Milestone: Two billion 5G connections now in service

 In the first quarter of 2024, the global adoption of 5G connections continued its steady climb, reaching nearly two billion with an addition of 185 million new connections, according to data from 5G Americas and Omdia. The study predicts that global 5G connections will reach 7.7 billion by 2028, with North America forecast to boast an impressive 700 million 5G connections by the same year.

Chris Pearson, President of 5G Americas, stated, “The wireless technology sector continues to demonstrate its strength and significance through rapid adoption and sustained robust growth globally. North America remains at the forefront of 5G implementation.”

• North America leads in 5G adoption, with 32% of all wireless cellular connections.
• In Q1 2024, North America added 22 million new 5G connections, totaling 220 million.
• Latin America saw strong growth in 4G LTE and 5G connections last quarter.
• Latin America added eight million new LTE connections, reaching 591 million total.
• Nine million new 5G connections were added in Latin America, totaling 48 million.
• 4G LTE subscriptions remain strong in Latin America as 5G availability increases.

5G Networks

• Global: 316
• North America: 17
• Latin America and Caribbean: 40

4G LTE Networks

• Global: 712
• North America: 18
• Latin America and Caribbean: 134

https://www.5gamericas.org/

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U.S. funds 12 Tech Hubs, including quantum and photonics research

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) has announced a new round of funding, totaling approximately $504 million, in implementation grants to 12 Tech Hubs. This funding aims to scale up the production of critical technologies, create jobs in innovative industries, enhance U.S. economic competitiveness and national security, and accelerate the growth of future-focused industries across various regions in the United States.

Tech Hubs implementation awardees are:

Elevate Quantum Tech Hub (Colorado, New Mexico)
Lead Agency: Elevate Quantum
Technology Focus: quantum information technology
Estimated Award Amount: $41 million  

Headwaters Hub (Montana)
Lead Agency: Accelerate Montana
Technology Focus: smart photonic sensor systems  
Estimated Award Amount: $41 million

Heartland BioWorks (Indiana)
Lead Agency: Applied Research Institute
Technology Focus: biomanufacturing 
Estimated Award Amount: $51 million

iFAB Tech Hub (Illinois)
Lead Agency: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
Technology Focus: precision fermentation and biomanufacturing 
Estimated Award Amount: $51 million 

Nevada Tech Hub (Nevada)
Lead Agency: University of Nevada, Reno   
Technology Focus: lithium batteries and electric vehicle materials 
Estimated Award Amount: $21 million 

NY SMART I-Corridor Tech Hub (New York)
Lead Agency: CenterState Corporation for Economic Opportunity   
Technology Focus: semiconductor manufacturing
Estimated Award Amount: $40 million

ReGen Valley Tech Hub (New Hampshire)
Lead Agency: Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute   
Technology Area: biofabrication 
Estimated Award Amount: $44 million 

SC Nexus for Advanced Resilient Energy (South Carolina, Georgia)
Lead Agency: South Carolina Department of Commerce   
Technology Focus: clean energy supply chain
Estimated Award Amount: $45 million

South Florida ClimateReady Tech Hub (Florida)
Lead Agency: Miami Dade County Innovation and Economic Development Office   
Technology Focus: sustainable and climate-resilient infrastructure 
Estimated Award Amount: $19 million 

Sustainable Polymers Tech Hub (Ohio)
Lead Agency: Greater Akron Chamber   
Technology Focus: sustainable polymers
Estimated Award Amount: $51 million

Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (Oklahoma)
Lead Agency: Tulsa Innovation Labs    
Technology Focus: secure autonomous systems  
Estimated Award Amount: $51 million

Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub (Wisconsin)
Lead Agency: BioForward Wisconsin   
Technology Focus: personalized medicine
Estimated Award Amount: $49 million

“The Department of Commerce is laser focused on expanding economic opportunity to every corner of this country,” said Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves. “The Tech Hubs program is a commitment to American economic prosperity and success. These 12 awardees embody the innovation and creativity that can be found nationwide, boosting U.S. manufacturing and bolstering U.S. global competitiveness, bringing President Biden’s Investing In America agenda to the forefront.” 

https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2024/07/biden-harris-administration-announces-next-funding-round-504-million-12

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RVM lands CHIPs Act funding for MEMS foundry

The U.S. Department of Commerce has signed a preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with Rogue Valley Microdevices (RVM) to provide up to $6.7 million in proposed funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment will support the construction of RVM’s microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensor foundry facility in Palm Bay, Florida. This facility is expected to nearly triple RVM’s manufacturing capacity, enhancing the U.S. supply chain resilience.

