Tuesday, April 30, 2024

AWS hits $100 billion annual run rate

AWS segment sales increased 17% year-over-year to $25.0 billion. Amazon's quarterly financial report also reveals that AWS segment operating income for Q1 2024 was $9.4 billion, compared with operating income of $5.1 billion in first quarter 2023.

“It was a good start to the year across the business, and you can see that in both our customer experience improvements and financial results,” said Andy Jassy, Amazon President and CEO. “The combination of companies renewing their infrastructure modernization efforts and the appeal of AWS’s AI capabilities is reaccelerating AWS’s growth rate (now at a $100 billion annual revenue run rate)."

Some operational updates for AWS:

  • Siemens is integrating Amazon Bedrock into its low-code development platform Mendix to allow thousands of companies across multiple industries to create and upgrade applications with the power of generative AI.
  • Philips is using AWS HealthImaging and Amazon Bedrock to scale digital pathology, helping labs and healthcare organizations improve diagnostics, increase productivity, accelerate research, and address complex medical cases, like cancer care.
  • Accenture and Anthropic are collaborating with AWS to help organizations—especially those in highly-regulated industries like healthcare, public sector, banking, and insurance—responsibly adopt and scale generative AI technology with Amazon Bedrock. This collaboration will help organizations like the District of Columbia Department of Health speed innovation, improve customer service, and improve productivity, while keeping data private and secure.
  • BT Group, a multinational communications company, provided Amazon Q Developer to 1,200 of its engineers, generating more than 100,000 lines of code in its first four months and automating approximately 12% of the repetitive and time-consuming work done by software engineers using the platform.
  • During Q1, AWS disclosed plans to launch new infrastructure Regions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and in Mexico, which will give developers, startups, entrepreneurs, and enterprises greater choice for running their applications and serving end users. As part of AWS’s long-term commitment, it is planning to invest more than $5.3 billion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and more than $5 billion in Mexico over the next several years.
  • A planned investment of $10 billion to build two data center complexes in Mississippi. This investment, which is the single largest capital investment in the state’s history, will create at least 1,000 jobs and support new educational trainings in the state.
  • The general availability of new AWS Local Zones in Atlanta, Chicago, and Houston. In Atlanta, AWS Local Zones support EC2 P5 instances, which deliver the highest performance for deep learning and high-performance computing applications.
  • Announced that AWS began waiving charges for data transfer out to the internet (DTO) to give customers choice if they want to migrate their data outside of AWS. The waiver on DTO charges is available to all AWS customers around the world and from any AWS Region.


https://ir.aboutamazon.com/news-release/news-release-details/2024/Amazon.com-Announces-First-Quarter-Results-68b9258cd/

AMD sees a big jump in AI and data center revenues

AMD reported Q1 2024 revenue of $5.5 billion, up 2% year-over-year, gross margin of 47%, operating income of $36 million, net income of $123 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.07. 

“We delivered strong first quarter results with our Data Center and Client segments each growing more than 80% year-over-year driven by the ramp of MI300 AI accelerator shipments and the adoption of our Ryzen and EPYC processors,” said AMD Chair and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. “This is an incredibly exciting time for the industry as widespread deployment of AI is driving demand for significantly more compute across a broad range of markets. We are executing very well as we ramp our data center business and enable AI capabilities across our product portfolio.”

“AMD started the year strong, delivering record quarterly Data Center segment revenue,” said AMD EVP, CFO and Treasurer Jean Hu. “In addition, we drove solid gross margin expansion. Moving forward, we are well positioned to continue driving revenue growth and margin improvement while investing in the large AI opportunities ahead.”

Segment Summary

  • Record Data Center segment revenue of $2.3 billion was up 80% year-over-year driven by growth in both AMD Instinct™ GPUs and 4th Gen AMD EPYC™ CPUs. Revenue increased 2% sequentially driven by the first full quarter of AMD Instinct GPU sales, partially offset by a seasonal decline in server CPU sales.
  • Client segment revenue was $1.4 billion, up 85% year-over-year driven primarily by AMD Ryzen™ 8000 Series processor sales. Revenue decreased 6% sequentially.
  • Gaming segment revenue was $922 million, down 48% year-over-year and 33% sequentially due to a decrease in semi-custom revenue and lower AMD Radeon™ GPU sales.
  • Embedded segment revenue was $846 million, down 46% year-over-year and 20% sequentially as customers continued to manage their inventory levels.

