system (NOS) project hosted by the Linux Foundation. By pre-integrating with the FRR (FRRouting) and DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) projects, DANOS facilitates evaluations and Proof of Concepts for VNFs and applications.

IP Infusion said its Open SD-Edge platform supports a range of uCPE use cases and delivers a platform for operational simplicity, agile deployment of virtualized services and lower CAPEX, leading to reduced total cost of ownership. It includes white box hardware, DANOS-Vyatta edition, and hosts third-party Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) for SD-WAN, routing, VPN, and firewall support for VNFs on a general-purpose appliance. This eliminates the need for stacks of proprietary equipment and software that require specialized IT skills to install, configure, and maintain.

“As a leader in disaggregated networking, IP Infusion’s Open SD-Edge platform allows our customers a streamlined path to migrate to Software-Defined services, simplify network infrastructure and management, while future-proofing their networks as their business needs evolve,” said Atsushi Ogata, President and CEO, IP Infusion. “Today’s agile businesses require support at lightning speeds. With industry standard hardware infused with open source software, and virtualized technology, our customers can realize unprecedented agility and automation at a lowest cost per bit.”

Under an agreement with AT&T, IP Infusion is the value-added integrator of DANOS-Vyatta edition and has the rights to sell DANOS-Vyatta edition as a commercial solution and provide ongoing support for carrier customers who need additional integration expertise. It also allows provides the flexibility for users to choose from multiple hardware vendors.

DANOS-Vyatta edition now covers cell site router (CSR) and uCPE applications in a common platform for both wide area and local area networking. The three new Open SD-Edge use cases planned for delivery in 2020 are:

• Virtual SD-Edge – General availability in Q2’20 - available in virtual form-factor to securely extend VPN to the public or private cloud and deliver scalable WAN, Security and CG-NAT functions.
• Branch SD-Edge – General availability in Q3’20 - available in a white-box or virtual form-factor for securely interconnecting branch offices and migrating workloads to the cloud.
• Universal SD-Edge – General availability in Q4’20 - cloud managed uCPE for enterprise/branch connectivity including security, SD-WAN and WAN optimization use cases, with the flexibility to add VNF services from third parties.

The Cloud Services Router and uCPE solutions are now available for demonstration in the Azure cloud marketplace and as a VNF (VM) for server environments.

http://www.IPInfusion.com/uCPE

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DISH picks Fujitsu for 5G radio units and Altiostar for virtualized RAN

DISH confirmed a large purchase of 5G radio units (RUs) from Fujitsu and a multi-year agreement with Altiostar to deliver a cloud-native Open vRAN software solution.

DISH, which is committed to use O-RAN architecture in its 5G network, will be utilizing Fujitsu's Low Band Tri-Band RU and Mid Band Dual-Band RU, both industry firsts for O-RAN radios, across the company's spectrum portfolio. In addition to radio units, Fujitsu will provide support through its integrated supply chain to deliver best-in-class radio and antenna integration. Additionally, Fujitsu will manage DU/RU hardware validation between vendors, including Altiostar and Mavenir, which are delivering cloud-native 5G radio software to DISH.

In addition, Altiostar's software solution, DISH will be able to dynamically scale its network depending on the type of applications and services being deployed. The openness, modularity, agility and scalability provided by Altiostar will enable DISH to quickly deploy new 5G services for consumers and businesses.

"By using open architecture to build the first standalone 5G network in the U.S., we are able to work with the best vendors from across the supply chain to effectively serve multiple segments, including consumers, enterprises and emerging 5G vertical markets," said Marc Rouanne, DISH Executive Vice President and Chief Network Officer. 

"As the leading radio access network manufacturer in Japan, Fujitsu is honored to bring our wireless expertise to DISH and the North American market," said Shingo Mizuno, EVP, Vice Head of System Platform Business at Fujitsu Limited. "Our proven radio technology, backed by O-RAN principles of openness and intelligence, equal a best-in-class solution for DISH, enabling them to deliver a superior experience to their customers."

"Altiostar is excited to partner with DISH and execute on their vision to build the first cloud-native, O-RAN 5G network in the U.S.," said Ashraf Dahod, CEO of Altiostar Networks. "As a U.S. company, we are proud to contribute our leading open vRAN technology innovation to DISH, and work with the fast growing O-RAN ecosystem to accelerate 5G leadership in the U.S."

DISH to deploy Mavenir for Cloud-native Open RAN

Sunday, April 26, 2020  Dish, Mavenir  

Mavenir confirmed that it has been awarded a multi-year agreement by DISH Network to supply its cloud-native OpenRAN software. Financial terms were not disclosed.

