Vertical Systems: Global Provider Carrier Ethernet LEADERBOARD

Vertical Systems Group announced that seven companies achieved a rank on the 2021 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD(in order based on retail port share as of year-end 2021): Orange Business Services (France), Colt (U.K.), Verizon (U.S.), AT&T(U.S.), Lumen (U.S.), BT Global Services (U.K.) and NTT (Japan). This industry benchmark for multinational Ethernet network market presence ranks companies that hold a 4% or higher share of billable retail ports at sites outside of their respective home countries.

For the Global Provider Challenge Tier there were no roster changes from the previous year. The following eight companies retain a 2021 Challenge Tier citation (in alphabetical order): Cogent (U.S.), Global Cloud Xchange (India), GTT (U.S.), SingTel (Singapore), T-Systems (Germany), Tata Communications (India), Telefonica (Spain) and Vodafone (U.K.). The Challenge Tier includes companies with share between 2% and 4% of this defined market.

“Global customer demand for Ethernet networks is slowly recovering, however we expect continued volatility ahead due to unstable economic and geopolitical conditions worldwide,” said Rick Malone, principal of Vertical Systems Group. “Latest share results are tight across the top providers competing in this highly specialized global segment of the Ethernet services market.”

Research Highlights:

• Four of the seven ranked LEADERBOARD companies have changed positions in the past year based on 2021 Global Provider Ethernet port share results.
• Orange Business Services jumps from third position to rank #1, displacing AT&T which had held the top position since 2018. AT&T moves from first to the #4 position.
• Colt retains the #2 rank overall. Verizon advances to rank #3, up from fifth position.
• Lumen shifts from fourth position to rank #5.The Global Provider Ethernet segment port base for share calculations increased marginally in 2021 after pandemic-related declines in the previous two years.
• Five of the seven Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD companies have attained MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet certification as follows: Orange Business Services, Colt, Verizon, Lumen and BT Global Services.
• Enterprise demand for Ethernet DIA connections is spiking due to new global SD-WAN rollouts. Conversely, Ethernet access to VPN connectivity is declining due to customer migration away from MPLS.

https://www.verticalsystems.com

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Swiss Life-led Consortium to acquire 27% equity Interest in DataBank

DigitalBridge Group will sell an equity stake in its DataBank company to a consortium led by Swiss Life Asset Management AG and EDF Invest.

DataBank’s portfolio consists of more than 65 data centers, 20 interconnection hubs in more than 27 markets, on-ramps to an ecosystem of cloud providers, and a modular edge data center platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, SLAM and EDF will acquire 27% of the fully diluted equity interests in DataBank for approximately $1.2 billion in cash from existing investors. Upon completion of this initial phase of the recapitalization and pursuant to the transaction announced in this release, DigitalBridge’s ownership interests in DataBank will be reduced to 15.5% and DigitalBridge will receive cash proceeds of $230 million, implying a pre-transaction net value of $906 million, inclusive of retained net value of $676 million. Subsequent stages of the recapitalization are expected to result in incremental new investors acquiring ownership interests in DataBank from existing investors, including DigitalBridge, prior to the anticipated completion of the recapitalization in the fourth quarter of 2022. 

Marc Ganzi, CEO of DigitalBridge, said, “Since we acquired DataBank in 2016, we have scaled its footprint, capacity and customer base in key metro areas across the United States, transforming DataBank from a business serving three markets with six facilities to the premier edge infrastructure platform serving twenty-seven markets across more than sixty-five facilities. The formation of this new permanent capital vehicle allows DigitalBridge shareholders to maintain significant exposure to the next phase of value creation at DataBank alongside our new co-investors while also freeing up significant capital at an attractive valuation to fuel additional digital M&A.”

Mr. Ganzi added, “This transaction will catalyze the next phase of DataBank’s growth with a new group of marquee investors poised to benefit from the continued powerful infrastructure expansion at the edge and DigitalBridge’s track record and expertise investing across the digital infrastructure ecosystem.”

“This recapitalization allows us to accelerate our expansion efforts and capture the substantial secular growth in edge computing,” said Raul Martynek, DataBank’s CEO. “DataBank is strategically positioned as the leading platform to deliver and enable the network edge ecosystem as a shift from traditional centralized infrastructures continues to evolve to the edge.”

https://www.digitalbridge.com/news/2022-06-16-digitalbridge-announces-recapitalization-of-databank

DataBank to acquire 4 Houston data centers from CyrusOne for $670M

Wednesday, January 19, 2022  CyrusOne, Data Centers, DataBank, Texas  

DataBank, a  provider of enterprise-class colocation, interconnection and managed cloud services,  agreed to acquire four existing data centers in the Houston, Texas metro area from CyrusOne for $670 million.The transaction positions DataBank as the largest independent data center provider in Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest metro area. The Houston facilities encompass more than 300,000 square feet of raised-floor data center capacity...

