TIP unveils OpenWiFi for building cloud-native enterprise Wi-Fi

The Telecom Infra Project (TIP) announced OpenWiFi Release 1.0, a community-developed, fully disaggregated Wi-Fi system, including Access Point (AP) hardware, an open-source AP network operating system (NOS) and an SDK to build cloud-native Wi-Fi controller software for Service Providers and enterprises. The first lab and field trials of TIP OpenWiFi are underway.

TIP OpenWiFi envisions a disaggregated Wi-Fi software system with three key benefits:

• Lower barriers to entry to develop enterprise-grade Wi-Fi solutions
• Accelerated innovation, enabling easier adaptation to specific use cases
• More choice and better economics for enterprises and Service Providers

Three Access Point ODM hardware providers, CIG, Edgecore Networks, and TP-Link, have announced the availability of 14 Access Point designs for indoor and outdoor use cases, and more than 30 designs are expected by the end of 2021 including additional ODMs.

OpenWiFi is managed within TIP’s Open Converged Wireless (OCW) project group.

“OpenWiFi is a natural next step, building on the momentum created by TIP’s OpenRAN and OOPT initiatives. OpenWiFi’s cost effective communication infrastructure options will help Service Provider’s close the business case for ubiquitous connectivity, using both 5G and Wi-Fi,” said Attilio Zani, Executive Director, TIP.

“Wi-Fi is delivering high-quality connectivity that the world so desperately needs, and provides critical telecom infrastructure necessary for daily activities, telework, and other important services in rural and underserved areas,” said Susan Silveira, Director of Business Development at Wi-Fi Alliance. “The vision of Wi-Fi Alliance to connect everyone and everything, everywhere complements the mission of the Telecom Infra Project (TIP), and Wi-Fi Alliance is proud to deliver foundational technologies and programs to ensure Wi-Fi provides an interoperable and secure experience so that initiatives like TIP OpenWiFi can continue to innovate for years to come.”

https://telecominfraproject.com/openwifi-unveiling/

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Biden's cybersecurity order mandates zero-trust for federal networks

In the wake of recent cybersecurity incidents, notably SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, and Colonial Pipeline, President Biden signed an executive order aimed at improving the nation's cybersecurity posture. 

Here are the highlights:

Remove Barriers to Threat Information Sharing Between Government and the Private Sector. The Executive Order ensures that IT Service Providers are able to share information with the government and requires them to share certain breach information. 

Modernize and Implement Stronger Cybersecurity Standards in the Federal Government. The Executive Order helps move the Federal government to secure cloud services and a zero-trust architecture, and mandates deployment of multifactor authentication and encryption with a specific time period.  The Federal government must increase its adoption of security best practices, including by employing a zero-trust security model, accelerating movement to secure cloud services, and consistently deploying foundational security tools such as multifactor authentication and encryption.

Improve Software Supply Chain Security. The Executive Order will improve the security of software by establishing baseline security standards for development of software sold to the government, including requiring developers to maintain greater visibility into their software and making security data publicly available. It stands up a concurrent public-private process to develop new and innovative approaches to secure software development and uses the power of Federal procurement to incentivize the market. Finally, it creates a pilot program to create an “energy star” type of label so the government – and the public at large – can quickly determine whether software was developed securely. 

Establish a Cybersecurity Safety Review Board. The Executive Order establishes a Cybersecurity Safety Review Board, co-chaired by government and private sector leads, that may convene following a significant cyber incident to analyze what happened and make concrete recommendations for improving cybersecurity. 

Create a Standard Playbook for Responding to Cyber Incidents. The Executive Order creates a standardized playbook and set of definitions for cyber incident response by federal departments and agencies. The playbook will ensure all Federal agencies meet a certain threshold and are prepared to take uniform steps to identify and mitigate a threat.  The playbook will also provide the private sector with a template for its response efforts.

Improve Detection of Cybersecurity Incidents on Federal Government Networks. The Executive Order improves the ability to detect malicious cyber activity on federal networks by enabling a government-wide endpoint detection and response system and improved information sharing within the Federal government.

Improve Investigative and Remediation Capabilities. The Executive Order creates cybersecurity event log requirements for federal departments and agencies. 

https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/05/12/fact-sheet-president-signs-executive-order-charting-new-course-to-improve-the-nations-cybersecurity-and-protect-federal-government-networks/

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Australia's NBN Co tests Infinera's XR optics

NBN Co, Australia’s wholesale open-access broadband provider, completed a successful proof of concept of Infinera's XR optics-based point-to-multipoint coherent optical technology. The trial demonstrated XR optics’ compatibility within the nbn Transit Network, a DWDM network spanning over 65,000 km across Australia.

