Taiwan's Far EasTone delivers 5G slice to police cars

Far EasTone, a mobile operator in Taiwan, has delivered a 5G Smart Patrol Car solution for the Kaohsiung City police department to support license plate recognition for tracking stolen cars.

The solution leverages Ericsson’s end-to-end 5G network slicing technology, including 5G Core and RAN Slicing utilizing Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning in a live 5G Standalone (SA) network. The pioneering use case demonstrates advanced 5G capability to enable mission-critical applications for the public sector, marking another milestone in the two companies’ 20 years of strategic partnership.

With high data throughput and low latency guaranteed by Ericsson’s end-to-end 5G network slicing technology, the data from moving patrol cars can be transmitted in real-time, allowing for the immediate recognition of these license plates being sighted by the device. 

As police patrol cars will be constantly on the move, Ericsson’s Dynamic Radio Resource Partitioning, a feature of 5G RAN Slicing, plays an essential role in the solution by optimizing radio resources, strengthening end-to-end slicing capabilities for dynamic resource management, and orchestration while securing required performance level for multiple services.

In addition, the 5G Smart Patrol Car solution uses Ericsson Local Packet Gateway, an edge user plane with small footprint, to connect each equipped car to a regional site for each city for data processing without installing a system on every single car. 

Chee Ching, President of Far EasTone Telecommunications, says: “We are thrilled to achieve another 5G milestone with Ericsson by creating the very first network slicing use case in a live 5G standalone network in Taiwan. The 5G Smart Patrol Car is made possible by our continuous investment in big data, AI and IoT, combining with Ericsson top-notch 5G technology and the great support from Kaohsiung City Police Department. ”

David Chou, President of Ericsson Taiwan, says: “Network slicing enables communications service providers to offer innovative services to enter new markets. By creating and operating end-to-end logical networks on top of a shared infrastructure, network slicing can provide tailored services with different requirements on speed, latency and reliability for various use cases, with its full potential only made possible through 5G Standalone. We expect this collaboration will simplify the 5G Smart Patrol Car setup and provide ease of maintenance and operations. Ericsson’s network slicing technology addresses further 5G business opportunities with full flexibility.”

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2/2023/1/fet-5g-smart-patrol-in-kaohsiung

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Taiwan's AIROHA ships XGS-PON chip

AIROHA, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based MediaTek,confirmed that is XGS-PON chips are now being used in customer premise equipment (CPE) by a U.S. broadband provider.

AIROHA says its XGS-PON ICs enable symmetric 8 Gbps upload and download speeds with 3ms low latency.

AIROHA has more than 1,100 staff coming from MediaTek's former IoT department and a number of IC design houses merged or purchased by MediaTek.

https://www.airoha.com

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Taiwan's Chunghwa cuts energy use with Ericsson upgrade

Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom (CHT),CHT has begun upgrading their installed Ericsson base of mid-band Massive MIMO from AIR 6488 to AIR 6419 and from AIR 3239 to AIR 3219 as part of their network modernization. 

Ericsson's AIR 6419 weighs 60 percent less than its predecessor and has 192 antenna elements (vs 128 in previous installation). Ericsson says actual power consumption in the field was reduced by an average of 33 percent, lowering CO2 emissions, and cutting CHT’s energy bills. 

In addition, Chunghwa Telecom installed Ericsson’s Fronthaul 6000 to connect the radios and the RAN Compute in the C-RAN hub. Fronthaul 6000 reduces fiber cost while increasing throughput in existing fibers. By using the passive parts of the Fronthaul 6000 portfolio, energy consumption could also be minimized.

Chunghwa Telecom also installed Router 6000 to aggregate and connect all RAN Compute units to the backhaul network. Router 6000 providestime and frequency synchronization between radios. It also serves as a safety precaution for the existing synchronization solutions. This has reduced the overall operating costs and improved network performance.

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2022/6/chunghwa-telecom-cuts-energy-use-by-an-average-of-33-percent-using-ericsson-5g-solutions

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Taiwan's GlobalWafers to build new wafer fab in Sherman, Texas

GlobalWafers, a leading provider of semiconductor wafers based in Hsinchu, Taiwan, announced plans to build a state-of-the-art, silicon wafer factory in Sherman, Texas.

The new 300-millimeter facility represents a multi-billion dollar investment and could support as many as 1,500 jobs with production volumes ultimately reaching 1.2 million wafers per month after multiple stages of equipment installation. Production is anticipated as early as 2025.

