Microchip announces network synchronization platform

Microchip Technology Inc. introduced a single-chip, highly integrated, low-power, multi-channel integrated circuit (IC) that can be coupled with the company’s IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) and clock recovery algorithm software modules.

“Our newest ZL3073x/63x/64x network synchronization platform implements sophisticated measure, calibrate and tune capabilities, thereby significantly reducing network equipment time error to meet the most stringent 5G requirements,” said Rami Kanama, vice president of Microchip’s timing and communications business unit. “A uniquely flexible architecture for implementing the necessary channel density as well as high-performance, low-jitter synthesizers help simplify the design of timing cards, line cards, Radio Units (RU), Centralized Units (CUs) and Distributed Units (DUs) for 5G Radio Access Networks (RAN).”

Microchip said its measure, calibrate and tune capabilities ensure 5G systems achieve International Telecommunication Union – Telecommunication (ITU-T) Standard G.8273.2 Class C (30ns max|TE|) and the emerging Class D (5ns max|TEL|) time error requirements. The architecture provides flexibility, offering up to five independent Digital Phase Locked Loop (DPLL) channels while consuming only 0.9W of power in a compact 9 x 9-millimeter package that simultaneously reduces board space, power and system complexity.

With five ultra-low-jitter synthesizers, this latest platform offers 100 femtosecond (fs) root mean square (rms) jitter performance required by high-speed interfaces in the latest 5G RU, DU and CU systems.

Microchip’s network synchronization platform software includes its ZLS30730 high-performance algorithm coupled with its ZLS30390 IEEE 1588-2008 protocol engine. Both are widely deployed in 3G, 4G and 5G networks with precise timing capabilities.

Microchip’s ZL3073x/63x/64x network synchronization platform combines seamlessly with the company’s family of precision 5G oscillators – for example, the OX-601 Oven Controlled Crystal Oscillator (OCXO) – to offer 5G network operators a total system solution.

The company’s extensive portfolio of timing and clock solutions include clock generation, fanout buffer and jitter attenuator solutions as well as quartz and MEMS oscillators is complemented by a broad family of Ethernet physical layer (PHY) devices.

https://www.microchip.com/en-us/about/news-releases/products/first-single-chip-network-synchronization-solution-provides-ultr

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T-Mobile US raises 2021 financial guidance

T-Mobile US reported Q2 revenues of $20.0 billion up 13% year-over-year. Service revenues amounted ti $14.5 billion up 10% year-over-year. Net income was $978 million, 8x more than last year, with diluted earnings per share of $0.78.

Some highlights:

• Approximately 80% of Sprint customer traffic is now carried on the T-Mobile network
• One-third of Sprint customers have been moved to the T-Mobile network
• Net customer additions of 1.4 million in Q2 2021 increased 107 thousand year-over-year and the total customer count increased to a record-high of 104.8 million.
• Postpaid net customer additions of 1.3 million in Q2 2021 increased 164 thousand year-over-year.
• Postpaid phone net customer additions of 627 thousand in Q2 2021 increased 374 thousand year-overyear, and postpaid phone churn of 0.87% improved sequentially for the second consecutive quarter.
• Postpaid other net customer additions were 649 thousand in Q2 2021.
• Postpaid account net additions of 349 thousand in Q2 2021 increased 248 thousand year-over-year.

 https://investor.t-mobile.com/financial-performance/quarterly-results/default.aspx

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OIF's IA for High Bandwidth Coherent Driver Modulator -- 800G and up

OIF announced an Implementation Agreement (IA) for High Bandwidth Coherent Driver Modulator (HB-CDM) 2.0. This IA builds upon the HB-CDM 1.0 IA, released in November 2018, and leverages the same form factor.

The HB-CDM 2.0 follows the integrated laser and coherent receiver standards from OIF in enabling next-generation compact, high-performance coherent networking solutions. Since OIF’s HB-CDM 1.0 was released for 64 Gigabaud (GBd), enabling 400Gbps coherent systems, the market has seen a need for increased network capacity and higher performance. The HB-CDM 2.0 leverages the original Type 1 form factor for compatibility with existing systems and also includes a Flexible Printed Circuit (FPC) as an alternate interface and higher performance RF pitch options for extended rates for future systems.

“OIF’s HB-CDM 1.0 standard was a critical new component enabling optimized 400G+ metro and long-haul coherent networks, supporting the industry need for more capacity with a standardized footprint, interface and performance,” explained Technical Editor of the OIF HB-CDM 2.0 IA, Richard Ward, Intel. “The HB-CDM 2.0 is a natural extension covering 128GBd in coherent technology for 800G per wavelength and beyond coherent systems. The market demand reinforces OIF’s critical role in creating solutions to fulfill industry requirements and accelerating market adoption of optical networking technologies.”

http://www.oiforum.com

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What's next for fiber access?

GPON has been the leading fiber access for the last 15 years, but which 10G or beyond technology will prevail next. 

Robert Conger, ADTRAN's SVP Technology & Strategy, discusses the various PON options, including XGS-PON, Combo-PON and higher-speed alternatives.

https://youtu.be/nHR7Keh68aY

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TPG Telecom picks Infinera’s ICE6 800G for Australia-Guam cable

 TPG Telecom selected Infinera for a major technology upgrade of its PPC-1 cable system connecting Australia and Guam, including connectivity to Papua New Guinea. It has two fiber pairs spanning approximately 7,000 kilometers, with 78 repeaters spaced approximately 92 kilometers apart. The submarine cable is a major gateway for North America and other Asia Pacific destinations.

Using Infinera’s ICE6 800G solution, the project will boost data capacity on this key internet backbone link by 50 percent, from 8 Tbps currently to 12 Tbps. Enabling direct connectivity to key Sydney points of presence (POPs) is part of this upgrade, delivering seamless connections for TPG Telecom customers beyond the landing station.

TPG Telecom Executive General Manager Mobile and Fixed Networks Barry Kezik said, “We are increasing the capacity of this vital international link by 50 percent to meet the growing data requirements of our customers, which is being driven by booming demand for cloud computing and video streaming.”