Infinera said the trial highlighted the ability of XR optics to dramatically simplify transport network architecture while reducing CapEx and OpEx across diverse applications. Providing multiple 100 Gb/s of capacity efficiently subdivided into discrete subcarriers, XR optics enables dynamic capacity management and optical capacity optimization. 

“The nbn Transit Network is our national backbone, supporting the growing data needs of Australians as they rely more on broadband for their work, education, social and entertainment needs. It is important that we keep track of new innovations to guide how we evolve our network to help meet changing needs in the future,” said Ray Owen, Chief Technology Officer at NBN Co. “Working with Infinera helps us to understand the options and design our pathways accordingly.”

“This trial with NBN Co provides a proof point illustrating how Infinera’s digital subcarrier-powered XR optics can be seamlessly integrated into existing networks and successfully applied in a variety of network applications from backhaul networks to data center interconnect,” said Dave Welch, Infinera Chief Innovation Officer and Co-founder. “The XR optics trials Infinera has conducted continue to represent a radical shift in the way future networks can be built, promising a dramatic reduction in TCO, helping to set a new benchmark in scalability, and increasing service flexibility and velocity.”

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/infinera-completes-successful-trial-of-xr-optics-with-nbn-co

Infinera's XR Optics delivers coherent optical subcarrier aggregation

Monday, September 23, 2019  100G, ECOC, Infinera  

Infinera introduced a point-to-multipoint coherent optical subcarrier aggregation technology with the potential to significantly reduce the number of transceivers required in an access network while eliminating intermediate aggregation.

Infinera's XR optics technology, which is optimized for hub-and-spoke traffic patterns, is powered by independently routable Nyquist subcarriers and coherent optical aggregation capabilities. With coherent subcarrier aggregation (CSA) capabilities, XR optics technology enables a single high-speed transceiver to simultaneously send and receive independent data streams to/from numerous low-speed transceivers.

Subcarriers can be flexibly sized. For example, 4 X 25G subcarriers defined in a 100G QSFP-28 transcrivers; or 16 X 25G subcarriers defined in a 400G QSFP-DD transceiver.

The company says that by leveraging these capabilities, network operators will be positioned to significantly reduce the number of transceivers in the network, eliminate the need for costly intermediate aggregation devices, and more efficiently optimize transport infrastructure for hub-and-spoke end-user traffic flows.

Initial areas of focus include DAA fiber deep networks, 5G X-haul, DSL/PON backhaul, and fiber-enabled business services.

XR optics is designed to be integrated into a variety of form factors, including industry-standard pluggables, from low-speed interfaces with a single subcarrier to high-speed (400G+) interfaces with numerous subcarriers.
https://www.infinera.com/innovation/xr-optics

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Aqua Comms, Telia Carrier and Ciena test transatlantic 400GbE

Aqua Comms, Telia Carrier, and Ciena completed a trial of 400GbE services between New York and Frankfurt.

The trial follows the announcement that Aqua Comms upgraded its two transatlantic submarine cable routes with Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme submarine network solution, which leverages WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optical technology. Aqua Comms provided the Trans-Atlantic capacity and 400GbE service  from New York to London with Telia Carrier providing the ongoing terrestrial service from London to Frankfurt demonstrating that their traffic can be passed on seamlessly across their respective transmission networks and utilized on Telia Carrier’s IP Backbone (AS1299) with active 400G interfaces routing on both continents.

Aqua Comms’ Chief Commercial Officer, Chris Bayly commented: “The trial is an exciting new initiative for Aqua Comms and Telia Carrier as we continue to respond to the growing demand for critical infrastructure services.  The alliance with Telia Carrier and Ciena allows us to deliver a truly innovative solution that we believe will deliver efficiencies to our carrier, cloud and content clients as they strive to support the hyper growth traffic between the US and Europe.”

Telia Carrier’s Vice President, Sales, Ivo Pascucci said: “Staying ahead of our customers' ever-increasing connectivity needs is paramount for us. This 400G pan-continental trial on a production network is all about ensuring the flexibility at all layers of the network, and especially in the underlying high-capacity transport infrastructure required for delivering the best high-performance connectivity for our customers in the US and Europe and for their end-users.”

https://www.teliacarrier.com/about-us/press-releases/trial-to-offer-400gbe.html

Aqua Comms upgrades trans-Atlantic submarine cable routes with Ciena

Tuesday, March 23, 2021  Aqua Comms  

Aqua Comms has upgraded its two Trans-Atlantic submarine cable routes with Ciena’s GeoMesh Extreme submarine network solution.

Aqua Comms owns two major subsea networks: AEC-1 that connects the US, Ireland, the UK, and AEC-2, which connects North America with Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK. With Ciena, the AEC-1 path, that spans 5,521 km and connects New York to Ireland and the UK, has been completely modernized and upgraded to support 400GbE services leveraging Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e), doubling the cable’s capacity to almost 20 Tbps.