RVM is a notable U.S.-based pure play MEMS foundry specializing in high-mix, low-volume wafer and MEMS foundry services used in the defense and biomedical industries. The proposed investment will facilitate the construction of the facility, including the renovation of the clean room and installation of equipment. RVM plans to ship its first wafers from the new facility by early 2025, with the facility’s full completion anticipated by mid-2025. Additionally, RVM intends to establish on-site childcare and partner with a local provider to offer STEM-based early education and after-school support.

This proposed CHIPS investment marks the first in a women- and minority-owned business, highlighting the essential role of smaller businesses in the semiconductor ecosystem. RVM plans to leverage the Department of the Treasury’s Investment Tax Credit, which could be up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures, alongside state and federal support totaling over $8 million.

Key Points:

• Funding Amount: Up to $6.7 million under the CHIPS and Science Act.

• Location: Palm Bay, Florida.

• Capacity Increase: Nearly triple RVM’s manufacturing capacity.

• Job Creation: Over 75 new jobs in Florida.

• Facility Completion: First wafers by early 2025, full completion by mid-2025.

• Additional Support: $5 million Florida Department of Commerce loan, $3.2 million in other state incentives and grants.

• Tax Credit: Plans to claim up to 25% of qualified capital expenditures.

• Notable Milestone: First CHIPS investment in a women- and minority-owned business.

https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2024/07/us-department-commerce-announces-preliminary-terms-rogue-valley

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Augtera powers AI operations for MX Technologies' SONiC data center

MX Technologies has selected Augtera Networks to power AI operations for its next-generation data center networks by leveraging Dell Enterprise SONiC switches.

MX Technologies is a financial technology company specializing in providing data-driven financial management solutions. In 2023, the company augmented its legacy network monitoring tools with the Augtera Network AI platform in its data center networks. This new solution enabled MX to enhance network monitoring with network AIOps, providing preventive and automated operations to optimize application performance while also maintaining traditional network monitoring capabilities for easier operational adoption.

Augtera’s real-time ML-based anomaly detection offers early detection and automated alerts for application TCP retransmits, data center fabric grey failures, data plane, environmental and control plane errors, and congestion. This equips MX to identify the top application flows impacted by TCP retransmits caused by data center fabric issues and remediate them accordingly.

“MX continues to innovate by adopting Augtera Network AI, and now SONiC, to provide best-in-class experiences. Augtera integrated with SONiC will further optimize application experiences by increasing operational agility and efficiency,” explained Brandon Murdoch, Director of Infrastructure at MX.

“MX has been at the forefront of adopting Augtera’s industry-leading multi-vendor real-time ML anomaly detection capabilities across network logs and metrics to optimize platform performance. In addition to these capabilities, Augtera’s integration with SONiC will provide MX with real-time latency and loss observability to take these benefits one step further,” said Rahul Aggarwal, Founder & CEO at Augtera.

https://augtera.com/

• Founded by Rahul Aggarwal and Bhupesh Kothari, Augtera Networks is based in Palo Alto, California. The company specializes in AI-driven network solutions that enhance visibility, prevent network incidents, and significantly reduce resolution times. Augtera’s platform is designed to address the complexities of modern networks, providing proactive insights and automation to improve network performance and reliability

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Frontier offers $750M notes secured by fiber assets

Frontier Communications announced the closing of its previously announced fiber securitization notes offering. 

The offering consists of $750 million aggregate principal amount of secured fiber network revenue term notes, consisting of $530 million 6.2% Series 2024-1, Class A-2 term notes, $73 million 7.0% Series 2024-1, Class B term notes and $147 million 11.2% Series 2024-1, Class C term notes, each with an anticipated repayment date in May 2031. Collectively, the notes have a weighted average yield of approximately 7.4%.

The notes are secured by certain of Frontier’s fiber assets and associated customer contracts in North Texas and qualify as green bonds.

This transaction is the company’s second fiber securitization offering/

“The completion of our second securitization offering in less than a year highlights the value of Frontier’s fiber network and the attractiveness of fiber as critical digital infrastructure,” said Scott Beasley, Chief Financial Officer of Frontier. “These transactions are a cost-efficient way to fund our fiber strategy and Build Gigabit America, while also providing flexibility to refinance higher-cost debt, extend our term loan and lower our overall cost of capital.”

https://investor.frontier.com/news/news-details/2024/Frontier-Completes-750-Million-Fiber-Securitization-Offering-and-Term-Loan-Refinancing/default.aspx

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Alabama Fiber Network selects Ciena

Alabama is investing over $300 million, funded largely by the American Rescue Plan Act, to expand an open access middle-mile network throughout the state. This initiative aims to improve broadband infrastructure by working with several last- and middle-mile providers. One significant beneficiary of this investment is the Alabama Fiber Network (AFN), a coalition of eight rural electric cooperatives. AFN is leasing dark fiber and constructing new infrastructure to create a network spanning over 5,000 linear miles with interconnect points in all 67 counties, enhancing connectivity in unserved and underserved rural areas.