“The open and intelligent architecture of our greenfield network will give us the ability to source a diverse technology ecosystem, including U.S.-based solution providers,” said Marc Rouanne, DISH’s Chief Network Officer. “Mavenir will help us lay the foundation for an innovative software-defined network with the flexibility, intelligence and scalability to deliver applications that will redefine the U.S. wireless industry.”

“We are honored to be partnering with DISH Network and being recognized for our innovation and leadership in developing and delivering innovative solutions,” said Pardeep Kohli, President and CEO of Mavenir. “Working with DISH, we will be supporting the deployment of the world’s largest cloud-native OpenRAN 5G network.”

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FCC designates Huawei and ZTE as National Security Threats

The FCC officially designated Huawei and ZTE, as well as their parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, as national security threats.

As a result of the designation, money from the FCC’s $8.3 billion a year Universal Service Fund may no longer be used to purchase, obtain, maintain, improve, modify, or otherwise support any equipment or services produced or provided by either company. 

“With today’s Orders, and based on the overwhelming weight of evidence, the Bureau has designated Huawei and ZTE as national security risks to America’s communications networks—and to our 5G future,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.  “Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the country’s intelligence services.  The Bureau also took into account the findings and actions of Congress, the Executive Branch, the intelligence community, our allies, and communications service providers in other countries.  We cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit network vulnerabilities and compromise our critical communications infrastructure.  Today’s action will also protect the FCC’s Universal Service Fund—money that comes from fees paid by American consumers and businesses on their phone bills—from being used to underwrite these suppliers, which threaten our national security.”

• In November 2019, the FCC unanimously adopted a ban on the use of universal service support to purchase, obtain, or maintain any equipment or services produced or provided by companies posing a national security threat to the integrity of communications networks or the communications supply chain.  

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Rural Cloud Initiative looks to Edge opportunities

The Rural Cloud Initiative (RCI), which is a coalition of network and edge innovation partners backed by Trilogy Networks, is aiming to deploy a unified, distributed cloud covering an area of 1.5 million square miles of rural America.

Trilogy Networks and other RCI partners have built a Digital Transformation Showcase at the New Continuum West Chicago NAP data center in Chicago to demonstrate Internet offload, rich media streaming, AI-based network capacity planning, and AI-based video analytics.

RCI has also launched the first phase of its "Farm of the Future" series at Hurst Greenery in Westboro, MO. Here the idea is to use distributed cloud edge capabilities to facilitate and unlock the value of precision agriculture.

“The proliferation of smart technology has sparked America’s fourth Industrial Revolution, with a massive impact on the opportunity to drive enhanced productivity and increased security. The rural market is rife with IoT devices critical to industries like agriculture and the digital oilfield,” said George Woodward, CEO of Trilogy Networks. “Supporting this transformation will require the deployment of connected devices at the network edge that will enable new business models for both network operators and rural industries. While others are talking about it - Trilogy and our RCI partners are proving that both the technology and business value of edge solutions is provable, scalable and repeatable across a number of use cases and vertical applications.”

“Automating energy, water and yield management with such transformative technologies are critical for family farms to protect future agriculture production,” said Blake Hurst, owner of Hurst Greenery, as well as President of the Missouri Farm Bureau and Vice-Chair of the FCC Precision Connectivity Working Group. “As this network scales it will be able to address the needs of the 2,300 farms in this coverage area.”

http://www.ruralcloud.com

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EllaLink's transatlantic cable to deploy acoustic sensor tech

EllaLink, which is building a four-pair subsea cable between Portugal and Brazil, will deploy smart sensor on its cable to provide the scientific community with real-time, accurate and relevant data on seabed conditions. This will make EllaLink the first commercial subsea telecom cable system to integrate SMART cable concepts.

The EllaLink GeoLab infrastructure, which will be provided by EllaLink in cooperation with EMACOM, will leverage distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technology in the Madeira branch of the subsea cable system. It will collect data along the route which will be optically transmitted back to the shore, independently and without impacting either telecoms traffic or the design life of the cable.

EllaLink is collaborating with GÉANT and the Portuguese NREN, FCT, both members of the BELLA Consortium, who will use EllaLink cable to support R&E collaborations between Europe and Latin America.

Philippe Dumont, CEO of EllaLink said “In a time of continued environmental change, critical information about the planet can be ascertained from the seabed. Submarine telecoms cables are best placed to monitor seabed conditions at all time and make such data available to scientists on-land. We are proud to lead the way into a new era of submarine cable systems supporting such scientific progress.”

