Verizon smartphone users now consume 15.5 GB/month

In just five years, total mobile network traffic has skyrocketed 129%, according to Verizon’s inaugural Consumer Connections Report, which analyzes data that highlights consumers’ increased dependence upon connectivity by examining the most popular apps.

Key findings include:

• City-level monthly mobile smartphone usage grew 34%, increasing from an average of 11.5GB per line in January 2022 to 15.5 GB per line in November 2023
• Home Internet subscribers on Verizon’s 5G and LTE Home grew to nearly 1.9 million consumers at the end of 2023, a year-over-year increase of 111%
• 47% of consumer mobile traffic was devoted to video in the second half of 2023, according to third-party data sources
• Video-sharing platforms dominated in time spent daily on the app and weekly mobile usage, in looking at the most popular apps Moving across state lines peaked in 2021, according to the number of Verizon accounts that started the year in a state and then left for a different state during the year
• Consumers are leaving New York and California for warmer climates, lower costs of living and more space
• The most frequent state-to-state moves out of New York were New York to Florida, New York to New Jersey, and New York to North Carolina. The most frequent state-to-state moves out of California were California to Arizona and California to Texas

https://www.verizon.com/about/connections?CMP=OLA_CON_OTH_44444_NA_20240208_NA_NM20240021_00001

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Verrus reimagines data centers for dynamic power loads

Verrus, a new company backed by Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, emerged from stealth to announce plans for next-generation data centers that address the systemic crisis in power consumption by "reimagining data center engineering from the ground up."

Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners (SIP) is an independent entity that emerged from Alphabet, the parent company of Google. SIP's anchor partners include the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP)—a leading infrastructure investor, and StepStone Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. SIP focuses on investing in, developing, and owning the next generation of infrastructure, covering areas such as energy, mobility, and digital infrastructure.

Verrus is at the forefront of developing a new breed of adaptable and efficient data centers, designed to accommodate both traditional tasks and AI-driven demands. By aligning its infrastructure with the fluctuating availability needs and the real demands of its clients' workloads, Verrus offers a tailored approach. Distinct areas within the facility are dedicated to different types of computing; for instance, one section might be reserved for critical operations requiring constant uptime, such as internet searches, while another area might be allocated for more flexible tasks, such as training AI models. This strategy ensures the highest levels of efficiency by being attuned to the specific needs of the workload.

Furthermore, Verrus enhances utilization by distributing power resources across different halls, avoiding the wastefulness of unused capacity. This approach allows for a dynamic adjustment of supply to meet actual demand, preventing resources from lying dormant. Moreover, Verrus opts for eco-friendly, large-scale battery storage solutions over diesel generators.

https://sidewalkinfra.com/news/powering-the-data-future-sustainably-introducing-verrus

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Ciena doubles capacity for the SEA-ME-WE 4 subsea cable

 Ciena completed an upgrade to the SEA-ME-WE 4 (South East Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 4) subsea cable, enabling a capacity increase from 65Tb/s to 122Tb/s.

Operated by a consortium of 16 telecom operators, SEA-ME-WE 4 is an approximately 18,800 km submarine cable connecting Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Italy, Tunisia, Algeria, and France.

The upgrade leveraged Ciena's GeoMesh Extreme and 6500 Packet-Optical platform.  Additionally, Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 Extreme coherent optics help significantly lower costs by increasing the capacity per wave up to 450Gb/s. SEA-ME-WE 4 is also utilizing Ciena’s Navigator Network Control Suite for real-time visibility into and control of network performance.

“The Europe-to-Asia route, where SEA-ME-WE 4 is situated, is experiencing a major digitalization push, resulting in extreme capacity demands. With Ciena’s field-proven expertise in building critical submarine network infrastructure, we’re helping SEA-ME-WE 4 address rising capacity demands by making the switch to network architectures that adapt to leverage intelligence, scalability, and programmability,” said Thomas Soerensen, Vice President, Global Submarine Solutions, Ciena.

“Ciena’s cutting-edge technology is helping us in optimizing the resources of the SEA-ME-WE 4 cable, thereby enhancing its capabilities to address evolving connectivity demands through enhancement in network capacity, flexibility, and durability. This upgrade holds particular significance given the pivotal role of the SEA-ME-WE 4 cable system in driving digitalization efforts across the diverse regions where the system is passing through,” said Sidheeque Machinal, Management Committee Chairman, SEA-ME-WE 4 consortium.

https://www.ciena.com

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Aryaka launches Unified SASE as a Service

 Aryaka introduced a Unified SASE as a Service that offers a unified single-pass architecture, a global private network backbone, and security, observability and application performance capabilities.

Unified SASE as a Service Elements

• Aryaka’s Unified SASE as a Service converges and delivers four critical design elements:
• Aryaka OnePassTM Architecture enables distributed policy enforcement through a distributed data plane, unified control plane and single management pane.
• Aryaka Zero Trust WAN traverses Aryaka’s global private network backbone operating in more than 100 countries.
• Comprehensive Networking, Security and Observability Services, including the new Aryaka SmartSecure next-generation firewall (NGFW) with secure web gateway (SWG), anti-malware and intrusion prevention system (IPS).
• Flexible Delivery empowers businesses to choose their preferred approach to delivery (Aryaka or third-party) and implementation (managed, co-managed or self-managed).

