EU advances DETERMINISTIC6G project

Ericsson and KTH are coordinating a new project called DETERMINISTIC6G that aims to develop the technology enablers that are essential for time-sensitive technology needed for 6G.

Central to the project is the concept of deterministic communication, being the property of guaranteeing communication latency and reliability. In total, the consortium consists of ten partners that combine mobile network leadership (Ericsson, Orange) with visionary applications and vertical ecosystem insights (B&R, IUVO, and SSSA), paired with leading research institutes (KTH, University of Stuttgart, and Silicon Austria Labs) and two highly innovative SMEs (Cumucore, Montimage).  

A central focus of the project will be on the interplay between future 6G networks with highly time-synchronized networks called Time Sensitive Networking (TSN). The challenge in these settings is that wireless systems like 6G can be subject to strong random variations, which is incompatible with technologies like TSN. How to overcome these challenges is an open research problem. DETERMINISTIC6G will tackle this problem by a combination of new wireless transmission design and advanced machine learning algorithms, leading to 6G wireless transmission with deterministic latency behavior.  

In addition to this, the project will also consider consequences and novel approaches for time synchronization, network security as well as the integration of computational nodes into 6G systems. A final point on the research agenda is how to make future networks aware of subsequent, upcoming changes that are important for the running of applications. Networks like 6G will have additional means to acquire fine-grained information about such changes in comparison to the networks of today.  

Magnus Frodigh, Vice president and head of research of Ericsson Research, says: “I have high expectations on DETERMINISTIC6G, a 6G technology enabler project focused on deterministic communication. With a unique consortium combining expertise from both the wired and wireless domains, DETERMINISTIC6G has the potential to shape the foundations of 6G systems with respect to time-critical applications.”  

James Gross, a professor with the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science School at KTH and the project’s technical manager, adds: “This project can shape the technological foundations of future 6G systems.”  

The project has received EU funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking.

https://www.deterministic6g.eu

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Keysight participates in four European 6G projects

Keysight Technologies is participating in four projects that are a part of the 6G Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS-JU), a research and innovation program co-funded by the European Union (EU):

• 6G-SANDBOX, which will combine digital and physical nodes to deliver fully configurable, manageable, and controllable end-to-end networks for validating new technologies and research advancements for 6G.
• CENTRIC, which will enable sustainable user-centric 6G networks based on air-interfaces that use artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
• Imagine-B5G, which will implement an advanced, easily accessible, secure, and programmable end-to-end beyond 5G platform leveraging best-of-breed network functions and cloud native principles.
• 6G SHINE, which will pioneer the main technology components for short range extreme communications in entities, replacing some of today’s wired connections.

Giampaolo Tardioli, Vice President, 6G and Next Generation Technology at Keysight, said: “Keysight is committed to actively participating in four exciting projects resulting from the first 6G SNS call, The projects will benefit from our advanced solution expertise, enabling cross-industry stakeholders to spark meaningful and sustainable innovation. The establishment of a reference testbed early in the innovation cycle enables the industry to confidently make sound technical standards choices. Keysight’s contributions to 6G SNS will advance several important technologies expected to be used to realize the industry’s 6G vision, including short-range communications and AI-enabled programmable networks.”

Stream B - Research for revolutionary technology advancement towards 6G - SNS JU (europa.eu)

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Nokia expands its microwave radio portfolio for extending 5G

Nokia announced the availability of the UBT-m XP, a new E-Band high-powered Ultra-Broadband Transceiver for its Wavence product family for extending coverage in both dense urban and rural environments.

Nokia’s newest E-Band radio is a high-capacity outdoor unit with a small, light form factor and the highest transmit power available on the market.

Another addition to the portfolio is Nokia SteadEband, a stabilized three-foot antenna that combats common E-Band issues, which include tower vibrations and movements due to thermal effects. 

Nokia said it has achieved a 12-kilometer-long link using the Nokia UBT-m XP and the SteadEband antenna.

Nokia also announced the launch of the Outdoor Channel Aggregator (OCA) to support mobile operators looking to expand the reach and capacity of their networks for rural broadband applications. The OCA aggregates multiple UBT-T XP radios, Nokia’s high-capacity, high-power, outdoor dual-band radio, for N+0 operations and allows for increased throughput with improved system gain of up to 10 dB compared with traditional aggregation methods. This is important in increasing the link distance or to optimize OPEX/CAPEX by removing the requirement for larger antenna or repeater systems.