Erik Huizer, CEO of GÉANT commented “GÉANT provides users with highly reliable, unconstrained access to computing, analysis, storage, applications and other resources, to ensure that Europe remains at the forefront of research.  EllaLink will provide direct connectivity between the research and education communities of Europe and Latin America, thanks to the work of the BELLA Consortium of which GÉANT is a member. GÉANT therefore welcomes the development of a dark fibre research infrastructure that can support DAS and other technologies, without disturbing telecommunications traffic, as a further engagement from EllaLink for the R&E community.”

https://ella.link/category/press-releases/

New Atlantic Data Center Hub planned in Portugal

Sunday, November 03, 2019  Data Centers, Portugal, Subsea  

The EllaLink Group and aicep Global Parques – Gestão de Áreas Empresariais e Serviços, unveiled plans for a new "Sines Tech – Innovation & Data Center Hub" in Portugal.

The new campus is to be built in the Portuguese port city of Sines, in proximity to the landing station for the new Ellalink subsea cable to Latin America.

Diego Matas, Chief Operating Officer of EllaLink, added “I am delighted to announce our collaboration with Global Parks in promoting Sines as a new Atlantic hub addressing the demand for diverse data center connectivity and an alternative cable landing site in Portugal. EllaLink evaluated multiple landing locations during the project development phase and Sines was the optimum fit. Sines Tech will provide an environmentally friendly integrated subsea and terrestrial solution for all our customers and partners alike, supporting EllaLink’s open access and carrier neutral philosophy.”

https://ella.link/2019/10/23/global-parks-and-ellalink-partner-to-launch-sines-tech-hub-a-next-generation-innovation-and-data-center-hub-in-portugal/

EllaLink and Telxius collaborate on Brazil-Portugal subsea cable

Tuesday, October 29, 2019  Subsea  

The EllaLink Group and Telxius signed a collaboration agreement for international subsea capacity and terrestrial connectivity in Latin America, including cable landing facilities in Fortaleza, Brazil.

The complementary infrastructure owned by EllaLink and Telxius will enable European traffic to reach Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and other key cities in Brazil and across Latin America.

EllaLink is an open state-of-the-art 4 fiber pair submarine cable system currently under construction. It will provide the first direct fiber route between Europe and Latin America.  The

Rafael Arranz, Chief Operating Officer of Telxius for its Cable Business, said: “We are proud to closely work with EllaLink on this project, which will further advance communications between Europe and Latin America. This collaboration will leverage on the extensive Telxius’ subsea cable network and its terrestrial extensions across Latin America. In particular, Telxius’ Fortaleza cable landing station interconnects subsea cables stretching towards three continents: America (Central and North), Africa and Europe (with EllaLink). Telxius’ BRUSA, with its 138 Tbps, is currently the highest capacity and lowest latency subsea cable connecting the Americas, potentially extending EllaLink’s reach and ability to serve their customers even further.”

Diego Matas, Chief Operating Officer of EllaLink, added: “I am delighted to announce our collaboration with Telxius which supports EllaLink’s primary objective of providing advanced products and services on a carrier neutral and open access basis. The Telxius facility in Fortaleza provides the ideal landing solution for a next generation subsea system like EllaLink, while strengthening Telxius’ transatlantic route diversity.”

https://telxius.com/en/ellalink-and-telxius-collaborate-to-bring-next-generation-connectivity-to-latin-america-and-europe/

EllaLink begins Marine Route Survey for Brazil-Portugal cable

Monday, May 06, 2019  ASN, Ellalink, Subsea  

Alcatel Submarine Networks has finalized the Cable Route Study and mobilized the marine survey vessel for the EllaLink submarine cable system. A marine route survey will be conducted over the coming months.

EllaLink will be a state-of-the-art 4 fiber pair submarine cable system linking Europe and Latin America with up to 72 Tbps of capacity. The low latency EllaLink route avoids the congestion of the North Atlantic.

EllaLink plans to be Ready for Service by the end of 2020.

https://ella.link/2019/05/06/ellalink-announces-commencement-of-marine-route-survey-activities/

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Taiwan awards EUR 400m 5G contract to Nokia

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) selected Nokia to be its sole vendor for 5G RAN, Core and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

Under the exclusive three-year deal, which was valued at EUR 400 million, Nokia will deliver:

• 5G RAN portfolio, including Noka’s AirScale Radio Access products, enabling market-leading 5G experiences with ultra-low latency, connectivity and capacity
• Multiple Nokia Software products spanning cloud and security services, as well as network optimization and management. These include Nokia’s CloudBand Infrastructure Software, NetAct Network Management, EdenNet Self-Organizing Networks, and more
• Nokia’s Cloud Packet Core portfolio, with signaling and network functions such as Access and Mobility Management, Network Slice Selection, Policy Control, etc.

