Ericsson releases Standalone 5G NR software

Ericsson announced the commercial availability status of its Standalone 5G NR software for 5G mid- and low bands. The software became globally available to all customers in June. Ericsson has completed Standalone 5G interoperability with key ecosystem partners. Standalone 5G devices are expected to become available later in 2020.

Ericsson said its new software enables communications service providers to operate 5G NR without the need for signaling support from an underlying LTE network, effectively removing the dependency on 4G. This will allow service providers to add 5G NR to existing 4G sites with a simpler architecture, or deploy 5G independently in new areas such as factories, to support enterprise applications and services. All Ericsson Radio System equipment deployed since 2015 can support Standalone 5G NR capabilities with a software installation.

Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “Over the past year, we have worked closely with many customers to successfully deploy Non-standalone 5G. These 5G networks have enabled higher data speeds and new use cases. Now we are taking the next step in the evolution of 5G by making generally available the software to support Standalone 5G NR networks. These standalone capabilities will enable even more use cases and applications.”

T-Mobile and Telstra are long-standing Ericsson partners who have trialed the Ericsson Standalone 5G NR software on their commercial networks.

Abdul Saad, Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile, says: “Standalone 5G is the next important step for wireless connectivity, with the potential to unleash a whole new range of future transformative applications. We’re proud to be leading the charge alongside Ericsson and other technology innovators and look forward to bringing standalone 5G to our customers later this year.”

Channa Seneviratne, Network and Infrastructure Engineering Executive, Telstra, says: “Standalone 5G is an important milestone in the evolution of 5G and Telstra is pleased to work with Ericsson in the development of new Standalone 5G capabilities. As the first in Australia to enable Standalone 5G, we appreciate the significance of this milestone and how 5G will be a key enabler to create new opportunities for an even better user experience and new business models.”

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Researchers test quantum entanglement from nanosatellite

Researchers from the National University of Singapore and NASA generated and detected quantum entanglement onboard a CubeSat nanosatellite orbiting the Earth.

The experiment demonstrated that a miniaturized source of quantum entanglement can operate successfully in space aboard a low-resource, cost-effective CubeSat that is smaller than a shoebox (10 cm × 10 cm × 10 cm).

The photon-pair source consisted of a blue laser diode that shines on nonlinear crystals to create pairs of photons. Achieving high-quality entanglement required a complete redesign of the mounts that align the nonlinear crystals with high precision and stability. The nanosatellite, named SpooQy-1, was deployed into orbit from the International Space Station on 17-June-2019. The instrument successfully generated entangled photon-pairs over temperatures from 16 °C to 21.5 °C.

“In the future, our system could be part of a global quantum network transmitting quantum signals to receivers on Earth or on other spacecraft,” said lead author Aitor Villar from the Centre for Quantum Technologies at the National University of Singapore. “These signals could be used to implement any type of quantum communications application, from quantum key distribution for extremely secure data transmission to quantum teleportation, where information is transferred by replicating the state of a quantum system from a distance.”

A report on the project was published in Optica, The Optical Society's (OSA) journal for high impact research.

The researchers are now working with RALSpace in the UK to design and build a quantum nanosatellite similar to SpooQy-1 with the capabilities needed to beam entangled photons from space to a ground receiver. This is slated for demonstration aboard a 2022 mission.

https://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2020/quantum_entanglement_demonstrated_aboard_orbiting/

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Vodafone UK powers on Standalone 5G at Coventry University

Vodafone UK has launched the first live Standalone 5G network in the UK at Coventry University. The Standalone 5G network will be used to trial virtual reality learning to support training for student nurses and allied health professionals.

Ericsson partnered with Qualcomm, MediaTek and OPPO to provide the network to Vodafone.

Ericsson 5G Radio Dot small cells have also been installed to provide speedy and high-capacity indoor coverage in the university’s Disruptive Media Learning Lab and National Transport Design Centre.

Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, says: “Standalone networks are central to the promise of 5G to reimagine society, the economy and industries. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in partnership with Vodafone. This launch is another example of Ericsson’s 5G technology leadership.”

Professor John Latham CBE, Coventry University Vice-Chancellor, says: “This will help us continue to change and enhance the way students learn. Being the first university in the UK to have this next phase of 5G technology is the first step on our journey to creating a 5G campus.”

Scott Petty, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone UK, says: “5G today is all about capacity and increased speeds. It’s giving people the best mobile experience ever, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg of what 5G can do.”

