Akraino Release 3 extends use cases

LF Edge announced the availability of Akraino Release 3, featuring new blueprints that focus on mobile edge computing (MEC), AI/ML, and Cloud edge.

Akraino Edge Stack delivers an open source software stack that supports a high-availability cloud stack optimized for edge computing systems and applications. Designed to improve the state of carrier edge networks, edge cloud infrastructure for enterprise edge, and over-the-top (OTT) edge, it enables flexibility  Akraino aims to scale edge cloud services quickly, maximize applications and functions supported at the edge, and to improve the reliability of systems that must be up at all times.

Akraino R3 includes 6 new blueprints for a total of 20 blueprints, all tested and validated on real hardware labs supported by users and community members -- the Akraino community has established a full-stack, automated testing with strict community standards to ensure high-quality blueprints.

The 30 "ready and proven" blueprints, include both updates and long-term support to existing R1 & R2 blueprints, and the introduction of six new blueprints:

• The AI Edge – School/Education Video Security Monitoring
• 5G MEC/Slice System– Supports Cloud Gaming, HD Video, and Live Broadcasting
• Enterprise Applications on Lightweight 5G Telco Edge (EATLEdge)
• Micro-MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) for SmartCity Use Cases
• IEC Type 3: Android Cloud Native Applications on Arm-based Servers on the Edge
• IEC Type 5: Smart NIC: Edge Hardware Acceleration

In addition, the Akraino Project community has authored the first iteration of a new white paper to bring common open edge API standards to align the industry.

"Akraino has evolved to unify edge blueprints across multiple use cases," said Arpit Joshipura, general manager, Networking, Automation, Edge and IoT, the Linux Foundation. "With a growing set of blueprints that enable more and more use cases, we are seeing the power of open source impact every aspect of the edge and how the world accesses and consumes information."

https://www.lfedge.org/projects/release-3/

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Cisco's revenue drops 9% to $12.2 billion

Cisco reported revenue of $12.2 billion, GAAP net income of $2.6 billion or $0.62 per share, and non-GAAP net income of $3.4 billion or $0.80 per share, for its fourth fiscal quarter ended July 25, 2020.

The figure represents a 9% drop in revenue compared to a year earlier, the third straight quarterly drop. Earnings per share rose 22%. Product revenue was down 13% and service revenue was flat. Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas down 12%, EMEA down 6%, and APJC down 7%. Product revenue was led by growth in Security, up 10%. Infrastructure Platforms was down 16% and Applications was down 9%.

For FY2020 Cisco's otal revenue was $49.3 billion, a decrease of 5%.

"By the end of fiscal 2020, we achieved our goal of more than half of our revenue coming from software and services, and this strategy continues to resonate with customers as they digitize their organizations. Throughout fiscal 2020, Cisco has demonstrated operational resilience based on our strong customer relationships, solid financial foundation, and differentiated innovation," said Chuck Robbins, chairman and CEO of Cisco. "As we focus on the future, we are rebalancing our R&D investments to focus on new areas so we can continue to offer customers the best, most relevant technology in simpler, more easily consumable ways."

https://investor.cisco.com/home/default.aspx

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Acacia samples 100G QSFP-DD fixed wavelength module with 120km reach

Acacia Communications has begun sampling a new 100G coherent pluggable transceiver for edge and access applications with unamplified links up to 120km.

The new QSFP-DD point-to-point (P2P), fixed wavelength, hot-pluggable module provides network operators with a coherent alternative to direct-detect solutions.

Acacia says its coherent P2P solutions are extremely tolerant to fiber types, chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion (PMD), and back reflections. This simplifies installation, especially in edge and access networks because coherent technology ample optical margins to compensate for sometimes challenging fiber conditions. In addition, pluggable coherent solutions in QSFP-DD were designed to enable network scalability to ensure that data rates can scale-up by leveraging the QSFP-DD slots with 200G and 400G versions in the future.

“Acacia has a long-standing track record of driving coherent into new market applications by delivering the technology, scalability, feature set, and innovation that service providers need to maintain and grow their networks over time,” said Anuj Malik, Director of Product Management at Acacia Communications. “Leveraging our 10 years of high-performance coherent transmission expertise, we specifically designed our new 100G coherent P2P solutions to meet the needs of edge and access applications in terms of form factor, power consumption and cost, building on our technology leadership in silicon photonics and low-power DSPs.”