Nokia said its 5G Core portfolio will provide TWM with a solid foundation to run at scale within dynamic cloud environments, with a sharp focus on scalability, automation and performance to quickly deliver new digital services that leverage the full capabilities 5G has to offer. 5G standalone core network functions selected by TWM include Unified Data Management, Signalling and network functions provided by Nokia’s Cloud Packet Core portfolio, including the Access and Mobility Management Function, User Plane Function, Session Management Function, Network Function Repository Function and the Network Slice Selection Function and Policy Control Function. Nokia is providing its Traffica analytics solution for 5GC. Network Exposure function is also included for future 5G application innovation and business mode evolution.

Taiwan Mobile was awarded 60MHz in the 3.5GHz band and 200MHz in the 28GHz band in the country’s spectrum auction in January.

Jamie Lin, President at Taiwan Mobile said: “We are pleased to join forces with Nokia again in the 5G era. After the successful launch of 5G, both sides will continue to advance deployment and provide the best coverage and connectivity experiences in the market. More importantly, the two companies will work together to promote our "Super 5G Strategy," which integrates multiple vertical applications including smart e-commerce, smart stadium, smart healthcare and smart manufacturing. This approach is designed to build a thriving ecosystem that will create new possibilities for every user and enterprise in the 5G era!”

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Kyoto Semi intros InGaAs photodiode for 400G

Kyoto Semiconductor Co. introduced a high-speed, InGaAs photodiode to support 400Gbps transmission systems that use PAM4.

KP-H KPDEH12L-CC1C main features:

• High-speed -- The size of the carrier on which the PD is mounted, and the width and length of the high frequency electrode pattern placed on the carrier are optimized using an electromagnetic simulation (Note 2). As a result, we have achieved the world’s top class 400Gbps and 40GHz as a frequency band with an integrated transimpedance amplifier. The KP-H photodiode has passed Telcordia GR-468-Core, which is the standard reliability test for communication equipment.
• Easy implementation -- the photodiode is mounted on a carrier that is optimally designed to achieve high frequency. A condenser lens is integrated on the backside of the photodiode (Note 3), allowing the incoming light to collect in the light absorption area, and makes it easy to align the optical fiber with PD. The PD chip is mounted on a carrier twice as big as the chip itself.

Mass production is expected to begin in November 2020.

https://www.kyosemi.co.jp/en/lp/kpdeh12l-cc1c

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Government of India to block 59 mobile apps from China

India's Ministry of Information Technology has decided to block 59 apps on grounds that they are "engaged in activities which is prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of state and public order."

Over the last few years, India has emerged as a leading innovator when it comes to technological advancements and a primary market in the digital space.

The Ministry said it was acting on concerns relating to data security and safeguarding the privacy of Indian citizens. The ban will cover both mobile and non-mobile Internet enabled devices.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1635206

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SK Telink upgrades international routes with Ciena's 6500

SK Telink, a South Korean network operator, will upgrade its network between Seoul, South Korea, Hong Kong and Los Angeles using Ciena’s Adaptive IP solution. Ciena’s 6500 Packet Transport System (PTS), part of the Adaptive IP solution, allows SK Telink to support its legacy time-division multiplexing network. Ciena will also supply its Manage, Control and Plan domain controller automates lifecycle operations of SK Telink’s packet network.

“As SK Telink prepares for the country’s next wave of digital growth, Ciena’s packet solutions lay the foundation for a network that can respond in real-time to changing demands,” states Henry Kim, President and General Manager, Ciena North Asia Region.

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CyrusOne appoints Bruce W. Duncan as CEO

CyrusOne appointed Bruce W. Duncan as its new President & CEO and as a member of the Board of Directors, effective July 6, 2020, replacing Tesh Durvasula, who has served as CyrusOne’s interim CEO since February 20, 2020.

Duncan has more than 40 years of diverse real estate management, development, and global investment experience across numerous property types. He has served as CEO and Director of multiple public companies: Cadillac Fairview Corporation, Equity Residential, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc., and First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. He currently serves as Chair of the Board of First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. and serves on the Boards of Marriott International Inc. and Boston Properties, Inc.

Mr. Duncan said, “I am excited to join CyrusOne, one of the top performing REITs since its inception, to help lead the company’s global expansion and deepen our partnerships with an incredible roster of customers. CyrusOne is an industry leader because of an extraordinary team of professionals who are passionate about developing innovative solutions to support the significant demand for data center infrastructure. I look forward to joining the Company and being a part of its continued success.”

