NTT to test Open All Photonics Network wavelength interconnects

NTT, in collaboration with Ciena, Fujitsu, and NEC Corporation (NEC), will conduct Open All Photonics Network (APN) proof-of-concept (PoC) trial of on-demand wavelength technologies.

NTT said the work is based on the Open All Photonics Network (APN) Functional Architecture document published by the IOWN GF earlier this year.

The network nodes defined in the Open APN Functional Architecture can be constructed from the Open ROADM MSA’s standard components, which are available from global optical product vendors such as Ciena, Fujitsu, and NEC. To prove the viability and operability of Open APN, NTT will conduct a PoC jointly with Ciena, Fujitsu, NEC, and other companies in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. The PoC will validate wavelength connection creation/deletion functions and evaluate the performance of optical communications in terms of throughput, delay, and jitter.

The PoC should prove that Open APN is implementable and operable with products already available in the global market and encourage many organizations in the world to build and implement Open APN.

While conventional ROADM products are designed to create optical connections between telecommunication carriers’ sites, an Open APN creates connections between all endpoints, including customer sites. This difference leads to the need for new functions as listed below:

• A function for automatically designing and provisioning wavelength connections that satisfy service requirements by cooperation and coordination of terminals deployed in user sites and carrier equipment, and functions for selecting the best transmission mode, etc.
• A function for configuring and managing optical wavelength end points of terminals deployed in user sites and a function for passing and blocking optical signals in carrier equipment based on the authentication status of each terminal
• A function for adapting different types of optical fibers to be connected in the same optical wavelength

NTT has developed the above functions and started a field test in the Tokyo metropolitan area. The test should validate their operability under various conditions, such as fiber length and loss levels in a real environment. As the test will also utilize the outcome from Open ROADM MSA and Telecom Infra Project Open Optical & Packet Transport6, it should demonstrate how the results from the three organizations can be combined to build open and disaggregated infrastructures.

https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/

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OpenLight releases 800G DR8 Photonic Integrated Circuit

OpenLight, a start-used based in Mountain View, California, released its first 800G DR8 photonic integrated circuit (PIC) design targeted at datacenter interconnect transceivers.

OpenLight said its on-chip laser integration and high-speed InP-based modulators removes the need for the procurement and attachment of additional lasers into a PIC, offering scalability with high-speed performance and cost at scale to tackle complex designs. The device is built on Tower Semiconductor’s silicon photonics production process (PH18DA) and is a fully validated PIC design with an associated circuit model and available test datasets. The 800G DR8 PIC sample kits are now available.

OpenLight has fabricated and tested these wafers using the world's first open silicon photonics foundry platform with integrated lasers offered by Tower Semiconductor. 

“As the number of users and devices per user continue to increase, the demand for bandwidth and higher data rates will only grow multifold. We are seeing an uptake in the adoption of silicon photonics and believe our first-of-its-kind 800G DR8 PIC design and available tested samples will help customers quickly design optical transceiver modules and enable faster time to market for emerging datacom needs,” said Dr. Thomas Mader, Chief Operating Officer at OpenLight. "Together with Tower, we are able to consistently offer scalable design solutions and support the industry’s move to 800G and beyond for datacenters with integrated lasers."

“Our partnership with OpenLight continues to add new, silicon-proven IP to Tower’s existing open foundry offering enabling customers to accelerate development of next generation silicon photonics products with fully integrated lasers,” said Dr. Marco Racanelli, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Tower Semiconductor’s Analog Business Unit. “The process technology and PDK are available to Tower customers along with regularly scheduled shuttle runs while higher order IP such as the 800G reference design announced here, is available through our partner OpenLight"

https://www.openlightphotonics.com

Synopsys and Juniper form joint venture for silicon photonics

Monday, April 04, 2022  Juniper, Silicon Photonics, Synopsys  

Synopsys and Juniper Networks are establishing a joint venture company focused on open silicon photonics for applications such as telecom, datacom, LiDAR, healthcare, HPC, AI, and optical computing. The new company's open silicon photonics platform will include integrated lasers, optical amplifiers, and a full suite of photonic components to form a complete solution that will be accessible through a Process Design Kit (PDK). The platform promises...