Vocus teams with Google on Australia-to-U.S. subsea capacity

 Vocus, a prominent digital infrastructure operator in Australia, has forged an agreement with Google to deploy cutting-edge submarine cable systems, linking Australia and the United States across the south Pacific. This collaboration marks a significant stride in their partnership, solidifying and expanding upon the Pacific Connect initiative, which aims to enhance digital connectivity in the region. 

The Honomoana cable system, as part of this agreement, will extend to Auckland, New Zealand, facilitating dual Australian landings in Melbourne and Sydney. This expansion not only establishes a new domestic route between Sydney and Melbourne but also introduces the first diverse route across the Tasman Sea, capable of delivering up to 30Tbps of capacity between Australia and New Zealand.

Key Points:

  • The agreement between Vocus and Google aims to bolster digital infrastructure, spanning from South-East Asia to the US, with multiple landings in Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific.
  • The Pacific Connect initiative will elevate trans-Tasman data capacity with the addition of a new landing in Auckland, complementing existing networks and offering unprecedented capacity and redundancy.
  • The Sydney to Melbourne route will provide customers with an additional redundant pathway on Australia’s east coast, enhancing network resilience alongside existing terrestrial routes.
  • A core component of the Pacific Connect initiative involves establishing a trans-Pacific subsea ring connecting Australia and the US, with pre-positioned branching units to enable future connections for other Pacific nations.
  • The agreement grants Vocus access to dark fibre across the Pacific Connect system, initially providing up to 30Tbps of capacity upon its completion in 2026, with provisions for future capacity expansion as demand grows.
  • Vocus' existing infrastructure includes the Australia Singapore Cable, North West Cable System, Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable, and Australia's second-largest intercapital fibre backbone network, further underlining its commitment to enhancing digital connectivity in the region.

STACK Infras plans new 220MW data center campus in Dallas

STACK Infrastructure unveiled plans to develop a 220MW campus south of Dallas, Texas. 

The campus spans over 100 acres and is strategically engineered to accommodate both shell and turnkey deployments, providing scalability and dedicated power in response to the escalating demand for infrastructure supporting the growth of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and other emerging technologies. 

The new 220MW campus is strategically situated within the major development cluster of south Dallas, a rapidly growing market favored by developers and providers alike. Spanning 1.5 million square feet across six 36MW data centers, the campus has a planned delivery of mid-2026 and features committed power from utility provider ONCOR via a dedicated substation. Designed with a future-proof approach, the AI-Ready campus offers adaptability and flexibility, including a range of cooling solutions, to seamlessly accommodate the ever-evolving technological landscape. 

“We continue to observe a steady demand for powered, large-scale campuses, particularly in established or growing markets,” said Ty Miller, Chief Commercial Officer, STACK Americas. “This latest announcement reinforces our commitment to providing certainty and scalability for our clients, along with a favorable delivery target of mid-2026.” 


Vertical Systems: 2023 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD

Vertical Systems Group announces that seven companies achieved a rank on the year-end 2023 Global Provider Ethernet LEADERBOARD as follows (in order based on retail port share): Colt (U.K.), Orange Business (France), Verizon (U.S.), AT&T (U.S.), BT Global (U.K.), NTT (Japan), and Cirion (Argentina). This industry benchmark for multinational Ethernet network market presence ranks companies that hold a 4% or higher share of billable retail ports at sites outside of their respective home countries.

Eight companies attained a 2023 Challenge Tier citation (in alphabetical order): Cogent (U.S.), GCX [formerly Global Cloud Xchange] (India), GTT (U.S.), SingTel (Singapore), T-Systems (Germany), Tata Communications (India), Telefonica (Spain), and Vodafone (U.K.). The Challenge Tier includes companies with share between 2% and 4% of this defined market.