300-millimeter silicon wafers are the starting material for all advanced semiconductor fabrication sites (or fabs), including recently announced United States (US) expansions by GlobalFoundries, Intel, Samsung, Texas Instruments and TSMC. 

GlobalWafers Chairman/CEO Doris Hsu stated, “With the global chips shortage and ongoing geopolitical concerns, GlobalWafers is taking this opportunity to address the United States semiconductor supply chain resiliency issue by building an advanced node, state-of-the-art, 300-millimeter silicon wafer factory. Instead of importing wafers from Asia, GlobalWafers USA (GWA) will produce and supply wafers locally thereby reducing significant carbon footprint benefitting both customers and GWA in the current ESG tide worldwide.”

https://www.sas-globalwafers.com/en/gwc_news_en_20220627/

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ITRI cites advancements in magnetic memory technology

Taiwan's government-backed Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), in collaboration with TSMC and academic partners, announced the development of Spin Orbit Torque Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (SOT-MRAM) array chips.

Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, General Director of ITRI's Electronic and Optoelectronic System Research Laboratories, pointed out that the use of lower voltage and current in the memory can lead to higher efficiency. Therefore, ITRI and TSMC developed SOT-MRAM technology that incorporates high write efficiency and low write voltage, achieving a writing speed of 0.4 nanoseconds and a high endurance of 7 trillion reads and writes. The memory also offers a data storage lifespan of over 10 years. In the future, it can potentially be integrated into the advanced processes of embedded memory, which has outstanding prospects in applications such as AI, automotive electronics, and high-performance computing chips.

ITRI has also collaborated with National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) to develop magnetic memory technology that can perform across a wide operating temperature range of nearly 400°C. Both developments are pivotal for industries to move towards next-generation memory technology.

In the ITRI-NYCU collaboration, both parties have worked to develop high-efficiency operating technology for MRAM and jointly presented the R&D results at this year's IEEE Symposium on VLSI Technology and Circuits, one of the leading events in the global semiconductor industry. The newly developed Spin-Transfer-Torque MRAM (STT-MRAM) adopts ultrathin composite films and magnesium spacers to boost writing speed, reduce latency, minimize writing current, and improve endurance. The multi-functional magnetic memory has optimal data access performance and stability across a wide operating temperature range between 127°C and -269°C. This is the first of its kind to pass verification tests and will offer enormous potential for applications such as quantum computers and aerospace.

https://www.itri.org.tw/english/ListStyle.aspx?DisplayStyle=01_content&SiteID=1&MmmID=617731531241750114&MGID=111062708280270049

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Taiwan Mobile awards 5G coverage expansion deal to Nokia

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) awarded a 5G expansion deal to Nokia for its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio.

Nokia will provide equipment from its AirScale portfolio, including base stations and massive MIMO antennas to boost network performance and capacity. The deal also covers the introduction of 4G/5G dynamic spectrum sharing to maximize the advantages of TWM’s spectrum assets, which include 700MHz and 2100MHz bands. Nokia will help the operator modernize its LTE infrastructure, as well as consolidate the network management and optimization under a centralized tool for a superior 4G/5G RAN network performance. 

Nokia has partnered with TWM for more than 20 years and has previously provided 2G, 3G, and 4G.

TWM currently has over one million 5G subscribers.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “This new extended coverage deal is a testament to the great progress we’ve made in the deployment of 5G services in Taiwan with our long-term partner, Taiwan Mobile as its sole supplier. I am also encouraged to see how our AirScale portfolio is helping to reduce energy consumption and pave the way for a sustainable future.”

https://www.nokia.com

Taiwan Mobile deploys 5G standalone core with Nokia

Sunday, October 24, 2021  Nokia, Taiwan  

Taiwan Mobile Co. has deployed Nokia's 5G standalone core. The installation includes Nokia’s voice core, cloud packet core, subscriber data management, signaling, network exposure, policy controller, cloud infrastructure, and security management for radio transport. The 5G standalone core network enables Taiwan Mobile to provide advanced 5G services such as network slicing and smart city solutions that require ultra-low latency and reliability.Nokia...

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom extends 5G deal with Nokia

Tuesday, March 29, 2022  Chunghwa, Nokia, Taiwan  

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) awarded a two-year deal to Nokia to enhance its 5G network across Taiwan’s central and southern regions. Under the deal, Nokia will provide equipment from its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio across 4,000 new sites to boost performance and capacity.Nokia will supply CHT with solutions from its AirScale Single RAN equipment portfolio including macro base stations, small cells, 5G Massive MIMO antennas (64TRX and...