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Tower Semi and Juniper develop silicon photonics process 

Tuesday, December 21, 2021  Israel, Juniper, Silicon Photonics, Tower Semiconductor  

Tower Semiconductor and Juniper Networks announced a silicon photonics (SiPho) foundry-ready process with integrated III-V lasers, amplifiers modulators and detectors. Potential applications include optical connectivity in datacenters and telecom networks, as well as AI, LiDAR and other sensors. The new platform co-integrates III-V lasers, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), electro-absorption modulators (EAM) and photodetectors with...

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O-RAN Alliance completes Global PlugFest Fall 2022

The O-RAN Alliance highlighted the success of its Global PlugFest Fall 2022, which was completed in 6 venues across Asia, Europe, and North America, with 106 participating companies.

“Testing and integration at O-RAN PlugFests show increasing maturity of O-RAN technology in all regions,” said Linsheng Liao, O-RAN TIFG Co-chair and Senior Project Manager of CMRI. “Comparing the PlugFest results year to year, we are pleased to see major progress made by the O-RAN ecosystem in conformance and interoperability tests, as well as more advanced end-to-end and network automation scenarios. O-RAN PlugFests greatly contribute to developing commercially available O-RAN networks.”

PlugFest in Japan, hosted by NTT DOCOMO, KDDI, Rakuten Mobile, SoftBank, YRP and YRP R&D Promotion Committee took place at multiple sites in large metropolitan area. Activities focused on:

• Lab tests and field trials of latency assurance with Near-RT RIC for E2E network slicing
• Conformance, IOT, E2E testing, including Open Fronthaul and security verification
• Field tests of mmW backhaul system using O-RAN Fronthaul
• Multi-vendor vRAN integration
• Near-RT RIC demo with xApp and E2 nodes
• Open source demo realizing vRAN application deployment with OpenStack Tacker

In addition to the hosts, participants included AMD AECG, Anritsu, ComWorth, Dell Technologies, DKK, DZS, Fujitsu, HCL, Keysight Technologies, KYOCERA, NEC, NVIDIA, Red Hat, Spirent, TOYO, VIAVI Solutions and Wind River.

PlugFest in South Korea hosted by LG Uplus focused on:

• 5G O-RAN in-building field trial
• 5G O-RAN Lab validation
• Test scenarios including fronthaul conformance test, E2E test, analysis of fronthaul and midhaul interfaces
• Validation of RIC use case with xApp/rApp and the open interfaces (O1, A1, and E2)

In addition to the hosts, participants included Ciena, DELL Technologies, ETRI, Innowireless, Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies and Viettel High Technology Industries.

PlugFest in South Korea hosted by SK Telecom focused on:

Open Fronthaul interface conformance testing for O-DU and O-RU

O-RAN specified interoperability testing between O-DU and O-RU

Evaluation of O-RAN based private 5G systems through O-RAN specified E2E tests

Performance and functional testing in live indoor environments

In addition to the hosts, participants included ETRI, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HFR, Intel and Keysight Technologies.

O-RAN Global PlugFest Fall 2022 in Europe

Deutsche Telekom, EANTC, EURECOM, Orange, TIM, Vodafone and BT have teamed up together with Telecom Infra Project (TIP) to host the Joint European O-RAN & TIP PlugFest Fall 2022. The PlugFest was hosted in four European labs, namely EURECOM in Sophia Antipolis, i14y Lab in Berlin, Orange Lab in Paris and TIM Innovation Lab in Torino.