“Infinera is excited to collaborate with TPG Telecom to deploy our industry-leading ICE6 800G solution on its critical subsea network, offering higher-speed bandwidth and more capacity and arming TPG Telecom with the ability to deliver new high-speed connectivity services,” said Nick Walden, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales, Infinera.

TPG Telecom's brands include Vodafone, TPG, iiNet, AAPT, Internode, Lebara and felix. In addition to its PPC-1 assets, TPG Telecom is party to agreements which provide it with access to the Southern Cross cable connecting Australia to the US, and an agreement giving it indefeasible rights to use the SEA-US submarine cable between Guam and California. SEA-US extends the reach of TPG Telecom’s directly controlled network into the main hub of internet content in the US. TPG Telecom also has international links into New Zealand, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan.

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Fujitsu and HFR Networks enhance Smart xHaul for 5G transport

 Fujitsu Network Communications and HFR Networks introduced new and enhanced Smart xHaul solutions for 5G network transport. Enhancements include new  optics for the M6424 time sensitive networking (TSN) aggregation and transport switch — which is in use with a Tier 1 U.S. service provider as the lead customer — and the new M6208E TSN switch for hardened environments.

The enhanced M6424 delivers up to 400G transport capacity with the new xWave 400G optical solution for high-capacity TSN with precision time protocol (PTP) over a single fiber. This significant increase in transport efficiency results in an 8 to 1 fiber savings, with a pay-as-you-grow solution provisioned in 100G increments.

Moreover, the M6424 switch includes integration of 10Gbps/25Gbps Smart Tunable Optics, offering a powerful “semi-active” transport solution when cell site power and space challenges exist. The M6424 utilizes its management software to access the smart self-tuning optics for automated turn-up and remote visibility at passive cell sites, allowing proactive Operations, Administration and Management (OA&M) capabilities, resulting in high availability services support. In this way, optics can be disaggregated from the transport system and plugged directly into radios at space constrained or zoning-restricted locations such as lamp posts, utility poles or building facades, solving challenges related to power, aesthetics and space.

The new M6208E switch is a scalable, high-capacity TSN switch in a compact, hardened enclosure for outside plant wall or pole mounting, built for rapid site deployment in challenging conditions ranging from rural cell sites to constrained environments, such as subways or venues. The versatile M6208E reduces fiber needs by enabling service blending across legacy 3G or 4G LTE common public radio interface (CPRI) infrastructure at remote radio heads with 5G enhanced CPRI traffic and Ethernet services on a common RAN.

“As service providers face the complexities of building out ubiquitous 5G coverage, they need operational flexibility with greater efficiency and performance. Leveraging TSN and innovative optics optimized for xHaul enables significant cost savings, business agility and faster time to market,” said Paul Havala, vice president of technology business unit, Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. “The combination of Fujitsu’s integration services and HFR Networks' standards-compliant technology empowers versatile Smart xHaul solutions with centralized management across multiple RAN types to support a wide variety of 5G transport use cases.”

“HFR Networks continues to listen to customers as we expand our flexiHaul solutions portfolio,” said Paul Crann, chief executive officer, HFR Networks. “These enhanced switching solutions help operators to accelerate 5G coverage to more locations, including sites that require rugged, passive or compact solutions with the ability to converge multiple services onto common infrastructure.”

As an HFR Networks’ partner, Fujitsu offers the M6424, xWave 400G and M6208E switching solutions as part of its Smart xHaul transport portfolio, along with network integration and management services.

https://hfrnetworks.com/

HFR and Fujitsu debut 25G Smart Tunable Optics for 5G transport

Wednesday, January 27, 2021  25G, Fronthaul, Fujitsu  

HFR Networks and Fujitsu Network Communications introduced 25G Smart Tunable Optics as part of Fujitsu's flexiHaul portfolio of solutions. HFR Networks’ Smart Tunable Optics seamlessly integrate into Fujitsu's flagship flexiHaul transponder based and Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) portfolios. 

The Smart Tunable Optical transceivers automatically self-tune to the correct wavelength without intervention by the host system or a field technician. This automates fast service turn-up, and enables full operational visibility on xHaul transport links for proactive management of active or passive remote sites. Smart Tunable Optics are also available supporting 10G.

Fujitsu says 5G fronthaul is driving 25G transport as an essential requirement, including the ability to combine existing 10G services across a variety of equipment and technologies from different RAN suppliers. Intelligent self-tuning optics enable network operators to maximize valuable fiber capacity while saving on space and power at remote sites by using only passive components. This is critical for operators around the world as they continue deploying additional LTE capacity in parallel with quickly ramping new 5G services.

“As a strategic partner of Fujitsu, HFR Networks continues to provide the innovation required by our customers,” said Paul Havala, V.P. of Global Planning, Fujitsu Network Communications. “Smart Tunable Optics deliver the increased flexibility and impressive total cost of ownership benefits that operators demand as they continue to move towards open networks while simultaneously increasing network capacity across mixed generations of radio technologies and vendors.”

“HFR Networks is thrilled to add another industry first to its list of accomplishments,” stated Paul Crann, CEO, HFR Networks. “By enabling converged 4G/5G services across RAN vendors and overcoming constraints due to limited fiber, we are able to simplify operations while reducing the remote site space and power requirements. HFR Networks empowers operators in their continued efforts to get to market quickly with new 5G services using high-performance, open and cost-effective solutions.”

http://www.hfrnetworks.com

http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom

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Red Hat and Nutanix enter strategic partnership

Red Hat and Nutanix announced a strategic partnership focused on building, scaling and managing cloud-native applications on-premises and in hybrid clouds. The collaboration brings together Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux with Nutanix Cloud Platform, including Nutanix AOS and AHV.

Key elements of the partnership include:

• Red Hat OpenShift as the preferred choice for enterprise full stack Kubernetes on Nutanix Cloud Platform. Customers looking to run Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenShift on hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) will be able to use an industry-leading cloud platform from Nutanix, which includes both Nutanix AOS and AHV.
• Nutanix Cloud Platform is now a preferred choice for HCI for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenShift. This will enable customers to deploy virtualized and containerized workloads on a hyperconverged infrastructure, building on the combined benefits of Red Hat’s open hybrid cloud technologies and Nutanix’s hyperconverged offerings.