AFN has selected Ciena as its optical networking vendor for the converged IP/optical middle-mile network. Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Nano (WL5n) 400G Coherent Pluggable Transceivers and 6500 Reconfigurable Line System (RLS) will be utilized in this deployment. This technology will allow AFN to offer scalable bandwidth to last-mile providers, minimizing costs and enhancing efficiency across the state. Additionally, AFN is using Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite for simplified network management and Ciena Services for turnkey implementation and solution validation, ensuring a robust and future-proof broadband infrastructure for Alabama.

https://www.alabamafibernetwork.com/network/

https://www.ciena.com

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Rogers runs Ericsson's Cloud RAN at live event

Rogers Communications, in partnership with Ericsson, successfully trialed 5G Cloud-Radio Access Network (Cloud RAN) technology at a nearly sold-out Toronto Blue Jays game on Canada Day. The test marked the first time Cloud RAN has been deployed over a commercial network at a live event in Canada.

Cloud RAN builds on the company’s national standalone 5G core network, which Rogers was first to launch in 2021. 

Earlier this year, Rogers successfully tested 5G network slicing technology also with Ericsson.

“Cloud-native technology is a critical component in the next generation of wireless networks and we are proud to have completed Canada’s first deployment of 5G Cloud RAN technology at a major live event,” said Ron McKenzie, Chief Technology and Information Officer, Rogers. “We continue to invest in our coast-to-coast radio access network, including innovative Cloud-native technologies, to deliver the most reliable, consistent network services across the country for both consumers and enterprise customers.”

https://about.rogers.com/news-ideas/rogers-completes-first-commercial-live-event-trial-of-ericsson-5g-cloud-ran-network-technology-in-canada/

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Airspan advances its Chapter 11 reorganization plan

Airspan Networks announced that the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware has confirmed its Plan of Reorganization.

Under the reorganization plan, Airspan will receive up to $95 million in equity financing, as well as access to a $20 million undrawn line of credit. In addition, Airspan’s existing funded debt will be eliminated. Once the plan is implemented, Airspan will become a private company majority-owned by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group.

“We are pleased to have achieved this important milestone,” said Glenn Laxdal, President and Chief Executive Officer of Airspan. “During the restructuring process, our team was fully focused on serving our customers and partners worldwide, and we will emerge from the process as a stronger company positioned to execute our strategic plan. We thank our employees, customers and vendors for their continued support, and look forward to Airspan’s exciting future.”

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GlobalFoundries acquires Tagore Technology’s GaN IP

GlobalFoundries announced the acquisition of Tagore Technology’s proprietary and production-proven Power Gallium Nitride (GaN) IP portfolio. This high-power density solution is designed to enhance efficiency and performance in various power applications, including automotive, IoT, and AI datacenters. As the digital landscape evolves with technologies like Generative AI, GaN is emerging as a crucial solution for sustainable and efficient power management, especially in datacenters.

Tagore Technology, founded in January 2011, specializes in GaN-on-Silicon (GaN-on-Si) semiconductor technology for RF and power management applications. As a fabless semiconductor company, it operates design centers in Arlington Heights, Illinois, USA, and Kolkata, India. Tagore Technology’s R&D team focuses on developing innovative solutions leveraging wide bandgap technologies to address RF and power design challenges, accelerating time-to-market for a wide range of applications. This acquisition includes a team of experienced engineers from Tagore Technology, who will join GlobalFoundries, enhancing its technical expertise and manufacturing capabilities.