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Zayo completes sale of US and UK data centers

Tuesday, December 15, 2020  Data Centers, Zayo  

Zayo Group Holdings completed the previously announced sale of the its zColo data center assets in the U.S. and U.K. to DataBank. A second closing for zColo’s data centers in France is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.“With the close of the zColo-DataBank transaction, Zayo is able to focus 100% of its attention on its core Network business and customers,” said Steve Smith, CEO of Zayo. “Today, Zayo has an unparalleled depth and...

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Aqua Comms signs with Telecom Egypt for EMIC-1 subsea cable

Aqua Comms has signed a crossing and landing agreement with Telecom Egypt for the Europe Middle-East India Connect 1 (EMIC-1) subsea cable, which will connect the key European hubs of Barcelona, Marseille and Genoa with Salalah, Oman and Mumbai, India,.

Telecom Egypt will provide EMIC-1, which is a new intercontinental subsea cable and terrestrial fibre system, a seamless optical path between East Africa, Asia, and Europe. EMIC-1 will land in Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea, and Port Said on the Mediterranean Sea side. The two landing stations are connected over two diverse terrestrial routes, deploying next-generation of fibre optics. The new routes are adjacent to the Suez Canal, between Suez and Port Said. Additionally, this crossing will also include a third new marine path, the Red Sea Festoon, that will link the Ras Ghareb and Suez landing stations with an option of the Suez Canal Route (a.k.a. the Al Morshedeen route), linking Port Said and Suez on the bank of the Suez Canal, offering a new level of resilience and diversity to the crossing solution.

The Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, Adel Hamed, commented “We are pleased to offer Aqua Comms a seamless trans-Egypt crossing for their new cable. For years, we have established tangible steps to revamp our international infrastructure and increase our assets' geodiversity to keep pace with the rising global demand for large bandwidth and global reach. We believe that EMIC-1 will be a valuable addition to the subsea cables landing in Egypt.”

Nigel Bayliff, CEO of Aqua Comms, said “We are delighted to work with Telecom Egypt to deliver a highly resilient and innovative solution that will be a critical part of our new EMIC-1 system. This new system will connect the key hubs in Europe of Genoa, Marseille and Barcelona with both Salalah, Oman and Mumbai, India serving these high-growth markets with best-in-class connectivity services.”

https://aquacomms.com/latest-news/telecom-egypt-provides-aqua-comms-with-landing-and-crossing-services-for-the-emic-1-subsea-cable/

• In August 2021, Digital 9 Infrastructure (the owner of Aqua Comms), announced an investment of £50 million, along a leading cloud provider, to develop the EMIC-1 system.

Aqua Comms activates CeltixConnect-2 and North Sea Connect

Sunday, March 27, 2022  Aqua Comms, Subsea  

Aqua Comms confirmed the launch of CeltixConnect-2 (CC-2) and North Sea Connect (NSC) as part of its ownership of the Havhingsten cable system, which links Ireland, the UK and the Nordics.CC-2 is Aqua Comms’ second unrepeated system between the key data hubs of Ireland and the UK, with diverse landings into the Isle of Man (IOM). Together with CC-1 the new system brings resilient, high fibre count, capacity connectivity between these key hubs for...

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FCC identifies a path forward for 5G C-band near airpots

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced progress toward allowing Verizon and AT&T to enhance 5G service around certain airports while protecting commercial air travel from disruption by 5G C-band interference.

“We believe we have identified a path that will continue to enable aviation and 5G C-band wireless to safely co-exist,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen. “We appreciate the willingness of Verizon and AT&T to continue this important and productive collaboration with the aviation industry.”

The phased approach requires operators of regional aircraft with radio altimeters most susceptible to interference to retrofit them with radio frequency filters by the end of 2022. This work has already begun and will continue on an expedited basis.

At the same time, the FAA worked with the wireless companies to identify airports around which their service can be enhanced with the least risk of disrupting flight schedules.

https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/faa-statements-5g

FAA reaches agreement with AT&T and Verizon

Saturday, January 29, 2022  FAA  

 The FAA reached an agreement with Verizon and AT&T on 5G in C-Band spectrum near airports. "The FAA appreciates the strong communication and collaborative approach with wireless companies, which have provided more precise data about the exact location of wireless transmitters and supported more thorough analysis of how 5G C-band signals interact with sensitive aircraft instruments. The FAA used this data to determine that it is possible...

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FAA clears more aircraft and notes differences in U.S. deployments

Wednesday, January 19, 2022  FAA, FCC, Mid-Band  

 The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it has now cleared 62% of the U.S. commercial airplane fleet to perform low-visibility landings at airports where wireless companies deployed 5G C-band. The FAA early Wednesday cleared another three altimeters. Airplane models with one of the five cleared altimeters include some Boeing 717, 737, 747, 757, 767, 777, MD-10/-11 and Airbus A300, A310, A319, A320, A330, A340, A350 and A380...