CyrusOne's CEO steps down

Friday, February 21, 2020  Data Centers, People  

CyrusOne has appointed Tesh Durvasula as interim President & Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of Gary Wojtaszek stepping down as President & Chief Executive Officer, and as a director of the company, by mutual agreement with the Board of Directors.

Alex Shumate, Chairman of the CyrusOne Board, said, “On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank and recognize Gary Wojtaszek for his strong leadership and vision that has enabled CyrusOne to become one of the largest and most successful data center companies in the world. Under Gary’s leadership, the company has grown to nearly $1 billion in revenue, expanded into Europe, Asia and Latin America, achieved an investment grade credit rating, and had a stock price that outperformed its public data center peers, as well as bot

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Xilinx raises its revenue guidance

Xilinx raised the range of its prior guidance for its first quarter of fiscal 2021 ended June 27, 2020. The new expectations are as follows:

“While we have seen some COVID-19 related impacts during the June quarter, our business has generally performed well overall, with stronger than expected revenues in our Wired and Wireless Group and Data Center Group more than offsetting weaker than expected revenues in our consumer-oriented end markets, including automotive, broadcast, and consumer. A portion of the revenue strength in the quarter was due to customers accelerating orders following recent changes to the U.S. government restrictions on sales of certain of our products to international customers,” said Victor Peng, Xilinx’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

“Given our preliminary assessment of the expected financial results in the June quarter, we are raising the midpoint for revenue and narrowing our overall guidance ranges. Furthermore, we are updating our expected tax rate for the June quarter to include the prior and current year potential impacts of the Altera Corp. v. Commissioner tax case, a third-party legal proceeding concerning related-party R&D cost sharing arrangements and stock-based compensation. The potential impact for prior years is approximately $57 million while the impact to the fiscal 2021 expected tax rate is an additional 1%-2%.”

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Cloud Native Computing Foundation gains momentum

The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) announced that 30 new members and end user supporters have joined the foundation, bringing total membership to 570 organizations. More than 170 new member companies joined the CNCF in 2019, an increase of more than 50 percent.

CNCF also announced the appointment of Priyanka Sharma as its new General Manager.  The first quarter of 2020 was CNCF's largest quarter to date. On the heels of this massive growth, CNCF is focused on new ways of bringing together its members, projects, and end user community to foster collaboration and innovation.

"This is such an exciting time to be involved with CNCF and the broader cloud native community," said Sharma. "As our lives have drastically changed, there is a huge opportunity for cloud native and open source technologies to step up – from enabling remote work to providing reliable and scalable infrastructure for technologies used on the front lines. I look forward to seeing what our community can accomplish as we continue to work together."

New Silver Members: A10 Networks, Accurics, AllCloud, ASUS Cloud Corporation, BeOpenIT, Biqmind, Bridgecrew, CloudCover, Common Computer, EngineerBetter, Futurewei (an affiliate of Huawei), Hivecell, IMIDDLEWARE, Inslab, Logz.io, MetroStar Systems, Nobl9, Open Source Consulting Inc., Ori Industries, PROJIXI Europe, Rancher Federal, SoKube, Ridge Cloud, Ventus Cloud AG, Wangsu Science and Technology Co., and Wipro Limited.

New End User Members & Supporters: Anova, Thought Machine, Toyota Motor Corporation

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AT&T's 5G footprint now covers 179m people

AT&T activated its 5G network in 28 additional markets across the U.S.

AT&T's 5G footprint now covers 179 million people.

In parts of some markets, AT&T has enabled dynamic spectrum sharing (DSS) technology which allows carriers to share the same channel between both 4G and 5G users simultaneously, based on demand, creating a seamless experience for customers.

“DSS is an important stepping stone on our path to nationwide 5G,” said Igal Elbaz, SVP of wireless and access technology. “We were the first U.S. carrier to deploy this technology in our network, and it’s now playing an important role as we work toward a nationwide 5G footprint this summer.”

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Global 5G connections reach 63.6 million

There are now over 63.6 million 5G connections globally as of Q1 2020, which represents 308.66% growth over Q4 2019, according to 5G Americas and data from Omdia. The forecast predicts 238 million 5G connections globally by the end of 2020, of which North America will account for 10 million connections.

Chris Pearson, President, 5G Americas said, “Globally, 5G remains the fast-growing generation of wireless cellular technology ever, even as the world is gripped with a pandemic. In North America, we are seeing consistent, strong uptake of new 5G subscribers as new devices have been released that can take advantage of low-band and millimeter wave frequencies. At the same time, new network capabilities are being added.” 

