Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Microsoft provides update on Azure Space

Microsoft published an update on its Azure Space activities across commercial and government applications. Key items:

  • Viasat RTE integration with Azure Orbital Ground Station, bringing high rate, low latency data streaming downlink from spacecraft directly to Azure.
  • A partnership with Ball Aerospace and Loft Federal on the Space Development Agency’s (SDA) National Defense Space Architecture Experimental Testbed (NeXT) program, which will bring 10 satellites with experimental payloads into orbit and provide the associated ground infrastructure.
  • Advancements on the Hybrid Space Architecture for the Defense Innovation Unit, U.S. Space Force and Air Force Research Lab, with new partners and demonstrations that showcase the power, flexibility, and agility of commercial hybrid systems that work across multi-path, multi-orbit, and multi-vendor cloud enabled resilient capabilities.
  • Azure powers Space Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) to deliver Space cybersecurity and threat intelligence operating capabilities. The watch center’s collaborative environment provides visualization of environmental conditions and threat information to rapidly detect, assess and respond to space weather events, vulnerabilities, incidents, and threats to space systems.

A blog post by Stephen Kitay Senior Director, Microsoft Azure Space.

https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/azure-space-technologies-advance-digital-transformation-across-government-agencies/

Viasat connects 5 Earth stations to Microsoft Azure

The global Viasat Real-Time Earth (RTE) ground service is now accessible through the Azure marketplace, providing high-speed connectivity directly to the Azure cloud platform.

Viasat is equipping five RTE sites with Azure. Viasat RTE provides Ground-Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) capabilities to connect commercial and government customers with their satellites on a pay-per-use basis. It is a fully-managed, cost-effective ground network that enables operators with geosynchronous orbit (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites using the S-, X- and Ka-bands, to meet increasing data requirements.

Satellite operators are able to schedule passes on RTE antenna systems and will soon be able to rely on secure end-to-end connectivity with Azure over the private Microsoft WAN. This solution is ideal for commercial satellite operators seeking high throughput, low latency connectivity with their spacecraft, coupled with the security and resiliency of the cloud.

"Viasat Real-Time Earth is enabling remote sensing satellite operators who are pushing the envelope of high-rate downlinks," said John Williams, vice president Viasat Real-Time Earth. "Our strong relationship with Microsoft enables those same customers, through increased access to our ground service, Azure Orbital, and a dependable, high-speed terrestrial network, to reduce the time it takes to downlink and deliver massive amounts of data."

"The new capabilities Microsoft Azure Orbital brings together with Viasat RTE are transformational for ground stations and customers pushing for rapid innovation like True Anomaly," said Stephen Kitay, senior director, Azure Space at Microsoft. "This collaboration plays a role in increasing resiliency and reducing latency with real-time streaming across the space community."

https://news.viasat.com/viasat-real-time-earth-antennas-integrated-on-microsoft-azure-orbital

NTIA seeks pubic comment on AI regulations

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) issued a public request for comment on whether the U.S. goververnment should adopt policies governing artificial intelligence systems.  

The NTIA’s “AI Accountability Request for Comment” seeks feedback on what policies can support the development of AI audits, assessments, certifications and other mechanisms to create earned trust in AI systems. 

Much as financial audits create trust in the accuracy of a business’ financial statements, so for AI, such mechanisms can help provide assurance that an AI system is trustworthy. Just as financial accountability required policy and governance to develop, so too will AI system accountability.

Written comments in response to the RFC must be provided to NTIA by June 10, 2023.

https://www.ntia.doc.gov/issues/artificial-intelligence/request-for-comments

Comcast Business and Extreme upgrade Oracle Park with WiFi 6E

Comcast Business has partnered with Extreme Networks to provide Oracle Park, home to the San Francisco Giants, with a fully WiFi 6E-ready network. 

The WiFi 6E installation at Oracle Park includes approximately 900 of Extreme’s WiFi 6E access points in a combination of overhead and under-seat placements that will provide strong network connectivity for both fans and back-of-house applications throughout the ballpark. The wireless network will be managed via the ExtremeCloudIQ toolset.