Aqua Comms is also utilizing Ciena’s technology to enhance the 7,650 km AEC-2 network to support up to 500G Trans-Atlantic channel rates and the introduction of spectrum sharing and backhaul capabilities for its customers.

Ciena said both upgrades were successfully completed with the networks in-service. The upgrade will also provide Aqua Comms with access to Ciena’s Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain controller that offers a more sophisticated management and control capability, translating into significant operating efficiencies. Aqua Comms is also adopting Ciena Insights Service and predictive software capabilities to help resolve network issues.

“Aqua Comms has proven to be a trail blazer in the subsea market,” said Ian Clarke, Vice President of Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena. “With these network enhancements Aqua Comms can offer greater efficiencies and reliability across its network and support the hyper-growth traffic between the US and Europe.”

Aqua Comms activates AEC-2 transatlantic cable

Tuesday, December 01, 2020  Aqua Comms, Submarine, Subsea  

Aqua Comms activated AEC-2 (America Europe Connect-2), the company’s second Trans-Atlantic subsea cable system and complementing its existing AEC-1 (America Europe Connect-1) cable, which went Ready for Service in 2016. AEC-2 connects New Jersey, U.S.A to Denmark, and is a wholly diverse and resilient new Trans-Atlantic subsea route, doubling fibre connectivity between North America and Denmark making it the first new subsea system directly...

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Ericsson debuts indoor small cells supporting mmWave, CBRS

Ericsson introduced several small cell radios designed for indoor applications in the U.S. market, including: 

Ericsson Indoor AIR 1279, which brings mmWave 5G to small, medium and large venues. The Indoor AIR 1279 radio is powered by Ericsson's in-house silicon and offers beamforming capabilities and advanced software features plus optimized total cost of ownership (TCO). It is designed to minimize the need for new cabling to limit site footprint. Indoor AIR 1279 will be available in the third quarter of  2021.

Ericsson Radio Dot 4459 supports Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) New Radio (NR) as well as the C-Band spectrum for indoor deployment in the U.S. market. Radio Dot 4459 marks the beginning of Ericsson’s full support for indoor 5G mid-band rollouts as well as the introduction of new options for communications service providers (CSPs), non-CSPs, or new entrants in the indoor 5G market. Ericsson Radio Dot System products, powered by Ericsson Silicon, are already in operation in venues around the world, including hotels, hospitals, shopping malls, offices, stadiums and residential buildings.  The Radio Dot 4459 will be available in the fourth quarter of  2021.

Ericsson Indoor Connect, a multi-operator, multi-vendor mobile indoor solution in which one Radio Dot System enables several CSPs to deliver 5G indoors on sub-6GHz bands. The solution enables CSPs to deliver cost-effective indoor coverage with high performance 4G and 5G, as well as legacy 2G and 3G. It simplifies deployment while lowering total cost of ownership. Ericsson Indoor Connect also enables faster deployment of indoor connectivity, particularly in places where multi-operator support is required such as malls, stadiums, train stations, and larger offices. Ericsson Indoor Connect is available now.

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2021/5/ericsson-boosts-5g-indoor-portfolio

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AT&T builds private 5G for Lawrence J. Ellison Institute at USC

 A new private 5G network from 

AT&T has deployed a private 5G network at the Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC to ensure ultra-fast connectivity for patient-centered cancer research, treatment, and wellness education. 

Part of the mission of the Ellison Institute is to use technology to create an immersive, first-of-its-kind experience for patients, visitors, clinicians, and students. 5G connectivity is at the core of that goal. The addition of AT&T Multi-access Edge computing (MEC) and ultra-fast 5G+ millimeter wave service to the private 5G network will help the Institute create new outcomes and capabilities at its “smart” facility. For example, the Institute will be able to capture and analyze data faster and more securely at its point of origin rather than the data having to travel to a remote data center for analysis.  