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom extends 5G deal with Nokia

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) awarded a two-year deal to Nokia to enhance its 5G network across Taiwan’s central and southern regions. 

Under the deal, Nokia will provide equipment from its latest energy-efficient AirScale portfolio across 4,000 new sites to boost performance and capacity.

Nokia will supply CHT with solutions from its AirScale Single RAN equipment portfolio including macro base stations, small cells, 5G Massive MIMO antennas (64TRX and 32TRX), and passive RRH (8TRX and 4TRX) supporting different spectrum bands. These solutions will support CHT’s ongoing 5G coverage enhancement, network optimization, and ensure the best user experience for both outdoor and indoor enterprise use scenarios. The deal will also include network implementation and optimization services.

Nokia has been a long-term supplier to CHT, since the deployment of 2G networks. 

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are excited to continue our long-standing partnership with Chunghwa Telecom. In particular, I am pleased that our energy-efficient AirScale portfolio will support its sustainability efforts by reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. Taiwan’s mobile market is highly competitive with customer expectations for innovation and quality, so I am delighted Chunghwa is also prioritizing making its network and footprint greener.”

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Taiwan's Far EasTone joins Ericsson's Startup 5G program

Far EasTone (FET), a leading operator from Taiwan, has joined the Ericsson Startup 5G program, which is designed to help communication service providers (CSPs) capture the consumer potential of 5G. 

FET is the first CSP in Northeast Asia to enroll in the program, joining a lineup of word-leading operators such as AT&T, Telstra, and Rogers, to name a few.  

With the ambition to maximize value for 5G users, FET has invested heavily in developing new value-added services within its 5G offering, including the recently announced 5G Metaverse Accelerator aiming to deepen the collaboration with local Taiwanese startups. 

“Bringing FET to the Ericsson Startup 5G program opens a new chapter in our long-term partnership,” said David Chou, President of Ericsson Taiwan. “FET has been a trailblazer in innovating 5G services on top of a superior network with our joint efforts. This constructive collaboration will further enable more promising consumer applications with differentiated services for Taiwan and to unlock the full potential of 5G. In the meantime, we look forward to connecting Taiwanese startups to an array of worldwide operators to accelerate 5G adoption within the ecosystem.”

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Taiwan's ITRI and Pegatron show private 5G base station

Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and Pegatron are showcasing a 5G energy-saving private network solution at this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC).

The debut of the 5G Open RAN (O-RAN) energy-saving private network solution demonstrates how smart algorithms in conjunction with network traffic monitoring and traffic steering technology allow 5G base stations to provide smart, energy-saving, and uninterrupted services. 

https://www.itri.org/eng.

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Compal Electronics deploys Enea's 5G MicroCore for private 5G

Compal Electronics, one of the world’s largest original design manufacturers (ODMs), has deployed the Enea 5G MicroCore to manage data on its private wireless network and enhance its smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0 capabilities. 

Compal, which based in Taiwan, is leveraging Enea’s 5G MicroCore across a range of smart technologies including agritech, digital healthcare, robotics, and immersive gaming to utilize 5G technology. The ODM needed to securely authenticate and provision various devices, including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) headsets over 5G radio and small cells. The fully virtualized 5G MicroCore provides secure authentication thanks to the integrated data management capabilities that include a Unified Data Manager (UDM), Authentication Server Function (AUSF) and User Data Repository (UDR).

Enea’s said its solution stores and manages data across all 5G core and edge functions for seamless 4G/5G interworking.

“Our 5G MicroCore solves another critical issue”, added Jonas Jacobsson, Senior Vice President Head of Service Provider Sales, Enea. “Our virtualized technology is cutting total cost of ownership (TCO) by up to 50%, while boosting sustainability for enterprises and operators. The 5G MicroCore solution makes a tangible difference, reducing the number of servers – cutting the carbon footprint - with no trade-offs in performance.”

https://www.enea.com/products-services/5g-data-management/enea-5g-microcore

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Taiwan Mobile deploys 5G standalone core with Nokia

Taiwan Mobile Co. has deployed Nokia's 5G standalone core. The installation includes Nokia’s voice core, cloud packet core, subscriber data management, signaling, network exposure, policy controller, cloud infrastructure, and security management for radio transport. 

The 5G standalone core network enables Taiwan Mobile to provide advanced 5G services such as network slicing and smart city solutions that require ultra-low latency and reliability.