Finally, Nokia is also introducing the Carrier Aggregation High Density (CAHD) card, which adds ‘single pipe’ capacity to the backhaul to support the link distance. The innovative CAHD module enables 10 Gbps backhaul capacity over multiple channels and supports seamless migration from existing low-capacity backhaul to high capacity hence preserving an operator’s investment.

Giuseppe Targia, Vice President, Microwave Radio Links at Nokia, said: “We are further strengthening our industry-leading Wavence portfolio with the addition of these next-generation products. The winning combination of the UBX-m XP and the SteadEband offers our customers a high-performance transport solution with leading capacity and coverage for both urban and rural environments. Microwave links are cost-efficient and fast to deploy, representing a robust alternative to fiber backhaul.” 

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The Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act

A proposed “Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act” or FACT Act would require the FCC to publish a list of every entity that both holds an FCC license or authorization and has sufficient ties back into authoritarian regimes, including the Chinese Communist Party.

The bill was introduced last week by Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), and Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) and Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced the “Foreign Adversary Communications Transparency Act” or FACT Act. 

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr issued the following statement in support of the legislation:

“I applaud Congresswoman Stefanik’s, Congressman Khanna, and Congressman Gallagher’s strong leadership and thoughtful work to counter the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party and other authoritarian state actors. This bipartisan legislation would strengthen American’s national security, and I encourage Congress to move quickly in passing this common sense bill."

“It is vital that we provide a full and transparent accounting of every entity with ties back into the CCP—and the governments of other authoritarian regimes—that are operating inside America’s tech and telecom markets, yet there has never been a public disclosure when it comes to those networks of relationships. This only makes it more difficult for the public and private sector alike to assess the likelihood that those connections can be leveraged to harm America’s national security interests. We know that the CCP is engaged in a widespread and coordinated campaign to surveil Americans, and they are willing to use every tool at their disposal to advance their malign goals."

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Oracle expands its cloud data centers in Saudi Arabia

Oracle announced a $1.5 billion plan to open a new public cloud region in Riyadh and expand its existing public region in Jeddah.

The Oracle Cloud Riyadh Region will join the existing Oracle Cloud Jeddah Region and the planned Oracle Cloud Region to be located in the futuristic city of NEOM.

This investment is included in an MoU that Oracle has signed with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) to help Saudi Arabian businesses take advantage of the latest innovations in the cloud.

https://www.oracle.com/news/announcement/oracle-to-invest-us-1-point-5-billion-to-meet-cloud-computing-demand-in-saudi-arabia-2023-02-06/ 

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Comcast targets fiber rollouts in Indiana

Comcast signed contracts with Indiana’s Office of Community & Rural Affairs (OCRA) to bring gigabit-capable broadband service to unserved parts of Indiana.

The projects will deploy 1,200 miles of fiber to unserved rural portions of Indiana. Under this latest phase of Next Level Connections grants, Comcast is investing $36 million in conjunction with the state’s $13.6 million to expand its network.

The initial finalized agreements will enable Comcast to build to rural, unserved portions of Allen, Bartholomew, Carroll, Cass, Delaware, Fayette, Hendricks, Jennings, Johnson, Hamilton, Huntington, La Porte, Madison, Marshall, Montgomery, Morgan, Porter, Starke and Wayne counties.

“Ensuring all Hoosiers have access to reliable, high-speed internet has been a top priority for Comcast,” said Joni Hart, vice president of Government Affairs for Comcast in Indiana. “As the world we live in becomes increasingly digital, we remain focused on not only bringing our broadband network to more Indiana homes and business, but also meeting the ever-increasing appetite for education, business, telemedicine, entertainment and more.”

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Singtel builds data center in Thailand

Singtel, in partnership with Gulf and AIS, began construction of a new data centre near to Bangkok, Thailand. 

The new 20 MW facility is expected to enter service in 2025 and will be operated by their joint venture company GSA Data Center Company Limited (GSA).

In addition to the data centre in Thailand, Singtel is developing a data centre with a capacity of 51 MW in Indonesia together with partners Telkom and Medco Power, when fully completed. It is also adding capacity in Singapore with a new build in Tuas. The Indonesian and Singapore data centres are expected to begin operations by 2025.

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