Vodafone’s announcement of the 5G Standalone network comes one year to the day after it launched commercial 5G in the UK.

Vodafone tests Metaswitch's 5G convergence Access Gateway Function

Wednesday, April 29, 2020  5G, Metaswitch, Vodafone  

Vodafone has successfully tested Metaswitch's Access Gateway Function (AGF) solution - the industry’s first implementation of the 5G Wireless Wireline Convergence (WWC) AGF standard. Metaswitch said its Access Gateway Function (AGF), which is part of its 5G Fusion Core, is a true cloud-native solution in which all functional elements, including User Plane Function (UPF) and Access Gateway Function (AGF), are deployed in containers and orchestrated...

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An update from the Telecom Infra Project (TIP)

Thursday, February 27, 2020  TIP  

To mark its fourth anniversary, the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) provided the following update on its activities: 1. Global expansion of TIP activities, progressing solutions such as OpenRAN, Disaggregated Cell Site Gateways (DCSG) and Cassini into a growing number of deployments and field trials. Specifically, Vodafone has now launched trials in Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo as anticipated, and is progressing with trials in...

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Vodafone to deactivate Huawei from its mobile core

Wednesday, February 05, 2020  Vodafone  

Vodafone will remove Huawei equipment from the core of its mobile networks across Europe. Following the release of its quarterly financial report, Nick Read, Vodafone's Chief Executive, said the cost of deactivating the Huawei gear will amount to EUR 200 million over 5 years. The company's UK operations are already compliant with the government's recently imposed 35% cap of infrastructure sourced from "high-risk vendors." For the quarter ended...

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Vodafone supports 5G 0-RAN as its restructures tower business

Monday, January 13, 2020  Vodafone  

by Benedict Chua Vodafone confirmed further activation of its 5G network in the UK, including in Belfast, Edinburgh and Leeds, plus the towns of Cheadle, Rochdale and Stockport in and around Greater Manchester. Vodafone is also now offering  5G roaming in five locations in the Republic of Ireland. 5G roaming already covers Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK as part of Vodafone’s 5G roll-out. Vodafone is the first UK company to introduce 5G...

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NTT builds Azure ExpressRoute at its Berlin 1 Data Center

NTT Ltd.'s Global Data Centers division will provide direct connections to the new global Microsoft Azure region Germany North from its Berlin 1 Data Center.

By using Azure ExpressRoute for direct access to Azure, clients can now circumvent the public internet using a low-latency private ramp-up. In addition, the Azure ExpressRoute site is directly connected to Global Data Center’s multi service interconnection platform. The platform is a carrier- and cloud-neutral network which connects the group’s data center facilities in the EMEA region through a dedicated and redundant carrier grade infrastructure. This enables our clients located in a data center in our EMEA region to directly access the new Azure region over the interconnection platform, even if they do not have a presence in the Berlin 1 Data Center.

Florian Winkler, CEO of the Global Data Centers EMEA division of NTT Ltd. said: “Clients are increasingly relying on the public clouds to run their business-critical workloads. At the same time, they have a necessity to connect their private IT infrastructures in a secure and reliable way to these clouds. When using Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute directly from a data center, enterprises can establish a hybrid infrastructure avoiding the pitfalls of the public internet. We are excited to be able to offer this functionality to our clients.”

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Taiwan's Far EasTone launches 5G with Ericsson

Far EasTone (FET) has launched commercial 5G across Taiwan’s metropolitan cities, using radio access network (RAN) and 5G core technology provided solely by Ericsson.

Far EasTone’s 5G network is powered by Ericsson Radio System and Ericsson Cloud Packet Core products and solutions. Offerings include Massive MIMO AIR 3239, Ericsson Spectrum Sharing, Uplink Booster and AI-powered 5G management. The communications service provider has also deployed Ericsson Radio Dots on the 3.5GHz band to boost indoor coverage. Ericsson has been sole supplier of FET's EPC network since 2015.

Chee Ching, President, Far EasTone, says: “FET is determined to navigate through Big Data, AI, IoT, and other digital applications in the new 5G era to not only bring people closer together in mind, but also to reduce the gap between people and new technology. We see this 5G launch is an important milestone for us to lead the service innovation journey in Taiwan.”

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GTT names Ernie Ortega as interim CEO

GTT Communications named Ernie Ortega as interim CEO while the board continues its search for a permanent CEO.

