AAE-1 subsea cable doubles capacity with Infinera

The Asia-Africa-Europe-1 Consortium (AAE-1), which operates one of the largest subsea cable systems in the world, recently completed a significant upgrade with Infinera.

 The upgrade, which is based on Infinera’s fourth-generation Infinite Capacity Engine (ICE4) technology and Instant Bandwidth capability, enabled AAE-1 to double the capacity on its intercontinental network while reducing total cost of ownership and increasing service agility and network reliability.

 AAE-1’s cable system spans 25,000 kilometers of subsea and terrestrial network. The AAE-1 cable system terminates at two points of presence in Singapore and is the only next-generation cable that continues further into Asia through diverse terrestrial routes across Thailand, providing connectivity to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Hong Kong. This unique routing enables AAE-1 to deliver one of the lowest-latency routes between Hong Kong, India, the Middle East, and Europe.

 “AAE-1 is an important subsea cable asset for carriers globally, with bandwidth needs growing rapidly, particularly during this very difficult and deeply sad global crisis. After a rigorous evaluation, we selected Infinera for its superior reach, optical transmission performance, and reliability,” explained Mr. Loucas Balis, Chairman, AAE-1 Management Committee.

 “When selecting a solution for AAE-1, it was critical to select a vendor with a seamless scalable solution for the entire network, with great economics,” Giuseppe Sini, Vice Chairman, AAE-1 Management Committee added. “Infinera gave AAE-1 the ability to activate capacity quickly and really differentiate our services. Infinera has been an excellent choice.”

 “We are pleased to support AAE-1’s network upgrade, delivering the benefits of Infinera’s photonic integrated circuit-based ICE4 solution, featuring industry-leading spectral efficiency, Nyquist subcarriers, SD-FEC gain sharing, and Smart Optimize. The deployed solution also delivered extended C-band open line system terrestrial crossings that are expandable in-service to L-band,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales at Infinera.


https://www.aaeone.com/aaeportal/

http://www.infinera.com

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Mobile operator survey: 81% say progress toward 5G is moving rapidly

Approximately 30% of mobile service providers are already proactively planning to add 5G standalone capabilities to their networks, and another 9 percent say their companies will move directly to standalone, according to a new survey conducted by Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network.

Standalone 5G will require a whole new network core utilizing a cloud-native, virtualized, service-based architecture. Many respondents, in fact, say they are making significant progress toward network virtualization.


The new global study report, “Toward a More Secure 5G World,” which was developed in partnership with A10 Networks, finds that COVID-19 is not expected to significantly delay 5G deployments. The percentage of mobile service providers who say their companies are “moving rapidly toward commercial deployment” has increased significantly in the past year, climbing from 26 percent in a survey announced in early 2019 to 45 percent in the new survey. Virtually all respondents say improved security is a critical network requirement and top concern in the 5G era.

Among key findings of the survey:

• 81% say industry progress toward 5G is moving rapidly, mostly in major markets, or is at least in line with expectations.
• 71% expect to begin 5G network build-outs within 18 months, including one-third who have already begun or will do so in 2020.
• 95% percent say virtualizing network functions is important to their 5G plans, and some three-quarters say their companies are either well on their way or making good progress toward virtualization.
• 99% view deployment of mobile edge clouds as an important aspect of 5G networks, with 65% saying they expect edge clouds on their 5G networks within 18 months.

“Mobile operators globally need to proactively prepare for the demands of a new virtualized and secure 5G world,” said Gunter Reiss, worldwide vice president of A10 Networks, a provider of secure application services for mobile operators worldwide. “That means boosting security at key protection points like the mobile edge, deploying a cloud-native infrastructure, consolidating network functions, leveraging new CI/CD integrations and DevOps automation tools, and moving to an agile and hyperscale service-based architecture as much as possible. All of these improvements will pay dividends immediately with existing networks and move carriers closer to their ultimate goals for broader 5G adoption and the roll-out of new and innovative ultra-reliable low-latency use cases.”

“Our latest study indicates that major mobile carriers around the world are on track with their 5G plans, and more expect to begin commercial build-outs in the coming months,” said Dave Murray, director of thought leadership with the BPI Network. “While COVID-19 may result in some short-term delays for operators, the pandemic ultimately demonstrates a global need for higher speed, higher capacity 5G networks and the applications and use case they enable.”

Download the complimentary report at: http://bpinetwork.org/thought-leadership/studies/77/download-report-toward-a-more-secure-5g-world

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ARM unveils its latest mobile CPUs and GPUs

Arm introduced its latest Cortex-A78 CPU, Mali-G78 and Ethos-N78 machine learning chip for next generation, 5G smartphones.

The new Arm Cortex-A78 CPU is designed for multi-day, immersive 5G experiences. It promises a 20% increase in sustained performance over Cortex-A77-based devices within a 1-watt power budget, and more efficient management of compute workloads along with greater on-device Machine Learning (ML) performance.

