CommScope expands fiber production in North Carolina

CommScope announced will invest $47 million to expand its fiber optic cable production in North Carolina. 

CommScope plans to expand its two fiber-optic cable production facilities in North Carolina, one in Catawba and the other in Claremont, by adding lines of production for its HeliARC cable line.

HeliARC is a smaller and lighter-weight cable allowing for faster installation and lower cost of deployment. Its reduced size and weight also lowers shipping costs, permitting more product to move in one shipment, thereby making it a more sustainable and environmentally friendly product.

The company said the increased fiber capacity is needed for rural deployments. CommScope’s HeliARC lines are expected to support 500,000 homes per year in fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) deployments. 

“We are in the business of connectivity. We strive to provide superior solutions to our customers who, in turn, provide connectivity for businesses, individuals and communities. This increase in fiber-optic cable production is a great step forward for our ‘Broadband for Everyone’ program, furthering our commitment to serve the fiber optic cable market,” stated Chuck Treadway, President & CEO, CommScope. “We will produce more cost-effective and easier-to-deploy fiber-optic cable, add new jobs and simultaneously strengthen the supply chain in America. This is a trifecta we are thrilled to announce, and we are particularly pleased to share this news today in the company of Secretary Raimondo and Governor Cooper.”

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Telecom Egypt appoints a new Managing Director & CEO

Telecom Egypt named Eng. Mohamed Nasr Eldin Mohamed Ali as Managing Director and CEO, replacing Eng. Adel Hamed Ibrahim Gadallah, who will assume a new role at Egypt's Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. However, Eng. Hamed will remain on Telecom Egypt’s board of directors as a non-executive member. 

Eng. Mohamed Nasr Eldin was appointed as a member of Telecom Egypt’s Board of Directors in July 2020, representing the government. He joined Telecom Egypt in 2004, eventually becoming Head of the International Cables and Networks Business Unit in 2014. During that period, Eng. Nasr Eldin undertook several initiatives that contributed to maximizing Telecom Egypt's revenues and capitalized on Egypt’s strategic position as a route for international submarine cables.

“The Board appointed Eng. Mohamed Nasr ElDin as the new Managing Director and CEO given his track record and profound ICT experience, including his previous role as Head of Telecom Egypt’s International Cables and Networks Business Unit in 2014. We are confident he is the ideal candidate to take over the helm and maintain Telecom Egypt’s leadership in various areas at the local and international levels, while continuing to drive quality and sustain customer base growth, maximizing our assets and creating value for all our stakeholders and the society at large. We wish him success in his new role. I would also like to thank former Managing Director and CEO Eng. Adel Hamed for his distinguished efforts and successful leadership of the company despite the many challenges we faced in the previous period. I wish him all the best in his new position and future endeavors.”

https://ir.te.eg/en/CorporateNews/PressRelease/175/Telecom-Egypt-announces-changes-to-board-structure-and-executive-management

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Cisco debuts 36 x 800G line card for its 8000 series routers

Cisco introduced a 36 x 800G line card with a capacity 28.8 Tbps for use in its Cisco 8000 Series Routers. The line card offers double the density of the previous generation, with support for 2x400G-FR4 and 8x100G-FR interfaces.

The high density solution is aimed at IP backbone, metro core, and data centers supporting AI/ML workloads.

The new 28.8Tbps / 36 x 800G line card is powered by Cisco Silicon One P100 chip, which is implemented in 7nm. The silicon design packs 192 x112G SerDes in single chip. It features on-chip SRAM/TCAM memory with high-capacity HBM for buffering and LPM scale. The new chip also brings advanced traffic management, load balancing, instrumentation and telemetry. Cisco is also introducing an IOS XR Path Tracing capability that provides hop-by-hop visibility of the packet’s path through the network.

“We continue to expand 800G to more use cases, from AI/ML fabrics to the core, to help our customers meet their performance and sustainability goals,” said Kevin Wollenweber, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Networking, Data Center and Provider Connectivity. “With our dense core and spine solutions using new double density line cards with Cisco Silicon One, we have accelerated the transition to 800G anywhere.”

The line card could be populated with Cisco's forthcoming 800G pluggable transceivers. Because it supports industry standards, the line card could also accept third party optics conforming to MSA specs.

https://newsroom.cisco.com/c/r/newsroom/en/us/a/y2023/m03/new-cisco-800g-innovations-help-to-supercharge-the-internet-for-the-future-by-improving-networking-economics-and-sustainability-for-service-providers-and-cloud-providers.html

Cisco boosts its Routed Optical Networking solutions

Monday, June 27, 2022  Cisco, Optical  

Cisco is rolling out a number of enhancements to its Routed Optical Networking portfolio with new products and features, including a new Cisco NCS 1010 open optical line system, Bright ZR/ZR+ pluggable optics, and expansion of Cisco Crosswork Automation portfolio.   "Cisco is committed to powering an inclusive future for all, where everyone has access to quality internet, and that requires fundamental changes in networking,” said Bill Gartner,...

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Sabrina Meng takes a turn as Chair of Huawei

Sabrina Meng will assume the position of Rotating and Acting Chair of Huawei from April 1, 2023 to September 30, 2023, serving as head the Board of Directors and its Executive Committee.

Meng Wanzhou has held positions including Director of the International Accounting Dept, CFO of Huawei Hong Kong, and President of the Accounting Mgmt Dept. Ms. Meng now serves as Deputy Chairwoman of the Board, and Rotating Chairwoman and CFO of Huawei.

On Friday, March 31, Huawei is expected to announce its 2022 financial results.

https://www.huawei.com/en/news/2023/3/rotating-chair-tenure

• In September 2021, after nearly 3 years of house arrest in Vancouver, Canada, pending extradition to the United States, Meng reached a settlement with U.S. Department of Justice resolving the case of alleged fraud.
• Meng is the daughter of Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei.

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Windstream completes rip-n-replace of Huawei gear

Windstream confirmed that it has now removed all Huawei equipment from its network.

Windstream’s network included Huawei gear acquired as part of its 2017 purchase of EarthLink. 