Ortega currently serves as GTT’s Chief Revenue Office.

GTT's Board of Directors also announced that Don MacNeil has joined the GTT leadership team as chief operating officer (COO). Mr. MacNeil will lead GTT’s network operations, service delivery, assurance and vendor management teams, as well as GTT’s product organization.

“I am delighted to name Ernie Ortega as interim CEO and Don MacNeil as GTT’s chief operating officer,” stated H. Brian Thompson, GTT Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. “Both Ernie and Don have a track record of delivering successful organizational change and operational improvement for national, international and global businesses. Their industry experience and leadership will accelerate our drive to operational excellence, a clearly outstanding client experience, continuous improvement of our services, and the achievement of our organic growth goals."

GTT announces resignation of its CEO

Wednesday, May 27, 2020  GTT, People  

Richard D. Calder will step down as president and CEO of GTT, effective on June 1, 2020.

“We appreciate the many accomplishments Rick has achieved since joining GTT as CEO in May 2007 over 13 years ago,” stated H. Brian Thompson, GTT executive chairman. “We have initiated an executive search for a new CEO to lead GTT moving forward.”

GTT is conducting a search for a replacement. In the interim, the company will be led by a group made up of several top executives, including chief financial officer Steven Berns, chief revenue officer Ernie Ortega, general counsel Chris McKee and senior vice president of operations and engineering Bob Burris.

GTT completes acquisition of KPN International

Monday, December 02, 2019  GTT  

GTT Communications completed its previously announced acquisition of KPN International, which operates a global IP network serving enterprise and carrier clients. GTT paid approximately €50 million in cash, on a cash and debt-free basis.

The acquisition adds more than 400 strategic enterprise and carrier clients. GTT will also be the preferred international network supplier for several hundred additional clients retained by KPN.

GTT said the purchase adds to its portfolio of cloud networking services with wide area networking, internet and transport services, and adds depth to its global Tier 1 IP network in Europe across 21 countries.

GTT looks to sell subsea cables and European fiber network

Sunday, December 01, 2019  GTT  

GTT Communications has retained Credit Suisse and Goldman Sachs as financial advisors in connection with the potential sale of the Infrastructure Division, which includes its terrestrial pan-European fiber network, subsea transatlantic fiber and data centers. This infrastructure was part of GTT's acquisition of Interoute and of Hibernia.

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Global Environmental Monitoring and Measurement in Scotland

The network of 25 sensors will be installed in primary and secondary schools across Glasgow, Scotland to collect real-time information on emissions of CO2 and various noxious gases in the city’s air. The trial is part of the Global Environmental Monitoring and Measurement (GEMM) initiative, a collaboration between the University of Strathclyde; Stanford, the University of California at Berkeley, The Optical Society (OSA), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the Met Office, and the National Physical Laboratory, UK.

“This project will deliver the type of data necessary to drive efforts in Glasgow and other cities to reduce emissions and greenhouse gases,” said Elizabeth Rogan, CEO, The Optical Society (OSA). “The GEMM initiative is developing measurement technologies to improve climate change models and inform decision-making in both the public and private sector.”

Professor Allister Ferguson, University of Strathclyde and co-lead of the project said, “As the climate changes rapidly, public and private decision-makers around the world are facing an ever-increasing need for more accurate environmental data, improved measurements, and forecasting models to predict the future course of the environment and, where possible, develop strategies to adapt to or mitigate these environmental and climate-change caused disruptions.

Co-lead Dr. Thomas Baer, Director of Stanford Photonics Research Center at Stanford University, USA and a Visiting Professor at Strathclyde said, “While efforts to reduce GHG emissions have made great strides, particularly when it comes to electricity generation, heating and transport remain two challenging areas. Being able to monitor in real-time the GHG emissions caused predominately by traffic, policymakers will be able to make informed decisions and see near-immediate results.”

https://www.osa.org/en-us/about_osa/newsroom/news_releases/2020/scientists_install_sensors_in_glasgow_scotland_sch/

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Rocket Lab launch fails 4 minutes into flight

Rocket Lab 13th "Electron" mission experienced a catastrophic anomaly four minutes into flight, resulting in the loss of customer payload. The mission, ‘Pics Or It Didn’t Happen,’ was launched from New Zealand’s Māhia Peninsula.

