Google Cloud launches Cloud IDS with Palo Alto Networks

Google Cloud introduced a Cloud IDS service that delivers cloud-native, managed, network-based threat detection. The service was built with Palo Alto Networks' threat detection technologies.

Google Cloud said customers can leverage Cloud IDS to gain deep insight into network-based threats and to support industry-specific compliance goals that call for the use of an intrusion detection system.  Cloud IDS has visibility into traffic to and from the Internet. It can also monitor east-west traffic, which includes both intra- and inter-VPC communication for suspicious lateral movement. 

Additionally, because Cloud IDS is an end-to-end cloud-native solution, customers can leverage an extensive, continually updated, built-in catalog of attack signatures from Palo Alto Networks’ threat analysis engine to detect the latest threats, as well as anomaly detection for unknown threats. 

https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/identity-security/detect-complex-network-threats-with-cloud-ids

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Comcast develops its own local optical spectrum tester

Comcast has built a prototype system called XMF to gain visibility into its local fiber networks. The design purposes mature opto-electronic chips used for long-haul optical analysis, making it economically feasible to install ultra-precise fiber diagnostic tools at many points throughout local fiber networks.

Comcast said its XMF platform is continuously monitoring hundreds of thousands of local broadband optical links every minute, measuring both the optical spectrum and testing the length and quality of the fiber links. The system is able to pinpoint the exact point at which a local fiber network is experiencing an issue, such as a fiber cut, and share the precise geolocation with local technicians. 

Comcast is also rolling out a handheld version of the XMF platform that technicians can use in the field to identify fiber link issues.

https://corporate.comcast.com/stories/10g-network-evolution-using-prisms-and-sonars-to-increase-network-reliability

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Samsung expands its SDN ambitions from data center to transport and enterprise

Samsung Electronics is expanding its SDN portfolio, which includes controllers, orchestrators, switches and routers, with the goal of extending its presence from data centers to enterprises in various sectors, including education, retail and energy. This full lineup of SDN will also support mobile access (xHaul), which refers to fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul transport networks.

Samsung highlights its following advantages:

• “SDN In-a-Box”: Samsung’s SDN solution can serve multiple purposes in a single box, including data center SDN, enterprise SDN and mobile access (xHaul) SDN.
• User-Friendly: This SDN delivers a user-friendly, award-winning 3D-based UX design.1 With high accessibility and usability, this solution provides a simplified view of an end-to-end network, enabling more unified and consistent management.
• Openness: The company’s cloud-native, open source-based SDN solutions can integrate seamlessly with third-party switches and routers. Samsung’s SDN is based on the Open Network Operating System (ONOS), supporting various types of open interfaces to enable multi-vendor interoperability.
• End-to-End Network Slicing: SDN technology can automate network slicing end-to-end, which will help fulfill service-level agreement (SLA) requirements, even at the transport level. Combined with its RAN and Core, Samsung’s SDN solution will enable mobile operators to offer optimal networks for various business models through company’s end-to-end network slicing capability.

“Networks are becoming more agile with SDN technology in the 5G era. Samsung is proud to take part in this network evolution by offering a full lineup of SDN solutions and bringing more operational flexibility to 5G network management,” said Sohyong Chong, Senior Vice President and Head of Software R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung’s SDN will help operators and enterprises rapidly introduce new 5G applications, services and infrastructures, driving faster time to market.”

https://news.samsung.com/global/samsung-expands-its-lineup-of-sdn-solutions 

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Akamai hit by DNS disruption

A faulty software configuration update at Akamai triggered a bug in its DNS on Thursday at 15:46 UTC. This led to widespread website outages for many of its customers.

Akamai confirmed via Twitter that the disruption was not caused by a cyber attack.

Once Akamai rolled back the configuration update, the service was restored. The outage lasted for about an hour.

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AT&T Fiber: 246,000 net adds in Q2 bring total to 5.4M

Citing higher revenues for its WarnerMedia, Mobility, Mexico, and Consumer Wireline groups, AT&T reported Q2 sales of $44.0 billion versus $41.0 billion in the year-ago quarter, up 7.6% reflecting partial recovery from the prior-year impacts of COVID-19.  The gains were offset by declines in domestic video and Business Wireline, which were $6.1 billion, down 4.0% year over year from lower service revenues. Second-quarter revenues were $28.1 billion, up 6.1% year over year due to increases in Mobility and Consumer Wireline.