The company says the prohibited equipment represented a small fraction of its routing and transportation capability.

As a federal contractor, Windstream implemented a multi-year engineering plan to remove this equipment in 2019, before the FCC made removal mandatory. By fall 2022, all Huawei equipment had been disconnected from Windstream’s network and was no longer operative.

“As an industry leader in network intelligence and infrastructure expansion, Windstream was prepared to quickly and effectively remove the impacted equipment,” said Art Nichols, Windstream’s chief technology officer. “Our multi-pronged approach included using alternate routes, replacing equipment where necessary, and leveraging the company’s winning Fast and Flexible process.”

https://www.windstream.com

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Verizon Frontline intros two connectivity nodes for first responders

Verizon Frontline introduced two new portable communications assets for delivering mission-critical communications to first responders when network connections and coverage are impacted by natural disasters or damaged infrastructure.

The first of the two new assets is the compact Verizon Rapid Response Connectivity unit, whichis designed to be deployed by one person in fewer than 15 minutes and is capable of delivering secure and reliable voice and internet service for first responders under austere conditions. The Verizon Rapid Response Connectivity Unit is C-Band-enabled (5G) and features Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite connectivity options, a cloud-managed firewall, a cloud-managed router/switch and 4G LTE network extenders capable of supporting up to 120 active users. This asset is also built on a rugged, all-terrain motorized carriage, includes a gasoline generator with an extra five-gallon fuel tank and functions at nearly any altitude, in nearly any climate.

The second new asset is Verizon Frontline’s Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle, a modified electric motorcycle capable of providing first responders with mission-critical communications capabilities when operating in areas that traditional vehicles and larger deployable assets can’t reach.

For example, the Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle is able to navigate narrow, hard-to-access trails to provide wildland firefighters deep in a forest with satellite connectivity directly on the front lines. In addition to its satellite capabilities, the Mobile Connectivity Agile Vehicle is also equipped with a cellular network extender and WiFi router to help provide public safety agencies with critical voice and data service during emergency response operations.

https://www.verizon.com/about/news/verizon-frontline-debuts-two-newest-deployable-asset-prototypes

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FCC looks to reevaluate licenses of foreign telecom operators

The FCC is considering whether to periodically reassess the operating licenses of foreign-owned companies that provide telecommunications services in the United States. The new rules would require foreign-owned license holders to undergo a periodic review and renewal process, which would involve close consultation with our national security colleagues in the Executive Branch.

 FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said the rules need to be updated to stay ahead of evolving security threats. 

“Across the board, the FCC is taking clear and decisive action to address national security risks in our communications networks,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “That is why it is so important to have the agency regularly review foreign companies’ authorizations to provide telecommunications services in the United States.  If a provider poses a threat that cannot be mitigated, we will take the steps necessary to remove their access to our networks.”

In the last few years, the FCC has revoked the Section 214 operating authorities of four Chinese state-owned carriers based on recommendations from national security agencies. 

The FCC has also brought a case against a company that was required to divest unvetted Russian ownership.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/chairwoman-proposes-periodic-national-security-sec-214-reviews

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Israel's Partner Comm picks Adtran's fiber access

Partner Communications is leveraging Adtran's open, disaggregated 10Gbit/s fiber access platform.

Partner Communications is Israel’s second-largest mobile operator, and it also operates a fiber broadband network that passes nearly one million homes and connects hundreds of thousands of fiber customers. 

Adtran’s Combo PON technology enables Partner Communications to simultaneously provision a mix of GPON and XGS-PON services across the same fiber infrastructure using a single access port while maximizing the efficiency of their operations. This simplifies the migration to multigigabit services as demand increases while saving space and power.

“There is competition across our market in Israel. It’s imperative that we can offer higher internet speeds and deliver them quickly. We already see high market demand for our multigigabit service tiers. Adtran’s solution simplifies our network operations, lowering our cost to scale fiber broadband,” said Yaniv Bar-Gil, head of fiber infrastructure division at Partner Communications. “Adtran also offers a high level of customer support that we cannot find with other solution vendors. The team works hard to understand our unique challenges and helps us address them quickly so we can focus on delivering the best experience to our subscribers.”

“Like many service providers, Partner Communications needed the ability to rapidly deploy efficient FTTH technologies with open architectures to increase their service velocity while lowering operational cost. Our open and disaggregated fiber access solution creates networks with greater simplicity, sustainability and scalability,” commented Ronan Kelly, CTO of EMEA and APAC regions at Adtran. “We’re providing a highly differentiated, multi-vendor, multi-technology platform that delivers the high-speed broadband services needed to attract new subscribers, launch new services and enter new markets.”

https://www.adtran.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/20230330-partner-communications-picks-adtran-to-quickly-launch-multigigabit-fiber-broadband-services

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EnerTribe picks Tarana's fixed wireless access

EnerTribe, a Native American and woman-owned consulting firm specializing in telecommunications and infrastructure projects, has selected Tarana's next-generation fixed wireless access (ngFWA) for broadband projects serving tribal communities across the United States. For this project, EnerTribe will assist the Round Valley Indian Tribes (RVIT) in deploying wireless infrastructure to provide improved broadband capacity and coverage in Covelo Valley, California.

EnerTribe serves as a resource for operators, value added resellers, and other organizations that provide essential services to tribal residents, governments, and enterprises. 

Tarana’s G1 platform, which was launched commercially in late 2021, is currently in use in over 210 active operator networks across 19 countries.

Tarana President, Dirk Gates, added, “We are thrilled to be partnering with EnerTribe on such significant projects. EnerTribe’s focus on providing broadband and other essential infrastructure to indigenous communities is well-aligned with our mission to enable connectivity in un- and under-served regions. We are excited about the prospects for our partnership, which will expand quality internet access to the Round Valley Indian Tribes and beyond.”

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Ribbon completes $55 Million preferred stock private placement

In a private placement financing transaction, Ribbon issued 55,000 shares of Series A preferred stock, along with warrants to purchase approximately 4.86 million shares of common stock. Each share of Series A preferred stock was sold at a price of $970 per share. 