• Nutanix AHV is now a Red Hat certified hypervisor enabling full support for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift on Nutanix Cloud Platform. 
• The certification of the Nutanix built-in hypervisor, AHV, for Red Hat Enterprise Linux and OpenShift offers enterprise customers a simplified full stack solution for their containerized and virtualized cloud-native applications. This certification delivers Red Hat customers additional choice in hypervisor deployments, especially as many organizations explore innovative, modern virtualization technologies.
• Joint engineering roadmap providing robust interoperability. Red Hat and Nutanix will focus on delivering continuous testing of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Red Hat OpenShift with Nutanix AHV to provide robust interoperability. The companies will also collaborate to deliver more timely support by aligning product roadmaps.

https://www.nutanix.com/blog/red-hat-and-nutanix-partner-to-deliver-big-on-hybrid-cloud

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Biden signs order on Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure

President Biden signed a National Security Memorandum (NSM) on “Improving Cybersecurity for Critical Infrastructure Control Systems”. There are two key parts:

• Directs the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in collaboration with other agencies, to develop cybersecurity performance goals for critical infrastructure. We expect those standards will assist companies responsible for providing essential services like power, water, and transportation to strengthen their cybersecurity.
• Formally establishes the President’s Industrial Control System Cybersecurity (ICS) Initiative. The ICS initiative is a voluntary, collaborative effort between the federal government and the critical infrastructure community to facilitate the deployment of technology and systems that provide threat visibility, indicators, detections, and warnings. The Initiative began in mid-April with an Electricity Subsector pilot, and already over 150 electricity utilities representing almost 90 million residential customers are either deploying or have agreed to deploy control system cybersecurity technologies. The action plan for natural gas pipelines is underway, and additional initiatives for other sectors will follow later this year.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/07/28/fact-sheet-biden-administration-announces-further-actions-to-protect-u-s-critical-infrastructure/

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Cyxtera begins trading on Nasdaq

Cyxtera, which operates more than 60 data centers around the world, completed its business combination with Starboard Value Acquisition Corp. The business combination, which was approved by SVAC’s stockholders at its special meeting held on July 28, 2021.

Cyxtera said the public listing provides access to new capital sources to fuel growth, accelerate product and technology innovation, enhance its ability to quickly meet customer needs and support further strategic go-to-market efforts. 

On July 30, 2021, Cyxtera’s shares of Class A common stock will begin trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “CYXT” and its warrants under the symbol “CYXTW.”

“Today marks a key milestone in a journey we launched in 2017 to build a global leader in digital infrastructure with the scale, connectivity and technology to meet the needs of leading enterprises, service providers, and government agencies,” said Manuel D. Medina, Chair of Cyxtera and Founder and Managing Partner of Medina Capital. “Cyxtera already has a strong track record of value creation, and we look forward to continuing to deliver innovative solutions for our customers across our global data center platform.”

www.cyxtera.com

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Xilinx reports record quarter despite supply chain issues

Xilinx posted Q2 sales of $879 million, representing 3% sequential growth and 21% annual growth, despite ongoing industry-wide supply chain challenges.

Xilinx delivered another record quarter as the demand for our products remains robust, despite an unprecedented and challenging supply constrained environment,” said Victor Peng, Xilinx president and CEO. “Our stellar results were driven by strength across our diversified end markets. We continue to actively manage the supply situation with our partners, including qualifying a new supplier in a key part of our supply chain, to meet strong customer demand. In addition, we continue to execute extremely well on our roadmap as we have broadened the Versal portfolio with the Versal Edge and Versal HBM series announcements. We are working every day to improve supply for our customers.”

Some highlights:

• Data Center Group (DCG) revenue in the quarter increased 14% sequentially driven by strong demand across hyperscale cloud customers and the Fintech market
• Wired and Wireless Group (WWG) revenue was up 13% year-over-year and flat sequentially driven by continuing global 5G deployments
• Aerospace & Defense, Industrial and Test, Measurement & Emulation (AIT) revenue declined 10% sequentially, with record Industrial end market performance offset by a decline in Aerospace & Defense sales, and a modest decline in TME
• Automotive, Broadcast and Consumer (ABC) revenue in the quarter increased 13% sequentially, with record quarters in the Broadcast and Consumer end markets
• Platform transformation continues with total Adaptive SoC revenue, which includes Zynq and Versal platforms, up 13% sequentially and 83% year-over-year, and representing 28% of total revenue

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Hatif Libya picks Infinera for optical transport network

 Hatif Libya, a subsidiary of the Telecommunications Holding Company (LPTIC), selected selected Infinera to expand and develop Libya’s optical transport network. The multi-million USD project will provide access to internet and mobile services in areas not reached previously by the network and improve the quality and reliability of services for all customers.

Hatif was established in 2008 for the purpose of operating and maintaining sovereign the national network to reach 214 villages and cities that spans 1200 km and provide its services to all of Libya. T

Infinera will deploy Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) technology.

The agreement was signed today by Mohamed Belras Ali, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hatif Libya, and David Heard, Infinera CEO. The ceremony was attended by Abdelhamid AlDabaiba, Head of the National Unity Government, Faisel Gergab, LPTIC Chairman, and the U.S. Ambassador to Libya, Richard Norland.

Prime Minister AlDabaiba said at the signing: “We view this exciting new partnership between Hatif Libya and Infinera as a major stepping stone towards strong Libyan-American economic relations. It highlights the welcome return of American companies to Libya to assist in the completion of stalled projects. Deals like this are the cornerstone of a diversified, robust economy of the future.”

Faisel Gergab, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Libyan Telecommunication Holding Company (LPTIC), said: “The partnership with Infinera boosts LPTIC’s commitment to providing improved connectivity services and is an important milestone in our strategic goal of digital transformation. This contract will strengthen the telecommunications sector in all regions of the country and will help boost our economy. We see this early cooperation as a signal of what’s ahead for the telecommunications sector, and we fully intend to pursue more partnerships with the U.S.

