NTT WEST Group deploys HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform

 NTT Business Solutions, a member company of NTT WEST Group, has selected the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform to deliver its growing ‘Regional Revitalization Cloud’ and provide a hybrid cloud service to local governments, educational institutions and businesses across western Japan. 

NTT WEST Group has deployed the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform running HPE ProLiant for Microsoft Azure Stack Hub enabling NTT WEST Group to provide Azure-consistent services from its own data centers. NTT WEST Group selected the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform to quickly accommodate the different requirements, resources and budgets across the various prefectures. The first cloud services have been launched in Kyoto, Tottori, and Aichi and are rolling out in individual data centers across a total of 30 different prefectures across the western part of Japan.

“Our purpose is to realize the well-being of people in regional communities and we are taking the lead in solving various social challenges with the power of ICT as a ‘Pioneer in Social ICT’,” said Hidenori Kigami, executive officer, Value Design Department, NTT Business Solutions. “We have selected the HPE GreenLake platform because it accelerates our customers’ digital transformation and quickly scales performance and capacity to meet our customers’ business demands. HPE GreenLake allows us to pay for what we use so we can accurately match our costs to revenue and we can invest efficiently to expand the regional revitalization cloud”.

“NTT WEST Group’s Regional Revitalization Cloud initiative to accelerate digital transformation for local governments, educational institutions, and corporations is truly advanced and extremely innovative,” said Hirokazu Mochizuki, managing director, HPE Japan. “We are honored that NTT West Group has chosen HPE's portfolio to run data and applications that cannot be deployed in the public cloud due to security constraints, and are excited to see how the HPE GreenLake platform is being leveraged strategically to maximize their cloud business. In addition, as we have the common mission to accelerate our customers’ digital transformation, I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to NTT WEST Group for selecting HPE as a partner for the revitalization of the region. Together with NTT West Group and system integrator partners, we look forward to maximizing the Regional Revitalization Cloud and contributing to energizing local communities.”

https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/press-release/2021/12/ntt-west-group-selects-hpe-greenlake-to-launch-new-portfolio-of-hybrid-cloud-services.html

HPE: Open RAN must reduce operational complexity

Thursday, November 04, 2021  HPE, O-RAN, Video  

https://youtu.be/IJNkUFpKpc0

5G will become for the enterprise what 4G was for the consumer. However, this requires a redesign of the core and radio access networks. In this video, Ignacio García-Carrillo, Telco Infrastructure Pre-Sales Leader at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, talks about why the infrastructure matters in an open RAN deployment and how Telcos can succeed in open RAN with HPE’s Open RAN infrastructure approach. 

Download the 2021 Open RAN Report here: https://ngi.how/o-ran-2021

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T-Mobile US reports 116% increase in scam calls in 2021

T-Mobile US reported that its data through early December 2021 shows that attempted scam call traffic on its network hit all-time highs and jumped over 116% from 2020. 

The T-Mobile Scam Shield identified or blocked over 21 billion scam calls — that’s 700 calls identified or blocked as Scam Likely every second — in 2021. 

“Attempted scam calls hit record highs in 2021, but with Scam Shield we identified or blocked over 21 billion calls this year — or 700 calls per second! — for customers. We are the only provider protecting every single customer, regardless of their plan or device,” said Jon Freier, President, T-Mobile’s Consumer Group.

Report data is determined by extrapolating from T-Mobile network and partners covering January 1, 2021 – December 14, 2021. 

Insights from the T-Mobile Scam and Robocall Report include:

• Scam calls reached record highs in 2021. After months of quarantine shutdown for many scammer operations in 2020, scammers came back in full force in 2021 and continued to get more aggressive as the year progressed.
• Scam volume doubled in 2021. The lowest measured month for scam traffic was January 2021, identifying 1.1 billion calls as Scam Likely. By November, volume had increased exponentially, and T-Mobile identified double the January traffic at 2.5 billion calls as Scam Likely.
• Scammers take it easy on the weekends. The T-Mobile network tracked about an 85% drop in calls identified as Scam Likely from Monday-Friday to over the weekends!
• Scammers are posing as businesses in large volumes. In terms of volume, the number one scam attempt in 2021 was related to fake vehicle warranties with over 51% of the measured volume. Other top scam attempts included pretending to be with the Social Security office (10%), wireless provider (9%), car insurance company (6%), or package delivery (4%). Scammers were also posing as health insurance or health providers, the IRS, or credit card companies.
• Scammers enjoy holiday down time. This year, April 4 (Easter and a Sunday), had the lowest scam volume of the year. And while the six weeks leading up to Christmas are historically the busiest time of the year for scam volume, call volume typically drops off sharply starting December 23.
• Scammers target some areas of the USA more than others. Texas, Florida, Arizona and Georgia had the highest volume of calls identified as Scam Likely. The top metro area was Dallas/Fort Worth with the 214, 832, 210 and 817 area codes being the top four targeted in the country.