The private placement resulted in gross proceeds of approximately $53.4 million, with participation from Ribbon's three largest stockholders - Neuberger Berman client funds, JPMorgan Chase & Co., and Swarth Investments Ltd. 

Ribbon used the net proceeds, together with cash on hand and funds received from the sale of its fixed rate interest rate swap, to prepay $75 million of the principal amount outstanding on the Term Loan A under Ribbon's senior secured credit agreement. 

"We are pleased with the continued interest and support we received from both existing and new stockholders, as well as the banks included in our credit facility," said Ribbon Communications CFO Mick Lopez.  "We believe the structure of the preferred stock, coupled with the previously announced amendment to the credit facility, complements our existing senior secured credit facility in a stockholder friendly way, while preserving balance sheet flexibility going forward. With the outlook for future interest rate increases diminishing, we believe the value of our fixed rate swap has likely peaked, making this an ideal time to capture this value and effectively reduce our total outstanding debt by approximately $20 million," continued Mr. Lopez. 

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Intel updates data center silicon roadmap

AI from the cloud to the network and to the edge was the persistent theme in an investor webinar hosted by Intel and focused on the company’s Data Center and Artificial Intelligence business unit. 

The top order of business was to outline the Xeon roadmap for the next few years, its key product line in a total available market (TAM) that Intel now believes with top $110 billion over the next five years.

Xeon highlights:

Current: 4th Gen Xeon systems are now shipping with all major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and original design manufacturers (ODMs), as well as with the top 10 global cloud service providers. Intel claims its 48-core 4th Gen Xeon can deliver a 4X performance gain going head-to-head with a 48-core 4th Gen AMD Epyc CPU on a broad set of deep-learning workloads.

Q4 2023: 5th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable Emerald Rapids is Intel’s next Performance-core (P-core) product. The CPU is already sampling to customers. Volume validation is underway.

First-half 2024: Intel Xeon Processor code-named Sierra Forest, the first Efficient-core (E-core) Xeon processor, will boast 144 cores per socket. The first CPU based on the upcoming Intel 3 process, Sierra Forest hit power-on earlier this quarter with multiple OSes booting in record time (less than a day). It’s on schedule with the first samples already out the door.

A Fast Follow: Intel Xeon Processor code-named Granite Rapids, will arrive hot on the heels of Sierra Forest in 2024. Though a specific launch date has yet to be disclosed, its time-to-market will benefit from sharing a platform with Sierra Forest. Shared IP and technology minimize development and design time. 

Some additional highlights:

• Intel invented and is leading the ecosystem in developing a new type of DIMM called Multiplexer Combined Rank (MCR) that lets can achieve speeds of 8,800 mega transfers per second, based on DDR5.
• The Habana Gaudi3 AI accelerator has taped in. Performance details haven’t been shared yet, but Habana Gaudi2 is in the environment and offering 1.8x advantage in throughput-per-watt over a comparable A100 server when running a popular computer vision workload.
• There are 15 new FPGA products scheduled to go through the production release qualification (PRQ) process this year – that’s more new product introductions than ever before in Intel’s FPGA business.
• Intel has made contributions to SYCL, an open C++-based programming model, and acquired Codeplay Software (a leader in the SYCL language and community). SYCL is now included in oneAPI so customers can program and compile across CPUs, GPUs and accelerators from multiple vendors.

“When we talk about compute demand, we often look at the TAM through the lens of CPU units. However, counting sockets does not fully reflect how silicon innovations deliver value to the market. Today, innovations are delivered in several ways, including increased CPU core density, the use of accelerators built into the silicon and the use of discrete accelerators,” stated Sandra Rivera, Intel Executive VP and GM of the Data Center and Artificial Intelligence business unit. 

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/newsroom/news/four-takeaways-from-intel-investor-webinar.html

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Synopsis debuts AI-powered EDA suite for chipmakers

Synopsys launched a suite of AI-driven solutions for the design, verification, testing and manufacturing of the most advanced digital and analog chips. 

The company said its new toolset lets engineers use AI at every stage of chip design, from system architecture to design and manufacturing, and access the solutions in the cloud. 

Renesas, a leader in the automotive space, is already using Synopsys.ai to shave weeks off product development times with enhanced silicon performance and cost reduction.

The Synopsys.ai EDA suite includes AI-driven solutions:

• Digital design space optimization to achieve power, performance and area (PPA) targets, and boost productivity (used in 100 production tape-outs by January 2023).
• Analog design automation for rapid migration of analog designs across process nodes.
• Verification coverage closure and regression analysis for faster functional testing closure, higher coverage and predictive bug detection.
• Automated test generation resulting in fewer, optimized test patterns for silicon defect coverage and faster time to results.
• Manufacturing solutions to accelerate development of lithography models with high accuracy to achieve the highest yield.

"Increased complexity, engineering resource constraints and tighter delivery windows were challenges crying out for a full AI-driven EDA software stack from architectural exploration to design and manufacturing – and we've delivered it," said Shankar Krishnamoorthy, GM of Synopsys EDA Group. "With Synopsys.ai solutions, our customers' ability to search design solution spaces across multiple domains is in hyperdrive. They're finding optimal results far faster as the .ai learns run-to-run, and it's transforming their ability to meet and beat tough design and productivity targets."

https://investor.synopsys.com/news/news-details/2023/Synopsys.ai-Unveiled-as-Industrys-First-Full-Stack-AI-Driven-EDA-Suite-for-Chipmakers/default.aspx

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Cyxtera automates provisioning on its global data center platform

Cyxtera has added self-service capabilities that allow organizations to evaluate, order, and deploy services from its global data center platform.

The new capabilities enable customers to shop for and provision on-demand infrastructure, space, power, connectivity, and other services in Cyxtera’s data centers with or without an existing contract in place or the need to engage in a lengthy sales process.

“Our new self-service capabilities give customers everything they like about cloud – the ability to select and provision on-demand services quickly – with the cost predictability, performance, and control they get from running dedicated infrastructure in a data center,” said Mitch Fonseca, Cyxtera’s Chief Development Officer.