The joint PlugFest has demonstrated complementarities and synergies between O-RAN and TIP as well as between the labs. Test scenarios focused on:

• Conformance testing of Open Fronthaul interface of O-RU and O-DU
• End-to-end multi-vendor integration with functional and performance testing
• xApps/rApps integration with Near/Non-RT RICs and xApps/rApps functional verification
• O-Cloud platform performance testing

In addition to the hosts, participants included Aarna Networks, Accelleran, ADVA Optical Networking, Analog Devices, Anritsu, Aspire Technology, Azcom Technology, Calnex Solutions, Capgemini Engineering, Dell Technologies, DZS, Fujitsu, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, highstreet technologies, JMA Wireless, Juniper Networks, Keysight Technologies, Mavenir, Microamp Solutions, MTI, NEC, Net AI, Nokia, Open Networking Foundation, Radisys, Red Hat, Rimedo Labs, Rohde & Schwarz, SIAE MICROELETTRONICA, SOLiD, Spirent, VIAVI Solutions, VMware and VoerEir.

PlugFest in North America hosted by CableLabs at the Kyrio OTIC Lab focused on:

• Multi-vendor O-RAN end-to-end system under test, based on the O-RAN E2E test specification, demonstrating cell capacity for signaling and user-plane traffic load. Moreover, the Fronthaul delay impact on user peak throughput was measured using Fronthaul impairment emulators.
• Demonstration of O-CU interoperability, based on the O-RAN IOT test specifications, verified traffic scenarios across emulated F1 and Xn interfaces, as well as the open F1 and Xn protocol implementation. In addition, the O-CU demonstrated successful interoperability for F1AP and XnAP global, elementary, and mobility procedures.
• Near-RT RIC testing for conformance to the O-RAN E2 interface specification (E2AP, E2 SM, E2 SM RC, and E2 SM KPM procedures) were verified following the E2 test specification. Moreover, a QoS xApp was integrated and tested.

In addition to the hosts, participants included Calnex Solutions, Capgemini Engineering, Lumentum Holdings, Radisys Networks, Sunwave Communications, VIAVI Solutions and Xena Networks.

PocFest in North America hosted by UNH-IOL, hosted by AT&T and DISH, took place in four labs:

• University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab
• TIP Community Lab at Meta, Menlo Park CA
• POWDER Lab and NSF PAWR SITE with the University of Utah
• COSMOS Lab and NSF PAWR SITE with the Rutgers University, Columbia University, NYU Wireless

Activities focused on testing of conformance and performance of O-RU devices, measurements of energy saving and efficiency, integration of AI/ML for resource pooling and slicing, testing of RIC, xApps, SMO, and end-to-end interoperability testing.

In addition to the hosts, participants included AMD, Anritsu, Calnex, DZS, Fujitsu, HCL, Intel, Keysight Technologies, NEC, Radisys, Rohde & Schwarz, VIAVI Solutions, VVDN, VMware, Vodafone, Wind River and Xena.

https://www.o-ran.org

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Alcatel Submarine Networks activates Private 5G at factory in Calais

Alcatel Submarine Networks has activated a private 5G network on its submarine systems production and assembly site based in Calais. 

The deployment is described as the largest private industrial 5G network in Europe to date. The network will provide coverage to the 50,000 sqm of the Calais site. Eventually, 11 buildings as well as the loading docks will be covered by 59 5G small cell antennas (57 indoor emission points and 2 outdoor emission points).

Strategic partners include Nokia, Iliad, Free Pro, Sopra Steria and BSCA.

The inauguration took place in the presence of Alain Biston, President of ASN, Patricia Fornet, Director of Industrial Operations at ASN, Thomas Reynaud, CEO of Iliad Group (Free) and Pierre-Gaël Chantereau, CEO of Nokia France.

https://web.asn.com/en/press-release/industry40.html?did=D000000001EZ&utm_campaign=manufacturing_enterprise&utm_source+=twitter&utm_medium=organic+&utm_term=37c468c1-2192-4875-adcc-0c0c79a6088c

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Keysight adds 400GE Network Cybersecurity Test Platform

 Keysight Technologies introduced its APS-M8400 Modular Network Cybersecurity Test Platform, an 8-port 400GE Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density (QSFP-DD) network security test platform for data center network equipment manufacturers (NEM) and operators.