https://www.t-mobile.com/customers/scam-shield

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STL launches VMWare-powered programmable FTTx

STL introduced its Programmable FTTx (pFTTX), a software-defined, open, and disaggregated solution that is now now listed on VMware Telco Cloud Infrastructure 2.0 OpenStack Edition Platform. 

STL said its pFTTx solution enables cloud- native networks with open interfaces by disaggregating the software from the hardware layer.

Speaking at the launch, Gaurav Agarwal, Sr. Director - Enterprise & Government Sales from VMware India, said: “We are excited to partner with STL for their pFTTx offering. STL pFTTx is certified on VMware Telco Cloud and is an ideal wireline access technology for enterprises that will help them leverage VMware Cloud for SDN and Micro-services-based applications. With pFTTx, customers can deploy next-generation XGSPON with VMware, enabling virtual infrastructure for one’s Cloud Central Office.” 

Commenting on the launch of pFTTx, Chris Rice, CEO, Access Solutions, STL, said: “pFTTX is a cloud-based access network solution that radically elevates the network service providers’ business models. Leveraging VMWare’s cloud platform, pFTTx becomes a platform that helps roll out XGSPON and also

 STL launches fiber broadband and 5G portfolio

Wednesday, September 22, 2021    

STL unveiled its "Accellus" flagship solution for 5G-ready, open and programmable networks: 

• 5G multi-band radios: Comprehensive Open RAN radio portfolio with single-and multi-band macro radios. Co-developed in partnership with Facebook Connectivity to build general availability for Open RAN-based radios
• Indoor small cells: O-RAN compliant, highly power-efficient indoor 5G small cell solution, with level 1 processing at the edge
• Wi-Fi 6 Access Solutions: Outdoor Wi-Fi 6 radio solutions providing carrier-class public connectivity in dense environments
• RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC): Operating system for Open RAN 5G that allows the Open RAN ecosystem to use third-party apps for operational improvement and cost-savings
• Programmable FTTx (pFTTx): Comprehensive solution that brings programmability and software-defined networking to large scale FTTH, business, & cell site (FTTx) networks

Chris Rice, CEO, Access Solutions, STL, said: “Disaggregated 5G and FTTx networks based on open standards are increasingly prevalent for both greenfield & brownfield rollouts. These networks will require unprecedented scalability & agility, possible through an open and programmable architecture. STL’s Accellus will unlock business opportunities for our customers and deliver immersive digital experiences globally.”

https://www.stl.tech/

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Elisa Estonia picks Nokia to replace 4G gear from previous vendor

Elisa Estonia, a subsidiary of Elisa Finland, named Nokia as sole supplier for a nationwide 5G RAN deployment. The 5-year deal also calls for Nokia to replace the existing 4G infrastructure from the previous vendor.

Deployment is expected to roll out next year following the completion of Estonia’s spectrum auction in early 2022.  

 Nokia also maintains a long-standing partnership with Elisa Corporation and was selected as a nationwide supplier of 5G RAN last year supporting their efforts to digitize Finland and make it a leading global 5G market.  

 Andrus Hiiepuu, CEO at Elisa Estonia, commented: “We have huge ambitions for providing state-of-the-art entertainment and communications services to our customers underpinned by a 5G network. Nokia is our trusted partner for this and will help us to deliver a sustainable 5G business. Their technology and innovation will help us to differentiate in the market and I look forward to working closely with them on this project.” 

 Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Elisa Estonia in this deal and for their trust in our technology leadership. Our AirScale portfolio will deliver cutting-edge connectivity to their customers and I look forward to working closely with them on this project and beyond.” 