“Many organizations are reevaluating their workload placement to optimize efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and scalability,” Fonseca continued. “While public cloud is a great match for early experimentation, DevOps, and many seasonal workloads that burst up or down, it is not typically ideal for steady-state, resource-intensive enterprise workloads and can be very expensive for these use cases.”

With Cyxtera’s Digital Exchange data center network fabric and Enterprise Bare Metal offering, organizations can choose on-demand services from a variety of leading enterprise vendors, including Dell, HPE, and NVIDIA. They can also provision Cyxtera SmartCabs if they wish to use their own hardware. With either configuration, organizations can leverage Cyxtera IP Connect to instantly provision internet access.

www.cyxtera.com

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Corning opens new optical cable factory in North Carolina

Corning inaugurated its newest optical cable manufacturing campus in Hickory, North Carolina. 

Corning has manufactured optical fiber and cable in North Carolina for more than 40 years. With the opening of the Trivium campus, Corning will manufacture optical cable at two sites in Hickory and at sites in Newton and Winston-Salem. The company manufactures optical fiber in Concord and Wilmington. Charlotte is home to Corning’s Optical Communications headquarters.

The new campus is part of a series of investments by Corning totaling more than $500 million since 2020, helping to meet growing fiber and cable demand and strong customer commitments.

The company says its new manufacturing facilities will add hundreds of jobs to its existing North Carolina workforce of more than 5,000. 

"High-speed internet is critical for North Carolinians to work, learn, get health care online, and connect with one another," North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper said. "Manufacturers like Corning know our strong workforce and economy make North Carolina the best place to do business, and we’re glad to partner with them to create more good paying jobs in Hickory."

“With this new manufacturing campus, we’re creating local jobs, we’re helping our workforce build important skills, we’re cultivating our next generation of talent right here in North Carolina, and we’re thrilled to continue addressing demand for the fiber and cable that are so vital to moving the world forward,” said Corning Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wendell P. Weeks. “We appreciate the support of federal, state, local officials, and industry organizations as we come together to help connect the unconnected and to make ‘Internet for All’ a reality.”

Corning recently launched a strategic supply collaboration with NTCA to support rural network buildouts, providing NTCA members with a specially reserved supply of cable and connectivity solutions.

https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en.html

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Lockheed's Crescent Space to offer lunar communications

Crescent Space Services, a new commercial company launched by Lockheed Martin, aims to provide infrastructure-as-a-service for lunar missions.

Crescent's first product, named Parsec, is a cislunar communications and navigation network. Parsec uses a constellation of small lunar satellites that will collectively work to provide continuous connection between Earth and the people and assets in lunar orbit, as well as on the surface of the Moon. In addition to communications, Parsec will also provide critical position, timing and navigation services for lunar missions.

Crescent will own and operate the Parsec network upon launch of its first nodes in 2025. Lockheed Martin will produce and deliver the Parsec spacecraft to Crescent, drawing upon its deep expertise developing exploration missions, communications satellites, software and GPS satellites.

Crescent is led by CEO Joe Landon, who previously served as vice president of Advanced Programs Development for Lockheed Martin Space.

"Crescent is well positioned to serve the upcoming wave of lunar science and exploration missions, including NASA's crewed Artemis moon landings," said Landon. "With Lockheed Martin's investment and access to its technical capabilities and deep space experience, Crescent is set up to ensure Parsec will be ready to provide reliable and affordable communications services for our customers."

https://www.crescentspace.com

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Faroese Telecom hits 5G peak of 5.9 Gbps with Ericsson

Faroese Telecom, the incumbent operator on the Faroe Island, and Ericsson achieved 5G download peak speeds of up to 6Gbps using 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. It is the fastest measured speed in a live network in Europe to date. 

The 5G non-standalone data speeds were achieved in an indoor deployment using Ericsson’s AIR 5322 and Baseband 6648. By aggregating 800MHz of 5G mmWave spectrum in n258 and 40 MHz of 4G FDD (frequency division duplex) spectrum a downlink speed of 5.9Gbps was measured by the smartphone when using 256QAM modulation. Moreover, an upload speed of 1.6Gbps was registered by aggregating several carriers in the uplink (UL) and selecting a TDD (time division duplex) pattern optimized for UL traffic.   

The operator plans to deploy multi-gigabit mmWave technology across all of the self-governing nation’s 18 islands in suburban and rural areas.

Faroe Islands is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. 

Jan Ziskasen, CEO of Faroese Telecom Group, says: “Our ambition is to have giga speed everywhere on the islands – in cities as well as in small villages, on roads, in tunnels, on mountaintops and even out to sea. Digital inclusion is a main pillar in our sustainability agenda thus reaching every centimeter and every person located on our 18 islands is paramount. This will bring unprecedented services to our consumers and businesses where world-class 5G gives key infrastructure for developing products and services paving the way for the future.”

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Versa appoints VP of Marketing

Versa Networks has named Dan Maier, a former executive from GreyNoise, Anomali and Zscaler, as its new Chief Marketing Officer. 

The company alson named Gopal Bhagia, former Senior Director of Global Demand Generation at Tenable, as its new VP of Demand Generation; and Kevin Sheu, former Bitglass Marketing leader, as its new VP of Product Marketing.

“I am excited to join Versa Networks at such an exciting and critical time for the company and the growth of SASE,” said Mr. Maier. 

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SES and Intelsat confirm merger talks

SES and Intelsat confirmed that have undertaken talks about a possible business combination.

At this stage, there can be no certainty that a transaction would materialise. 

https://www.ses.com

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Enfabrica unveils multi-terabit Accelerated Compute Fabric chips

Enfabrica, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, emerged from stealth to unveil a new class of Accelerated Compute Fabric (ACF) chips optimized for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and accelerated computing workloads.

Enfabrica's Accelerated Compute Fabric (ACF) devices are designed to deliver multi-terabit-per-second data movement between GPUs, CPUs, accelerators, memory and networking devices. The company envisions composable AI fabrics of compute, memory and network resources that scales from a single system to tens of thousands of nodes. The design provides uncontended access to >50X DRAM expansion over existing GPU networks via ComputeExpressLink (CXL) bridging.