“The geographic expansion of the Global Ethernet market continued in 2023, while several key domestic markets flattened,” said Rick Malone, Principal of Vertical Systems Group. “Colt ascended to the top rank in our Global Provider segment following key acquisitions and market growth beyond its Pan-European base.”

Arelion opens PoP at Flexential's Tampa - North Site

Arelion has deployed a fully diverse Point-of-Presence (PoP) at Flexential's Tampa – North data center, supporting business growth in South Florida's regional edge markets by providing Arelion's full portfolio of IP and optical transport services to wholesale and enterprise customers. 

Flexential's Tampa – North data center serves Florida's high-tech corridor, offering secure connectivity, colocation, cloud and data protection services. The 60,000 square foot data center facility features 3 megawatts of critical power and sustainable cooling capabilities, enabling Flexential to support the compute-intensive solutions of Florida's flourishing business communities.

"Arelion's new PoP at Flexential's Tampa North site reinforces our investment in the Florida peninsula, helping us provide reliable connectivity at scale to enterprise and wholesale customers for continued technological innovation," said Art Kazmierczak, Director of Strategic Sales and Network Development at Arelion. "Flexential is an excellent partner for this PoP as its data center is well-equipped with the space, power and capabilities our customers need to accelerate business growth in Florida's developing edge markets."


A10 Networks reports Q1 revenue of $60.7 million, up 5.2% yoy

A10 Networks reported Q1 revenue of $60.7 million, in-line with expectations and up 5.2% year-over-year. Non-GAAP net income was $12.7 million (21.0% of revenue), or $0.17 per diluted share (non-GAAP EPS) compared to non-GAAP net income of $9.9 million (17.2% of revenue) or $0.13 per diluted share in the first quarter of 2023.

“A10 continued to successfully navigate market volatility, as our diversification enabled us to address near-term Service Provider fluctuations, delivering solid first quarter results in-line with expectations,” said Dhrupad Trivedi, President and Chief Executive Officer of A10 Networks. “Our service provider customers are committed to improving network throughput and security, and A10’s solutions are designed into long-term initiatives that help them achieve their mission critical goals. When investments are made, we benefit, as we did in this quarter. The economic environment remains somewhat unpredictable and the first quarter represents an encouraging data point.”

“Recent and ongoing investments to better position A10 to target the evolving needs of the enterprise market are beginning to show results,” continued Trivedi. “Deferred revenue grew faster in Q1 than overall revenue, representative of the buying behavior of the enterprise customer base. We believe enterprise revenue will continue to grow throughout the year based on active pipeline and customer engagements. Security solutions continue to be in demand, and security solutions were 61% of A10’s consolidated revenue, in line with our long-term strategic goal. Simultaneously, we have continued to invest in R&D to address the evolving needs of our customers including AI solutions.”

Monday, April 29, 2024

NTT develops fabrication tech for flexible optical networks

NTT has developed a fabrication technology that allows various types of optical fibers to branch and merge without causing communication interruption.

Worldwide, optical fibers come in different refractive index distributions and exhibit varied propagation characteristics (known as effective refractive index). Traditional methods of branching these fibers required matching the effective refractive index between the source and destination fibers, necessitating knowledge of the branch source's refractive index and preparation of a suitable branch fiber. This process often interrupted service at the branch source. 

To overcome this challenge, NTT says there's a need to develop technology allowing fiber branching during communication, independent of their effective refractive index.

NTT developed a method to make branched optical fibers with varying core diameters. This variation affects the effective refractive index, allowing these fibers to have different effective refractive indices. With this structure, branching optical fibers becomes possible regardless of the source fiber's effective refractive index. NTT's breakthrough in fabricating these fibers marks a global first, significantly expanding the types of fibers that can be branched compared to traditional ones. This advancement enables the branching and merging of all fibers meeting international standards commonly used in optical access networks.


https://group.ntt/en/newsrelease/2024/04/24/240424b.html

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Thintronics raises $23M for unified insulator

Thintronics, a start-up based in Berkeley, California, raised $23 million in Series A funding for its development of electronic materials for high-performance insulators for emerging AI datacenter, networking, and RF/millimeter-wave (mmW) applications.

