Sunday, March 1, 2020

Verizon carries 800 Gbps wavelength

Verizon reported the transmission of 800 Gbps of data on a single wavelength over its live network.

The test showed equipment interoperability from two different suppliers and the capability to quadruple the typical capacity carried on a wavelength. The test traffic was transmitted between two Juniper Networks QFX 5220 packet platforms across two Ciena 6500 platforms powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) coherent optics.

Verizon said the use of this new coherent optics and equipment from Ciena and Juniper demonstrates the evolution to a more software-driven and automated network with tunable capacity from 200Gbps to 800Gbps per wavelength.\

“In the past, we needed to combine multiple wavelengths to achieve 800 Gbps capacity,” said Kevin N. Smith, Vice President of Technology and Planning for Verizon. “Now, with the new optics configuration from Ciena and Juniper Networks on our fiber network, we are advancing our connecting layer of fiber to prepare for the explosion of data we know will come along with 5G’s transformational impact on industries and consumers. And being the only provider in the industry with that capacity on a single wavelength allows us to deliver the service at a much lower cost per bit.”

“800G is possible today with our WaveLogic 5 Extreme technology and this live Network trial is remarkable because it shows the progression of capacity and efficiencies,” said Scott McFeely, Senior Vice President of Global Products and Services for Ciena. “Programmable 200Gbps-800Gbps transmission will allow Verizon to effectively respond to fluctuating user demands by creating a more software-driven, programmable and highly scalable network.”

“As network traffic continues to grow sharply, driven by video and other new 5G uses cases, it’s imperative for communications service providers and infrastructure vendors to work closely together for rapid innovation. New 400GbE packet routers and 800G coherent optical systems help drive down the cost per bit with improved scale and density. We’re excited to have played a role in this successful trial and look forward to help deliver new, high-bandwidth services to end-users.” - Sally Bament, Vice President, Cloud & Service Provider Marketing, Juniper Networks.

Verizon will begin deploying this new optical configuration in the fiber network in the second half of 2020.

Deutsche Telekom to test cloud-based virtual RAN with VMware, Intel

VMware and Deutsche Telekom are collaborating on an open and intelligent virtual RAN (vRAN) platform, based on O-RAN standards, for both existing LTE and future 5G networks.

The solution is based on Intel’s FlexRAN architecture. It runs vRAN workloads on top of VMware’s telco cloud platform. The design is optimized for real-time and low latency workloads. The solution will also feature a VMware-developed pre-standard, near-real-time RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) that will adopt O-RAN open interfaces with required enhancements to enable real-time radio resource management capabilities to be delivered as applications on top of the platform. VMware, Deutsche Telekom and Intel are collaborating with an open partner ecosystem to develop this solution, and key initial partners include Cohere Technologies and Mavenir.

Deutsche Telekom will conduct testing and validation at its headquarters in Bonn, Germany.

“As the traditional RAN becomes the open RAN, we need to accelerate the development of scalable high-performance open RAN solutions. Our collaboration with VMware and Intel aims to address scalability and related economics for vRAN macro layer deployment,” says Alex Jinsung Choi, SVP Strategy & Technology Innovation (STI), Deutsche Telekom. “Going forward, we will jointly collaborate with the open RAN vendor ecosystem to accelerate commercial availability of solutions.”

“This solution brings the promise of RAN to the forefront for today’s LTE networks and tomorrow’s 5G networks,” said Shekar Ayyar, executive vice president and general manager, Telco and Edge Cloud, VMware. “In a 5G world, the RAN needs to become software-defined in order to meet the needs of CSPs, and what we’re proposing with this open and intelligent vRAN platform will do exactly that.”

https://www.telekom.com/

FCC approves C-Band spectrum rules

The Federal Communications Commission voted to approve new rules to accelerate the auction and transfer of a wide swath of 3.5 GHz spectrum from the satellite industry for new uses, including 5G.

The 280 megahertz of mid-band spectrum will be made available via a public auction.

Within the 3.7-4.2 GHz band, the FCC has is allocating the 3.7-4.0 GHz portion of the band for mobile use and 280 megahertz (3.7-3.98 GHz band) will be auctioned by the FCC for wireless services in the contiguous United States.  Another 20 megahertz (3.98-4.0 GHz) will serve as a guard band while existing satellite operations will be repacked into the upper 200 megahertz of the band (4.0-4.2 GHz).

Satellite operators will be able to receive accelerated relocation payments of $9.7 billion if they meet accelerated clearing milestones. 

FCC expects to conduct an auction beginning on December 8, 2020.

In a statement, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai writes: "With respect to this principle of revenue for the federal government, it’s important to make a couple of points about accelerated relocation payments.  First, they will be made by wireless carriers, not the FCC and not the American taxpayer.  And second, to the extent they impact the proceeds of the auction at all, they are likely to increase those proceeds.  That’s because without a strong incentive for satellite operators to cooperate, it will take years longer to clear this spectrum, dramatically reducing the value of this spectrum opportunity to wireless bidders.  It’s like repainting your house before you sell it; yes, there are costs to doing that, but the costs are more than offset by the higher sales price.  And our conservative approach here means the costs of accelerated relocation are easily outweighed by the benefits to the Treasury (not to mention the public at large)..."