Key Points:

• GlobalFoundries acquires Tagore Technology’s Power GaN IP portfolio. Financial terms were not disclosed.
• GaN technology enhances efficiency and performance in automotive, IoT, and AI datacenter applications.
• The acquisition supports large-scale manufacturing, improving datacenter power efficiency, reducing costs, and managing heat.
• Tagore Technology engineers will join GlobalFoundries, bringing expertise in GaN technology.
• GlobalFoundries received $1.5 billion under the U.S. CHIPS and Science Act, with part of the investment aimed at high-volume GaN manufacturing.

https://gf.com/gf-press-release/globalfoundries-acquires-tagore-technologys-gan-technology-to-accelerate-disruptive-powermanagement-solutions/

• Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a wide bandgap semiconductor material known for its high efficiency and performance in power electronics. GaN technology is used in various semiconductor applications due to its ability to operate at higher voltages, temperatures, and frequencies compared to traditional silicon-based semiconductors. This makes GaN particularly advantageous in power conversion systems, RF amplifiers, and high-frequency communication devices. In power electronics, GaN transistors and diodes offer lower switching losses, faster switching speeds, and higher power density, leading to more efficient and compact power supplies and inverters. In RF applications, GaN’s high electron mobility and breakdown voltage enable the development of powerful and efficient RF amplifiers for wireless communication and radar systems. Furthermore, GaN is crucial in developing next-generation power devices for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and various industrial applications, where its superior performance characteristics contribute to overall system efficiency and reliability

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AST SpaceMobile touts its 850 MHz low-band spectrum

Following the recent signing of commercial agreements with Verizon and AT&T, Abel Avellan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of AST SpaceMobile, published a letter to partners, shareholders, and future space-based cellular broadband network users highlighting recent milestones.

The integration of 850 MHz spectrum from both AT&T and Verizon will enable AST SpaceMobile to provide reliable cellular broadband across the United States. This dual partnership ensures that AT&T and Verizon subscribers can benefit from seamless nationwide satellite coverage without needing specialized equipment. The strategic use of low-band frequencies ensures exceptional propagation, superior coverage, and compatibility with existing smartphones, promising a more consistent and reliable cellular experience for users.

These developments are part of AST SpaceMobile’s broader mission to bridge the digital divide. With plans to deploy a constellation of satellites in low Earth orbit, the company aims to provide global cellular broadband coverage. The collaboration with industry leaders like AT&T and Verizon, along with innovative technologies such as the AST5000 ASIC, positions AST SpaceMobile to transform connectivity, particularly in remote and underserved areas. The company’s partnerships with over 45 mobile network operators worldwide, including Vodafone, Rakuten, and Bell Canada, further solidify its path toward achieving this goal.

Key Points:

• Strategic Partnerships: Agreements with Verizon and AT&T to use 850 MHz low-band spectrum for nationwide satellite coverage.
• Technological Advancements: Deployment of the largest commercial communications satellite in low Earth orbit and innovative AST5000 ASIC architecture.
• Global Ambition: Aiming to bridge the digital divide with a constellation of satellites providing worldwide cellular broadband coverage.
• Seamless Integration: Ensuring compatibility with existing smartphones for a consistent user experience without the need for specialized equipment.
• Broad Collaboration: Partnerships with over 45 mobile network operators globally, targeting a market of more than 2.8 billion subscribers.

https://ast-science.com/

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Japan's APRESIA to integrate Infinera's ICE-X coherent pluggables

APRESIA Systems,a Japanese provider of network infrastructure solutions, will integrate Infinera’s software-programmable ICE-X coherent pluggables into its own portfolio of locally manufactured Layer 2/3 switching and optical transmission products. 

APRESIA, a resale partner of Infinera in Japan and a member of the Open XR Optics Forum, will utilize the XR optics-enabled capabilities of Infinera’s ICE-X pluggables to expand its access network applications. This integration will initially focus on high-speed point-to-point and 100G bidirectional transport applications. It will enable APRESIA’s telecommunications service providers and cable operator customers to extend the reach of high-speed optical services cost-effectively using Infinera ICE-X’s unique digital subcarrier technology. APRESIA also plans to support point-to-multipoint functionality with ICE-X, significantly improving network efficiency and potentially reducing CapEx and OpEx by up to 70 percent.

“The growing demand for capacity at the edge of the network is driving the need for innovative access solutions optimized for speed, flexibility, and efficiency,” said Kenta Watabiki, Director, Sales Div., APRESIA Systems Ltd. “With the integration of Infinera’s ICE-X pluggables into our portfolio of networking devices, we can offer our service provider, data center, cloud, and cable operator customers new approaches to access and edge connectivity as their networks scale.”

“APRESIA’s strong track record of providing high-performance access network solutions makes it an ideal partner as Japan’s service providers, data center operators, and cable operators face pressing new traffic demands at the edge of the network,” said Ryan Perera, Senior Vice President, Infinera APAC Sales. “The addition of our suite of ICE-X pluggables in APRESIA’s product portfolio will unlock new value for these customers.”

https://www.infinera.com/press-release/japans-apresia-systems-expands-network-with-infinera-ice-x/

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Telefónica teams with Nokia for Private 5G in Spain

 Nokia announced a strategic agreement with Telefónica, encompassing its divisions Telefónica Mobile Spain and Telefónica IoT & Big Data Tech Spain, to foster the growth of the 5G private network market in Spain. This three-year partnership will see the deployment of 100 Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC), Modular Private Wireless (MPW), MX Industrial Edge (MXIE) solutions, and industrial devices. These deployments aim to address the needs of critical industries such as ports, manufacturing, and logistics, focusing on enhancing productivity, worker safety, and sustainability in the Spanish enterprise market.