David Heard, CEO of Infinera, said: “We are pleased to announce this strategic partnership with Hatif Libya, which represents a key foundation of the Libyan telecom sector. Working together, we can build a telecommunications infrastructure that will meet current and future needs. We are looking forward to establishing a successful long-term relationship based on our technology innovations, industry expertise, and committed partnership. We are thrilled to be entering Libya and to be working closely with our Libyan partners to deliver a best-in-class solution.”

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CoreSite posts Q2 revenue $162.1 million, up 7.7% yoy

CoreSite reported operating revenues of $162.1 million, an increase of 7.7% year over year and 2.8% sequentially. Net income was $0.59 per common diluted share, an increase of $0.07 year over year and $0.08 sequentially.

During Q2, CoreSite commenced 133 new and expansion leases for 59,174 net rentable square feet, representing $8.4 million of annualized GAAP rent, for an average rate of $142 per NRSF. CoreSite also signed 112 new and expansion leases for 33,135 NRSF and $7.8 million of annualized GAAP rent, for an average rate of $235 per NRSF.

“We are optimistic about the fundamental market drivers supporting our go-to-market strategy,” said Paul Szurek, CoreSite’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Technology requiring low-latency, high-performance, hybrid-cloud IT architectures continues to play an increasingly important role in the success of businesses. We believe we are well-positioned to capture a good share of the edge needs in our major metropolitan U.S. markets.”

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MACOM posts revenue of $153 million, up 11% yoy

MACOM reported revenue of $152.6 million for its third fiscal quarter, an increase of 11.2%, compared to $137.3 million in the previous year fiscal third quarter and an increase of 1.4% compared to $150.6 million in the prior fiscal quarter. Net income was $15.0 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, compared to net loss of $25.0 million, or $0.37 loss per diluted share, in the previous year fiscal third quarter and net income of $14.8 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, in the prior fiscal quarter.

“Our Q3 results demonstrate MACOM’s potential,” said Stephen G. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We remain focused on engineering excellence and execution.”

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Fiber Connect 2021 Highlights

With the United States on the brink of approving a broadband infrastructure investment plan potentially worth tens of billions of dollars, the fiber industry gathered this meet in Nashville, Tennessee for Fiber Connect 2021. The sold-out event attracted over 2,000 attendees representing several hundred telecom operators, including incumbents, new entrants, cable operators and municipal utilities -- all focused on the next gen of fiber broadband rollouts.

For many attendees, this was the first industry event since the outset of the pandemic.

Gary Bolton, President & CEO, Fiber Broadband Association, shares some highlights.

https://youtu.be/ROPZyDnu1fE

The Fiber Broadband Association is setting up a new Research Advisory Program led by former Gartner Principal Analyst Deborah Kish to quantify and qualify the economic, societal and community impact of fiber broadband in the U.S. and Latin America.

In addition, the Fiber Broadband Association (FBA) recognized two outstanding individuals and one organization for their accomplishments and continued commitment to advancing the fiber industry: 

• 2021 Chairman’s Award: Ben Moncrief, SVP Strategic Relations, C Spire 
• 2021 Star Award: Lit Communities 
• 2021 Photon Award: Mark Boxer, Technical Manager, Solutions and Applications Engineering Manager, OFS 

 “The Fiber Broadband Association is proud to award these recipients for their efforts to advance fiber connectivity forward and create a better broadband future for communities and businesses across North America,” said Gary Bolton, CEO at Fiber Broadband Association. “Fiber is the critical infrastructure that will support the technological innovation, economic development and diversity we need today, and we are humbled by the dedication these men and women have shown to advance the world forward through fiber broadband.”

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Microsoft Azure revenue leaps ahead 51% yoy

 Microsoft reported Q2 revenue of $46.2 billion, up increased 21%, and net income of $16.5 billion, up 47% yoy. Diluted earnings per share was $2.17 and increased 49%.

“We are innovating across the technology stack to help organizations drive new levels of tech intensity across their business,” said Satya Nadella, chairman and chief executive officer of Microsoft. “Our results show that when we execute well and meet customers’ needs in differentiated ways in large and growing markets, we generate growth, as we’ve seen in our commercial cloud – and in new franchises we’ve built, including gaming, security, and LinkedIn, all of which surpassed $10 billion in annual revenue over the past three years.”

Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $14.7 billion and increased 25% (up 21% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

• Office Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 20% (up 15% in constant currency) driven by Office 365 Commercial revenue growth of 25% (up 20% in constant currency)
• Office Consumer products and cloud services revenue increased 18% (up 15% in constant currency) and Microsoft 365 Consumer subscribers increased to 51.9 million
• LinkedIn revenue increased 46% (up 42% in constant currency) driven by Marketing Solutions growth of 97% (up 91% in constant currency)
• Dynamics products and cloud services revenue increased 33% (up 26% in constant currency) driven by Dynamics 365 revenue growth of 49% (up 42% in constant currency)

Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $17.4 billion and increased 30% (up 26% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

• Server products and cloud services revenue increased 34% (up 29% in constant currency) driven by Azure revenue growth of 51% (up 45% in constant currency)

Revenue in More Personal Computing was $14.1 billion and increased 9% (up 6% in constant currency), with the following business highlights:

• Windows OEM revenue decreased 3%
• Windows Commercial products and cloud services revenue increased 20% (up 14% in constant currency)
• Xbox content and services revenue decreased 4% (down 7% in constant currency)
• Search advertising revenue excluding traffic acquisition costs increased 53% (up 49% in constant currency)
• Surface revenue decreased 20% (down 23% in constant currency)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/Investor/earnings/FY-2021-Q4/press-release-webcast

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Google extends depreciation lifecycle for servers and networking gear

Alphabet reported Q2 revenue of $61.880 billion, up 62% over the same period last year.

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, said: “In Q2, there was a rising tide of online activity in many parts of the world, and we’re proud that our services helped so many consumers and businesses. Our long-term investments in AI and Google Cloud are helping us drive significant improvements in everyone’s digital experience.”

“Our strong second quarter revenues of $61.9 billion reflect elevated consumer online activity and broad-based strength in advertiser spend. Again, we benefited from excellent execution across the board by our teams,” said Ruth Porat, CFO of Google and Alphabet.