Also cited by 5G Americas:

• Globally, there are now 82 5G commercial networks, a number which is expected to more than double to 206 by the end of 2020, according to data from TeleGeography. 
• There are now over 100 commercial 5G device models available globally, according to the Ericsson Mobility June 2020 Report, with increasing support for low-band, mid-band and millimeter (mmWave) frequency bands.
• Regionally by the end of Q1 2020, North America had 1.18 million 5G connections and 494 million LTE connections. This amounted to 100% growth in 5G, a gain of 591 thousand 5G connections over the quarter and 2.34% growth in LTE, a gain of 11.3 million LTE connections over the quarter. 
• For Latin America and the Caribbean, Q1 2020 saw 3004 5G subscriptions (142.85% Q4 2019 to Q1 2020 growth) and 372 million LTE subscriptions (3% Q4 2019 to Q1 2020 growth), respectively. 

https://www.5gamericas.org/5g-continues-progress-despite-covid-19/

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Ericsson offers 5G standalone (SA) trial kit for enterprises

Ericsson released a 5G standalone (SA) trial kit for enterprises considering a private 5G network.

The kits will be available to enterprises through communications service providers on selected low and mid-band spectrum. The kits include hardware and software to support a network to enable enterprises to test first-hand how 5G can enhance their productivity, efficiency, safety, and security. Enterprises will also have access to business development and technical support to help unlock the full value of 5G dedicated networks.

In Germany, Ericsson is working with Deutsche Telekom to deliver trial kits. Deutsche Telekom and Ericsson recently switched on a 5G SA dedicated network with Ericsson Industry Connect at the Center Connected Industry (CCI) at Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen Campus.

Antje Williams, SVP 5G Campus Networks, Deutsche Telekom, says: "Our industrial customers demand secure, reliable, high-performance network solutions and applications tailored to their specific needs. In partnership with Ericsson, we can bring the benefits of 5G standalone architecture to enterprises to accelerate their production automation journey."

Thomas Norén, Head of Dedicated Networks at Ericsson, says: "By taking full advantage of the 5G SA dedicated networks trial kits, industrial customers can gain competitive advantage by accelerating their move to 5G. As they develop and test industrial applications, they can build optimized and innovative smart factories, warehouses, mines, ports, and more."

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2020/6/ericsson-5g-sa-trial-kits-for-industry

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Huawei moves forward with Optoelectronics Centre in Cambridge, UK

Huawei confirmed plans to invest £1 billion in the first phase a new Optoelectornics RD & manufacturing centre in Cambridge, UK.

In 2018, Huawei acquired 500 acres of land at the former Spicers paper mill, located to the west of Sawston. The site includes over 50 acres of brownfield land.

This next phase of the project includes construction of 50,000 square meters of facilities across nine acres of land and will directly create around 400 local jobs.

Once fully operational, Huawei said this new facility will become the international headquarters of its optoelectronics business. The facility will ocus on the research, development, and manufacturing of optical devices and modules.

"The UK is home to a vibrant and open market, as well as some of the best talent the world has to offer," said Victor Zhang, Vice President of Huawei. "It's the perfect location for this integrated innovation campus. Through close collaboration with research institutes, universities, and local industry, we want to advance optical communications technology for the industry as a whole, while doing our part to support the UK's broader Industrial Strategy. Ultimately, we want to help enshrine the UK's leading position in optoelectronics and promote UK tech on a global scale.

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Rogers picks Ericsson as sole supplier for 5G Core and RAN

Rogers selected Ericsson as the sole supplier for its 5G radio access network and 5G core across Canada. The Rogers 5G network is initially using 2.5 GHz band and will expand to operate on 600 MHz 5G spectrum as the service rolls out to more markets this year. The Canadian service provider also plans to use 3.5 GHz spectrum and Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, which will allow its 4G spectrum asset to be used for 5G.

The Rogers 5G network is initially using 2.5 GHz band and will expand to operate on 600 MHz 5G spectrum as the service rolls out to more markets this year. Rogers also plans to use 3.5 GHz spectrum and Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, which will allow its 4G spectrum asset to be used for 5G.

Rogers announced earlier this year the rollout of Canada’s first 5G network in downtown Vancouver, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. It is also deploying 5G in major Canadian sporting, entertainment and events venues: Rogers Centre in Toronto; Scotiabank Arena in Toronto; and Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

Kevin Zvokel, Head of Networks, Ericsson North America, says: “Ericsson is enabling Rogers to continue to execute on their long-standing commitment to bring Canadians market-leading wireless services in the 5G era. 5G will provide the agility, programmability, flexibility, and scale to address growing consumer and enterprise demands. This functionality will improve customer experience and support the development of compelling new services.”