"But as to its timing, there are some who argue that we should wait—indefinitely.  They complain that we are refusing to sit on our hands and wait for Congress to legislate.  It’s at once amusing and astounding that some making this criticism are the very same people who have previously complained that the agency isn’t moving quickly enough on mid-band spectrum.  Indeed, by now, it’s become a tired refrain:  Demand action on mid-band spectrum, but vote against putting 2.5 GHz spectrum to work for American consumers.  Demand action on mid-band spectrum, but vote against making the 3.5 GHz band a testbed for 5G.  Demand action on mid-band spectrum, but vote against letting New T-Mobile put underused spectrum to work in rural America.  Demand action on mid-band spectrum, but vote against every single one of the infrastructure reforms needed to enable that spectrum to be used for 5G..." 

So let me be clear regarding this tepid call to change course and sit still.  For those waiting with bated breath for that favorite Washington catchphrase “the U-turn,” I have only one thing to say:  You turn if you want to.  This Chairman’s not for turning.  The goal of leading the world in 5G is too urgent, the need to close the digital divide too pressing for us to put off action indefinitely.  The time to act is now.  And we are acting."


Piazza WiFi Italia project to offer free connection in town squares

A new Piazza WiFi Italia project, which was created by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, aims to provide a free and widespread WiFi network throughout Italy. The goal is to provide free access WiFi in one or more squares of about 8,000 municipalities across the country.

Telecom Italia (TIM) has won the tender launched by Infratel Italia to bring WiFi connections to over 5,500 Italian municipalities with more than 2,000 inhabitants, with the aim of integrating and expanding the existing project for about 2,500 municipalities with up to 2,000 inhabitants, also managed by TIM, as part of the Consip LAN agreement.

Hughes to deploy 4,000 satellite Wi-Fi hotspots across rural Mexico

Hughes Network Systems will deploy up to 4,000 Wi-Fi hotspots powered by Facebook Connectivity’s Express Wi-Fi platform in rural Mexico. Hughes is working in collaboration with Telecomunicaciones de México (TELECOMM), a decentralized body under the Mexico Secretariat of Communications and Transportation.

The first Hughes Express Wi-Fi hotspot under this initiative was installed by TELECOMM in the town of General Sandino, where there was previously no high-speed Internet. Home to approximately 300 residents, the town is a two-hour drive from Tuxtla Gutierrez, the capital of Chiapas State in the southern region of Mexico.

Hughes Express Wi-Fi makes affordable, high-speed Internet access available to people in rural communities at prices as low as 10 pesos (50 cents USD) per hour. The solution leverages the Hughes JUPITER System, the next generation VSAT platform designed and optimized for broadband services, using Ka-band capacity from the JUPITER 2 (EchoStar XIX) High-Throughput Satellite.

“The agreement with TELECOMM to deploy Hughes Express Wi-Fi hotspots at thousands of rural locations reflects the power of the solution to make affordable Internet access available quickly to help connect the unconnected,” said Ramesh Ramaswamy, senior vice president and general manager, International Division at Hughes. “We look forward to working together with TELECOMM to connect more communities in Mexico with this turnkey, satellite broadband service.”

NTT and partners test access network virtualization technologies

The APAC Telecom Innovation Initiative (ATII), a joint research and development initiative backed by NTT, Telkom Indonesia, and Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), will conduct tests of network access virtualization technologies. As a part of its activities, the group has released the APAC telecom carriers' common carrier-grade requirements whitepaper on access network virtualization.

The group has established a common testbed environment for access network virtualization technologies using a VPN connection between three laboratories located in Tokyo (NTT), Bandung (Telkom Indonesia), and Hanoi (VNPT). WP3 has successfully conducted performance tests, clarified technological issues to be addressed in the future, and made a brief final report on the following three topics:

  • Simple access line opening
  • Application to IPv6 services
  • Zero-touch multi-service provisioning on CORD 4-in-a-Box (CiaB)

A whitepaper of the Flexible Access Network Virtualization architecture is posted here:

https://www.ansl.ntt.co.jp/img/fasa/ATII_WP3_Report.pdf

MPLS + SDN + NFV World postponed to June 30th – July 3rd, 2020

Upperside Conferences has decided to postpone the MPLS + SDN + NFV World Congress and the
AI Net Conference to June 30th - July 3rd, at the same venue (Hotel Marriott Paris Rive Gauche).

The decision was taken with due regard to the coronavirus outbreak worldwide and the clear and precise caution from the French authorities.

In a statement, Upperside Conferences states: "We deeply thank all our partners, sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, who, by looking ahead and organizing themselves right now to be there at the end of June in Paris, have strongly shown their confidence and support.  We look forward to welcoming them in a new successful event in June."

https://www.uppersideconferences.com/mpls-sdn-nfv/

OCP Summit in San Jose is cancelled

The Open Compute Project Foundation (OCP) has decided to cancel the OCP Global Summit due to the COVID-19 situation. The event was scheduled to take place March 3-5 at the San Jose Convention Center in California. Also canceled were associated events including the Future Technology Symposium, the OCP SONiC/SAI Pre-Summit Workshop, and the Open System Firmware Hack event.

The OCP Summit is an annual event with an active and broad community following.

https://www.opencompute.org/summit/global-summit

Nokia withdraws from OFC

Nokia confirmed that it will not be participating in the upcoming OFC 2020 conference in San Diego due to the coronavirus situation.