The Mali-G78, which will deliver a 25% increase in graphics performance relative to Mali-G77, brings support for up to 24 cores. Arm is also introducing a new sub-premium tier of GPUs. The first in this new tier is the Arm Mali-G68, which supports up to 6 cores and inherits all the latest Mali-G78 features, enabling our partners to deliver high-performance experiences to a wider audience of developers and consumers.

Arm also introduced a Cortex-X Custom program to give OEMs the option of having more flexibility and scalability for increasing performance. The Cortex-X Custom Program allows for customization and differentiation beyond the traditional roadmap of Arm Cortex products, enabling our partners with a solution for providing the ultimate performance for specific use cases. Arm Cortex-X1 is the program’s first CPU and the most powerful Cortex CPU to date. With a 30% peak performance increase over Cortex-A77, it offers an even more competitive solution for flagship smartphones and large-screen devices.

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Telia launches commercial 5G in Sweden

Telia Company recently inaugurated its commercial 5G network in Sweden, with service initially available in Stockholm powered by Ericsson Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions.

Initial services on the 700Mhz band will cover most of central Stockholm by mid-June, including the Norrmalm, Östermalm and Vasastan districts.

Telia aims to enhance and supplement its low-band 5G commercial services with additional nationwide 5G coverage, including mid- and high-bands, following the auction of the related spectrum by the Swedish government later this year. For this launch Telia is using its existing 700MHz spectrum, boosted by LTE and New Radio (NR) carrier aggregation.

Allison Kirkby, CEO, Telia Company, says: “Our networks have never been more important to lives and livelihoods, than now. Telia’s 5G launch lays the foundations for the next phase of digital transformation, with innovation, sustainability and security as three critical pillars, and we are proud to be doing this launch in partnership with Ericsson. As we roll-out 5G across Sweden, we will open up new user experiences and accelerated innovation in areas such as entertainment, healthcare, manufacturing and transport, that will collectively strengthen and protect everyone living and working in Sweden, and Swedish competitiveness in the world.”

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, says: “This is a real milestone for us as a Swedish company as we partner with Telia Company to make commercial 5G a reality for its users in Stockholm.  Whether through enhanced mobile broadband or innovative new business, societal and industrial applications, 5G is set to change life and society for the better right across Sweden. We look forward to working with our strategic partner Telia Company to drive this change and ensure Sweden benefits from the competitive benefits of digitalization.”

With Telia's launch, Ericsson now has 39 live 5G networks in 22 countries. Ericsson’s live networks are part of the 91 commercial 5G agreements or contracts the company has with unique operators globally, of which 48 are publicly announced 5G deals.

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Intelsat opts into FCC accelerated C-band clearing plan

Intelsat filed a written commitment with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to accelerate clearing of the U.S. C-band spectrum. Intelsat completed the filing in advance of the FCC’s May 29 deadline.

“Intelsat has been connecting Americans with technology for more than half a century. Our expertise, innovation, and technology investments have played a critical role in driving America’s economic and national security edge for the last five decades”

In March, the FCC finalized its Expanding Flexible Use of the 3.7 to 4.2 GHz Band order, which requires the lower 280 megahertz of the 3.7 to 4.2 gigahertz C-band spectrum, plus a 20 megahertz guard band, to be cleared and repurposed for use by 5G services, by relocating existing satellite services to the upper part of the band.

“As the foundational architects of satellite technology and leading experts of integrated communications technologies, Intelsat is committed to advancing – at an accelerated pace – America’s position in the race to 5G. With decades-deep institutional knowledge of the U.S. C-band, we understand what’s required to successfully and quickly transition current users, while maintaining high-quality, uninterrupted broadcast to more than 100 million American homes and businesses,” said Intelsat Chief Executive Officer Stephen Spengler.

“Intelsat has been connecting Americans with technology for more than half a century. Our expertise, innovation, and technology investments have played a critical role in driving America’s economic and national security edge for the last five decades,” continued Spengler. “We embrace America’s drive to adopt 5G and recognize the important role that Intelsat will play in accelerating the clearing of the C-Band spectrum to ensure the U.S. maintains its leadership in 5G and other advanced telecommunications technologies for decades to come.”

FCC approves C-Band spectrum rules

Sunday, March 01, 2020  Auction, C-Band, FCC, Satellite  

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.

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Samsung Electronics intros stand-alone security chip for mobiles

Samsung Electronics Co. introduced a Secure Element (SE) chip and enhanced security software for mobile devices that offers protection for tasks such as booting, isolated storage, mobile payment and other applications. The latest security chip is Common Criteria Evaluation Assurance Level (CC EAL) 6+ certified, the highest level acquired by a mobile component.

“In this era of mobility and contact-less interactions, we expect our connected devices, such as smartphones or tablets, to be highly secure so as to protect personal data and enable fintech activities such as mobile banking, stock trading and cryptocurrency transactions,” said Dongho Shin, senior vice president of System LSI marketing at Samsung Electronics. “With the new standalone security element solution (S3FV9RR), Samsung is mounting a powerful deadbolt on smart devices to safeguard private information.”