The primary payload was Canon Electronics Inc.’s CE-SAT-IB, which was procured by satellite rideshare and mission management provider Spaceflight Inc. Canon Electronics was seeking to demonstrate Earth-imaging technology with high-resolution and wide-angle cameras, as well as test its microsatellite for mass production.
R
ocket Lab, which, currently has more than eight Electron rockets in production, said it hopes to be ready for a rapid return to flight as soon as investigations are complete and any required corrective actions are in place.

“We are deeply sorry to our customers Spaceflight Inc., Canon Electronics Inc., Planet, and In-Space Missions for the loss of their payloads. We know many people poured their hearts and souls into those spacecraft. Today's anomaly is a reminder that space launch can be unforgiving, but we will identify the issue, rectify it, and be safely back on the pad as soon as possible,” said Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder and CEO. “The launch team operated with professionalism and expertise to implement systems and procedures that ensured the anomaly was managed safely. I’m proud of the way they have responded to a tough day. We’re working together as a team to comb through the data, learn from today, and prepare for our next mission.”

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O-RAN delivers its Bronze release with 23 new or updated specs

The O-RAN Alliance has launched its second open source software release featuring 23 new or updated specifications.

The O-RAN "Bronze" release also includes an initial set of O-RAN use cases and cloud native deployment support options.


Highlights of O-RAN Bronze:

• an initial release of an A1 policy manager and an A1 controller that implements the Non-Real-Time Radio Intelligent Controller (Non-RT RIC) architecture.
• the Near-Real-Time RIC updated to current O-RAN E2 and A1 specifications with 5 sample xAPPs.
• initial O-CU and O-DU Low/High code contributions that support a FAPI framework and integration between the O-DU and RIC with E2 functionality and subscription support.
• a Traffic Steering and Quality Prediction use case leveraging an E2 interface data ingest pipeline to demonstrate the functionality of RAN traffic steering with an E2 interface KPI monitoring capability.
• OAM use cases that exercise Health Check call flows including the Near-RT RIC and its O1 and A1 interfaces.

“The new use cases, the Bronze software release, and the new O-RAN ALLIANCE members are indications that this global forum is working exactly as intended, reaching across borders to drive innovation and build consensus,” said Andre Fuetsch, Chairman of the O-RAN ALLIANCE and Chief Technology Officer – Network Services, at AT&T. “As this coalition evolves, we look forward to seeing how it continues to broaden access to 5G and other new access technologies.”

“Over the past 6 months, O-RAN working groups and the O-RAN Software Community have extensively engaged to achieve tight alignment between the specifications and the Bronze release open source code,” said Chih-Lin I, the Co-Chair of O-RAN Technical Steering Committee. “Specific progress related to both the Non-RT-RIC and the Near-RT-RIC frameworks and associated key interfaces deserves special mention for its importance in enabling AI/ML capabilities in RAN. The O-RAN virtual showcase further demonstrates the growing momentum towards global adoption and deployment of O-RAN solutions.”

“Ericsson is actively engaged in shaping the future of the O-RAN initiative by enabling Non-RT RIC (Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller) and A1 interface to support fine-grained intelligent steering of the RAN,” said Per Beming, Head of Standards and Industry Initiative in Ericsson. “During OSC Bronze release, Ericsson continued as the key contributor to Non-RT RIC project by improving support for intent based intelligent RAN optimization using A1 interface. This specific capability allows operators to leverage both RAN and non-RAN data to enrich end user experience.”

https://www.o-ran.org/software

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OIF launches Optical Module Management Interface Survey

The OIF is conducting a survey to determine how the Common Management Interface Specification is viewed by the industry and the level of industry alignment on and support for further standardization of optical module management. The subject of module management encompasses physical interfaces, communication protocols and management applications layers.

The survey is intended to gather industry opinion regarding evolution of optical module management and the increasing consensus that the intrinsic restrictions of throughput and data organization will not scale well into the future.

“The OIF 400ZR specification covers interoperability on the network fiber and also at the host by defining the electrical interface and software management interface,” said Jeffery J. Maki, distinguished engineer II, Juniper Networks and OIF Physical Layer User Group Working Group Chair. “All of this is done to drive a true multi-sourcing opportunity for the module. Beyond 400ZR, support of the software management interface is an area OIF would like to continue to address and seeks, through the use of a survey, to gauge industry interest and the potential solution approach.”