The funding was led by Maverick Capital and Translink Capital. Series A funding will support commercialization of a novel insulator platform.

The company was founded on the idea that conventional assumptions guiding insulator material development limited the capacity of the industry to innovate. Thintronics says its suite of high-performance materials display electrical and mechanical characteristics that far outpace the state of the art. 

Thintronics’ CEO Stefan Pastine emphasizes that "the interconnect insulator is foundational to modern electronics; however, it has yet to be optimized to operate near the theoretical limit of insulation. Additionally, the supply chain is fragmented across multiple electronic architectures. It is our vision to optimize the insulator and unify it across the fabric."

To satisfy this growing demand Thintronics is entering the insulator market with technologies targeting chipsets, switches, and datacenter integrators for 224G links and beyond. For CTO Tristan El Bouayadi, "The combination of superior electrical and thermo-mechanical performance allows our customers to unlock new design possibilities and new applications in Networking, AI acceleration, RF mmW communication, and Radar. Additionally, by synthesizing ultra-thin dielectric layers, Thintronics enables form factor design optimization for Consumer and Infrastructure devices and products."

https://thintronics.com/

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Micron awarded $6.1B in CHIPS Act funding

 Micron Technology has reached a preliminary agreement under the CHIPS and Science Act under which it will receive $6.1 billion to develop advanced memory manufacturing facilities in Idaho and New York. The total investment from Micron could reach $50 billion by 2030, supporting the creation of several leading-edge memory production plants. This includes expanding an existing facility in Boise, Idaho, and constructing two new facilities in Clay, New York.

The funding and additional incentives from state and local governments, as well as potential tax credits from the U.S. Treasury, will facilitate competitive, cutting-edge memory manufacturing in the U.S. These initiatives are expected to generate about 75,000 jobs over the next 20 years, boosting both local economies and the national economic and security landscape. The investments represent significant private financial commitments in Idaho and New York, marking a major step in enhancing U.S. semiconductor capabilities and innovation.

Micron initiated construction on its Boise fab in October of calendar year 2023. The fab will be co-located with Micron’s world-class R&D center to enhance operational efficiency, accelerate technology deployment and improve time to market for leading-edge products. The Idaho fab is expected to come online and be operational in calendar year 2025, with DRAM output starting in calendar year 2026 and ramping in line with market demand over the second half of the decade.

In New York, preliminary design, field studies and permitting applications, including NEPA, are underway for the project. Construction of the first fab is expected to begin in calendar year 2025 and to come online and contribute to output in calendar year 2028, ramping in line with market demand over the next decade.








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SURF tests 800G link over 1,650 km fiber with Ribbon

 SURF, the collaborative organization for IT in Dutch education and research, achieved 800G over a brownfield 1,650 km fiber optic link using Ribbon Communications' optical transport platform. The trial connected research institutes including Nikhef with The Large Hadron Collider located on the CERN campus in Geneva.

The trial demonstrated a number of Ribbon's advanced transport solutions:

  • Apollo TM800_2, which uses industry-leading 5nm-140Gbaud transmission technology to deliver capacity-reach optimized 800G transport.
  • Apollo Open Optical Line Systems, which include hybrid EDFA-Raman amplifiers that maximize the capacity of SURF's brownfield G655 and G652 fiber, and have a proven ability to carry third-party vendor wavelengths.
  • NPT 2400 metro router, which is interoperable with SURF's network and delivered 2x400GbE uplinks running EVPN services on top of BGP to 8x100G ports on that network.

"We are proud to collaborate with our partner Ribbon in this successful and innovative trial, which pushes the boundaries of our current fiber and shows us what is technically possible with Ribbon's equipment," said Harold Teunissen, Director Network & Campus at SURF. "This trial signifies a crucial step forward as we gear up our network to cater to the future needs of scientific research and education in the Netherlands and beyond."

"We're excited to work with SURF to demonstrate how they can deliver advanced transport services to their research and education partners over the existing infrastructure," said Sam Bucci, COO and EVP, Ribbon. "We're proud to deliver innovative solutions that contribute to the advancement of science."