Enfabrica’s said its flagship ACF switch silicon enables customers to cut their cost of GPU compute by an estimated 50 percent for Large Language Model (LLM) inferencing and 75 percent for deep learning recommendation model (DLRM) inferencing at the same performance point.

Enfabrica’s first Accelerated Compute Fabric Switch (ACF-S) chip offers multi-port 800 Gigabit Ethernet networking and high-radix PCIe Gen5 and CXL 2.0+ interfaces. Without changing physical interfaces, protocols or software layers above device drivers, the ACF-S delivers multi-Terabit switching and bridging between heterogeneous compute and memory resources in a single silicon die, while dramatically reducing the number of devices, I/O latency hops, and device power in today’s AI clusters consumed by top-of-rack network switches, RDMA-over-Ethernet NICs, Infiniband HCAs, PCIe/CXL switches, and CPU-attached DRAM.

Notably, by incorporating unique CXL memory bridging capabilities, Enfabrica’s ACF-S is the first data center silicon product in the industry to deliver headless memory scaling to any accelerator, enabling a single GPU rack to have direct, low-latency, uncontended access to local CXL.mem DDR5 DRAM at more than 50 times greater memory capacity versus GPU-native High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM).

“Generative AI is rapidly transforming the nature and volume of compute traffic in data centers,” said Rochan Sankar, CEO and co-founder of Enfabrica. “AI problem sizes and user serving scale will continue to grow by orders of magnitude every couple of years. The problem is that current server I/O and networking solutions have serious bottlenecks that will cause them to either buckle under the scale of demand, or vastly underutilize the costly compute resources deployed to meet it. We believe we have cracked the code on a I/O fabric design that will scale high-performance, low-latency AI workloads at far superior TCO than anything out there, and make growing AI infrastructure composable, sustainable and democratized. We are excited to work with our partners and target customers to deliver our Accelerated Compute Fabric products into this fast evolving market.”

https://enfabrica.net

• Enfabrica began in 2020, funded by Sutter Hill Ventures, and led by Silicon Valley veterans Rochan Sankar, Shrijeet Mukherjee, and key engineers who built industry-leading silicon and software stacks at Broadcom, Google, Cisco, AWS and Intel.

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Graphiant lands $62 million for its network edge service

Graphiant, a start-up based in San Jose, California, announced a $62 million Series B funding round for its network edge service that promises to shake up the established framework of VPNs, including MPLS and SDWAN.

Graphiant provides a next-gen network edge that combines the performance and security of MPLS with the agility of "as-a-Service" delivery. The company says it can deliver SLA-class performance at up to 70% less cost. Graphiant addresses three important use cases. First, enterprises can use Graphiant to connect enterprise resources. Second, they can connect to multiple public clouds. And third, enterprises can connect to other businesses, such as partners or customers.

The round brings the company's total funding to $96 million.

"The reaction to Graphiant's network edge has been swift and enthusiastic," said Khalid Raza, founder of Graphiant. "It has been much faster than what we saw with MPLS at Cisco or SD-WAN with Viptela. Graphiant has hit a nerve.”

https://graphiant.com/

Video: What's next for enterprise connectivity? (after MPLS and SDWAN)

Thursday, September 08, 2022  Graphiant, Video  

What's next for enterprise connectivity?Graphiant, a start-up based in Silicon Valley, has just unveiled a new network edge service that promises to shake up the established framework of VPNs, including MPLS and SDWAN.In this video, we hear from Khalid Raza, founder and CEO of Graphiant, and who is widely regarded as a visionary in routing protocols and large-scale network architectures. Raza previously was founder & CTO of Viptela, an SDWAN...

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NTT develops Beluganos, a network OS for carrier white boxes

NTT announced "Beluganos", a network OS for carrier white boxes.

The technology was developed with IP Infusion and in alignment with NTT's IOWN vision.

Beluganos includes various advanced functions, such as routing and switching capabilities that can replace legacy equipment with a choice of open networking hardware and software solutions, in addition to NTT’s commercial network operation expertise.

Following verification of the network's high reliability, NTT Communications decided to introduce Beluganos into their commercial network infrastructure in combination with white box equipment to support their network services. Operation of the service will commence on March 31, 2023. 

From then on,  NTT Advanced Technology Corporation will provide sales and support for the Beluganos service.

IP Infusion says it will also work to scale the IOWN concept around the world through global sales of Beluganos.

“We are incredibly proud to support NTT in the development, go-to-market and distribution of Beluganos,” said Atsushi Ogata, CEO and President of IP Infusion. “This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to fostering broad access and high quality software solutions that further innovation and lower total cost of ownership.”

https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2023/03/28/230328b.html

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Microsoft brings OpenAI to cybersecurity

Microsoft launched private previews of a next generation cybersecurity tool with access to OpenAI models.

The company says its aim is to amplify the capabilities of security teams by summarizing and making sense of threat intelligence, helping defenders see through the noise of web traffic and identify malicious activity.

Microsoft Security Copilot correlates input from the company’s vast threat intelligence footprint with expertise from security professionals and other tools, including Microsoft Security products, such as Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender.

“Today the odds remain stacked against cybersecurity professionals. Too often, they fight an asymmetric battle against relentless and sophisticated attackers,” said Vasu Jakkal, corporate vice president, Microsoft Security. “With Security Copilot, we are shifting the balance of power into our favor. Security Copilot is the first and only generative AI security product enabling defenders to move at the speed and scale of AI.”

“Advancing the state of security requires both people and technology — human ingenuity paired with the most advanced tools that help apply human expertise at speed and scale,” said Charlie Bell, executive vice president, Microsoft Security. “With Security Copilot we are building a future where every defender is empowered with the tools and technologies necessary to make the world a safer place.”

https://news.microsoft.com/AI-Security-2023

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DOCOMO deploys Nokia’s 7750 SR-14s core routers

NTT DOCOMO has deployed Nokia’s 7750 SR-14s core routers, powered by FP routing silicon, on its nationwide IP core backbone to enable transport network slicing as it rolls out new 5G mobile services. The enhancement will allow granular SLAs, network scale, capacity and agility, along with increased power and resource efficiency.