“Today’s distributed workforces, increased security threats and hybrid application deployments make delivering secure, performant network access to applications and data harder than ever.  Current solutions all compromise on some aspects of performance, security, flexibility and agility, creating risk and user experience gaps,” said Renuka Nadkarni, Chief Product Officer at Aryaka. “Aryaka’s Unified SASE as a Service is the only solution that meets customers where they are, enabling them to modernize, optimize and transform their networking and security environments today and in the future.”

Aryaka’s new offer enables partners – agents, VARs and MSPs – to help business customers wherever they are on their journey to secure network access success. 

Partners can enable businesses to:

• Modernize legacy MPLS networks with agile and high-performance SD-WAN and secure remote access
• Optimize network security and performance for multicloud applications
• Transform network security with Aryaka’s Unified SASE as a Service

 

 

https://www.aryaka.com/

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Netnod deploys Adtran's optical pumping cesium atomic clock

 Netnod is leveraging Adtran's optical pumping cesium atomic clock technology to bring precise, reliable and assured timing to Sweden’s critical national infrastructure.

Netnod, which is the leading provider of internet exchange, DNS and time services in the Nordics, is integrating Oscilloquartz super ePRC  across six key timing centers nationwide. The deployment includes the coreSync OSA 3300-HP, which boasts higher frequency stability and lifespan that is twice as long as traditional magnetic clocks. 

"At Netnod, we’re committed to providing the market’s most advanced and reliable timing solutions. Our new Time Direct and Remote services, built on the latest timing standards and security protocols, underscore our leadership in this domain. The deployment of Adtran’s coreSync OSA 3300-HP is key for providing reliable, continuous timing for Sweden’s critical infrastructure. It enhances our NTP/PTP services and strengthens Sweden’s digital backbone for essential sectors, including 5G. It also provides the country with the benefits of highly precise synchronization resilient against GNSS vulnerabilities and enables us to deliver more valuable SLAs for our customers," said Karin Ahl, CEO of Netnod. "This upgrade is about securing the digital backbone of our nation against GNSS cyber threats, generating economic growth and reinforcing our commitment to maintaining Sweden as a leader in digital innovation and infrastructure resilience."

"Netnod is a major hub for ICT and multimedia, serving as the gateway to the Nordics’ global digital arena. Leveraging our coreSync™ OSA 3300, it’s fortifying Sweden’s critical national infrastructure, ensuring seamless operations and growth for internet service providers, content delivery networks and businesses in one of Europe’s most dynamic digital markets," commented Stuart Broome, GM of EMEA sales at Adtran.

https://www.adtran.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/20240311-netnod-bolsters-swedens-national-timing-infrastructure-with-adtran-oscilloquartz

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Digital Realty closes on $6.0 billion Green Bond

Digital Realty announced the full allocation of $6.0 billion in green bond, solidifying the company's spot as the largest US REIT issuer of green bonds. 

This marks the eighth bond allocation for Digital Realty since its first issuance in 2015. 

Digital Realty has significantly contributed to sustainability through its green bond offerings, financing over 130 global projects. These projects range from constructing certified sustainable data centers to initiatives in renewable energy and efficiency, collectively generating 2.8 million megawatt-hours of clean energy, saving 2.2 billion gallons of water, and reducing 2.9 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The company has established a green bond framework in line with the ICMA Green Bond Principles and GRESB Green Bond Guidelines, validated by third-party consultants, to ensure the integrity of its sustainability claims.

https://www.digitalrealty.com/

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BT highlights modernization efforts

BT is making significant moves to future-proof its operations and better serve its customers, say Kerry Small, COO of Product, in a blog posting. 

Here's a summary highlighting the major points of BT's modernization efforts:

• Digital Transformation at the Core: Emphasizes the importance of becoming a modern business that leverages technology to move away from old practices and towards newer, smarter ways of working, with the aim of future-proofing the business.
• Upgrading Core Platforms: Transitioning from legacy infrastructure to future-fit networks, including the creation of Global Fabric, a new international network, and achieving 100% UK business premises coverage by the All-IP portfolio.
• Adapting to the Digital World: Highlights the necessity for businesses, whether start-ups or multi-nationals, to evolve in order to keep pace with the digital era, which is critical for business survival and success.
• BT’s Dual Approach: Describes BT istransforming its own operations to demonstrate that businesses run better on BT.
• Simplification and Focus: Reducing product portfolio by over half, increasing digital sales channels for SMB by 40% year over year, and seeing growth in strategic products like secure SD-WAN cloud networking and security services.
• Strategic Partnerships: Partnering with industry leaders, such as becoming the first UK partner for Microsoft Teams Phone Mobile, to enhance collaborative and secure working experiences.

https://newsroom.bt.com/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new--building-a-better-bt/

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Zayo adds ecurity Service Edge (SSE) capabilities

Zayo will offer Netskope’s Security Service Edge (SSE) capabilities to its Managed Edge portfolio to deliver  robust network protection and application performance from edge to core to cloud.

In addition, Zayo has enhanced its software-defined wide-area network (SD-WAN) with co-hosted gateways that provide a direct, private, and secure link into the cloud, legacy network infrastructure, and all locations. With these enhancements, Zayo’s Managed Edge provides a complete, co-managed, end-to-end networking solution with comprehensive connectivity, security, monitoring, and management.

https://www.zayo.com

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