Canada's Valo Networks picks Ekinops360 WDM

Valo Networks will be deploying the Ekinops360 WDM transport platform to deliver rural broadband connectivity in Red Deer County, Alberta, Canada.

Valo Networks, launched in 2019, specializes in operating next-generation fiber-optic and wireless networks.  It is providing full turn-key service including the design, installation, commissioning, and ongoing operation of Red Deer County's new fiber optic network in the province of Alberta.  To serve Canadian communities like Red Deer County, Valo Networks created its Open Access Network (OAN) network architecture that provides scalable, accessible, and future-proof capacity that can be customized for individual communities.

Valo is building the new network using Ekinops360 WDM system, starting at 10G with the capability to scale to higher capacities as demand increases. 

https://www.ekinops.com/solutions/optical-transport


Sunday, April 28, 2024

Tech Update: BT’s Path Toward Quantum Communications

BT is pioneering the future of secure communications through its ongoing trials of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) over its fiber network in London in partnership with Toshiba and Adtran. These efforts are not just enhancing the security landscape but also paving the way for BT to establish a robust commercial quantum communication service. Andrew Lord, Senior Manager Optical Networks R&D from BT, provides an insightful update:

- Andrew discusses BT's progress in developing a commercial quantum service in London, highlighting their partnership with HSBC, a global bank that is at the forefront of quantum technology adoption. 

- He delves into the challenges and solutions in assuring and accrediting quantum technology, emphasizing the need for standardization and assurance processes for this emerging technology.

- Andrew also highlights major quantum communication projects funded by governments, including a project focused on detecting attempts to tap into quantum networks, as well as a second project aimed at accrediting and assuring quantum equipment.

https://youtu.be/Q1AJNqnC2DU

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AWS to invest $11B in massive data center in Indiana

Amazon Web Services (AWS) plans to invest $11 billion to build a data center campus in north central Indiana.

The project, which is the largest capital investment in Indiana’s history, aims to create at least 1,000 new jobs. The data center campus will be located in St. Joseph County. 

Based on the company’s significant capital investment plans, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) committed an investment in AWS in the form of data center sales tax exemptions for eligible capital investments over a 50-year term.

“Indiana’s long-term economic strategy is paying dividends for Hoosiers as we cultivate the growth of critical sectors like technology infrastructure,” said Gov. Holcomb. “Amazon has long been an important economic partner in Indiana, and we are excited to welcome AWS. This significant investment solidifies Indiana’s leadership position in the economy of the future, and will undoubtedly have a positive ripple effect on the town of New Carlisle, the north central region and the state of Indiana for years to come.” 

https://events.in.gov/event/gov-holcomb-announces-amazon-web-services-plans-to-invest-11b-to-create-a-new-data-center-campus-in-northern-indiana?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=State+of+Indiana 

Google to build $2 billion data center in Indiana

Google will build a new $2 billion data center in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Construction is now underway on the new data center and operational support complex on the southwest side of Fort Wayne. 

The new facility is expected to create up to 200 new, competitive jobs, including facilities, data center technicians and support services, including security, catering and grounds keeping, in the coming years. 

Google also plans to bring its Skilled Trades and Readiness (STAR) program to the Fort Wayne area in partnership with Ivy Tech Community College. Additionally, Google will work with Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) to bring new clean energy resources to the local grid.

“We are thrilled to announce our investment in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as the site for our newest data center,” said Joe Kava, vice president of global data centers at Google. “Our decision to make a commitment of this magnitude is a true testament to the strategic and collaborative nature of many leaders across Indiana, Allen County, and, particularly, Fort Wayne. Together, Fort Wayne and Google will help power the digital future, including AI innovation across our enterprise and consumer services.”

https://events.in.gov/event/gov-holcomb-announces-google-is-building-a-2b-data-center-in-northeast-indiana?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=State+of+Indiana

  • In January 2024, Meta announced plans to build a new $800 million data center campus in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

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Juniper posts Q1 sales of $1.149 billion, down 16% yoy

Juniper Networks reported Q1 net revenues of $1,148.9 million, a decrease of 16% year-over-year, and a decrease of 16% sequentially. GAAP operating margin was (1.2)%, a decrease from 8.4% in the first quarter of 2023, and a decrease from 9.2% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Non-GAAP net income was $96.6 million, a decrease of 38% year-over-year, and a decrease of 51% sequentially, resulting in non-GAAP diluted net income per share of $0.29.