John Brams, Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Extreme Networks said, “The Giants are setting the bar of excellence when it comes to fan experience and overall operational efficiency. In this day and age, when fans come to the park, they expect the experience off the field to match what they see on the field. With the backbone of a high-bandwidth, high-performing, superhighway network, the Giants have laid the foundation for next-generation services like streaming and biometrics.”

https://www.extremenetworks.com

Zayo commits to Net Zero emissions by 2030

Zayo has developed a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2030.

In 2022, Zayo formally committed to Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) by setting ambitious science-based emissions reduction targets to support environmentally sustainable growth. 

The company has just published its "2022 Sustainability at Zayo Report,"highlighting its commitment to aligning its values with its business practices and progress made toward its environmental, social, and government (ESG) milestones.

https://www.zayo.com

Monday, April 10, 2023

Crehan: Doubling of data center Ethernet switch bandwidth every 2 years continued in '22

The closing of calendar-year 2022 marked yet another period in which customer deployments of data center Ethernet switch networking bandwidth continued its consistent – and remarkable – trend of doubling every two years, according to a recent report from Crehan Research Inc. 

As a result of this consistent biennial growth, the Ethernet networking bandwidth deployed by data center switch customers is now over 350 times bigger than it was in 2008. Furthermore, in conjunction with this exponential data center networking bandwidth growth, the price of that bandwidth has declined 100-fold.


“On one side, we have this constant need for higher networking bandwidth – with the latest new driver being AI – which is incremental to video, storage, mobile, big data, cloud etc., while on the other side, that demand is fulfilled by all the advancements in the switch silicon, processors and software,” said Seamus Crehan, president of Crehan Research. 

“And on top of that, the vendors in the data center Ethernet switch ecosystem have consistently brought increased value to customers by dependably delivering more bandwidth at much lower prices.”

Crehan’s report also shows that annual 2022 data center Ethernet switch market shipments and revenue growth was in the teens, resulting in new record-highs for both.

Banias Labs advances its optical DSL with Synopsys 112G PHY IP

Banias Labs achieved first-pass silicon success for its optical DSP SoC using Synopsys 112G Ethernet PHY IP and EDA Design Suite. 

Synopsys provided Banias Labs with a comprehensive IP solution that included a routing feasibility study, packaging substrate guidelines, signal and power integrity models, and thorough crosstalk analysis. In addition, Banias leveraged Synopsys' EDA Design Suite to deliver high quality of results with optimized power, performance, area and yield.

"Today's high-performance computing infrastructure requires trusted and complete solutions for high-end design," said Amnon Rom, CEO at Banias Labs. "Using Synopsys EDA Design Suite to integrate Synopsys Ethernet PHY IP with custom features and capabilities into our chip offered the solutions we needed to boost system performance and accelerate our time-to-market."

"Implementing ultra-high-speed Ethernet designs comes with significant power, area, packaging, and signal integrity challenges," said John Koeter, senior vice president of marketing and strategy for IP at Synopsys. "Synopsys provides companies like Banias Labs with high-performance, low-latency solutions that enable hyperscale data center, networking, AI, optical module and Ethernet switch SoCs for emerging high-performance computing designs."

The Synopsys 112G Ethernet PHY IP is available in multiple advanced process technologies to 3nm.


Alphawave IP acquires Banias Labs, an optical DSP developer

Alphawave IP has acquired Banias Labs, an Israel-based optical Digital Signal Processing ("DSP") chip developer for data centers for approximately US$240 million. Alphawave IP said the acquisition strengthens Alphawave's roadmap of optical DSP silicon products for data centers.Alongside the acquisition of Banias Labs, Alphawave has negotiated a non-binding, multi-year purchasing framework with a leading North American hyperscaler that proposes...

China Mobile tries Ericsson's RAN power optimization

China Mobile has achieved a power savings of 32% on 5G base stations at 23 sites in a central and southern city in Jiangxi province after Ericsson's base station deep power saving function was turned on.

Ericsson reports that there no impact on KPI performance for the base stations,and that the BBU board temperature dropped by about 5 degrees centigrade. The gains were achieved via Ericsson's baseband ASIC.