The survey is available now and open to all who can act as a stakeholder and represent their company’s viewpoint – module vendors, system vendors, and network operators. Multiple responses per company are also allowed. Responses will be collated anonymously and then evaluated by a dedicated survey evaluation team.

OIF will hold a public webinar on Thursday, July 30, 2020 at 7am PDT to announce the results of the survey. Visit the survey webpage to download the survey and for information on the survey deadline, where to submit answers and how to register for the webinar.

https://www.oiforum.com/technical-work/optical-module-management-interface-survey/

OIF's Coherent Common Management Interface Spec supports 400ZR

Tuesday, March 03, 2020  OIF, Standards  

OIF has completed the Coherent Common Management Interface Specification (C-CMIS) Implementation Agreement (IA), which serves as an extension to the CMIS (QSFP-DD/OSFP/COBO) management specification, specifically targeting DCO modules.

“The C-CMIS IA is an important part of the developing 400ZR ecosystem,” said Ian Betty, Ciena and OIF Board Member. “It defines additional management registers, and monitors, together with new functionality, mechanisms, or behaviors, as needed.”

The C-CMIS IA provides register definition for coherent modules in pages and parameters that were previously reserved. Users that have previously implemented software to manage optical modules using CMIS will be able to quickly add support for these coherent pages and parameters. This release, which augments the existing CMIS specification which focused on addressing direct detect client optics, is targeted at the 400ZR application.

The technology and complexity of coherent modules requires additional monitoring parameters for use in field applications. This additional monitoring is primarily focused on Forward Error Correction (FEC) monitoring and optical/analog monitoring including items like Chromatic Dispersion, Differential Group Delay and Electrical Signal to Noise Ratio (eSNR). The C-CMIS IA provides specifications to monitor the standard parameters in a normative manner while taking advantage of the flexibility of the CMIS specification to monitor any additional proprietary parameters.

“The current IA is focused on supporting the OIF 400ZR IA, which supports a single data path with eight-lane host electrical interface for a 400GBASE-R PCS signal and a single-lane 400G coherent media interface (with a new signal format called 400ZR),” explained Betty. “However, we expect future versions to include more complex Metro modules and may even extend these management features to other form factors.”

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DISH takes over Boost Mobile and its 9.3 million subscribers

T-Mobile US completed its previously announced divestiture of Sprint’s prepaid wireless business to DISH Network Corporation, fulfilling a commitment that T-Mobile and Sprint made to the Department of Justice and to the Federal Communications Commission as part of their merger process.'

DISH paid $1.4 billion for the acquisition of Boost Mobile and its 9.3 million customers.

DISH said it will continue to invest in the Boost Mobile brand. John Swieringa, who serves as group president, retail wireless and COO, DISH, will lead Boost Mobile.

Additionally, the divested prepaid customers and new DISH wireless customers will have full access to the new T-Mobile network in a phased approach through a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) arrangement, as well as through an infrastructure mobile network operator (MNO) arrangement enabling roaming in certain areas until DISH’s 5G network is built out. In connection with the closing of the DISH transaction, T-Mobile, Sprint and DISH entered into certain other ancillary agreements, including a spectrum purchase agreement.

“We just checked an important milestone. In closing our deal with DISH to divest Sprint’s prepaid brand, T-Mobile followed through on fulfilling one of the most significant commitments we made as part of this merger process. We are excited to keep making big steps forward and, as promised, continue to work toward delivering the transformative nationwide 5G network that is only possible with the New T-Mobile’s combined capacity AND breadth to consumers across the U.S.,” said CEO Mike Sievert.

"Boost is uniquely positioned to disrupt this industry. Our passionate team, from employees to retail associates to local business owners, is ready to compete," said John Swieringa. "We'll bring new, exciting products and offers to customers that better meet their needs and fit their budgets. Starting tomorrow, Boost will launch the first of our new offers with the revival of $hrink-It! — rewarding customers with 'the longer you stay, the less you pay.'"

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European Commission adopts rules for small cell deployments

The European Commission adopted a new regulation for the deployment of small cell access points, exempting small antennas from any individual town planning permit or other individual prior permits.

The new regulation specifies the physical and technical characteristics of small cells for 5G networks. It aims to help simplify and accelerate 5G network installations, which should be facilitated through a permit-exempt deployment regime, while ensuring that national authorities keep oversight. Permits may still be required for deployment on buildings or sites protected in accordance with national law or where necessary for public safety reasons.