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Prysmian expands microduct cable with 576 fibers

Prysmian Group has extended its Sirocco Extreme range of microduct cables to include its latest 576f cable. 

The new cable boasts 576 fibres in a diameter of 8.2mm, providing a fibre density of 10.9 fibres per mm2, and can be installed into a 10mm duct. 

Prysmian’s BendBrightXS 180μm single-mode (ITU-T G.657.D, G.657.A2) bend insensitive fibre fully compatible for splicing with any standard fibre, offering a truly future-proof solution that is prepared for evolved systems.

“Bend-insensitive fibre optic cables are a crucial part of the world’s shift towards flexible and reliable connectivity,” said Ian Griffiths, Director R&D Telecom Business at Prysmian Group. “With their extreme fibre count and reduced diameter, Sirocco Extreme microduct cables make installations faster and more cost-effective. Designed for installation into microducts, they are ideally suited for blowing in high density access, FTTx and 5G networks.”

Available in fibre counts from 192 to 576 and conforming to international standards for optical and mechanical performance, the Sirocco Extreme cables benefit from the use of Prysmian’s PicoTube technology. This makes them up to 15% smaller than Sirocco HD microduct cables, Prysmian’s previously record holding 200μm microduct cables. As a result, it is possible to install more fibres into a congested duct space and smaller ducts can be used for new installations, reducing installation costs and the use of less raw materials. This provides further benefits of a decreased total cost of network deployment and smaller environmental footprint.

https://www.prysmiangroup.com/en/press-releases/prysmian-eases-the-path-to-ftthx-and-5g-network-deployments-with-180-um-fibre-cables

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Dell'Oro: Strong demand for fiber and fixed wireless CPE

Total global revenue for the Broadband Access equipment market increased to $3.9 B in 3Q 2021, up 7 percent year-over-year (Y/Y), according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group. Growth came from spending on both PON infrastructure and fixed wireless CPE.

"5G fixed wireless deployments joined fiber as the primary drivers for spending this quarter," noted Jeff Heynen, Vice President, Broadband Access and Home Networking at Dell'Oro Group. "Despite supply chain constraints and increased costs, operators continue to focus on expanding broadband connectivity," explained Heynen.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2021 Broadband Access and Home Networking quarterly report:

• Total cable access concentrator revenue decreased 27 percent Y/Y to $257 M. There was a clear mix shift this quarter to remote PHY and remote MACPHY devices, both of which saw Y/Y revenue increases.
• Total PON ONT unit shipments reached 32 M units, marking the fourth quarter in row-unit shipments have exceeded 30 M globally.
• Component shortages are clearly impacting cable CPE and home networking device sales, with unit shipments down markedly Y/Y.

https://www.delloro.com/news/strong-demand-for-fiber-and-fixed-wireless-cpe-fuels-7-percent-y-y-broadband-equipment-growth/

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Airbyte raises $150M in series B funding

Airbyte, a start-up based in San Francisco, raised more than $150 million in Series B funding for its open source data integration platform.

Airbyte said its open-source data integration solves two problems: First, companies always have to build and maintain data connectors on their own because most less popular “long tail'' data connectors are not supported by closed-source ELT technologies. Second, data teams often have to do custom work around pre-built connectors to make them work within their unique data infrastructure. Within 17 months, Airbyte caught up with the ETL incumbents with 150 connectors, most of which are maintained actively or built by the community. These connectors run in Docker containers, and can be built in any programming language and can be deployed in minutes on any platform. The company claims that in the last year, more than 9,000 companies have synced data using Airbyte from sources such as PostgreSQL, MySQL, Facebook Ads, Salesforce, Stripe, and connect to destinations that include Redshift, Snowflake, Databricks and BigQuery.

The funding round was led by Altimeter Capital and Coatue Management, also including Thrive Capital, Salesforce Ventures, Benchmark, Accel, and SV Angel.

“Airbyte has already made a huge impact in a very short period of time and has more than 1,000 companies lined up to take advantage of its Airbyte Cloud data service that is starting to roll out,” said Jamin Ball, partner at Altimeter Capital. “There is tremendous market momentum on top of Airbyte’s disruptive model to involve its users in building the ecosystem around its data integration platform.”