Second-quarter net income attributable to common stock was $1.5 billion, or $0.21 per diluted common share, versus $1.2 billion, or $0.17 per diluted common share in the year-ago quarter. Cash from operating activities was $10.9 billion, down $1.1 billion year over year, with capital expenditures of $4.0 billion and content spend of $5.3 billion 

“We’re pleased with our performance and our momentum is strong,” said John Stankey, AT&T CEO. “For the fourth consecutive quarter, we saw good subscriber growth across wireless, fiber and HBO Max. Mobility delivered strong service revenue, EBITDA and postpaid phone growth. Our fiber business, which leads on customer satisfaction, grew subscribers and penetration."

Some highlights

Communications 

Mobility:

• 789,000 postpaid phone net adds
• 1,156,000 postpaid net adds
• 174,000 prepaid phone net adds
• Postpaid phone churn of 0.69%, equaling lowest churn ever
• Revenues up 10.4%; service revenues up 5.0%; equipment revenues up 31.9%
• Operating income of $6.0 billion, up 3.4% year over year; EBITDA4 up 2.7%
• Operating income margin of 31.7%; EBITDA service margin5 55.9%

Consumer Wireline:

• 246,000 AT&T Fiber net adds; penetration more than 36%
• Revenues up 2.9%; broadband revenues up 8.3% with ARPU growth of 6.1%

WarnerMedia 

• 2.8 million total domestic HBO Max and HBO subscriber6 net adds; total domestic subscribers of 47.0 million, up 10.7 million in past year; and 67.5 million7 globally, up
• 12.0 million in past year
• Launched ad-supported HBO Max and international offerings
• Domestic HBO Max and HBO subscriber ARPU8 of $11.90
• Total revenues up 30.7% to $8.8 billion
• Direct-to-Consumer subscription revenues up nearly 40%
• Now expect 70-73 million global HBO Max/HBO subscribers by end of year

https://investors.att.com/financial-reports/quarterly-earnings/2021

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25GS-PON MSA Group cites momentum

 The 25GS-PON MSA Group today announced seventeen new member organizations, including service providers Proximus, OptiComm, and INEA, as well as

CableLabs. In addition to the operators and service provider organizations, new members including ALPHA, Asia Optical, BFW, CZT, DZS, EXFO, EZconn, Gemtek, JPC, MT2, Pegatron, SiFotonics, and WNC.

This brings the 25GS-PON MSA to 34 members.

Proximus, the leading provider of fixed broadband networks in Belgium, deployed the world’s first live 25G network on May 26, 2021.

The 25GS-PON MSA was first announced on October 8, 2020 with the goal of promoting and accelerating the development of 25GS-PON technology. Since its formation, the 25GS-PON MSA Group has published version 1.0 of the 25 Gigabit Symmetrical Passive Optical Network specification, providing the basis for how 25GS-PON should be implemented to ensure basic functionality and interoperability across different vendors.

Previously announced members include AOI, AT&T, Chorus, Chunghwa Telecom, Ciena, Commscope, Cortina Access, Feneck, HiLight Semiconductor, Hisense, MACOM,

MaxLinear, NBN Co., Nokia, Semtech, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., and Tibit Communications. 

http://www.25gspon-msa.org

New 25GS-PON multisource agreement gets underway

Sunday, October 25, 2020  25G, 25G PON  

A new 25G symmetric PON multi-source agreement (25GS-PON MSA) is underway with the goal of promoting and accelerating the development of 25GS-PON. 

The MSA Group has defined the 25GS-PON specification needed to address the gap between 10G XGS-PON and 50G PON in the ITU-T. The MSA was created after the ITU-T SG15/Q2 group did not reach consensus to standardize 25GSPON, which is seen as a crucial technology by many of the world’s top operators and vendors.

As a first step, the 25GS-PON MSA Group created a specification for 25GS-PON which includes optical specifications based on the IEEE 802.3ca 25G EPON standard, along with a Transmission Convergence (TC) layer that is an extension of XGS-PON. 