Nokia is already the sole supplier of Taiwan Mobile’s 5G network.

Tom Koh, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Technology Group, Taiwan Mobile, said: “Introducing SA to unleash the full potential of 5G beyond high-speed to further realize innovative use cases enabled by ultra-low latency and massive IoT is our strategic mission in the 5G era. We are delighted to reach this milestone with Nokia to bring the first true 5G network into Taiwan. Owning the agility of network slicing to swiftly customize the network for accommodating different use cases, Taiwan Mobile will be able to accelerate time-to-market to provide a wide variety of services for everyone and everything and to free enterprises to embrace Industry 4.0.”

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Keysight teams with Taiwan's National Central University Optical Sciences Center

Keysight Technologies is collaborating with Taiwan-based National Central University Optical Sciences Center (NCUOSC) on the design and test validation efficiency of gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) applications. 

Wide band gap (WBG) materials, such as GaN and SiC, offer rapid switching speeds, low loss and withstand high temperature and voltage characteristics. As a result, these materials are leveraged in consumer power products, fast charging, electric vehicles and rail transit, as well as 5G infrastructures and data center servers. However, these advantages increase the complexity of design and testing.

“Keysight’s PD1500A DPT enables NCUOSC to reliably characterize wide-bandgap devices and effectively innovate GaN and SiC applications. Its safety protection, scalable and optional test fixtures deliver the flexibility we needed for future expansions,” said Professor Yue-Ming Hsin, Director of NCUOSC. “In addition to the PD1500A, we also setup the Keysight B1505A/N1265A Power Device Analyzer/Curve Tracer to serve the complete and crucial characterizations of WBG semiconductors. It's our pleasure to collaborate with Keysight and contribute to the ecosystem of 5G/6G and electric vehicles.”

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Taiwan Mobile aggregates 700MHz (n28) and 3500MHz (n78)

Taiwan Mobile (TWM) announced that it has achieved the world’s first New Radio Carrier Aggregation (NR CA) by combining spectrum in the 700MHz (n28) and 3500MHz (n78) bands. 

The trial, which took place in a 5G standalone (SA) network environment, was performed with Nokia’s AirScale 5G SA architecture in TWM’s commercial 5G network and combined two spectrum bands, frequency division duplex (FDD) in 700MHz (n28) and time division duplex (TDD) in 3500MHz (n78), which are widely adopted in 5G networks worldwide. FDD is a lower frequency band that provides wide coverage area improving cell edge performance; TDD has a higher bandwidth and capacity. The combination of these spectrum bands offers enhanced capacity and coverage supporting a range of 5G deployment scenarios, including indoor and enhanced outdoor coverage. MediaTek Inc. supported the trial by providing equipment to verify network performance.

Nokia is TWM’s sole 5G equipment supplier covering 5G RAN, 5G Core and 5G IMS including its latest AirScale Radio Access products. Nokia is a long-standing partner of TWM and is supporting the company in its efforts to execute its ‘Super 5G strategy’ which is focused on sustainability and digital transformation.

Tom Koh, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Technology Group, Taiwan Mobile, commented: “This trial is an important milestone as we execute our 5G strategy and deliver best-in-class 5G services to our subscribers. Combining SA with NR CA, our 5G user experience is raised to the next level while the utilization of our spectrum assets and 5G networks are maximized. We are pleased with our partnership with Nokia as we continue to advance deployment and build a thriving 5G ecosystem.”

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Taiwan's Chunghwa Telecom exceeds 1 million 5G subs

Chunghwa Telecom's total revenues for the second quarter of 2021 increased by 3.8% to NT$ 49.60 billion.

"We are pleased with Chunghwa's remarkable achievements in the second quarter," said Mr. Chi-Mau Sheih, Chairman and CEO of Chunghwa Telecom. "We maintained our leading market position in the mobile business sector, and I would like to express my personal gratitude to all of our employees navigating the challenging operating environment in the quarter. Our accumulated number of 5G sign-ups exceeded 1 million at the end of the quarter, ahead of schedule, and we expect to reach 2 million sign-ups by the end of this year. To upgrade the quality of 5G services, we accelerated our 5G deployment and accumulated more than 8,000 base stations by quarter end, expecting to approach 12,000 base stations by the end of this year. Moreover, we are proud to have won the distinction of "Fastest 5G" and "Best Mobile Coverage" in Q1-Q2 2021, according to the Taiwan 5G Speedtest AwardTM report in July. Given our significant progress in 5G adoption and development, as well as market approval and endorsement, we are optimistic about our growth and strive to maintain our leading status in Taiwan's mobile market."