Samsung’s new security solution supports hardware-based root of trust (RoT), secure boot and device authentication that brings mobile security to the next level. Especially for service providers, manufacturers and organizations, secure device authentication is enhanced with the RoT when running proprietary applications on a mobile device. As a bootloader initiates, a chain of trust is activated through which each and every firmware with approved keys is sequentially validated. This secure booting process is handled by the RoT, guarding the device against any possible malicious attacks or unauthorized software updates.

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Xilinx spins 20-nm, radiation-tolerant, space-grade FPGAs

Xilinx introduced a 20-nanometer (nm) space-grade FPGA, offering full radiation tolerance and ultra-high throughput and bandwidth performance for satellite and space applications.

The new 20nm Radiation Tolerant (RT) Kintex UltraScale XQRKU060 FPGA provides true unlimited on-orbit reconfiguration, over a 10x increase in digital signal processing (DSP) performance – ideal for payload applications – and full radiation tolerance across all orbits.

The XQRKU060 offers rich DSP capabilities optimized for dense power-efficient compute. It is equipped with 2,760 UltraScale DSP slices and provides up to 1.6 TeraMACs of signal processing compute, more than a 10X increase compared to the prior generation, as well as dramatic efficiency gains for floating point computations. The increased compute capability in space is paired with massive I/O bandwidth from 32 high-speed transceivers (SerDes) that can run up to 12.5Gbps to deliver 400Gbps aggregate bandwidth.

The XQRKU060 also features robust 40x40mm ceramic packaging capable of withstanding vibrations and handling during launch as well as radiation effects in harsh orbit environments. The architecture features an innovative design for single event effects (SEE) mitigation thereby meeting the industry requirements for all orbits, including low earth orbit (LEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), geosynchronous orbit (GEO), and deep space missions.

“With our extensive history in developing leading-edge, radiation tolerant technology and deploying this in reliable space-grade solutions, Xilinx continues its lead with the launch of the world’s most advanced process node for space,” said Minal Sawant, space systems architect, Aerospace and Defense Vertical Marketing, at Xilinx. “The 20nm RT Kintex UltraScale FPGA is breaking industry standards and setting a new benchmark for meeting the high compute requirements of high bandwidth payloads, space exploration and research missions.”

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Kyoto Semiconductor intros Two-Wavelength Photodiode

Kyoto Semiconductor Co. introduced a Two-Wavelength Photodiode with photosensitivity for a wide range of wavelengths, from 400 to 1,700 nm, arrayed along the same light axis. The device is capable of being surface-mounted, with silicon and indium-gallium-arsenide photodiodes. Samples will be available from August 31, 2020.

Applications could include spectroscopic analysis, enabling the identification of objects and their characteristics by reflecting light off those objects and measuring the degrees of transmission and reflection.

https://www.kyosemi.co.jp/en/lp/kpmc29

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A1 Telecom Austria picks Netcracker for OSS

A1 Telecom Austria Group, a leading provider of digital services and communications solutions in Central and Eastern Europe, selected Netcracker Technology's OSS for extending an IT transformation project. Netcracker will modernize the existing multitenant, cloud-based Resource Inventory solution that supports services across Bulgaria, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. This multiyear joint development initiative also includes Netcracker’s professional services, enabling the provider to rapidly enhance its Resource Inventory modernization while improving the overall customer experience.

Netcracker’s cloud-based, Digital OSS solution includes Netcracker Framework, Resource Inventory, Workflow Management, Discovery and Reconciliation and Network Planning and Design. The enhanced solution will provide A1 Telecom Austria Group the benefits of even faster time-to-market for new services, greater operational visibility and consistent Resource Inventory processes across the service provider’s multicounty footprint. Utilizing Netcracker’s professional services will ensure that all digital transformation goals are met quickly and efficiently.

“Netcracker’s multitenant, cloud-based Resource Inventory solution gives us the ability to reap the benefits of scale, cost and consistency,” said Alexander Dimitrov, CEO of A1 in Bulgaria. “This solution gives us additional flexibility and empowers A1 Bulgaria to quickly launch new services and capabilities, including 5G services, consistently for our customers across our multiple geographies.”

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KT brings 5G to warehouse carts

KT is using 5G self-driving carts at its own Seobu distribution and logistics center.

The 5G autonomous carts transport smartphones and other devices to designated locations, as requested by the control center and the person in charge. The self-driving logistics vehicles and AIV service are based on KT's integrated mobility platform, dubbed "5G Mobility Makers." The platform is at the core of KT's connected car services, which feature automated driving control by collecting and analyzing data produced by different vehicles.

"In preparation for the post-COVID era, technologies to minimize person-to-person contact are increasingly demanded throughout industries," said Choi Kangrim, Head of KT's Connected Car Biz Center. "By applying AIV service based on our advanced communication networks and platforms in a wider scope of industries and leading relevant technological advancement, we at KT will do our utmost to help our customers enjoy the benefits in their everyday lives."

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