Nokia's FP5 line cards provide 800GE capability, increase capacity by more than three times with a 75 percent power savings over previous generations, and simplify network evolution with concurrent line rate FP4 and FP5 line card operation in the same system. To deliver the network slicing for its mobile services, DOCOMO will leverage the comprehensive segment routing capabilities of Nokia’s proven Service Router Operating System (SR OS) for traffic engineered network slices for the granular SLAs required by DOCOMO’s customers.

Nokia’s NSP complements DOCOMO’s segment routing solution with a Path Computation Engine (PCE) that leverages real-time telemetry to automatically optimize the IP network and improve SLA adherence. NSP will also enable DOCOMO to automate the creation, assurance, and optimization of IETF standards-based network slices in the transport domain.

Fumitaka Murayama, General Manager of Core Network Engineering Department, NTT DOCOMO, INC., said: “DOCOMO is committed to implementing slicing in 5G networks to provide networks that can respond flexibly and quickly to the diverse needs of our customers. In the transport network, a key component of this, it was essential to leverage Nokia's IP core solutions for its high performance, functionality, flexibility and quality in meeting performance and slicing requirements. In collaboration with Nokia, DOCOMO hopes to create new value for our customers and help solve social issues through new technologies such as network slicing.”

John Lancaster-Lennox, Head of Market Unit Japan at Nokia, said: “We’re pleased to provide our next generation IP transport solution to DOCOMO. Nokia’s 7750 SR-s platform and NSP solution will enable DOCOMO to balance network scale, capacity and sustainability that can evolve with its changing needs for years to come.”

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Namibia's Paratus selects Infinera’s ICE6 800G for Equiano

Paratus, a network operator serving seven African countries – Angola, Botswana, DRC, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zambia - has selected  Infinera’s ICE6 800G solution for the Equiano Cable System.

Schalk Erasmus, CEO of the Paratus Group, stresses: “It is imperative to select top technology partners, as is the case in the partnership with Infinera, both for the modernization of the submarine network infrastructure, and for the quality of network provided by the Group to its customers and surrounding communities.” 

“Paratus have worked with Infinera for a number of years on other projects, and this partnership allows Paratus to provide connectivity that is 20 times faster in capacity, modern and flexible to ensure economies of scale, and offers efficiency in the services that the Paratus Group provides throughout its seven operating countries.”

https://www.infinera.com

Google announces Equiano cable from Portugal to South Africa

Sunday, June 30, 2019  Africa, Cable, Google, Subsea  

Google unveiled plans for new private subsea cable connecting Lisbon, Portugal and Cape Town, South Africa with branching units along the west coast of Africa.

The Equiano subsea cable, which is named for Olaudah Equiano, a Nigerian-born writer and abolitionist who was enslaved as a boy, will include a branching unit to Nigeria.

Google plans to use state-of-the-art space-division multiplexing (SDM) technology to achieve approximately 20 times more network capacity than the last cable built to serve this region.

The cable will be the first to incorporate optical switching at the fiber-pair level, rather than the traditional approach of wavelength-level switching. Google says this design will greatly simplify the allocation of cable capacity.

Equiano is fully funded by Google. Alcatel Submarine Networks was awarded a contract in Q4 2018.

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Canada backs Ranovus for its photonic interconnects

Ranovus, which develops photonic interconnects, has secured a $36 million contribution through the Government of Canada's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) to support a $100 million project that will advance the domestic production and manufacturing of semiconductor products.

The project aims to develop the highest performing and most power-efficient technologies for interconnect computer chips for next-generation artificial intelligence systems. Building on previous work supported through the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), this project includes the development of a single-chip optical engine that would allow fibre optics to replace electrical circuits in high–performance computers for data centre servers. 

Ranovus said the funding enables it to increase its highly skilled workforce in Canada to 200 full-time employees and provide opportunities to 150 Canadian co-op students. 

"The computing power for training artificial intelligence systems has grown by 300,000 times over the past 5 years, based on the recent OpenAI study. To support this unprecedented growth, thousands of computer chips must be interconnected with massive data pipes to create an artificial intelligence cluster. In 2022, Ranovus delivered ODIN, the world's fastest, smallest and lowest power consumption AI interconnect chip. ODIN consumes 75% less power, is 80% smaller than its closest rival and is scaling into production in the next 9 months with Tier 1 U.S. customers. We are investing $100 million to further scale our next-generation AI interconnect platform and are delighted by the continued support of the Strategic Innovation Fund to help keep Canada at the leading edge of the next generation of AI native infrastructure," stated Hamid Arabzadeh, Chairman and CEO, Ranovus Inc.

Ranovus, established in 2012, is headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. 

SIF first funded Ranovus in 2018 with $20 million to support the development and construction of next-generation data infrastructure centres designed to reduce the environmental impact of data processing while also doubling the capacity of these centres.

In February 2022, the Government of Canada launched the Semiconductor Challenge Callout, a $150 million allocation from SIF to bolster the development and manufacturing of semiconductors in Canada.

Revolutionizing Direct Drive Pluggables with Co-Package Optics

Sunday, March 19, 2023    

Co-packaged optics (CPO) were a hot topic at #OFC23 in San Diego.

In this video, Hamid Abzadeh, Chairman and CEO of Ranovus, discusses the advantages of co-package optics in module applications with direct drive technology. Co-package optics enable a significant reduction in power consumption for pluggable applications, as demonstrated by Ranovus' Odin platform. The co-package optics version of the Odin platform has a power consumption of 5 pico joules per bit (5pJ/bit), including the lasers, which is significantly lower than the re-timed version. This reduction in power consumption makes the technology ideal for AI and machine learning interconnect, which is a scalable function that could be networked through multiple GPUs and CPUs.

Abzadeh also talks about the interoperability and networkability of co-package optics technology. Renovus' Odin platform is integrated with AMD Xilinx and can be interconnected with standard-based modules, as demonstrated by the 800 gig OSFP module from a third party. Furthermore, Ranovus' own module is also interconnected with the third-party module to show the power consumption and differences between the two.