“While many of our customers continue to be impacted by macro headwinds and the digestion of previously placed orders, we are starting to see a recovery in demand from our cloud customers and saw another quarter of double-digit order growth in our Mist-led business,” said Juniper CEO, Rami Rahim. “I remain optimistic regarding our long-term growth prospects, particularly as customers adopt our AI offerings, both for network operations and data center use cases.”

“We delivered strong non-GAAP gross margin and better than seasonal expense trends during the March quarter,” said Juniper’s CFO, Ken Miller. “We remain focused on profitability, while making the necessary investments to drive long-term growth.”

Friday, April 26, 2024

FCC votes 3-2 to restore Net Neutrality

 The FCC voted 3-2 along partisan lines to reclassify broadband service as a Title II telecommunications service, restoring Net Neutrality.

The decision gives the FCC the authority to provide  oversight over broadband service providers, giving the Commission essential tools to: 

  • Protect the Open Internet – Internet service providers will again be prohibited from blocking, throttling, or engaging in paid prioritization of lawful content, restoring the rules that were upheld by the D.C. Circuit in 2016.  
  • Safeguard National Security – The Commission will have the ability to revoke the authorizations of foreign-owned entities who pose a threat to national security to operate broadband networks in the U.S.  The Commission has previously exercised this authority under section 214 of the Communications Act to revoke the operating authorities of four Chinese state-owned carriers to provide voice services in the U.S.  Any provider without section 214 authorization for voice services must now also cease any fixed or mobile broadband service operations in the United States. 
  • Monitor Internet Service Outages 

For the majority, FCC Chairwan Jessica Rosenworcel writes "I think in a modern digital economy we should have a national net neutrality policy and make clear the Nation’s expert on communications has the ability to act when it comes to broadband. This is good for consumers, good for public safety, and good for national security. And that is why we are taking this action today under Title II of the Communications Act."

In dissent, FCC Commissioner Brenden Carr writes "The Internet in America has thrived in the absence of 1930s command and control regulation by the government. Indeed, bipartisan consensus emerged early on that the government should not regulate the Internet like Ma Bell’s copper line telephone monopoly."

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-restores-net-neutrality

First O-RAN Certificates and Badges issued

 The O-RAN Alliance announced that two of its Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTICs) – the European OTIC in Berlin and Korea OTIC – recently issued their first-ever O-RAN Certificates and Badges. Japan OTIC issued its first O-RAN Certificates and Badges in June 2023 and continued with five more awarded in 2024.

The portfolio of certified O-RAN products currently counts 23 solutions from 16 companies, awarded by 5 OTICs, with more being in progress around the world. All awarded O-RAN Certificates and Badges, including company names and concrete products, are publicly available in the O-RAN ALLIANCE's Certification and Badging Catalogue.

There are three types of O-RAN certifications:

  • O-RAN Certificate verifies that a product is compliant to O-RAN specifications, using O-RAN conformance tests.
  • O-RAN Interoperability (IOT) Badge proves interoperability of a pair of products connected via an O-RAN interface or O-RAN-profiled 3GPP interface, using O-RAN interoperability tests.
  • O-RAN End-to-End (E2E) Badge demonstrates and validates that an end-to-end system or subsystem meets minimum requirements on functionality and security, using O-RAN end-to-end tests. It can also provide an indication of performance or other end-to-end functionalities.
"Japan OTIC is committed to support testing and integration efforts in the industry to promote implementation of open, interoperable, intelligent, virtualized and secure RAN," said Masataka Kawauchi, Representative Director, Japan OTIC and Chairman, YRP R&D Promotion Committee. "Since its establishment in December 2022, we have worked with Japanese operator members to prepare environment and capabilities for testing based on O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications and are pleased to have issued two conformance certificates and E2E system badge to six products to date. The certified/badged equipment has been deployed to the commercial market. We expect more to follow with ongoing activities and additional requests received for the program and are also working to enhance our test capabilities and coverage. Together with other engagements like PlugFests and workshops, Japan OTIC will continue contributing towards realizing Open RAN together with the industry."