“With the rise of the modern data warehouses, our mission is to power all the organizations’ data movement and doesn’t end at ELT,” said co-founder and CEO, Michel Tricot. “By the end of 2022, we will cover more types of data movement, including reverse-ETL and streaming ingestion.”

https://airbyte.io

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Netomnia picks IP Infusion + Edgecore switches for its UK fibre rollout

Netomnia, a full-fiber network operator targeting under-served towns and cities across the U.K., has selected IP Infusion’s turnkey networking solution (IP Infusion PRO) as part of their plan to deliver multi-gigabit broadband to one million premises by 2023.

Netomnia will use IP Infusion PRO solutions, which integrate its OcNOS network operating system, on open switching platforms from Edgecore Networks.

“Our lean and scalable operating model allows us to rapidly deploy our network to provide homes and businesses with a reliable, high quality and high-speed Internet connections. IP Infusion provided us with a flexible, turnkey solution that simplifies our operation, along with excellent single-point of contact support that we needed to help expand our network,” said Feka Samakuva, Director of Networks at Netomnia.

“IP Infusion PRO removes the top barriers that help service providers, like Netomnia, to adopt and accelerate network disaggregation. Netomnia is joining service providers around the world who want to take advantage of the agility and scalability of disaggregated networking without relying on traditional networks to deliver innovative services for their customers,” said Atsushi Ogata, President and CEO of IP Infusion.

“We are pleased to work with IP Infusion on this disaggregated networking solution which will help Netomnia to reach their goal to deliver multi-gigabit broadband to one million premises by 2023,” said Heimdall Siao, President, Edgecore Networks. “Our best-in-class peering router design coupled with IP Infusion’s OcNOS will allow Netomnia to expand its network capacity seamlessly and take advantage of the benefits of open networking and improve Netomnia’s total cost of ownership.”

http://www.ipinfusion.com

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Fortinet cites 7 new SD-WAN Service Provider partnerships

Fortinet announced seven new service providers – Convergia, Eastern Communications, Halo Global, Lintasarta, Ooredoo Qatar, PLDT, and Transtelco – have added Fortinet Secure SD-WAN to their managed service portfolios. 

Fortinet Secure SD-WAN integrates SD-WAN, next-generation firewall (NGFW), advanced routing, and ZTNA access proxy functions, and has recently received a number of third-party recognitions from industry analysts. Fortinet was named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for WAN Edge Infrastructure and ranked #1 for three out of five use cases in the 2021 Gartner Critical Capabilities for WAN Edge Infrastructure. Fortinet was also named a top SD-WAN vendor in the 2021 Frost Radar and received Frost & Sullivan’s 2021 Global SD-WAN Vendor Product Leadership Award.

“Fortinet Secure SD-WAN empowers MSSPs with a Security-driven Networking approach through the convergence of networking and security to deliver value-added services that solve their customers’ biggest challenges, such as securing digital acceleration and enabling work-from-anywhere. Seamless integration with the Fortinet Security Fabric, the industry’s highest performing cybersecurity mesh platform, ensures MSSPs can easily grow their business with new and differentiated managed SD-WAN and security services,” states John Maddison, EVP of Products and CMO at Fortinet.

https://www.fortinet.com

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Renesas completes acquisition of Celeno

Renesas Electronics completed its previously announced acquisition of Celeno Communications for approximately US$315 million (approximately 35.9 billion yen at an exchange rate of 114 yen to the dollar) with payment to be made gradually in cash following certain milestones as set forth in the definitive agreement.

http://www.renesas.com

Renesas acquires Celeno for Wi-Fi 6 & 6E silicon 

Wednesday, October 27, 2021  Israel, Japan, Renesas, Silicon  

Renesas Electronics agreed to acquire Celeno Communications, a start-up providing Wi-Fi solutions, for approximately US$315 million (approximately 35.9 billion yen at an exchange rate of 114 yen to the dollar) in cash. 