China Mobile's 5G network supporting 5G NR mid-band and low-band have reached 2.34 million base stations. 

https://www.ericsson.com/zh-cn/press-releases/2/2023/4/bbu-china-mobile-5g

ADTRAN trims Q1 outlook citing CPE customer inventory corrections

Citing customer inventory corrections which impacted its Subscriber Solutions product line, ADTRAN announced that its preliminary revenue for Q1 is now expected to be between $322 million and $326 million as compared to prior guidance of $355 million to $375 million. 

ADTRAN also said supply constraints prevented the company from meeting customer demand across all categories. The resulting preliminary GAAP operating margin is expected to be between -14% and -17%. Preliminary non-GAAP operating margin is expected to be between -1% and -2.5%.

ADTRAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Tom Stanton, stated, “Growing customer concerns over inventory stocking levels affected our first quarter Subscriber Solutions category. We believe that this over-supply condition in CPE products will continue into the second quarter. Revenue for our Access and Optical Networking products grew sequentially. Supply constraints, however, limited our flexibility to clear past-due backlog across all product categories. We believe that the inventory impact is transitory, and we expect to see some improvement during the second quarter. We plan to adjust expenses in the near term to reflect current conditions, however we do not see any material changes to our near-term opportunities and our long-term growth catalysts as carriers around the world race to upgrade their networks to fiber.”

https://www.adtran.com


Gigstreem raises $59M for residential and commercial broadband

Gigstreem, a start-up based in Tyson Corners, Virginia, announed $59 million in funding for its residential and commercial broadband networks.

Since its launch in 2017, Gigstreem has served as a premier internet service provider (ISP) for apartment buildings, residential communities, businesses and events.

The $59 million was raised in two separate transactions in Q1’23, with all proceeds coming from Gigstreem’s existing investor base. The first transaction, which raised $19 million for Gigstreem, was led by Crestline Investors, and included participation from real estate technology venture capital firm RET Ventures and multifamily industry leaders Essex Property Trust and UDR, Inc. (“UDR”); capital from this raise will help Gigstreem more rapidly scale its growth and deploy internet services to markets across the country. Crestline led an additional $40 million raise in March 2023 to provide Gigstreem with the strategic capital to pursue acquisition opportunities.

A significant portion of the capital raised in the second round was used to complete the acquisition of a majority of assets from GigaMonster Networks, an Atlanta-based residential and commercial internet provider. 

With over 100 new properties onboarded through the strategic acquisition, Gigstreem now services a total of 52,000 apartment units spanning 28 markets nationwide, and the platform plans to launch operations in some 40,000 additional apartments in 2023

"Over the past few years, the limitations of traditional ISPs have become apparent, and this funding and strategic acquisition position us to continue scaling our superior service,” said Andrew Kusminsky, CEO of Gigstreem. “For years GigaMonster has been a formidable force in the industry boasting a phenomenal base of owner relationships, and we are thrilled to capitalize on this opportunity to acquire many of their marquee assets across the country. Our goal is to become the leading provider of ubiquitous, community-wide Wi-Fi in the United States, and this transaction brings us another step closer to achieving that goal."

https://gigstreem.com

DOCOMO grants essential patent license to Samsung

NTT DOCOMO has granted a patent license covering DOCOMO's standard essential patents, including 5G, to Samsung Electronics Co.

As part of the agreement, Samsung is to pay licensing fees to DOCOMO.

DOCOMO has been actively involved in the research and development of mobile network related technologies such as W-CDMA, LTE, LTE-Advanced, 5G and 6G, and new service-related technologies, to realize its ultimate goal of enhancing mobile experiences for customers. DOCOMO has also been applying for patents on these technologies, resulting in its ownership of some 10,000 standard essential patents for mobile communications*2. In turn, DOCOMO has licensed its cellular wireless standard essential patents to more than 80 companies, including those in patent pools as well as through bilateral agreements.

https://www.docomo.ne.jp/english/corporate/technology/ipr/

Taiwan's Far EasTone implements 5G slicing for live broadcast of marathon

Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) and TVBS, a Taiwanese television and multimedia company, implemented 5G network slicing to ensure a great viewing experience during the 21st New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon (WJS Marathon), which was held on 19 March 2023 in Taiwan. 