Google noted an accounting change regarding is networking and server equipment depreciation. The company has adjusted the useful lives of  servers from three years to four years and the estimated useful life of certain network equipment from three years to five years. 

https://abc.xyz/investor/

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Digital Realty advances its Fabric-of-Fabrics with Zayo collaboration

Digital Realty is advancing its efforts to build "the largest open fabric-of-fabrics" interconnecting key centers of data exchange via a partnership with Zayo Group Holdings.  

Zayo, will help to lay the physical and virtual foundations of a new open fabric. 

"As businesses continue to shift globally towards hybrid IT to enable new digital workplace models, create new lines of business, and control costs, Zayo and Digital Realty are in an excellent position to enable customers' growth through a shared interest in globally secure, software-defined interconnection," said Brian Lillie, Chief Product and Technology Officer at Zayo.  "We look forward to working together to power next-generation interconnection and security capabilities that will unlock the true potential of digital transformation." 

Digital Realty notes that its PlatformDIGITAL already brings together over 4,000 participants in connected data communities around the world. The new collaboration also follows Digital Realty's recent announcement of its plan to build native SDN-enabled multi-platform orchestration and global fabric connectivity across its global platform. 

"We're excited to advance our roadmap for removing the legacy interconnection barriers that continue to impede enterprise digital transformation initiatives," said Digital Realty Chief Technology Officer Chris Sharp.  "Our platform capabilities and the steps we are taking in collaboration with Zayo will serve as a force-multiplier in building the industry's largest open fabric-of-fabrics to effectively address the growing intensity of enterprise data creation and its gravitational impact on IT architectures." 

Digital Realty's Manifesto: Enabling Connected Data Communities

Wednesday, March 03, 2021  Digital Realty  

Digital Realty published a manifesto called "Enabling Connected Data Communities" that offers a collaborative roadmap for interconnection partners to build an "open fabric of fabrics connecting centers of data." The company says its manifesto represents a vision, a solution approach and a call to action to remove legacy barriers across the interconnection industry, and tackle the challenges of data gravity head-on. 

"We are laying out our industry manifesto and a call to action today to remove legacy barriers in the interconnection industry to address data gravity," said Chris Sharp, Chief Technology Officer at Digital Realty. "We look forward to engaging with industry participants as we shape our vision for a fabric of fabrics that will unlock new opportunities and value for all sectors. We will be an industry steward championing this shift and together we can tackle data gravity head-on and build a new era of open, secure and dynamic connected data communities globally."

As outlined in the manifesto, Digital Realty will take the following specific actions to support the industry's transformation to a data-centric architecture:

• Extending the coverage, capacity, connectivity and control capabilities of its PlatformDIGITAL. The idea is for local copies of private, shared and public data sets to be integrated as part of decentralized workflows which originate and traverse across multiple internal and external platforms, with policy enforcement controls, real time analytics and interactive cross-platform orchestration. 
• Developing new native orchestration and native fabric connectivity options to further this industry shift. 
• Integrating the IP and engineering team of Raleigh, NC-based Pureport, adding in-house network software development to support the company's vision of building open, SDN-enabled cross platform orchestration with multiple industry partners. 
• Extending its global partnership with Megaport on its Service Exchange offering, continuing the companies' long-standing collaboration on open orchestration, and aims to accelerate integration with Interxion's Cloud Connect interconnection product in EMEA. 
• Digital Realty will create a native direct network path between its global campuses, offering new industrialized multi-path options in collaboration with industry-leading partners.

Digital Realty also noted that over the last year, it has seen the uptake of virtual interconnection increase by 27% for its Service Exchange offering and 46% for its Cloud Connect product across Digital Realty's global portfolio of over 290 data centers, as the company expanded coverage from 36 metros in 2019 to now cover 49 metros and increased its presence from 15 countries to now address 24 countries globally.

• In March 2020, Digital Realty significantly expanded its global coverage in completing its combination with Interxion. The combined entity added 53 new data centers in EMEA to the company's global portfolio and incorporated key assets such as the submarine landing cable station and Internet hub in Marseille, France. As a result, customers now have access to more than 700 providers on PlatformDIGITA in EMEA alone. Globally, participants in Digital Realty's connected data communities more than doubled from 2,000 to over 4,000 in 2020.
• Growth in peering traffic volumes on the Digital Realty Internet Exchange (DRIX) also led customers to increasingly migrate to a new baseline for peering connectivity, with adoption of 100G ports growing 70%, and total port capacity on DRIX growing 46% year on year.
• Across Digital Realty's global portfolio of more than 290 data centers, the pace of network cross-connect deployments has also accelerated in the last year, growing to a total of over 168,000 by the end of 2020, up 88,000 from the previous year.

https://www.digitalrealty.com/enabling-connected-data-communities

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Juniper reports Q2 sales of $1.2 billion, up 8% yoy, supply chain constraints

 Juniper Networks reported Q2 net revenues of $1,172.3 million, an increase of 8% year-over-year and an increase of 9% sequentially. Non-GAAP net income was $141.0 million, an increase of 21% year-over-year, and an increase of 43% sequentially, resulting in non-GAAP diluted earnings per share of $0.43.

“We reported better than expected results, a second consecutive quarter of double-digit product revenue growth and record product orders during the June quarter,” said Juniper’s CEO, Rami Rahim. “Our experience-first strategy is working, our teams are executing well and the investments we have made both in our customer solutions and our sales organization are enabling us to capitalize on improving end-market conditions. We are entering the second half with strong momentum, and I am increasingly confident in our long-term growth prospects.”

Regarding supply chain constraints, Juniper stated: "Similar to others, we are experiencing an ongoing component shortage, which has resulted in extended lead times of certain products and elevated costs. During the past quarter, we continued to strengthen our supply chain and have increased inventory levels over the course of the last year. We continue to work closely with our suppliers to further enhance our resiliency and limit disruptions outside of our control to the best of our ability. We believe that even with these actions, extended lead times, and elevated costs will likely persist for at least the next few quarters. While the situation is dynamic, at this point in time we believe we will have access to sufficient semiconductor supply to meet our full-year financial forecast."

