HPE targets RAN Automation and Orchestration

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) announced a service management and orchestration solution that provides multi-vendor management and automation for Radio Access Networks (RANs).

HPE RAN Automation is a pre-integrated cloud-native solution, delivered as a service. It leverages HPE operations support systems and artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) technologies to offer zero-touch management of multi-vendor RAN infrastructure. The solution orchestrates the full life-cycle of both virtual Distributed Units (vDUs) and virtual Centralized Units (vCUs), enabling operators to dynamically configure radio frequency parameters and optimize the use of radio access resources and spectrum.

“While the direction towards the open disaggregated RAN is clear, many operators will have to manage a mixture of existing 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, virtualized RAN and Open RAN solutions over the next few years,” said Tom Craig, VP and GM, HPE Communications Technology Group. “The winners will be those who embrace automation and commit to a disaggregated, open, multi-vendor future. Building on our experience gained from one of the largest RAN disaggregation deployments in the industry, HPE RAN Automation provides a pre-integrated, truly open, fully vendor agnostic solution that addresses existing, pure Open RAN and traditional networks. With this latest innovation, we are introducing a zero-touch operational experience to manage the ever-growing complexity, accelerate roll out and optimize multi-vendor radio access networks.”

HPE RAN Automation highlights:

• Fully-automated lifecycle management with AI/ML powered assurance – detects anomalies, predict failures, correlate information across the hardware and software layers, perform advanced analytics and send actionable signals to the appropriate components to take action according to the specific use cases.
• A single secure web user interface – allows operators to interact with the different functions of the platform with single sign-on authentication.
• A consistent set of management capabilities across heterogeneous hosting environments, compliant with ETSI specifications – supports operators by providing the ability to onboard and deploy third party RAN vDU and vCU network functions.
• HPE RAN Automation follows the principles of O-RAN Alliance’s Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) architecture which provides the capability to provision, monitor and operate all layers of the disaggregated RAN from infrastructure to RAN software. Furthermore, continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) practices ensure that HPE RAN Automation is constantly updated according to the latest O-RAN standards and integrates seamlessly with the latest software updates from RAN partners.

https://www.hpe.com/telco/openran

Read More

NTT demos first high-quality aluminum nitride transistor

 NTT demonstrated an aluminum nitride (AlN) transistor featuring a large breakdown field. The innovation is seen as a promising semiconductor material for achieving low-loss, high-voltage power devices. NTT produced the high-quality AlN by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD)4 and also developed formation methods of ohmic and Schottky contacts.

NTT said that by using a wide bandgap semiconductor with a large breakdown field, it is possible to reduce the loss and increase the breakdown voltage. Therefore, wide bandgap semiconductors such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) are being developed for power devices. UWBG semiconductors with a breakdown field larger than that of SiC or GaN further improve the performance of power devices. UWBG semiconductors include AlN, diamond, and gallium oxide (Ga2O3) (Table I). For AlN power devices, the power loss is theoretically expected to be only 5% of Si, 35% of SiC, and 50% of GaN.

In 2002, NTT succeeded in fabricating semiconducting AlN for the first time in the world, thus opening up new avenues in semiconductor device applications. Among UWBG semiconductors, AlN is advantageous in that devices can be fabricated on large-scale wafers and various device structures can be obtained by heterojunction formation with other nitride semiconductors such as GaN. However, there have been few reports on power device fabrications in this vein, and their characteristics need to be improved.

https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2022/04/22/220422a.html

Read More

OneWeb signs launch contract with New Space India

OneWeb, the low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communications company, announced a launch contract with New Space India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation.

The first launch with New Space India is anticipated in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launches will add to OneWeb’s total in-orbit constellation of 428 satellites, 66 per cent of the planned total fleet, to build a global network that will deliver high-speed, low-latency connectivity. 

Sunil Bharti Mittal, OneWeb Executive Chairman, said: “This is yet another historic day for collaboration in space, thanks to the shared ambition and vision of New Space India and OneWeb. This most recent agreement on launch plans adds considerable momentum to the development of OneWeb’s network, as we work together across the space industry toward our common goal of connecting communities globally."

This launch contract follows a separate agreement between OneWeb and SpaceX to enable the company to resume satellite launches, announced in March 2022. OneWeb has already activated service with its network at the 50th parallel and above, as demand for the company’s broadband connectivity services continues to grow from multiple sectors and markets.

 

Read More

Starlink launches 53 more Starlink satellites

On Thursday, April 21, SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites to low-Earth orbit from Cape Canaveral using a Falcon 9 booster that had previously flown 11 other missions, including GPS III-3, Turksat 5A, Transporter-2, and eight Starlink missions.

Starlink is now live in the Caribbean, bringing the total number of global markets served to 33. 

Here is the current Starlink availability map

https://www.spacex.com/launches/sl4-14/

Read More

LuminWave raises $20 million for solid-state LiDAR

LuminWave, a start-up based in Hangzhou, China, raised more than $20 million in Series B financing for its Si-photonics 4D LiDAR.

LuminWave develops unique Si photonics-based frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) coherent detection and solid-state scanning technologies and highly integrated LiDAR solutions. It currently has two product families: a solid-state large FOV (up to 120⁰x90⁰) Diversity Series (D-Series) and a FMCW 4D Foresight Series (F-Series).

The D-Series aims at collision avoidance and blind area detection applications for ADAS and autonomous driving as well as applications in industrial automation and smart infrastructures. Its large FOV, high resolution, compact size, and appealing price make it a perfect choice for a large variety of use cases. D1, the first product in this family, was released early last year and is currently in volume production. A next generation higher performance model is on its way.

The F-Series takes advantage of Si photonics-based solid-state FMCW to provide unique high accuracy, 

 "As more LiDARs are being deployed on the road, immunity from LiDAR crosstalk will become crucial to safety. Our FMCW LiDAR perfectly addresses this issue ," said Dr. Feng, CEO of LuminWave Technology.

http://www.LuminWave.com

Read More

Hurricane Electric deploys POP at CoreSite Boston

Hurricane Electric deployed a new Point of Presence (PoP) at CoreSite BO1 data center in Boston. It is Hurricane Electric’s second PoP in Boston. The facility is located at 70 Inner Belt Rd, Somerville, MA.

CoreSite BO1 serves a wide variety of sectors, offering access to leading network, cloud and IT providers. The facility has over 253,000 square feet of data center space and can support high-density, computer-intensive requirements, and can scale from cabinets and cages to private suites. The facility offers a 100% uptime SLA, supported by an operations team and 24x7x365 security.

“We’re excited to launch our second Point of Presence in Boston,” said Mike Leber, President, Hurricane Electric. “Hurricane Electric looks forward to offering Greater Boston’s bustling economy increased connectivity options to meet their demanding network requirements.”

Read More

Kyocera expands manufacturing in Sendai, Japan

Kyocera unveiled plans to build the largest manufacturing facility it has ever operated in Japan, expanding production capacity for components including organic semiconductor packages and crystal device packages. 

The new facility, which will open in October 2023, will provide a 4.5-fold increase in production capacity for organic packages at the Sendai Plant Campus, as well as a substantial increase in capacity for crystal device packages.

Kyocera cites rising demand for its organic semiconductor packages and crystal device packages from 5G applications as well as automotive cameras and high-performance processors used in Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving. 

Read More