Keysight’s APS-M8400 is a modular, 400GE network security test platform that aggregates compute and field programmable gate array (FPGA) resources to deliver hyperscale application and cybersecurity test and validation. Key benefits:

• Industry leading 400GE port density: The APS-M8400 offers the ability to test 8 x 400GE QSFP-DD.
• 
  Ease of management: The APS-M8400 provides a centralized, “single pane of glass” management of up to 16 compute nodes reducing the management learning curve and simplifying system upgrades and maintenance.
• Flexible testing options: The APS-M800 offers flexible aggregation of compute and FPGA resources to optimize the performance and scalability requirements for any simulated workload, using one or multiple 400GE test interfaces.
• Hyperscale performance: The APS-M8400 can drive hyperscale application and cybersecurity test performance, including encrypted traffic loads, to effectively emulate the rigorous demands put upon data center and service provider infrastructure. This platform can generate up to 3+ Tbps of Layer 4-7 traffic, 5+ billion concurrent connections, 2.4 Tbps of transport layer security (TLS) traffic, and 2.4 million TLS connections per second.
• Scalable solution: The APS-M8400 is designed as a “pay-as-you-grow" solution, allowing users to build out a system that supports today’s test needs and spending constraints, with the flexibility to add capacity as requirements change and budgets allow.

Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight's Network Test and Security Solutions, said: “Data center NEMs and operators face conflicting demands to produce solutions that support ever increasing data volumes and traffic speeds driven by new standards like 400GE, while protecting systems against a growing, dynamic cybersecurity threat landscape - all without breaking the bank. Keysight’s APS-8400 meets these teams where they are, delivering hyperscale application and cybersecurity test loads via an industry leading 8 x 400GE of test port density in a flexible solution that allows users to add test capacity as demands and budgets change."

https://www.keysight.com/us/en/products/network-test/network-test-hardware/aps-100400ge-series.html

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PsiQuantum adds ex-Cisco Roland Acra as Chief Business Officer

PsiQuantum named Roland Acra  as Chief Business Officer responsible for the company’s business strategy, including commercial, global market expansion, quantum applications and software development.

Acra previously held the role of Chief Technology Officer at Cisco until earlier in 2022. Prior to that, he was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco’s Data Center Business Group. In this role, he led the development and marketing of several generations of Data Center switching products, blade and rack server products, and introduced several industry-first software platforms for Data Center predictive analytics, assurance, and insights.

In addition to his corporate leadership background, Roland’s experience also extends to building and scaling new companies from inception. He was President and CEO of Arch Rock Corporation, a category leader in IPv6 wireless mesh networks and energy data analysis which, following acquisition, played a significant role in the formation of Cisco’s Smart Grid Business Unit. Roland was also President and CEO of Procket Networks, a leading-edge provider of Internet backbone core and edge routers.

https://www.psiquantum.com

PsiQuantum claims 50X improvement in run-time efficiency

Saturday, December 03, 2022  PsiQuantum, Quantum, Silicon Valley, Start-Ups  

PsiQuantum, a start-up based in Palo Alto, California, has developed a technique it claims to be 50X more efficient in the run-time efficiency of compiled applications in fault-tolerant quantum computers.The company says its technique specifically targets algorithms for error-corrected quantum computers, as opposed to non-error-corrected NISQ systems. ‘Active volume compilation’ reduces the time taken to run a given application, through more efficient...

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Ciena supplies link between Argentina and Uruguay for Dedicado

 Dedicado, the largest private national telecommunications company in Uruguay, has deployed Ciena's 6500 Packet-Optical Platform powered by WaveLogic 5 Extreme (WL5e) coherent optical technology in a terrestrial and submarine high-capacity network to Argentina. The network can deliver up to 25.2 Tbps between the countries at rates up to 800G.

Additionally, Dedicado improves operational efficiencies with the deployment of a single technology across both terrestrial and submarine links and increases network capacity with the deployment of 600G and 800G wavelengths. 

Dedicado is also utilizing Ciena’s industry-leading Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) domain controller, which uses advanced analytics and open interfaces to provide real-time network intelligence and visibility into the performance of the network in order to ensure a high connectivity experience.

https://www.ciena.com

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