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Hawaiki subsea cable system sold to investor group

BW Digital Pte. Ltd. has acquired Hawaiki Submarine Cable Limited Partnership and International Connectivity Services Limited. Financial terms were not disclosed. The current Hawaiki team will continue to manage the business

Rémi Galasso, executive chairman of Hawaiki, said: “We are delighted to welcome BW Group as a shareholder. Having established a successful subsea cable business with the support of our customers and partners, the company started a process to find a new long-term shareholder who is able to take the company to the next stage of development. BW has an excellent track record of growth in maritime and technology-related assets, combined with the highest standards of governance and strong access to capital through relationships with leading global banks and through the capital markets. Three years after Hawaiki’s commercial launch, it is time to write a new chapter of the company’s history and we believe BW is an ideal shareholder for this fast-growing business.”

Andreas Sohmen-Pao, executive chairman of BW Group, said: “We are excited to be making this investment in Hawaiki’s outstanding platform and team. BW Group has a deep heritage in maritime connectivity and infrastructure, with assets spanning production, transportation and distribution. Our strategy is to help connect countries across the oceans while working to reduce our environmental impact, including recent investments into wind installation vessels, floating wind, batteries, solar and other sustainable technologies. Hawaiki is a great fit and we are pleased to be able to support the team in their next phase of development”.

Hawaiki augments its trans-Pacific cable with capacity on SEA-US

Thursday, December 03, 2020  Hawaiki, Subsea  

Hawaiki Submarine Cable signed an agreement with Hawaiian Telcom Inc., securing significant international capacity on the Southeast Asia – United States (SEA-US) trans-Pacific fiber cable system from Guam to Los Angeles.

The deal, along with recently-acquired capacity on JGA-South cable from Sydney to Guam, enables Hawaiki to expand its subsea network with a new route linking Sydney, Guam, Hawai‘i and Los Angeles. This adds greater connectivity and route diversity between Australia and the U.S.

Hawaiki owns and operates the 15,000km Hawaiki Transpacific Cable, which was launched in July 2018,  with a design capacity of 67 Tbps. It links New Zealand, Australia, Hawai‘i and mainland U.S. 

The SEA-US Cable, which went into service in August 2017, runs a similar length to connect Indonesia, the Philippines, Guam, Hawai‘i and California, and is owned and operated by a consortium of regional telcos, including Hawaiian Telcom. JGA-South Cable came into service in March 2020, spanning 7,000 km from Sydney to Guam. 

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Blaize raises $71 million in Series D for edge AI silicon

Blaize, a start-up based in El Dorado Hills, California, announced $71 million in Series D round of funding for its edge AI computing solutions in automotive, mobility, smart retail, security, industrial and metro market sectors.

The funding round was led by Franklin Templeton, a new investor, and Temasek, an existing investor, led the round, along with participation from DENSO and other new and existing investors.

“Blaize System on Chip (“SoCs”) for automotive edge and central compute functions are accelerating electric vehicles and future architectural ambitions of automotive OEMs,” said Tony Cannestra, Director of Corporate Ventures, DENSO. “With substantial power advantages making EVs more efficient and economical, Blaize SoCs offer best in class performance with lower power across in-cabin, out of vehicle, and autonomous operations, enabling a streamlined architectural evolution to centralize compute.”

http://www.blaize.com

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A10 Networks sees Q2 revenue grow 12.7% yoy

 A10 Networks reported Q2 revenue of $59.2 million, up 12.7% year-over-year. Non-GAAP net income was $10.5 million, or $0.13 per diluted share compared with non-GAAP net income of $7.1 million, or $0.09 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2020.

The company said improving commercial execution combined with favorable market conditions drove 20% growth in the Americas year-over-year; Japan normalized as expected.

“Our focus on customer-centric product innovation and on driving improvements in commercial execution is beginning to deliver results, with consolidated revenue growing double-digits in the second quarter and EBITDA growing faster than that rate,” said Dhrupad Trivedi, President and Chief Executive Officer of A10 Networks. “We gained market share, adding new customers and expanding our security-led sales with existing customers. As expected, Japan again grew year-over-year during the quarter. Our customer engagements, strength of funnel and improving execution reinforce our confidence in full year growth targets while building a diversified customer base for the future.”

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Intel unveils RibbonFET transistor architecture

Intel unveiled RibbonFET, its first new transistor architecture in more than a decade, and PowerVia, a new backside power delivery method. 

In a webcast presentation highlighting its process and packaging technology roadmaps through 2025, Intel vowed a swift adoption of next-generation extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), referred to as High Numerical Aperture (High NA) EUV. The company said it is on-track to received the first High NA EUV production tool in the industry.

Intel's roadmap, with new node names, includes:

• Intel 7 delivers an approximately 10% to 15% performance-per-watt increase versus Intel 10nm SuperFin, based on FinFET transistor optimizations. Intel 7 will be featured in products such as Alder Lake for client in 2021 and Sapphire Rapids for the data center, which is expected to be in production in the first quarter of 2022.
• Intel 4 fully embraces EUV lithography to print incredibly small features using ultra-short wavelength light. With an approximately 20% performance-per-watt increase, along with area improvements, Intel 4 will be ready for production in the second half of 2022 for products shipping in 2023, including Meteor Lake for client and Granite Rapids for the data center.
  
• Intel 3 leverages further FinFET optimizations and increased EUV to deliver an approximately 18% performance-per-watt increase over Intel 4, along with additional area improvements. Intel 3 will be ready to begin manufacturing products in the second half of 2023.
• Intel 20A ushers in the angstrom era with two breakthrough technologies, RibbonFET and PowerVia. RibbonFET, Intel’s implementation of a gate-all-around transistor, will be the company’s first new transistor architecture since it pioneered FinFET in 2011. The technology delivers faster transistor switching speeds while achieving the same drive current as multiple fins in a smaller footprint. PowerVia is Intel’s unique industry-first implementation of backside power delivery, optimizing signal transmission by eliminating the need for power routing on the front side of the wafer. Intel 20A is expected to ramp in 2024. The company is also excited about the opportunity to partner with Qualcomm using its Intel 20A process technology.
• 2025 and Beyond: Beyond Intel 20A, Intel 18A is already in development for early 2025 with refinements to RibbonFET that will deliver another major jump in transistor performance. Intel is also working to define, build and deploy next-generation High NA EUV, and expects to receive the first production tool in the industry. Intel is partnering closely with ASML to assure the success of this industry breakthrough beyond the current generation of EUV.