Odin is built using GlobalFoundries' Fotonix monolithic RF/CMOS silicon photonics (SiPh) platform. 

https://youtu.be/UIsa75wUmJY

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Nokia extends AVA Energy software to data centers, base stations

Nokia has upgraded its multivendor AVA Energy efficiency software with enhanced algorithms and power saving measures to now enables CSPs to lower power consumption in their data centers, in addition to network base stations, batteries, and air conditioning units in telco networks.

Nokia estimates its updated AVA Energy efficiency software can reduce power usage of up to 30%, up about 10 percentage points relative to the original software, based on customer testing. The enhanced tool allows operators to shutdown idling and unused equipment automatically through the algorithms, with the option to completely disconnect hardware through remote power control modules.

Nokia's AVA Energy efficiency software is deployed in  more than 50 completed or active energy saving projects with CSPs around the world, as companies look to lower overall energy costs while addressing environmental sustainability issues in their operations.

CSPs spend between 3% and 20% of their total revenue on energy costs, according to Analysys Mason’s recently published report, “Taming increased energy usage: the key role of AI-based energy efficiency solutions”.

Hamdy Farid, Senior Vice President, Business Applications at Nokia, said: “Nokia’s investment in new and better solutions never stops and this upgrade to Nokia AVA Energy efficiency demonstrates not only the superior level of our software capabilities, but also Nokia’s broader commitment to cut carbon emissions across its value chain.”  

https://www.nokia.com/networks/bss-oss/ava/energy-efficiency/

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Windstream Wholesale adds 400G Toronto-to-Chicago route

Windstream Wholesale has partnered with Bluewater Regional Networks have partnered to establish a high-capacity route from Toronto to Chicago.

The new network path provides 10 GbE, 100 GbE and 400 GbE waves from Toronto to Sarnia, Ontario, and then on to Lapeer, Michigan, and Chicago. It features multiple access points throughout Ontario, Quebec and Michigan, offering diversity to anywhere in the US.

Bluewater Regional Networks, headquartered in Sarnia, operates a community-owned network established to address the local digital divide throughout Southwestern Ontario, with an emphasis on enhancing connectivity between Canada and the U.S. for multinational customers.

“Joining forces with exceptional partners like Bluewater Regional Networks is a key part of Windstream Wholesale’s strategy to meet our customers’ increasing demand for high-capacity bandwidth and geographic network diversity that protects against service disruptions,” said Joe Scattareggia, chief revenue officer for Windstream Wholesale. “This unique network route from Toronto to Chicago is a perfect answer for the growing number of large-scale customers looking to connect data centers in the U.S. and Canada.”

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IBM to build Quantum Center with Fundación Ikerbasque

IBM will establish a leading quantum computational hub in partnership with Fundación Ikerbasque, the Basque Foundation for Science in the Basque Country of Spain. This is the second such IBM Quantum Computational Center to be announced in Europe.

The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will provide Qiskit Runtime services from a 127-qubit IBM Quantum System One located in San Sebastian and managed by IBM. The initiative aims to advance quantum research, build a quantum workforce, promote economic development, and provide the necessary quantum computing infrastructure to achieve those goals. The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center will promote the use of advanced technology across all the Basque Country Government and the General Deputations (Araba, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa), further elevating research institutions by expanding international research collaborations, performing world-class fundamental scientific research, and increasing the quantum-trained talent in the region.

“It is very risky to say what the future of quantum computers will bring us. Nobody knows for sure. What we do know for sure is that the Basque Country must be prepared for the future. It is essential to be in a good starting position for when the situation requires it. Euskadi joins today, a select group of IBM Quantum Computational Centers. We will actively collaborate with this Network and we will contribute all our knowledge to continue developing this technology. IBM’s commitment to the Basque Country reflects a new recognition of our science, technology and innovation system. The Basque Country believes in science and invests in it. We do so, convinced that our welfare will come through progress, through scientific advances,” assured the President of the Basque Country Government, Mr. Iñigo Urkullu.

“The IBM-Euskadi Quantum Computational Center is further proof of our commitment in building open communities of innovation to tackle the most challenging problems of our time,” said Dr. Darío Gil, Senior Vice President and Director of Research, IBM. “This partnership will bring to bear the full scope of IBM's quantum technologies to The Basque Country’s world-class scientific and industrial communities. We are proud to be working with the Government of The Basque Country, as well as private sector and academic partners, to take innovation in Spain to the next level.”

Since 2016, IBM has deployed over 60 quantum computers for external use. There are now more than 20 quantum computing systems, including the 433-qubit IBM Osprey processor.

https://newsroom.ibm.com/2023-03-24-IBM-and-Fundacion-Ikerbasque-partner-to-launch-groundbreaking-Quantum-Computational-Center

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Intel intros pint-sized enterprise PC

Intel introduced its NUC 13 Pro, a small, enterprise-class PC with up to a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with six Performance-cores (P-cores) and eight Efficient-cores (E-cores).

Highlights

• Support for up to 64GB dual-channel DDR4-3200 MHz memory.
• M.2 slots for PCIe x4 Gen 4 NVMe SSD and second SSD.
• Intel i226 Ethernet for speeds up to 2.5 Gbps.
• Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
• Two HDMI ports and two Thunderbolt™ 4 ports (four displays at 4K@60 Hz).
• Three USB 3.2 ports and one USB 2.0 port.

The Intel NUC 13 Pro Kits and Mini PCs are expected to be available starting in late March, with prices ranging from $340 to $1,080, depending on the configuration. The bare-bones Kit versions allow users to customize memory, storage and operating system to suit their needs. Fully equipped Mini PC versions come complete with memory, storage and the Microsoft Windows operating system. And there are Board versions to allow ecosystem partners to build NUC 13 Pros into their own custom solutions.

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Raja Koduri leaves Intel for AI gaming start-up

Raja Koduri, Intel Chief Architect and Executive Vice President, Accelerated Computing Systems and Graphics (AXG) business unit, has stepped down to become founder of generative AI gaming startup. 