The MSA Group will also promote and catalyze the market development for 25GS-PON.

The founding members of the 25GS-PON MSA Group include: AOI, Chorus, Chunghwa Telecom, Ciena, MACOM, MaxLinear, NBN Co., Nokia, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd, and Tibit Communications.

http://www.25gspon-msa.org

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STL acquires Clearcomm for FTTx integration expertise

STL (Sterlite Technologies Ltd) has acquired Clearcomm Group Ltd, a UK-based network integration company. The transaction is structured to acquire 100% of the share capital in 2 tranches. Tranche 1 entails acquisition of 80% of the share capital which will happen immediately (subject to customary pre-closing conditions), and is based on an Enterprise Value of GBP 15.5 million. The balance 20% shareholding will be acquired in 2023.

Clearcomm is a privately held company that provides end-to-end network integration solutions and capabilities in the UK, including for large-scale FTTx projects. The company claims revenues in the range of GBP 20 million and growth rates of over 25% over the past 3 years. 

STL said the deal will enhance the presence of its Network Integration solutions across UK and Europe.

Welcoming Clearcomm on board, Dr Anand Agarwal, Group CEO, STL said, "As digital infrastructure investments are increasing across the globe, STL is globalising its System Integration solutions to help build these advanced networks. With the addition of Clearcomm's network integration expertise to STL's Optical Connectivity and Data Centre integration capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to help our customers deliver the most advanced, deep-fiberised digital networks."

https://www.stl.tech/

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NeoPhotonics appoints SVP of Global Sales

NeoPhotonics announced the appointment of Bradford W. Wright as the Company’s Senior Vice President of Global Sales. Most recently, Wright was head of Worldwide Component Sales and Applications at Cisco Systems, following their acquisition of Acacia Communications, where he was Vice President of Sales from January 2018. From January 2016 to January 2018, he served as Director of Sales at Intel Corporation, following their acquisition of Altera Corporation in 2015, where he held a similar role. 

"On behalf of the Management and Board of Directors, I am pleased to welcome Brad to NeoPhotonics," said Tim Jenks, Chairman and CEO of NeoPhotonics. "Brad’s extensive experience in both communications and semiconductors will bring direct benefit to our high speed optical components, modules and semiconductor device solutions for our rapidly expanding high speed markets," concluded Mr. Jenks.

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MEF elects 2021-2022 Board of Directors

MEF announced its 2021-2022 Board of Directors

• Nan Chen, Head of The One Network, Ericsson
• Frederick Chui, Chief Commercial Officer, PCCW Global
• Andrew Dugan, Chief Technology Officer, Lumen
• Shawn Hakl, Vice President, 5G Strategy, Microsoft
• Aamir Hussain, Chief Product Officer and Senior Vice President, Verizon Business Group
• Daniele Mancuso, Senior Vice President Chief Product Management, Sparkle
• Franck Morales, Vice President, Connectivity Services, Orange Business Services
• Rasesh Patel, Executive Vice President, Chief Product & Platform Officer, AT&T Business
• Robert “Bob” Victor, Senior Vice President of Product Management, Comcast Business
• Mirko Voltolini, Vice President, Innovation, Colt Technology Services
• Jeremy Wubs, Senior Vice President, Product, Marketing and Professional Services for Bell Business Markets, Bell Canada 

MEF Officers

• Nan Chen, President
• Aamir Hussain, Chairman
• Bob Victor, Treasurer
• Kevin Vachon, Chief Operating Officer
• Pascal Menezes, Chief Technology Officer
• Daniel Bar-Lev, Vice President, Strategic Programs

“We are extremely fortunate to have a world-class team of distinguished leaders on the MEF Board of Directors,” said Nan Chen, President, MEF. “For 20 years, MEF has been solving shared business challenges through industry collaboration. Our new Board brings deep industry expertise, insights, and fresh perspectives that will challenge and strengthen MEF’s ability to drive network transformation to power the digital economy. 

“I want to express my appreciation to outgoing board member and MEF Distinguished Fellow Ralph Santitoro, Head of Digital Services, Fujitsu Network Communications, for his important contributions in guiding MEF’s work in key strategic areas.”

https://www.mef.net/

 

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