“Intel has a long history of foundational process innovations that have propelled the industry forward by leaps and bounds,” said Dr. Ann Kelleher, senior vice president and general manager of Technology Development. “We led the transition to strained silicon at 90nm, to high-k metal gates at 45nm and to FinFET at 22nm. Intel 20A will be another watershed moment in process technology with two groundbreaking innovations: RibbonFET and PowerVia.”

Regarding its packaging innovations, Intel provided the following updates:

• Sapphire Rapids will be the first Intel Xeon data center product to ship in volume with EMIB (embedded multi-die interconnect bridge). It will also be the first dual-reticle-sized device in the industry, delivering nearly the same performance as a monolithic design. Beyond Sapphire Rapids, the next generation of EMIB will move from a 55-micron bump pitch to 45 microns.
• Foveros leverages wafer-level packaging capabilities to provide a first-of-its-kind 3D stacking solution. Meteor Lake will be the second-generation implementation of Foveros in a client product and features a bump pitch of 36 microns, tiles spanning multiple technology nodes and a thermal design power range from 5 to 125W.
• Foveros Omni ushers in the next generation of Foveros technology by providing unbounded flexibility with performance 3D stacking technology for die-to-die interconnect and modular designs. Foveros Omni allows die disaggregation, mixing multiple top die tiles with multiple base tiles across mixed fab nodes and is expected to be ready for volume manufacturing in 2023.
• Foveros Direct moves to direct copper-to-copper bonding for low-resistance interconnects and blurs the boundary between where the wafer ends and where the package begins. Foveros Direct enables sub-10-micron bump pitches, providing an order of magnitude increase in the interconnect density for 3D stacking, opening new concepts for functional die partitioning that were previously unachievable. Foveros Direct is complementary to Foveros Omni and is also expected to be ready in 2023.

https://www.intc.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/1486/intel-accelerates-process-and-packaging-innovations

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Rogers looks to Ribbon for DWDM 400G ZR+

Rogers Communications selected Ribbon's DWDM 400G ZR+ technology to upgrade its transport network, which supports multiple 400G connections for increased capacity across its national footprint.

The deployment is powered by Ribbon's Apollo optical networking and MUSE SDN platforms. The MUSE Software Defined Networking (SDN) Domain Orchestrator enables Rogers to design and analyze their optical network deployment, rapidly automate the creation of new services, and ensure the network is optimized, available, and running at peak efficiency. 

"Rogers is demonstrating their foresight, leadership and innovation by being one of the first major service providers in North America to introduce 400G ZR+ technology, which will allow them to modernize their transport network," said Sam Bucci, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Ribbon's IP Optical Networks Business Unit. "We are delighted that Rogers saw the differentiation in our solutions and entrusted Ribbon with this strategic rollout. Our Optical Transport solution enables Rogers to help future-proof their network and extend their leadership in 5G services deployment across Canada."

"At Rogers, we remain focused on enhancing and expanding our networks to bring our customers the most reliable wireless experience1 in the country," said Kye Prigg, Senior Vice President, Access Networks and Operations. "Our agreement with Ribbon will help us continue to maximize the efficiency and performance of our network, utilizing the latest in software defined network technology to help bolster Canada's most reliable wireless network."

http://www.rbbn.com

Ribbon intros 2-port 400G ZR+ card for metro and long-haul

Tuesday, June 01, 2021    

 Ribbon Communications introduced a 2-port 400G ZR+ line card for its Apollo optical networking portfolio, optimized for metro and long-haul applications.

The TM400_2 delivers 400G optical transmission using standard and interoperable CFP2 DCO (Digital Coherent Optic) pluggables, optimized for transport over CDC (Colorless Directionless Contentionless) ROADM (Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer) networks, in either independent wavelength or dual carrier modes. Leveraging multiple wavelengths allows for longer transmission distances than what embedded 800G solutions, often reliant on costly proprietary technology, can achieve with a single wavelength.

• In independent wavelength mode, the TM400_2 uses two 400G wavelengths to provide significant cost efficiencies compared to a single 800G embedded solution for metro applications.
• In dual carrier mode, the TM400_2 combines two high-performance 200G wavelengths to provide a 400G channel for long haul applications, delivering superior cost performance to current embedded solutions.

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Lumen to sell Latin American business for $2.7 billion

Lumen Technologies agreed to sell its Latin American business to Stonepeak, a leading alternative investment firm, for $2.7 billion.

Lumen said the sale enables greater flexibility on capital allocation, allowing for debt reduction and the continued evaluation of share repurchases.

"This transaction unlocks value for our shareholders while allowing us to maintain our global presence through our strategic relationship with the New LATAM Company," said Lumen President and CEO Jeff Storey. "This transaction allows Lumen to focus investments in key areas of the business to drive future growth while providing flexibility for our capital allocation strategy."

"Lumen's Latin American business is a market leader with a strong footprint and exciting potential for expansion," said Brian McMullen, Stonepeak Senior Managing Director. "Stonepeak has been an early and active investor in digital infrastructure globally and we are looking forward to applying our experience and additional capital to Lumen's Latin American business."

AT&T offloads Vrio Operations to Grupo Werthein

Wednesday, July 21, 2021  AT&T, Latin America  

 AT&T will sell its Vrio Corp. business unit to Grupo Werthein, a private holding company active in telecommunications, finance, insurance, agribusiness and real estate in Latin America.Vrio is a digital entertainment services company with 10.3 million subscribers across 11 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Vrio provides live and on-demand video services via DIRECTV Latin America, SKY Brasil and DIRECTV GO. Vrio’s entertainment...