Ericsson played an important role in the live broadcast of the race.

With the ability to isolate traffic through a slice that is configured to meet broadcasters’ specific needs in throughput, latency and security, Ericsson’s network slicing technology allowed FET to provide quick and flexible allocation of its bandwidth to the event location.

In addition, FET improved network capacity by optimizing the existing base stations and adding Cell On Wheels (COW) on site to ensure every part of the competition was fully captured. Cell On Wheels are mobile cells that can be added in strategic locations (i.e. remote places where cellular connectivity is not usually as needed) to ensure a good end-user mobile experience.

Sibel Bahadir, Vice President and Head of the FET account of Ericsson Taiwan, says: “We are proud to be a pioneer in creating another use case in network slicing in collaboration with FET. The live broadcast enabled by network slicing offered superior viewing experience no matter where you are. I believe this would open an array of opportunities for many more applications requiring superb mobile experiences and a customized network setup.”  

https://www.ericsson.com/en/news/2/20232/fet-first-5g-network-slicing-for-live-broadcast-of-marathon

Zain picks Nokia for 5G across Jordan

Zain Jordan awarded a multi-year deal to Nokia to supply 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) equipment throughout Jordan.  A major part of the deployment is expected to be completed during 2023.

Under the deal, which totals over 3,000 sites nationwide, Nokia will provide the latest generation of its AirScale Baseband, Massive MIMO radios, and Remote Radio Head products. These are all powered by its energy-efficient ReefShark System on Chip (SoC) technology and combine to provide superior coverage and capacity. In parallel to deploying 5G, Nokia will also modernize Zain’s existing 4G infrastructure.

Nokia has a long-standing partnership with Zain across several territories, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Zain Jordan on this project to modernize their complete Radio Access Network and introduce 5G technology, and by doing so support the Jordanian Government’s digital transformation objectives. The deployment of 5G is expected to stimulate the incubation and growth of new technologies and industries.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/04/08/nokia-selected-by-zain-jordan-for-nationwide-5g/

IOWN Global Forum set for 25-27 April 2023

The Innovative Optical and Wireless Network Global Forum will host its third annual member meeting in Osaka, Japan, from 25-27 April, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Osaka.

Keynotes will include:

  • “IOWN and LINUX for the Environment Sustainability” by Chris Wright, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Red Hat, Inc.
  • “Digital Life Enhanced by Rich Compute and Connectivity” by Caroline Chan, Vice President and General Manager of Network Business Incubator Division of Network and Edge Group, Intel Corporation

The event is open to any members of the media, in Osaka or online, looking to learn more about the Forum’s advancements in the photonics industry to deliver the next-generation communications infrastructure. Examples of its recent advancements include its recent Vision 2030 White Paper 2.0., as well as publishing multiple reports, use cases and reference documents on topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital twin and the Metaverse.

https://iowngf.org

Sunday, April 9, 2023

SKtelecom advances quantum cryptography networks

SK Telecom  is developing quantum cryptography networking by integrating equipment from different manufacturers via software-defined networking (SDN) and distributing quantum keys in an automated manner. 

SKT said that it completed verification of the technology on the Korea Advanced Research Network (KOREN), a non-profit testbed network infrastructure operated by the National Information Society Agency (NIA) to facilitate research, test and verification of future network leading technologies and related equipment.

Based on the results of development and verification of the technology, SKT has been actively promoting standardization by sharing the case with global telcos.

SKT is proposing two standardization tasks - i.e. ‘Control Interface of Software Defined Networks’ and ‘Orchestration Interface of Software Defined Networks for Interoperable Key Management System’ - to the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), and they were chosen as work items by the ETSI industry specification group for QKD (ISG-QKD) in March 2023. 