“Technology advancements have reached a point where coherent pluggables match the QSFP-DD form factor of grey optics, enabling a change in the way our customers build networks,” said Kevin Wollenweber, VP Product Management for Cisco’s Routing Portfolio. “100G edge and access optimized coherent pluggables will not only provide operational simplicity, but also scalability, making access networks more future proof.”

https://acacia-inc.com/

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FCC prevails in court challenge to accelerated 5G cell deployments

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit sided with the FCC in upholding the vast majority of three orders to accelerate the deployment of wireless and wireline broadband infrastructure. In the cases, local and state governments were seeking to FCC rules that streamline the installation of 5G infrastructure over the objection of local authorities.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai states: “Today’s decision is a massive victory for U.S. leadership in 5G, our nation’s economy, and American consumers.  The court rightly affirmed the FCC’s efforts to ensure that infrastructure deployment critical to 5G—a key part of our 5G FAST Plan—is not impeded by exorbitant fees imposed by state and local governments, undue delays in local permitting, and unreasonable barriers to pole access.  The wind is at our backs:  With the FCC’s infrastructure policies now ratified by the court, along with pathbreaking spectrum auctions concluded, ongoing, and to come, America is well-positioned to extend its global lead in 5G and American consumers will benefit from the next generation of wireless technologies and services."

FCC acts to streamline 5G upgrades by limiting local review

Tuesday, June 09, 2020  FCC  

The FCC is clarifying rules regarding state and local government review of modifications to existing wireless infrastructure.  The action is expected to expedite the rollout of 5G networks by limiting state and local government review of certain requests to modify wireless transmission equipment on existing structures.

Specifically, the Declaratory Ruling adopted today clarifies the Commission’s 2014 rules with regard to when the 60-day shot clock for local review begins.  The ruling also clarifies how certain aspects of proposed modifications – height increases, equipment cabinet additions, and impact on concealment elements and aesthetic conditions – affect eligibility for streamlined review under section 6409(a).  In addition, today’s action clarifies that, under the Commission’s rules on environmental and historic preservation review,  FCC applicants do not need to submit environmental assessments based only on potential impacts to historic properties when parties have entered into a memorandum of agreement to mitigate effects on those properties. 

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Samsung implements "X-Cube" 3D IC packaging in 7nm and 5nm

Samsung Electronics announced the immediate availability of its 3D IC packaging technology, eXtended-Cube (X-Cube).

"Samsung's new 3D integration technology ensures reliable through-silicon via (TSV) interconnections even at the cutting-edge EUV process nodes," said Moonsoo Kang, senior vice president of Foundry Market Strategy at Samsung Electronics. "We are committed to bringing more 3D IC innovation that can push the boundaries of semiconductors.”

The X-Cube test chip built on 7nm uses TSV technology to stack SRAM on top of a logic die, freeing up space to pack more memory into a smaller footprint. Enabled by 3D integration, the ultra-thin package design features significantly shorter signal paths between the dies for maximized data transfer speed and energy efficiency. Customers can also scale the memory bandwidth and density to their desired specifications.

Samsung X-Cube's silicon-proven design methodology and flow are available now for advanced nodes including 7nm and 5nm. Building on the initial design, Samsung plans to continue collaborating with global fabless customers to facilitate the deployment of 3D IC solutions in next-generation high-performance applications.

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Ericsson chalks up its 100th 5G commercial agreement

Ericsson announced a big 5G milestone -- its 100th commercial 5G agreement or contract with unique communications service providers. The figure includes 58 publicly announced contracts and 56 live 5G networks, spanning five continents.

The latest deal is with Telekom Slovenije.

Börje Ekholm, President and CEO, Ericsson, says: “Our customers’ needs have been central to the development and evolution of Ericsson’s 5G technology across our portfolio from the very beginning. We are proud that this commitment has resulted in 100 unique communications service providers globally selecting our technology to drive their 5G success ambitions. We continue to put our customers center stage to help them deliver the benefits of 5G to their subscribers, industry, society and countries as a critical national infrastructure.”

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China Mobile tests SRv6 optimization with ZTE

ZTE completed a forwarding-plane multi-vendor interoperability test of an SRv6 header compression optimization solution in partnership with China Mobile.

The SRv6 optimization solution is an improvement and supplement to the standard SRv6 solution. It can support all SRv6 functions while reducing the size of the header by 4 times. In addition, it can effectively solve the problems such as high encapsulation overheads of 128bit SRv6 SID, low forwarding efficiency, and high hardware requirements for packet header processing, thereby significantly increasing the transport efficiency and strongly boosting the commercial deployment of the SRv6 technology.

The two companies are conducting follow-up tests and pilot trials of the G-SRv6 optimization solution in existing networks. These pilot trials should be complete by November 2020.

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