Some highlights

• Mobile communications revenue for the second quarter of 2021 increased by 3.2% to NT$ 21.77 billion. This was mainly due to the increase in handset sales revenue as well as mobile service revenue.
• Internet business revenue for the second quarter of 2021 increased by 4.8% year over year to NT$ 7.79 billion.
• Domestic fixed revenue for the second quarter of 2021 decreased by 0.5% year over year to NT$ 15.61 billion, mainly due to the decrease of local and DLD service revenue primarily driven by the increased mobile and VoIP substitution, which was offset by the increase of broadband access revenue.
• International fixed communications revenue decreased by 0.4% to NT$ 2.17 billion.

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Taiwan Star Telecom expands rollout with Nokia

 Taiwan Star Telecom (TST) selected Nokia to extend its 5G footprint across the country. 

Nokia is a long-term partner of TST and will provide equipment from its latest 5G AirScale portfolio to support TST’s 5G standalone (SA) network. The rollout includes Nokia's AirScale Indoor (ASiR) system for retail and office environments. 

TST will also utilize the EN-DC functionality available on Nokia’s AirScale radios. EN-DC allows devices to connect simultaneously to 5G and LTE networks, transmitting and receiving data across both air-interface technologies. 

TST launched 5G services last summer utilizing the 40 MHz of bandwidth in the 3.5GHz band it had previously secured. Early deployment saw 80 percent covered in densely populated areas last year with 100 percent in Taiwan expected to be covered by 2023. 

TST’s 5G subscriptions reached 5 percent of its total mobile users last year with a target of reaching 20 percent by the end of this year.

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2021/07/19/nokia-extends-5g-installed-base-with-taiwan-star-telecom-expansion-deal/

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Taiwan's MediaTek installs private 5G with FET, Ericsson

Ericsson and Taiwan's Far EasTone (FET) provide MediaTek with a private network solution that uses FET's commercial 3.5GHz and 28GHz spectrum. The dedicated network will serve MediaTek's three manufacturing partner sites and its headquarter campus in HsinChu Science Park, Taiwan. The private network enables MediaTek to fully utilize FET's band mix in low-, mid- and high-bands, allowing MediaTek to explore and test products for different scenarios in real-life commercial environments.

The private 5G network is exptected to help MediaTek and device vendors to shorten lead times. The ability to test devices and chipsets allows the end product to be network-ready for lowest latency highest reliability and throughput when deployed, ensuring a faster time-to-market. The private network's low latency, high performance, and security capabilities will enable MediaTek to accelerate the volume production of its 5G mmWave chipset M80.

Chee Ching, President, Far EasTone, says: “Together with Ericsson, we provided MediaTek with a unique private network solution that optimizes the mix of spectrum for complex use cases. We believe many other enterprises like MediaTek can leverage the capabilities of a private network.”

JS Pan, General Manager, Wireless Communication System and Partnership, MediaTek, says: ”The private network serves as a platform for innovation. Compared to the traditional lab setup, it broadens our testing coverage and expedites development progress.”

 

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NEC delivers submarine cable seismic and tsunami observation system

NEC has delivered a submarine cable seismic and tsunami observation system to Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau (CWB) under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The new system is mainly intended for observation of earthquakes and tsunami in the area ranging from the offshore coast of Yilan in eastern Taiwan to Fangshan in Pingtung County. 

The submarine cable measures 620 kilometers and reaches a depth of 5,800 meters. All products, including optical submarine cables, submarine observation units, and optical submarine repeaters, which constitute the system, were manufactured and assembled at NEC factories in Japan.

According to the CWB, when an earthquake occurs in the eastern sea area of Taiwan this new system can provide an emergency warning more than 10 seconds before the actual tremor is felt on land. Moreover, a warning can be issued 20 to 30 minutes before a tsunami reaches the coastal area. As a result, this system will contribute to the enhancement of disaster prevention and mitigation capabilities. For example, public transportation systems, including MRTs (Mass Rapid Transit) and HSRs (High Speed Rail) can quickly decelerate in the event of an earthquake.