Ericsson notes that it currently has 95 commercial 5G agreements or contracts with unique communication service providers, of which 40 are live networks.

Bell Canada signs Ericsson for 5G RAN

Tuesday, June 02, 2020  5G, Canada, Ericsson  

Bell Canada has selected Ericsson 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) technology to support its nationwide 5G mobile and fixed wireless access deployment.

The Canadian government is planning to auction 3.5 GHz spectrum later this year.

Niklas Heuveldop, President and Head of Ericsson North America, says, "We are proud to have earned Bell’s trust to be selected as one of their key partners and significantly expand our existing relationship to accelerate the transformation of their network with 5G mobile and fixed wireless technology. With our industry-leading 5G product portfolio, Bell will be able to provide Canadian consumers, enterprises and the public sector with innovative experiences and services whether they are on the move or at home, regardless if they are in urban or rural areas.”

TELUS selects Ericsson and Nokia for 5G

Tuesday, June 02, 2020  5G, Canada, TELUS  

TELUS selected Ericsson and Nokia for its 5G network.

“TELUS has a successful track record of building globally leading networks with amazing speeds, robust quality and extensive coverage that are consistently recognized as the best in the world,” said Darren Entwistle, President and CEO, TELUS. “Our team is committed to rolling out superior network technology from urban to rural communities, fueling our economy and driving innovation as we power Canadians into the 5G era through an unparalleled network experience."

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Liberty Latin America to virtualize its mobile core

Ericsson has been awarded a three-year contract to upgrade Liberty Latin Americas' mobile core network and modernize its network.

Ericsson will supply its virtualized and cloud-based mobile core network solutions. Deployment is expected to get underway in the second half of 2020 and will benefit LLA’s operations across the region.

Vivek Khemka, Chief Technology and Product Officer, Liberty Latin America, says: “Current circumstances have shown the importance of resilient, high-speed networks. Deploying a new virtualized core network across the region will allow us to be ready for our customers’ changing needs. We continue to invest and modernize our network across the region to ensure better voice quality, higher data speeds, lower latency, data security and increased network resiliency, improving our customer experiences. The extension of our strategic partnership with Ericsson consolidates our commitment to the development of a new generation of services that will provide a greater experience for our customers in the region.”

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Anritsu intros 110 GHz components for optical test equipment

Anritsu introduced components, including bias tees, a DC block, and semi-rigid cables, that operate to 110 GHz and provide broadband frequency scalability in high-frequency device characterization and optical networking applications.

The new components can be used as part of a test system consisting of 110 GHz vector network analyzers (VNAs), oscilloscopes and Bit Error Rate Testers (BERTs), as well as for optical transceivers, laser diodes, photodiodes, and optical modulators. Development of switches and routers using NRZ and PAM4 modulation schemes with 56 Gbps and 112 Gbps data rates, and 800G technology are applications, as well.

Anritsu said the addition of the new W1 components provides it with the broadest millimeter wave (mmWave) coaxial component portfolio in the market.

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IDC predicts 2.8% decline in Worldwide Services Market

IDC is now forecasting a 2.8% decline in worldwide IT services and business services this year due to COVID-19, however, the forecast is calling for a 1% to 1.4% uptick in 2021.

In April, IDC predicted this market would decline 1.1% in 2020, so the new forecast is more pessimistic.

IDC said the newest forecast is based on the Economist Intelligence Unit's May forecast for worldwide GDP in 2020, which will likely contract by around 4.4%, more than twice as much as the March forecast. After almost four months of shutdowns across most developed markets, the economic downturn in the first half of 2020 will be so severe that even a robust recovery in the next six months will not offset it.

"Over the last few months of shutdowns around the world, services providers have largely shifted clients' core IT and business operations to 'work from home' environments relatively overnight without major hiccups," said Lisa Nagamine, research manager with IDC's Worldwide Semiannual Services Tracker. "This further demonstrates how adaptive and resilient vendors and buyers can be in the 'digital age'."

"We will continue to see the services market growth outpace GDP growth, even during a crisis like this," said Xiao-Fei Zhang, program director, Global Services Markets and Trends. "The pandemic is clamping down on discretionary spending, and puts the brake on many projects for now, but this will be somewhat cushioned by managed services and support services contracts that support core operations of large enterprises and government agencies."