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Corning adds new terminal in its Evolv portfolio

Corning is adding to its Evolv portfolio, including a terminal that supports additional fiber configurations, to enable the fiber-lean distributed tap architectures sometimes used in rural deployments. 

Corning's Evolv portfolio features its Pushlok technology.

"Today, the benefits of a fiber broadband connection are clearer than ever, and network operators are working to bring more connections to more people in more places," said Joe Jensen, director, Americas, fiber-to-the-home market development for Corning. "Our industry-leading products, including our Evolv portfolio, offer network operators enhanced deployment flexibility at a lower cost.”

 

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F5 posts revenue of $652 million, up 12% yoy

F5 Networks reported GAAP revenue of $652 million, up 12% yoy, for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2021. Non-GAAP net income for the third quarter of fiscal year 2021 was $169 million, or $2.76 per diluted share, compared to $134 million, or $2.18 per diluted share, in the third quarter of fiscal year 2020.

Our very strong third quarter results demonstrate the powerful alignment of F5’s expanded solution portfolio and our customers’ most important application needs,” said François Locoh-Donou, F5’s President and CEO. “Robust software growth and resilient demand for systems drove 12% GAAP revenue growth in our third quarter, and 11% revenue growth versus the prior year’s third quarter non-GAAP revenue.”

Locoh-Donou continued, “Customers’ traditional applications are generating more revenue and more engagement than ever before. At the same time, customers also are accelerating adoption of modern application architectures, like Kubernetes, for new applications. With our expanded application security and delivery portfolio, we are uniquely positioned to solve our customers’ most significant modern and traditional application challenges on premises, in the cloud, and across multiple clouds.”

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Clearfield expands manufacturing in Mexico

 Clearfield, which specializes in fiber optic management, protection and delivery products for communications networks, is expanding its manufacturing capacity in Tijuana, Mexico. A new 319,000-square-foot manufacturing and warehouse center  is being built to its specifications and is scheduled to enter into production slightly after the start of calendar year 2022. This move is in support of the anticipated future demand of the business. The facility will augment our growing investments in U.S. production.

"Our Mexican manufacturing facilities fully complement our ongoing operations at our U.S. headquarters,” said Cheri Beranek, Clearfield president and CEO. "In addition, we continue to enhance and strengthen our partnerships with contract manufacturing operations and component suppliers. As part of our value proposition to provide our service provider customers the best total cost of ownership solutions, this strategic investment in manufacturing capacity will position us to build upon our growing momentum throughout the broadband marketplace.”

C

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Dell'Oro: Optical transport market reaches $18 billion by 2025

 The Optical Transport market, largely driven by WDM equipment, is forecasted to increase in size annually for the next five years, reaching nearly $18 billion, according to Dell’Oro Group's Optical Transport 5-Year Forecast Report. The top number is unchanged from Dell'Oro's earlier forecast, however, the outlook is lower for  WDM Metro since the coherent 400 Gbps ZR (400ZR) pluggable optics are now available and "interest in using them in an IPoDWDM architecture seems high."

Some highlights:

• demand for coherent ZR optical pluggables is expected to reach a material amount in 2022, starting with 400ZR. Demand is expected to be high with Internet content providers (ICPs), driving a very high percentage growth rate for the next few years. 
• 800ZR is expected to enter the market a few years later. 
• the ZR pluggable optics market will surpass $500 million in annual sales by 2025.
• Demand for 800 Gbps-capable line cards, first introduced in early 2020, has rapidly increased, demonstrating a strong rate of adoption as well as the market's continued desire for higher performance DWDM transponder cards.
• The next wavelength speed following 800 Gbps will be 1200 Gbps (1.2 Tbps). 
• Dell'Oro anticipates that 1.2 Tbps-capable line cards could enter the market before the end of 2023.
• Dell'Oro forecasts that by 2025 about one-third of all coherent wavelength shipments will be from a line card capable of transmitting a signal at a speed of 800 Gbps or higher.

https://www.delloro.com/5-year-forecast-optical-transport-market-reaches-18-billion-by-2025/

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Dell'Oro: Mobile Core Network market to top $50 B from 2021 to 2025

The Mobile Core Network (MCN) to have an overall revenue compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3% from 2020 to 2025, according to Dell'Oro Group's updated Mobile Core Network 5-Year Forecast Report which covers the market for Wireless Packet Core, IMS Core, policy, and subscriber management. The report also estimates the 5G portion of the MCN market to have a 33% CAGR. 

Some key highlights:

• The cumulative investment is expected to be over $50 B from 2021 to 2025, with regional shares in the range for North America – 18 % to 23 %; Europe, Middle East, and Africa – 30 % to 35 %; Asia Pacific – 40 % to 45 %; and Caribbean and Latin America – 5 % to 10 %.
• By the year 2025, MCN functions associated with 5G are expected to represent over 70 % of the revenue mix between 4G and 5G MCN functions.
• 5G Core builds by the three incumbent service providers for 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks in China are continuing to exceed our expectations. In addition, in 2021, the new Chinese communications service provider, China Broadcasting Network will be beginning construction of its 5G SA network.
• Deployments of more 5G SA networks are expected in the latter half of 2021 in Australia, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. AT&T and Verizon should begin in earnest in 2022 and 2023 with their 5G SA networks. Geographic coverage is minimal at launch and is expected to grow throughout the forecast period.

https://www.delloro.com/5-year-forecast-mobile-core-network-market-revenues-cagr-projected-at-3-percent-2020-to-2025/

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European Aviation Network extends broadband to takeoff/landing

Deutsche Telekom's European Aviation Network (EAN) inflight broadband has been enhanced to enable connectivity for longer periods during commercial flights.

Previously, EAN was only offered to passengers at altitudes above 10,000 feet (3 km), which meant the service was not available during the take-off and landing phases of a flight. 

Deutsche Telecom now has make a number of enhancements to EAN’s onboard Advance Integrated System Manager (AISM) that enables broadband connectivity to passengers during the climb and approach phases. 

The extended availability of inflight broadband is subject to regulatory restrictions and airline policy.

https://www.telekom.com/en/company/details/improving-ean-s-service-availability-631372

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