Atsushi Kuwahara, General Manager, Submarine Network Division, NEC Corporation, said, "It is a great honor that the NEC Group can use its many years of experience in optical submarine cable communication technology and submarine observation technology to help prevent disasters and ensure safety for the residents and government of Taiwan. Going forward, we will continue to provide technology and solutions that contribute to the well-being of our communities."

https://www.nec.com/en/press/202101/global_20210126_01.html

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APT picks Ericsson for 5G multi-operator core in Taiwan

Asia-Pacific Telecom Co Ltd (APT) selected Ericsson to modernize its nationwide LTE network in Taiwan with 5G-ready equipment and services. This includes integration with Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) on the 3.5GHz frequency band in Taiwan.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ericsson will provide high-performing radio access network (RAN) solutions from its 5G-ready Ericsson Radio System portfolio as well as 5G NSA licenses to do 5G Multi-Operator Core Networks (MOCN). The contract also covers Ericsson Network Manager, OSS migration services and upgrade.

In September 2020, FET and APT announced a partnership to provide 5G services on Taiwan’s 3.5GHz frequency band through the nation’s first MOCN – where two or more core networks share the same RAN and bandwidth. The collaboration includes 700MHz shared RAN to be used on both 4G and 5G technologies.

As part of this new deal, several mobile sites will be upgraded with the latest Ericsson 5G RAN technology. The currently installed Ericsson basebands will be modernized to the latest 5G technology standard to match FET’s network quality and maximize user experience.

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2021/1/ericsson-selected-by-apt-for-first-5g-multi-operator-core-network-in-taiwan

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Taiwan's Inventec picks Affirmed's 5G core for Industry 4.0 factory

Inventec, a leading Taiwanese manufacturer of consumer technology devices, has selected Affirmed Networks to deliver secure, private 5G networks for their smart manufacturing. 

Affirmed Networks is a division of Microsoft. Affirmed UnityCloud is a 5G SA core, cloud-native solution built on an open, webscale architecture. Affirmed has partnered with HPE Communication and Media Solutions for its 5G Subscriber Data Management and ASOCS to provide Inventec with a complete end to end 5G solution to enable this innovative use case for Industry 4.0.

The companies describe Inventec’s UnityCloud deployment as "the first fully Cloud-Native 5G Standalone network within the Industry 4.0 arena."

“Inventec has fully embraced the Industry 4.0 initiative, as it is in direct alignment with our focus on innovation and our digital transformation strategy,” said Albert Chen, Senior Vice President, Inventec.  “As the most critical component of IoT and Smart Manufacturing, connectivity must be ubiquitous, reliable and secure. After evaluating some of the more traditional approaches, we realized that the implementation of our own Private 5G network was the best way to ensure we had ‘always on’  coverage. Affirmed Networks was the obvious partner for us, as their innovative, cloud-native 5G standalone core delivers unrivaled performance that matches our Industry 4.0 needs.”

“Inventec is an example of an innovative company that seeks to use cutting-edge technology to deliver on its digital transformation objectives and ambitions,” said Sanjay Mewada, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer, Affirmed Networks. “Through their selection of Affirmed Networks as their 5G partner, Inventec is ensuring that its Smart Manufacturing initiative is equipped with the flexibility, security and performance required to deliver upon its Industry 4.0 vision.”

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EXFO to acquire InOpticals for 400G/800G oscilloscopes

EXFO has acquired InOpticals Inc., a Taiwanese supplier of sampling oscilloscopes, bit-error rate testers (BERTs) and other critical test instruments to manufacturers of optical transponders, components and network equipment. Financial terms were not disclosed.

InOpticals' product portfolio specifically addresses 400G/800G high-growth sectors like silicon photonics-based transceivers, active and passive components as well as integrated test systems for R&D and manufacturing use cases.

InOpticals' solutions will be combined with EXFO's advanced optical test offering, bolstered by the Yenista Optics acquisition in October 2017. This latest acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of October, will increase EXFO's global test and measurement (T&M) addressable market by approximately US$150 million to more than US$1 billion. The amount of the transaction, mostly valued in EXFO shares, was not disclosed.

"EXFO has intensified its focus on the research, development and manufacturing market as demonstrated by strong growth in this segment in recent years," said Germain Lamonde, EXFO's founder and Executive Chairman. "InOpticals brings to EXFO a remarkable product portfolio that is highly complementary and strategic. This synergistic acquisition will allow EXFO to leverage InOpticals' innovative test solutions across global sales channels and expand market share."

"We're excited to be joining EXFO, truly a global leader in optical testing," said Jones Huang, CEO of InOpticals. "Combining EXFO's global reach and market knowledge with our proven innovation capability will allow us to jointly have a more significant impact in this high-growth market."

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