www.o-ran.org

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Charter's Q1 revenue hits $13.7 billion, loss of 72K broadband

Charter Communications reported Q1 revenue of $13.7 billion, up by 0.2% year-over-year, driven by residential mobile service revenue growth of 37.8% and residential Internet revenue growth of 1.9%.

Some highlights

  • As of March 31, 2024, Charter had 29.8 million residential customer relationships, excluding mobile-only relationships.
  • First quarter residential Internet customers decreased by 72,000, compared to an increase of 67,000 during the first quarter of 2023.
  • Residential video customers decreased by 392,000 in the first quarter of 2024, compared to a decline of 237,000 in the first quarter of 2023. 
  • As of March 31, 2024, Charter had 13.1 million residential video customers. 
  • In October 2023, Charter began deploying Xumo Stream Boxes to video customers. The Xumo Stream Box combines a live TV experience with access to hundreds of the most popular direct-to-consumer TV applications, and features unified search and discovery along with a curated content offering based on the customer's interests and subscriptions. 
  • During the first quarter, Charter launched two new value-oriented Internet-delivered streaming TV packages, Spectrum TV® Stream and Spectrum Stream Latino, for Spectrum Internet customers. Spectrum TV Stream features many of the most popular news and entertainment networks, and Spectrum Stream Latino adds another option for Hispanic audiences to take advantage of Charter's robust programming lineup.
  • During the first quarter of 2024, residential wireline voice customers declined by 274,000, compared to a decline of 224,000 in the first quarter of 2023. As of March 31, 2024, Charter had 6.4 million residential wireline voice customers.
  • During the first quarter of 2024, Charter added 473,000 residential mobile lines, compared to growth of 666,000 during the first quarter of 2023. 
  • First quarter 2024 monthly residential revenue per residential customer totaled $120.48, and decreased by 0.1% compared to the prior year period, given a lower mix of video customer relationships and a higher mix of lower priced video packages within Charter's video customer base, mostly offset by promotional rate step-ups, rate adjustments and the growth of Spectrum Mobile.
  • SMB customer relationships decreased by 3,000 in the first quarter of 2024, while first quarter 2023 SMB customer relationships grew by 8,000. 
  • Enterprise PSUs grew by 5,000 in the first quarter of 2024 versus 4,000 added in the first quarter of 2023.
  • Charter continues to work with federal, state and local governments to bring Spectrum Internet to unserved and underserved communities. During the first quarter of 2024, Charter activated 73,000 subsidized rural passings. Within Charter's subsidized rural footprint, total residential and SMB customer relationships increased by 35,000 in the first quarter of 2024.

https://ir.charter.com/events-and-webcasts

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Hughes opens advance manufacturing site in Maryland

Hughes Network Systems opened a manufacturing facility and private 5G incubation center in Germantown, Maryland.

The Hughes Manufacturing Facility (EXM) produces U.S.-made hardware, including the Hughes HT3000W JUPITER System satellite modem and the Hughes HL1120W Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite terminal. In addition to about 400 engineers, technicians and manufacturing staff, the Hughes EXM facility utilizes advanced robotics to assist in the manufacture of high-tech products such as satellite modems and terminals. The EXM facility will also serve as a testing ground for private 5G solutions just now reaching the market for Enterprise applications as well as secure 5G networking applications critical to the U.S. Department of Defense.

"Hughes has deep roots in this community. Our capabilities evolved from a long-ago startup in Rockville, Maryland, and we have grown into what is now the leading provider of broadband satellite services, products, and managed network solutions," said Paul Gaske, COO, Hughes. "The EXM facility allows us to continue a proud tradition of designing and manufacturing leading edge products here in Maryland."

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