Meanwhile, at this year's IOWN Global Forum Workshop, SKT delivered a presentation on 'Quantum Secure Interconnection for Critical Infrastructure,’ covering use cases for next-generation transmission encryption technology and proposal for a proof-of-concept (PoC) of quantum cryptography in All-Photonics Network (APN). The company also showcased its quantum cryptography communication technologies at 2023 MWC Barcelona.

“The two standardization tasks approved as work items by ETSI will boost the expansion of quantum cryptography communication in the global market,” said Ha Min-yong, Chief Development Officer of SKT. “We will work with diverse global players in many different areas to create new business opportunities in the global market.”

https://www.sktelecom.com/en/press/press_detail.do?idx=1563


Deutsche Telekom now holds 50.2% stake in T-Mobile US

Deutsche Telekom has increased its ownership stake in T-Mobile US to 50.2%, up from 43% at the time the Sprint merger was completed three years ago.

Deutsche Telekom’s CEO,  Tim Höttges, stated that the Group has now passed its peak level of debt thanks to the strong free cash flow. “Taking the dividend and share price together, the return for 2022 is 18.6 percent. For comparison: The DAX was down 12.4 percent in the same period.” 

Additional notes from Deutsche Telekom's 2021 Capital Markets Day

  • The Group’s revenue increased by 6.1 percent in the last financial year to 114.4 billion euros. 
  • Adjusted EBITDA AL rose by 7.7 percent to 40.2 billion euros. 
  • Deutsche Telekom's 5G now covers 95 percent of the German population. 
  • Deutsche Telekom builds around 80 percent of all new cell sites in Germany, 4,800 since 2019.
  • In 2022, the company reduced its energy consumption in Germany by 278 gigawatt hours – that is 11 percent.
  • The fiber rollout continues to gain pace - “We are building as fast as the diggers can dig for up to three million households this year – 25 to 30 million households by 2030. In urban and rural areas.” 
  • By 2040, Deutsche Telekom commits to make its entire value chain climate neutral. This extends from device manufacturing all the way through the power consumption used by consumers.

https://www.telekom.com/en/media/media-information/archive/deutsche-telekom-puts-sustainability-at-the-heart-of-its-actions-1031920


Ciena reaffirms financial guidance and market conditions

Ciena reaffirmed its previously-issued guidance for its fiscal second quarter and full year 2023, along with its previous statements with respect to both the demand environment and the normalization of backlog and inventory dynamics.

On March 6, 2023, Ciena provided its business outlook for fiscal second quarter 2023, including revenue of $1,035M to $1,115M, adjusted gross margin of low 40s%, and adjusted operating expense of approximately $335M. In addition, Ciena provided its fiscal full year 2023 outlook, including revenue growth of 20% to 22%, adjusted gross margin of 42% to 44%, and adjusted operating expense of approximately $330M per quarter for the remainder of the fiscal year.

https://investor.ciena.com/news-releases/news-release-details/ciena-reaffirms-fiscal-second-quarter-and-full-year-2023


FCC opens Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs

The FCC is opening a new Space Bureau and Office of International Affairs on April 11.

Once the reorganization is complete, the agency’s International Bureau will become two separate, cooperative units within the agency:

  •  The Space Bureau (SB) will promote a competitive and innovative global communications marketplace by leading policy and licensing matters related to satellite and space-based communications and activities. Among its responsibilities, the Bureau will lead complex policy analysis and rulemakings; authorize satellite and earth station systems used for space-based services; streamline regulatory processes to provide maximum flexibility for operators to meet customer needs; and foster the efficient use of scarce spectrum and orbital resources.  The Bureau will also serve as a focal point for coordination with other U.S. government agencies on matters of space policy and governance, and collaborate with the Office of International Affairs for consultations with other countries, international and multi-lateral organizations, and foreign government officials that involve satellite and space policy matters.
  •  The Office of International Affairs (OIA) will be responsible for the Commission's engagement of foreign and international regulatory authorities, including multilateral and regional organizations.  OIA will also facilitate through rulemaking and licensing the Commission’s development of policies regarding international telecommunications facilities and services as well as submarine cables, and advise the Commission on foreign ownership issues.   In undertaking these functions, OIA will implement Commission policies to facilitate competition and foreign investment in U.S. international telecommunications markets while ensuring, in consultation with relevant federal partners, that national security, law enforcement, foreign policy, and trade policy concerns are addressed.  OIA also will be responsible for intergovernmental leadership, negotiation, and international and inter-agency representational functions.  OIA will oversee and coordinate the FCC’s global participation in international and multilateral conferences, regional organizations, cross-border negotiations and international standard setting efforts.  OIA will also oversee bilateral meetings with other countries and foreign government officials.   