Some additional highlights from IDC:

• The Americas services markets are now forecast to decline 2.5% year over year in 2020, compared to the March forecast of nearly flat growth. 
• IDC lowered the US growth forecast to -2.7% in 2020. The project-oriented markets, particularly business consulting, bore the brunt as large US consultancies have already announced workforce reductions worldwide. 
• IDC also tempered the 2020 outlook for managed services by roughly 1%, now down 1.6%. The outlook for the support services market is unchanged and remains at -1.0% with growth in hardware and software support offset by sharp declines in training and education. 
• Services markets in Canada also saw a sharper decline in 2020 and weaker recovery is expected across most foundation markets in the coming years, reflecting the gloomier economic outlook as the shutdown drags on. 
• Latin America will continue to grow but will slump to less than 2% for 2020 with the outlook remaining unchanged from the March forecast.
• Western Europe will decline 5.2% year over year in 2020 moved downward by almost one percentage point from the March forecast.
• Central & Eastern Europe's 2020 short-term outlook was lowered while the mid- and long-term growth improved. 
• The Middle East & Africa market will contract by more than 5% in 2020 as major markets in the region are also flanked by shutdowns and the collapse in oil prices. 
• Japan will contract this year by 2.8% in 2020, revised downward by more than 1 percentage point with more economic metrics, such as weaker consumer spending in April and May, pointing to a weaker economy. 
• IDC still expects the China market to deliver growth of 2.7% for 2020.

https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS46637720

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Intelsat and Liquid Telecom extend partnership for Africa

Intelsat and Liquid Telecom are expanding their partnership to deliver very-small-aperture terminal (VSAT) service to 20 countries across Africa.

Through the partnership extension, Liquid Telecom will be able to connect more than 2,000 additional VSAT terminals across the continent. This will ensure the continuity of high-speed, reliable satellite connectivity to mobile operators, carriers, enterprise, media, content companies and retail customers across Africa, and it will also help Liquid Telecom better serve the growing demand for improved connectivity in its rural service areas.

“Extending our partnership with Intelsat will enable us to continue developing VSAT products with high- efficiency models and ubiquitous coverage; in fact, Liquid Telecom has just added three new high-performance VSAT service offerings to our portfolio, each with a range of data volume options. Liquid Telecom is continuing to drive increased demand and improve service levels across the continent, and this continuation of our partnership with Intelsat is a significant boost in that regard,” said Liquid Telecom Satellite Services CEO Scott Mumford.

http://www.liquidtelecom.com

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Amazon acquires Zoox for autonomous vehicle platform

Amazon agreed to acquire Zoox, a start-up developing purpose-built, zero-emissions vehicles designed for autonomous ride-hailing, along with an end-to-end autonomy software stack. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Zoox's ground-up vehicle focuses on the ride-hailing customer, with tightly integrated features designed "to provide a revolutionary passenger experience."

Zoox, which was founded in 2014, is based in Foster City, California. The company raised over $950 million in venture funding.

"Zoox is working to imagine, invent, and design a world-class autonomous ride-hailing experience," said Jeff Wilke, Amazon’s CEO, Worldwide Consumer. "Like Amazon, Zoox is passionate about innovation and about its customers, and we're excited to help the talented Zoox team to bring their vision to reality in the years ahead."

"This acquisition solidifies Zoox's impact on the autonomous driving industry," said Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox. "We have made great strides with our purpose-built approach to safe, autonomous mobility, and our exceptionally talented team working every day to realize that vision. We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future."

"Since Zoox's inception six years ago, we have been singularly focused on our ground-up approach to autonomous mobility," said Jesse Levinson, Zoox co-founder and CTO. "Amazon's support will markedly accelerate our path to delivering safe, clean, and enjoyable transportation to the world."

Zoox appoints former Intel exec as CEO -- Aicha Evans

Monday, January 14, 2019  People  

Zoox, a start-up developing autonomous vehicle systems, named Aicha Evans as its new CEO and a member of its Board of Directors.

Evans most recently served as Intel's Chief Strategy Officer, where she oversaw Intel’s transformation from a PC-centric to a data-centric company. Previously, Evans was General Manager of the Communication and Devices Group, where she led a team of over 7,000 people across multiple continents and was responsible for driving wireless engineering for multi-comm products and Intel platforms.

“Our team has made incredible progress since we started in 2014,” said Jesse Levinson, Zoox co-founder, CTO, and President. “We believe now more than ever that the full realization of autonomous mobility is a radical departure from last century’s car architecture, and that requires a completely reimagined vehicle and AI solution. I’m excited to partner with Aicha as we forge our own path and show the world what the next generation of mobility looks like.”

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