Earlier in his career, he was with AMD and Apple.

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NTT and KDDI envision the All-Photonics Network

NTT and KDDI agreed to collaborate on high-capacity optical network research and standardization in the spirit of open innovation.

NTT and KDDI will promote standardization activities to achieve an all-photonics network, its expansion, and the interoperability among carriers for interconnection based on their experience in the research, development and the actual implementation of optical networks all over the world.

The vision is an All-Photonics Network featuring low power consumption and low latency by transparently transmitting optical wavelength signals without electrical processing. Compared to traditional optical networks, the number of optical wavelength signals should be carefully assigned to multiple services following the design rule of an All-Photonics Network, and their transmission characteristics should be well maintained with a certain quality level by minimizing degradation due to optical fibers' nonlinearity and optical amplifiers noise.

In the era of Beyond 5G/6G, there will also be other mechanisms in mobile network infrastructure that effectively accommodate a greater number of base stations and provide customers with a new service experience. While standardizing technologies to apply an All-Photonics Network to mobile networks, NTT and KDDI will contribute to enhancing mobile network and their services, connecting edge and cloud data centers or inter-core networks with an All-Photonics Network.

NTT and KDDI will utilize the Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) Global Forum1 as one of the places to promote open innovation and utilize the outcome for the global standardization of all-photonics networks at ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector) and other standardization organizations.

https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2023/03/17/230317a.html

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T-Systems to provide access to IBM Quantum Network

Deutsche Telekom's IT subsidiary will provide its customers with cloud access to IBM’s quantum systems, including multiple quantum computers powered by the 127-qubit IBM Eagle processor. 

T-Systems quantum services will offer customizable packages ranging from one-day introductory sessions, through to business case proofs-of-concept over several months. The use of IBM Quantum computational resources over the cloud — including Qiskit Runtime, which allows for the optimization and efficient execution of workloads on quantum systems at scale — together with T-Systems’ services, will lower the barrier to quantum computing. This will allow T-Systems to develop and test customers’ use-cases and prepare them for a future with quantum computing. T-Systems aims to host its own quantum infrastructure in the future, assisted by IBM.

“Quantum computing will be central to tomorrow’s IT landscape. We are combining quantum and classical computing in a seamless and scalable customer experience.” states Adel Al-Saleh, Deutsche Telekom board member and Chief Executive of T-Systems. “Taking these first decisive steps will lower the access barrier to quantum computing.” IBM has an established track record in quantum computing leadership. The company offers the world’s largest fleet of quantum computers, accessible over the cloud. Al-Saleh continues: “In IBM, we have a trusted partner to deliver this future technology. It is a perfect match for our industry focus and expertise.” 

https://www.telekom.com/en/media/media-information/archive/t-systems-launches-quantum-offering-1031464

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OneWeb’s constellation reaches full 618 satellites in orbit

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) successfully launched 36 of OneWeb's low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR) in Sriharikota, India. 

OneWeb’s satellites separated successfully from the rocket and were dispensed in nine phases over a period of 1 hour and 14 minutes, with signal acquisition on all 36 satellites confirmed.

This is OneWeb’s 18th launch, its third this year, bringing the total of OneWeb’s constellation to 618 satellites. 

The OneWeb constellation design calls for 588 satellites for global coverage and additional satellites are planned for resiliency and redundancy. 

OneWeb said it plans to launch global coverage services soon, with full global coverage by the end of the year.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman of OneWeb, said: “In my work I have seen the power of connectivity to bring benefits to all, wherever they are. Yet half the world’s population does not have access to fast, reliable connectivity. Today’s launch represents a major step towards closing the digital divide. OneWeb’s global constellation will play a pivotal role in realising this dream.

“I am particularly proud that OneWeb has crossed the threshold to be able to provide its global coverage in India, a country whose ambitions in enhancing Space-based connectivity are being driven by New Space India and ISRO. Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Government of India’s target to significantly expand access to high-speed internet connectivity is vital, and OneWeb is grateful for all the support and is delighted to be playing its part. Overall, this is an incredibly exciting time for the satellite connectivity industry, and I am delighted that the UK and India are at the forefront of developments."

Shri. Somanath S, Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, ISRO, commented: “This launch is very important milestone for ISRO as we demonstrated the successful launch of second consecutive commercial payload of OneWeb.  This valued customer trusted our capability and we have proved it in a very short span of time. This launch has created a new record in the Indian space history. With this launch of LVM3, through the New Space India Ltd, ISRO is confident of handling many more such launches on demand for both LEO and GEO mission in the future. I wish OneWeb a great success in globalizing the completed constellation.

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Dell'Oro intros Data Center IT Semiconductors report

Dell’Oro Group introduced a new Data Center IT Semiconductors and Components advanced research report providing an in-depth analysis of the supply and demand of semiconductors and components relative to system deployments, as well as the consumption of data center semiconductors and components for each of the Top 8 Cloud service providers and the rest of the market. The report will address key topics, including:

• What is the demand outlook for semiconductors and components for cloud hyperscalers and other data center customers?
• Are semiconductors and components inventories rising or falling with system deployments by data center customers?
• What is the product mix of semiconductors and components for servers, and how that is changing over time with new data center architectures?
• How is the server CPU vendor landscape shifting among the major Cloud SPs (SPs) and the overall market?

“While data center equipment such as servers have become commoditized in recent years, the server CPU landscape is becoming more diverse with compelling solutions based on x86 and ARM architectures,” said Baron Fung, Senior Research Director at Dell’Oro Group. “Furthermore, data center infrastructure is becoming specialized, with accelerators such as GPUs and Smart NICs targeted at specific workloads to optimize efficiency. While memory and storage components are commoditized, it is crucial for vendors to ensure supplies are aligned to demand. In this advanced research, we will assess the vendor landscape for the key server semiconductor and components, and how the near-term and long-term demand unfolds,” said Fung.

The first report will be released in April 2023.

https://www.delloro.com/news/delloro-group-launches-new-data-center-it-semiconductors-and-components-advanced-research-report/

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