The definition of small cell in the implementing regulation sets tight limits in terms of size and power of those installations.

The European Commission said its definition adheres to strict EU RF exposure limits, which, for the general public, are 50 times lower than what international scientific evidence would suggest as having any potential effect on health.

https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/commission-adopts-implementing-regulation-pave-way-high-capacity-5g-network-infrastructure

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CTIA appoints AT&T's David Christopher as chair

CTIA announced David Christopher, Executive Vice President and General Manager – AT&T Mobility, as its new Board Chairman effective immediately.

Christopher, who previously served as CTIA Vice Chairman, replaces outgoing Chairman Ken Meyers, who earlier announced his retirement as U.S. Cellular President and CEO.  Slayton Stewart, CEO of Carolina West Wireless, will assume the role of Vice Chairman.

“David’s proven leadership and vision will help the U.S. wireless industry build the emerging 5G economy.  We are very lucky to have him as Chairman at this critical juncture,” said CTIA President and CEO Meredith Attwell Baker. “I look forward to working closely with David, Slayton and the rest of the CTIA Board to ensure Americans continue to benefit from world-leading wireless networks. I also want to thank Ken for over 30 years leading our industry and his wisdom and friendship in serving as CTIA Chairman the past two years.”

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KVH leverages photonic integrated chip for inertial measurement

KVH Industries, which specializes in high-performance sensors and integrated inertial systems for military applications, introduced a new inertial measurement unit (IMU) that levergages its own photonic integrated chip (PIC) technology.

KVH’s PIC Inside technology features an integrated planar optical chip that replaces individual fiber optic components to simplify production while maintaining or improving accuracy and performance. The company says its PIC Inside product is designed to deliver 20 times higher accuracy than less expensive MEMS inertial measurement units, uses modular designs for ease of integration, and has outstanding repeatability unit-to-unit.

One of the first customers has integrated the P-1775 IMU with PIC Inside into their next-generation rocket launch vehicle.

“I applaud the tremendous effort by our incredible engineers in developing this groundbreaking technology and I am thrilled that we have begun to incorporate PIC Inside technology into our existing products, a process that we expect to continue throughout the year,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH CEO.

Last year, KVH announced that it had delivered its first product prototypes containing PIC technology to leading automotive customers and presented the science behind the technology to an audience of engineers at a leading inertial sensor conference, describing the extensive development, testing, and benefits of the new technology.

http://www.kvh.com

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Ciena appoints Hassan Ahmed to Board

Ciena has appointed Hassan M. Ahmed, Ph.D., to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Ahmed most recently served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Affirmed Networks, which was acquired by Microsoft in April 2020. Before founding Affirmed Networks in 2010, he was a senior advisor at Charles River Ventures. From 1998 to 2008, Dr. Ahmed served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sonus Networks. Prior to that time, Dr. Ahmed served in various executive roles at Ascend Communications, Cascade Communications and Analog Devices. He also served as President and founder of WaveAccess, a pioneer in high-speed wireless network products. Dr. Ahmed was Associate Professor of Electrical, Computer and Systems Engineering and Associate Professor of Finance at Boston University. He is the author of more than 50 professional publications and holds a BSEE and MSAE from Carleton University and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.

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Facebook to build its next data center in DeKalb, Illinois

Facebook unveiled plans to build a data center in DeKalb, Illinois, approximately 55 miles west of downtown Chicago.

The 907,000-square-foot, LEED Gold facility will be powered entirely by renewable energy. Facebook estimates its investment in the facility at $800 million.

Mortenson Construction was selected as the general contractor.

The DeKalb facility will be its 12th in the United States.

“There are many variables that enter into the decision process for data center locations, and DeKalb provided many compelling reasons for Facebook to bring our newest data center to Illinois,” said Rachel Peterson, Vice President of Data Center Strategy for Facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/DeKalbDataCenter/

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Zayo adds U.S. wavelength routes

Zayo announced four new long-haul optical wavelength routes in the U.S:

• Miami to New Orleans features a high-capacity DWDM network, an architecture used to increase bandwidth. This route, which provides a diverse route out of Miami, provides an option for Latin American carriers that require backhaul from cable landing stations in the area. With completion expected in the third calendar quarter, the route will expand Zayo’s growing presence in Florida. The company is currently constructing 2,300 miles of high-fiber count network in Tampa and Orlando.
• Dallas to Atlanta to Washington DC and Ashburn, Virginia is scheduled to be completed soon. Driven by demand from customers that need coast-to-coast capacity, this is a new C+L Band Flex Grid DWDM network. The technology enables much better use of available spectrum, providing more capacity than traditional C-band only systems.
• Chicago to Toronto will create a diverse route from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange to the Toronto Stock Exchange, even faster than Zayo’s existing market leading route. The high-capacity Flex Grid DWDM network will connect Lansing and Grand Rapids to Zayo’s North American Waves Network.
• Seattle to the Bay Area has been driven by strong customer demand for a high capacity network between these two important West Coast markets. The C+L Band Flex Grid DWDM network connects to the cable landing stations in Portland / Hillsboro, providing trans-Pacific carriers with backhaul. The route also connects to key data centers located in Oregon and California.

“These strategic routes will provide dedicated, high-capacity connectivity to meet the bandwidth needs of customers in commercial, financial and tech sectors,” said Annette Murphy, executive vice president of Lit Solutions. “Our owned infrastructure and range of flexible solutions position Zayo to be the provider of choice for wavelengths.”

https://investors.zayo.com/news-and-events/press-releases/press-release-details/2020/Zayo-Expands-Wavelength-Networks-Between-Strategic-Markets/default.aspx

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Telma Madagascar switches on 5G

Telma Madagascar activated its 5G commercial network in multiple cities across the nation.

Telma activated the 5G network on 3.6-3.7 GHz mid-band using the latest radio access and transport products from the Ericsson Radio System portfolio. Two key 5G use cases for the Madagascar market are enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA).

Patrick Pisal Hamida, CEO, Telma Madagascar, says: “5G will transform how we use and adopt technology and will have a huge impact on businesses and society in Madagascar. It will bring high speed, ultra-low latency and highly secure connectivity to a massive number of devices and is a technology that will unlock a vast array of new use cases through Telma’s next-generation network. We are very proud to be among the first countries in the world to roll out this technology. It’s a new step ahead for Madagascar as one of the leading ICT countries in the Indian Ocean and Africa.” 

Fadi Pharaon, President of Ericsson Middle East and Africa, says: “Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in our long-standing partnership with Telma, as we launch the first 5G network in Madagascar. 5G will accelerate the digital transformation of all society sectors as well as industries in the country, enabling new opportunities and applications in areas such as healthcare, education, energy services and agriculture. We look forward to driving joint innovations with Telma, bringing our industry-leading technology in support of Madagascar’s connectivity vision and our commitment to Africa.”

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Ericsson debuts AIR (antenna-integrated radio) for mid-band 5G

Ericsson introduced two new antenna-integrated radio (AIR) solutions to help communications service providers to deploy mid-band 5G networks faster and on a wider scale without adding to their site footprint.

The new Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR additions to the Ericsson Radio System portfolio address physical space restrictions at some base station sites.

Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “It’s a footprint issue. At some network sites, size literally is everything. Communications service providers globally often have limited possibilities to increase the space occupied by network equipment. They need solutions that fit in existing sites and still provide great performance. With the Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR solutions, we can help our customers to quickly deliver the benefits of 5G Massive MIMO to more end users. This launch also shows the effectiveness of fully integrated Kathrein Mobile Communication products in our Ericsson Radio System.”

The new Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR combine antenna-integrated radios and multiband passive antenna technology in one enclosure. Ericsson calculates that an upgrade to Hybrid AIR or Interleaved AIR with Massive MIMO can result in up to seven times greater mobile broadband capacity than currently available from existing multiband antennas. The capacity gains come from improved Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) spectral efficiencies, new FDD bands and added Massive MIMO mid-bands. The new AIR solutions also boost 4G capacity.

Swisscom and the Vodafone Group have been working with Ericsson on these solutions.

Daniel Staub, Head of Mobile at Swisscom, says: “At Swisscom, we have rolled out 5G technology nationwide as the first provider in Europe. We reached 90 per cent population coverage at the end of 2019 already. Close collaboration with Ericsson and deploying the Hybrid AIR helped us to reach that goal. We are now delivering wide mid-band capacity, while reusing established sites and minimizing additional footprint. We continue to work and innovate to bring the best end-user experience to our 5G subscribers.”