Nokia’s platform for industrial digitalization, which includes DAC, MXIE, industrial devices, and digitalization applications, is designed to streamline digital transformation. By providing a secure, reliable wireless infrastructure and on-premises computing capabilities, Nokia’s solutions facilitate real-time operational technology (OT) data access, accelerating the digitalization process. This initiative not only enhances Telefonica’s network capabilities but also sets a clear trajectory for migrating various use cases to 5G technology.

Key Points:

• Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC): Provides a high-performance, reliable wireless infrastructure for industrial digitalization.
• Modular Private Wireless (MPW): Offers customizable private wireless network solutions tailored to specific industrial needs.
• MX Industrial Edge (MXIE): Delivers on-premises computing capabilities to enable real-time OT data access and processing.
• Deployment Scope: 100 DAC, MPW, and MXIE solutions, along with industrial devices, to be implemented over three years.
• Industry Impact: Aimed at key sectors such as ports, manufacturing, and logistics to improve productivity, safety, and sustainability.
• Private 5G momentum: Nokia has deployed mission-critical networks to over 2,600 enterprise customers and over 730 private wireless customers worldwide.

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2024/07/01/nokia-and-telefonica-collaborate-to-develop-the-private-network-market/

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ZTE launches Nebula Telecom Large Model for Autonomous Networks

ZTE launch its Nebula Telecom Large Model product series with the goal of empowering global operators to achieve highly autonomous networks.

The Nebula Telecom Large Model, leveraging the “ZTE Digital Nebula” assemblable architecture, is designed to address complex issues and accelerate the development of autonomous networks. It facilitates collaboration from cross-domain to single-domain operations and provides full-scenario empowerment centered around agents. This model aims to transform operational systems by shifting from “human+machine” to “machine+human” interactions, promoting a new era of network autonomy.

In addition to the core model, ZTE has introduced the agent factory, a development and maintenance platform that industrializes the creation and management of agents. This platform enables operators to refine their application development modes and product forms. In complex scenarios, agents can orchestrate human-machine interactions using LUI mode and integrate traditional AI and generative AI models for seamless operational evolution. Key applications such as Network Insight Expert, Monitoring Expert, and iAssurance Expert have been launched, demonstrating the practical benefits of the Nebula Telecom Large Model in enhancing network planning, fault diagnosis, and emergency response efficiency.

https://www.zte.com.cn/global/about/news/zte-launches-the-nebula-telecom-large-model-opening-a-new-paradigm-for-highly-autonomous-networks.html

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Lightmatter appoints Simona Jankowski as CFO

Lightmatter, a start-up developing photonic interconnect and compute products, has appointed Simona Jankowski as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jankowski previously was vice president of investor relations and strategic finance at NVIDIA during a period of unprecedented growth for the company. Before that, she was a managing director at Goldman Sachs, where she led equity research for the hardware and communications technology sectors and managed the Global Investment Research office in San Francisco.

"Generative AI is driving unprecedented demand for a new class of extreme-scale data centers. Lightmatter has made foundational breakthroughs in photonics that enable data centers to increase in scale and performance by orders of magnitude, and with greater energy efficiency. With a generational performance lead, Lightmatter is poised to drive the data center photonics revolution,” said Jankowski. “I am thrilled to join this brilliant team of inventors, technologists, and accomplished industry executives to help scale the company for significant growth in the years ahead."

The appointment follows Lightmatter’s $310M fundraise in 2023, which valued the company at $1.2B, and comes at a time of significant growth for the company. 

• Company Focus: Lightmatter specializes in photonic computing, using light for data processing to achieve higher efficiency and lower heat production.
• Products: The company offers photonic chips like Envise for AI workloads and Passage for interconnecting processors with optical networks.
• Funding and Valuation: Lightmatter has raised approximately $420 million, achieving unicorn status with a valuation of $1.2 billion.
• Expansion Plans: Lightmatter has offices in Boston and Mountain View, California. The company plans to expand its team and open a new office in Toronto in 2024.
• Investors: Key investors include GV (formerly Google Ventures) and Viking Global Investors.

https://lightmatter.co/

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