AT&T cites the following advantages for the private 5G deployment

• Data collected on-site via the private 5G network will allow doctors to make decisions on the spot due to ultra-low latency. IoT enables clinicians to create a daily almost instantaneous feedback loop that will help them improve what they do. 
• The higher speeds and bandwidth provided by the private 5G network will help advance research at the clinic, such as the use of 3D tumor imaging, and increase the privacy and security of the data since it is being analyzed locally. One example is 3D tumor imaging.
• Digital bracelets given to patients upon their arrival will map their journey through the 80,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, which includes a demo kitchen, History of Medicine Gallery, and museum-quality artwork. Appointment alerts can be sent to patients anywhere in the facility.
• Wireless connected screens allow researchers to send large data files from  one lab  to another.
• With patients, researchers and staff  all wearing connected sensors, the Institute will  be able to track how much patient interaction is taking place. For instance, is a  scientist stopping at a connected screen to explain to a patient more about research being done? Or, is a doctor interacting with the patient in the Institute’s gallery? Being able almost instantly to study the research and care process can lead to better collaboration and outcomes.
• Reliable wireless communications – provided through a private 5G network using low-band spectrum – allows for wall-to-wall coverage inside the Ellison Institute with enough capacity for thousands of users.
• Immersive, personalized, and engaging experiences for patients and visitors can be delivered through the combination of these and other technologies. For example, the type of music and lighting used during a patient’s visit can be customized to reflect the patient’s preference.

https://about.att.com/story/2021/5g_ellison_institute.html

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Nokia cites momentum for its Quillion Multi-PON

Nokia cited carrier customer momentum for its Quillion Multi-PON solutions. Its Quillion chipset-based broadband solutions are now being deployed in more than 40 countries around the world by 100 carrier customers.

Nokia started shipping the in-house-designed Quillion based solutions in 2020. Early customers for GPON or XGS-PON include Proximus, Chorus, Telefonica, KPN, Oi Brazil, TDS Telecom, Hotwire Communications and TIM.

Sandra Motley, President, Fixed Networks Division at Nokia, said “Next generation access is accelerating. Consumers and businesses need more broadband, and that trend will continue. Operators need innovative solutions that will enable them to keep up with the demand, keep cost under control and future proof their networks, including using fiber for 5G transport. We have developed Quillion to ensure we can bring state-of-the-art solutions that our customers need.”

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Viavi intros 10 GbE smart SFP+ transceiver

VIAVI Solutions introduced a smart, small form-factor pluggable (SFP+) Gigabit Ethernet transceiver for network test, turn-up and performance monitoring up to 10 GbE for applications like 5G xHaul, Business Ethernet Services, Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) for Cable or GPON/XGSPON for Fiber Access Networks.

The Fusion JMEP 10 smart SFP+ is a small, hot-pluggable, optical transceiver offering an economical Ethernet testing solution that is easy to deploy in existing SFP+ ports, simplifying test, service activation and troubleshooting to reduce equipment upgrades, truck rolls and mean time to repair (MTTR). The inline performance monitoring capability turns network ports into service assurance tools, enabling Ethernet operation, administration and maintenance for any 10 GbE network. And a Micro-Burst detection feature monitors traffic with millisecond accuracy to detect spikes that can cause packet loss, which can have a dramatic impact on application performance.

"As the industry moves to 10 GbE as the common data link rate, while access and backhaul networks become more complex, it becomes imperative for operators to develop a test, turnup and performance monitoring strategy right from initial deployment," said Mark Easton, Director, Transport Assurance, VIAVI. "With the Fusion JMEP 10, VIAVI has delivered carrier-grade testing and monitoring within the tiny footprint of a smart SFP+ transceiver."

http://www.viavisolutions.com/en-us/products/fusion-jmep

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Millicom picks Parallel Wireless for O-RAN in Colombia

Parallel Wireless has been selected by Millicom to provide  O-RAN compliant networks in Latin America enabling 4G. 

In the first phase of the partnership, Parallel Wireless will provide O-RAN compliant Open RAN solutions utilizing 700MHz spectrum, enabling broadband connectivity in Colombia.   As the main systems integrator, Parallel Wireless will provide end-to-end solutions including installation and integration and network monitoring services while demonstrating strong network performance and exceeding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). These sites are being built on an O-RAN architecture with a Remote Radio Unit (RRU) provided by an ecosystem of partners and Parallel Wireless Distributed Unit (DU) and Central Unit (CU) software will be running on a vBBU (virtual Baseband Unit) provided by server partners such as Supermicro and deployed on site.

Xavier Rocoplan, EVP Chief Technology and Information Officer at Millicom said "For us at Millicom, delivering O-RAN based Open RAN technology is an important milestone. It not only means connecting more people in rural areas, starting with Colombia, but it's also an innovative approach to reducing cost, increasing flexibility and efficiency by diversifying our supplier base. We hope to bring this technology to more sites across our Latin American markets, as we fulfill our purpose to build digital highways that connect people, improve lives, and help develop our communities."

Keith Johnson, President at Parallel Wireless said "Millicom is an innovator in mobile connectivity, and we are excited to partner with them by deploying our world leading O-RAN compliant Open RAN solutions, enabling them to set an example for operators in the region and supporting their efforts to be the first to bring 4G connectivity to their rural and urban subscribers. We are proud to have been selected as an approved supplier and partner for Millicom and we look forward to expanding the deployments across many more locations throughout Latin America in the years to come."

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