“Our country’s economic success today and in the future relies on space-based connections,” said Chairwoman Rosenworcel.  “Whether it’s bringing broadband to hard-to-connect rural communities, closing mobile dead zones, or linking freedom-seeking people across the globe, satellite connectivity is fundamental to improving our quality of life and maintaining our economic success.  That is why the FCC has made important structural changes to meet the needs of space innovation.”

https://www.fcc.gov

Viasat debuts military Free Space Optical

Viasat debuted its new Mercury Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) terminal  designed to support terrestrial, expeditionary applications, including SOCOM use cases.

The Viasat Mercury solution is an expeditionary, high-capacity FSOC link with an automated pointing, acquisition, and tracking (PAT) system, offering military operators lower signature communications at the quick-halt. Mercury is based upon advanced commercial-off-the-shelf technology, leveraging substantial industry investment towards bringing a high-performance, resilient, and cost-effective capability to better support warfighting operations at the edge.

The Viasat FSOC solution will deliver data rates up to 40 Gbps with a range of up to 70 Kilometers (km) for terrestrial applications, and be highly resistant to jamming, spoofing and electro-magnetic interference when compared to RF systems. By leveraging a dual-stage continuous active line-of-sight tracking system, Mercury will be deployable to support multiple expeditionary communications environments including Ground-to-Ground, Ground-to-Air, Ship-to-Ship, and Ship-to-Shore.

"Free Space Optics offers the benefits of fiber optic cable communications without the need to run the cable," said Craig Miller, president of Viasat Government Systems. "As the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) seeks to gain an advantage through increasingly reliable and low detection communications, we are investing in FSO as part of a resilient multi-transport network. The Mercury terminal is designed as a high-capacity and low-cost solution for the DoD, and this is the first platform for terrestrial use as we continue to invest in comms-on-the-move capabilities across sea, air and space."

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Intelsat 40e enters geosynchronous orbit

 Intelsat 40e (IS-40e), a geosynchronous satellite that relies on spot-beam technology to provide a large amount of capacity over North America for Intelsat’s commercial aviation, mobility and network service customers, was successfully launched aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 12:30 a.m..

“The IS-40e high-throughput technology serves as a significant commitment to our North American commercial aviation, mobility and network customers,” said Dave Wajsgras, CEO at Intelsat. “As we continue to refresh our fleet of satellites and add capacity, Intelsat is focused on providing the best value and service for our customers and their end users. The satellite also includes a NASA payload that will be the first instrument to monitor air pollution across North America from geostationary orbit.”

The Maxar-manufactured IS-40e satellite will be positioned at 91 degrees West and deliver a wide range of services and coverage, including:

  • Incremental high-throughput capacity will be added into Intelsat’s commercial aviation network, providing passengers with an enhanced user experience from coast-to-coast.

  • High-speed connectivity will be added into Intelsat’s Flex network to support growth for on-the-go industrial operations, rapid response missions, maritime, offshore communications, inflight connectivity for business jets and government aviation.

  • Enterprise customers will see higher speeds and better coverage for strengthening SD-WAN and other network services.

  • Cellular customers will be able to leverage more capacity to deliver 4G/LTE and 5G services for rural and remote areas and where seasonal demand and disaster recovery service is needed.

In addition, IS-40e hosts NASA’s, “Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring Pollution” or TEMPO payload. Operated by Intelsat, the TEMPO instrument will monitor and track air pollution across North America on an hourly basis with the ability to stay over a region of interest during a natural disaster like a major fire or volcano eruption.