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Ericsson, OPPO and Qualcomm test 5G enterprise slicing

Ericsson, OPPO and Qualcomm have tested 5G enterprise network slicing solution 

The pre-commercial trial used Ericsson’s Dynamic Network Slicing Selection, a recent addition to the company’s dual-mode 5G Core portfolio, and Ericsson 5G RAN slicing, which together deliver the required new network capabilities for this new solution. The trial was completed using an OPPO Find X5 Pro powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Mobile Platform with Snapdragon X65 Modem-RF System.

"5G network slicing enables enterprises to meet their network security, reliability and flexibility needs,“ says Monica Zethzon, Head of Solution Area Packet Core at Business Area Cloud Software and Services, Ericsson. “This solution, created in partnership with OPPO and Qualcomm and underpinned by Ericsson’s dual-mode 5G Core and 5G RAN Slicing technologies, provides a foundation for CSPs to deliver more tailored 5G services for enterprises.”

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2022/6/ericsson-oppo-qualcomm-successfully-test-5g-enterprise-network-slicing-on-commercial-android-12-device

Taiwan's Far EasTone joins Ericsson's Startup 5G program

Monday, March 21, 2022  Ericsson, Taiwan  

Far EasTone (FET), a leading operator from Taiwan, has joined the Ericsson Startup 5G program, which is designed to help communication service providers (CSPs) capture the consumer potential of 5G. FET is the first CSP in Northeast Asia to enroll in the program, joining a lineup of word-leading operators such as AT&T, Telstra, and Rogers, to name a few.  With the ambition to maximize value for 5G users, FET has invested heavily in developing...

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Oracle inaugurates data center in Paris, now 38 cloud regionsworldwide

Oracle opened its second cloud region in France in La Courneuve, Paris.  All Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services are available in the Oracle Cloud Paris region to support regulatory compliance requirements, which are especially critical in banking and the public sector. Available services include Oracle Autonomous Database, Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes, and Oracle Cloud VMware Solution. The company already operates a data center in the Marseille region. 

Oracle’s said its dual-region cloud strategy enables French customers to deploy resilient applications in multiple geographical locations in-country.

“Organizations have reached a critical milestone in how they deploy data for strategic planning and operations,” said Christophe Negrier, general manager, Oracle France. “Oracle is helping customers realize their cloud-first strategy to grow faster, become more sustainable, and increase their security posture with Oracle’s two cloud regions in France and 38 cloud regions worldwide.”

The new Paris region expands Oracle Cloud’s extensive European presence, which already includes more than 10 cloud regions with Marseille, Frankfurt, London, Zürich, Amsterdam, Milan, Stockholm, and Newport (Wales) already live, and the Madrid region is due to come online this year. 

https://www.oracle.com/news/announcement/oracle-reinforces-commitment-to-france-by-opening-a-second-cloud-region-2022-06-20/

Oracle's Infrastructure Cloud Revenue (IaaS) rises 36% 

Monday, June 13, 2022  Oracle  

 Oracle reported revenue of $11.8 billion for its fiscal 2022 Q4, up 5% year-over-year in USD and up 10% in constant currency. Q4 GAAP operating income was $4.5 billion, down 1% in USD and up 6% in constant currency. Non-GAAP operating income was $5.6 billion, up 3% in USD and up 8% in constant currency. GAAP operating margin was 38%, and non-GAAP operating margin was 47%. GAAP net income was $3.2 billion, and non-GAAP net income was $4.2 billion....

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Bouygues Telecom picks Ericsson for 5G SA core network

Bouygues Telecom has select the cloud-native Ericsson Dual Mode 5G Core for its network in France.

When fully operational, the end-to-end (spanning both Bouygues Telecom’s core and RAN networks) 5G SA network will facilitate use cases across Bouygues Telecom’s entire customer base: from individual consumer subscribers to enterprise and industry customers, and other use cases where secure high-end public, hybrid or dedicated 5G networks are needed.

Benoît Torloting, CEO, Bouygues Telecom, says: “This agreement with Ericsson, a long-standing partner, heralds the implementation of a key step for Bouygues Telecom in the deployment of 5G. This 5G Standalone core network will enable us to offer our consumer and enterprise customers the best of technology from 2023 on. Bouygues Telecom is proud to support them in their digital transition with the quality and security of its network."

Franck Bouétard, Head of Ericsson France, says: “This agreement with Bouygues Telecom reaches a new milestone to accelerate the digital transformation in France and take full advantage of 5G technology for both consumers and enterprises with the 5G Standalone mode.”

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2022/6/end-to-end-ericsson-sa-5g-for-bouygues-telecom

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