Celeno, which is headquartered in Israel, offers advanced Wi-Fi chipsets and software solutions, for high-performance home networks, smart buildings, enterprise and industrial markets. Its compact chipset offerings for Wi-Fi 6 and 6E deliver exceptional Wi-Fi network performance and increased security with low latency and low power consumption. Celeno’s breakthrough Wi-Fi Doppler Imaging technology, a Wi-Fi based, high-resolution imaging technology, is ideal for home elderly care and assisted living, home security, safe driving and digital and connected factories. It depicts, tracks and analyzes the motion, behavior and location of people and objects using standard Wi-Fi, eliminating the need for multiple cameras or sensors in home environments and commercial buildings.

As the world’s No.1 embedded processor supplier, Renesas offers a breadth of low-power MCU/MPU/SoC processors, wireless ICs, sensors and power management technologies. Celeno’s field-proven Wi-Fi and software capabilities are highly complementary to Renesas. The combination creates comprehensive, end-to-end embedded solutions for addressing the fast-growing markets for low-power connectivity in IoT, infrastructure, industrial and automotive applications.

“The transaction announced today underscores our continuous commitment to improve performance and efficiency in electronic systems,” said Hidetoshi Shibata, President and CEO of Renesas. “Building on our recently-expanded connectivity portfolio following the Dialog acquisition, the addition of Celeno provides us with more advanced Wi-Fi connectivity capabilities to deliver end-to-end connectivity solutions for both clients and access points. Renesas is now strongly positioned to capitalize on the growing opportunities from the massive rise in connectivity and requirements created by today’s increasingly connected world.”

 

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Eutelsat names Eva Berneke as CEO

Eutelsat Communications announced the appointment of Eva Berneke as Chief Executive Officer, with effect from 1st January 2022. She will also be co-opted as a member of Board.

Eva joins Eutelsat from KMD, Denmark's leading IT and software company, specialising in IT solutions and services for the public and private sector, and now part of the NEC Group. Prior to that Eva held several senior positions at TDC, formerly TeleDanmark, the largest telecommunications company in Denmark, notably as Head of Strategy and Head of the company’s Wholesale Business division. Eva began her career at McKinsey where she developed a specialization in the TMT sectors and where she was based for 10 years at the group’s Paris offices.

Eva sits on the Boards of international groups Lego and Vestas Wind Systems as well as France’s Ecole Polytechnique. She is a graduate of Denmark’s Technical University, where she gained a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and holds an MBA from INSEAD.

Commenting on the appointment, Dominique D’Hinnin, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat said: “It is my great pleasure to welcome Eva Berneke to Eutelsat. She brings to us an unparalleled skillset combining deep experience of both the telecoms and technology sectors at an international level as well as a proven and successful track record in transforming businesses in rapidly changing, highly technical, and regulated markets. Along with my Board colleagues, I am confident Eva is the right person to lead Eutelsat’s transition towards the connectivity businesses by executing its telecoms pivot and leveraging its investment in OneWeb.”

Eva Berneke added: “I am hugely excited to join Eutelsat at this compelling stage in its development. As one of the world’s leading satellite operators, Eutelsat’s innovation track record, its exceptional suite of in-orbit assets, and its solid financial position, mean it is strongly positioned to be among the successes in the Space Sector in the years ahead. I look forward to working with the Board, management, and all our Eutelsat colleagues to ensure we maximise the potential of this great company for the benefit of our customers and broader stakeholders.”

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Helmut Reisinger steps down as CEO of Orange Business Services

Helmut Reisinger will step down as CEO of Orange Business Services effective January 17, 2022. 

After fourteen years at Orange Business Services, Helmut Reisinger wishes to pursue other professional opportunities outside the Group. As CEO of Orange Business Services since 2018, Helmut oversaw the profound transformation of Orange’s B2B entity into a global network-native digital services company, combining its core operator DNA with its expertise as a service integrator in support of businesses as they undergo their own digital transformation.

Aliette Mousnier-Lompré, EVP of Operations and Customer Service, will take over on an interim basis until a new CEO is appointed.

Stéphane Richard, Chairman and CEO of Orange commented: “I would like to thank Helmut Reisinger for his constant commitment to the development of the Group's B2B activity. In particular, he successfully built-up new activities within Orange Business Services linked to data and cloud computing that have seen double-digit growth for many quarters. During his time, Helmut turned Orange Business Services into a world leader in software-defined networks. I wish him great success in his future endeavors."

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