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IP Infusion releases Virtual SD-Edge for Cloud-based Secure Routing

IP Infusion announced the general availability of its Virtual SD-Edge router in the Azure Marketplace and as a VM image for private cloud or x86 based virtual environments. It will soon be on Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The Virtual SD-Edge router securely extends WAN connectivity into hybrid cloud environments for Enterprises and MSPs. It supports enterprise class networking features such as routing, VPN, firewall, NAT and QoS in a comprehensive package. Virtual SD-Edge provides carrier class routing and enables multiple use cases, including cloud migration, branch to cloud as well as multi-site, multi-cloud connectivity.

IP Infusion said its Virtual SD-Edge is based on DANOS-Vyatta edition (DVe), which is widely deployed across multiple, white box use cases in AT&T’s production network as well as other service provider networks. DVe is built on DANOS, the first open source, carrier-targeted network operating system (NOS) project hosted by the Linux Foundation, and offers industry-leading control plane features and a more complete data plane integration for switching silicon. DANOS is available on GitHub to facilitate evaluations and Proof of Concepts of disaggregation for VNFs and applications.

“To reduce costs and become more agile, large and small businesses are rapidly migrating to the cloud and require enterprise-class cloud connectivity. Our Virtual SD-Edge is optimized for streamlined packet processing and virtualized resource utilization,” said Atsushi Ogata, President and CEO, IP Infusion. “The combination of a compact footprint, ability to drive 10 Gbps+ throughput per Physical Core and advanced control plane enable a broad range of virtual and cloud networking use cases.”

http://www.IPInfusion.com/VirtualSD-Edge
https://www.danosproject.org

IP Infusion's new Open SD-Edge enables uCPE based on DANOS

Wednesday, May 20, 2020  DANOS, IP Infusion, Linux Foundation, UCPE  

IP Infusion introduced its Open SD-Edge platform for universal Customer Premise Equipment (uCPE) based on DANOS-Vyatta edition software, which is widely deployed at scale for multiple, white box use cases in AT&T’s production network.

DANOS is a carrier-targeted network operating system (NOS) project hosted by the Linux Foundation. By pre-integrating with the FRR (FRRouting) and DPDK (Data Plane Development Kit) projects, DANOS facilitates evaluations and Proof of Concepts for VNFs and applications.

IP Infusion said its Open SD-Edge platform supports a range of uCPE use cases and delivers a platform for operational simplicity, agile deployment of virtualized services and lower CAPEX, leading to reduced total cost of ownership. It includes white box hardware, DANOS-Vyatta edition, and hosts third-party Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) for SD-WAN, routing, VPN, and firewall support for VNFs on a general-purpose appliance. This eliminates the need for stacks of proprietary equipment and software that require specialized IT skills to install, configure, and maintain.

“As a leader in disaggregated networking, IP Infusion’s Open SD-Edge platform allows our customers a streamlined path to migrate to Software-Defined services, simplify network infrastructure and management, while future-proofing their networks as their business needs evolve,” said Atsushi Ogata, President and CEO, IP Infusion. “Today’s agile businesses require support at lightning speeds. With industry standard hardware infused with open source software, and virtualized technology, our customers can realize unprecedented agility and automation at a lowest cost per bit.”

Under an agreement with AT&T, IP Infusion is the value-added integrator of DANOS-Vyatta edition and has the rights to sell DANOS-Vyatta edition as a commercial solution and provide ongoing support for carrier customers who need additional integration expertise. It also allows provides the flexibility for users to choose from multiple hardware vendors.

DANOS-Vyatta edition now covers cell site router (CSR) and uCPE applications in a common platform for both wide area and local area networking. The three new Open SD-Edge use cases planned for delivery in 2020 are:

• Virtual SD-Edge – General availability in Q2’20 - available in virtual form-factor to securely extend VPN to the public or private cloud and deliver scalable WAN, Security and CG-NAT functions.
• Branch SD-Edge – General availability in Q3’20 - available in a white-box or virtual form-factor for securely interconnecting branch offices and migrating workloads to the cloud.
• Universal SD-Edge – General availability in Q4’20 - cloud managed uCPE for enterprise/branch connectivity including security, SD-WAN and WAN optimization use cases, with the flexibility to add VNF services from third parties.

The Cloud Services Router and uCPE solutions are now available for demonstration in the Azure cloud marketplace and as a VNF (VM) for server environments.

http://www.IPInfusion.com/uCPE

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