Nokia Bell Labs to relocate Murray Hill campus to New Brunswick

Nokia Bell Labs will relocate its campus to a new state-of-the-art research and development facility in New Brunswick.

The move will establish New Brunswick as Nokia's new R&D hub on the East Coast. The new facility, which will break ground in 2025 and is expected to be completed by 2028.

Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer at Nokia, said: “Our Murray Hill campus has been home to iconic Nokia Bell Labs innovation for over 80 years. As we look toward the future of Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs in the region, we will take with us all that makes us exceptional – our vision, brainpower, culture of disruptive innovation, and technical prowess – and marry that legacy with a modern research and development facility that is built to our needs. Ultimately, we want a facility that feels right for the next 100 years of Nokia Bell Labs.”

• The Nokia Bell Labs’ campus in Murray Hill, New Jersey, originally established in the 1940s as part of Bell Telephone Laboratories, has been a center of technological innovation for decades. Renowned for developing the transistor in 1947, the facility has been associated with numerous Nobel Prizes, including advancements in lasers, the charge-coupled device, and the creation of the Unix operating system. Following the AT&T breakup in the 1980s, Bell Labs became part of Lucent Technologies, which later merged with Alcatel to form Alcatel-Lucent. In 2016, Nokia acquired Alcatel-Lucent, integrating Bell Labs into its structure. 

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Nokia and BT to develop Telco APIs for 5G monetization

Nokia announced an agreement with BT to develop new 5G network monetization opportunities through Nokia’s Network as Code platform with developer portal (platform) and BT Group’s cloud-native network.

BT Group, which operates the EE mobile network, said it is looking to Nokia’s growing ecosystem of developer partners to gain access to simplified network capabilities in the form of software code that can be built into applications for enterprise, industrial, and consumer use cases.

Nokia has announced a similar agreement with DISH Wireless.

The Nokia platform helps operators monetize their 5G network assets beyond pure connectivity.   It provides application developers with tools such as Software Development Kits (SDK) and open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), which give developers access to deep network functionality and data that enables them to build new use cases for their customers.

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/12/11/nokia-and-bt-group-sign-agreement-to-drive-new-5g-monetization-opportunities-through-telco-apis/

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U.S. awards first Chips Act Funding to BAE Systems

The U.S. Department of Commerce awarded $35 million in federal incentives under the CHIPS and Science Act to BAE Systems Electronic Systems to support the modernization of the company’s Microelectronics Center, a mature-node production facility in Nashua, New Hampshire. 

This is the first grant issued under the CHIPS and Science Act.

The project will replace aging tools and quadruple the production of chips necessary for critical defense programs including the F-35 fighter jet program.

“We have been clear since day one that the CHIPS for America Program is about advancing our national security and strengthening domestic supply chains, all while creating good jobs supporting long-term U.S. economic growth. As national security becomes as much about the chips inside of our weapons systems as the weapons systems themselves, this first CHIPS announcement shows how central semiconductors are to our national defense,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, we have reached preliminary terms to make a substantial investment in New Hampshire’s expanding defense industrial base, which will help make our country and supply chains more secure and bolster the economy of the Granite State.”

https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2023/12/biden-harris-administration-and-bae-systems-inc-announce-chips

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Ayar Labs names Mark Wade as CEO

Ayar Labs, a lstart-up focused on optical I/O for chip-to-chip connectivity, has appointed its co-founder and CTO Mark Wade as its new CEO. Wade succeeds Charles Wuischpard, who will transition out of the company in mid-January and serve in an advisory capacity during the transition period.

“I’m humbled and honored to take on the role of CEO for Ayar Labs,” Wade said. “There is a growing sense of momentum across the industry as it becomes increasingly clear that optical I/O enables large-scale AI compute and other data intensive workloads to operate at bandwidths, energy efficiencies, and latencies that are unachievable through electrical based interconnect technology. I look forward to guiding our incredible team to capitalize on this opportunity, enabling our customers to realize the full potential of in-package optical I/O, and helping the company accelerate into our next growth phase.”

“Mark has been instrumental in building a strong foundation for Ayar Labs and this is a natural progression in an extraordinary journey for both him and the company,” Wuischpard said. “My focus since I joined Ayar Labs was to put the company on the path to long-term growth. With the incredible progress we have made over the past two years in particular, this feels like the right inflection point to make this transition and I couldn’t be more excited to see Mark lead the next phase of the company’s growth as CEO.”

https://www.ayarlabs.com

• Bringing optical I/O as close as possible to the processor is key design aim for high-performance computing. Intel and Ayar Labs demonstrate  a 4 Tbps bidirectional communication between two optically enabled Intel FPGAs using Ayar Labs TeraPHY optical I/O chiplets. Data generated from each FPGA is optically transmitted from one board and received and verified on the other board. 

https://youtu.be/pRQhrjdWtps

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AI/ML Leads to Massive Traffic Across the Network

 Lots of attention is focused on interconnecting GPUs for AI clusters. But what effect does AI have on other segments of the network, such as storage clusters, East-West application flows or core-to-edge? Mansour Karam, VP of Data Center Products from Juniper, explains:

• The data center market is growing at a rapid pace, with AI/ML workloads contributing significantly to this growth. In four years, the market is projected to reach $32 billion, with AI/ML workloads growing at a rate of 46% year on year.
• The key to optimizing AI/ML workloads lies in the technology and infrastructure. Speeds and feeds are crucial, with 800 gig and 1.6 Tbps interfaces on the horizon. Innovations in optics and topologies are needed to minimize the cost and latency of these clusters.
• Beyond hardware, software plays a critical role in maximizing the efficiency of AI/ML workloads. Juniper's expertise in data feeds and speeds, combined with software from Apstra, can provide visibility into latency and performance, enabling automatic tuning of parameters for optimal job completion times.

https://youtu.be/28oXvpXJ_3A

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AI Super Clusters Need Optics to Scale

AI super clusters, powered by vast numbers of GPUs or specialized silicon, are redefining data center architecture. 

Radha Nagarajan, SVP and CTO, Optical and Cloud from Marvell explains:

• The increasing size of AI clusters: AI clusters are growing from a handful of GPUs to super clusters, necessitating efficient data movement over large distances. This growth is driving the need for larger interconnected pods, achievable only through optical connectivity.
• The role of optical connectivity in AI clusters: As AI clusters expand, copper cables and active electrical cables are no longer sufficient due to their limited reach. Optical connectivity becomes critical, especially for AI-centric data centers that are starting to be built today.
• The future of data transport in AI clusters: As the data generated by AI clusters continues to increase, the need for higher data transport speeds is evident. Marvell is pushing ahead with its current 800G and soon 1.6 Tbps solutions. 

https://youtu.be/B2IEZHlhJfE

Want to be involved our video series? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

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BT unveils Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery

BT introduced a Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery technology that improves quality and reliability of live content for viewers while driving down costs for broadcasters and networks operators.

MAUD, which was developed by the Content Delivery Research team at BT’s Research Labs at Adastral Park, uses multicast to group single streams into one shared one. MAUD has a further significant advantage over 'ordinary' multicast streams, as its integration is made completely transparent to the player application. BT says MAUD technology uses up to 50% less bandwidth during peak events, reducing energy usage through the use of fewer caches. By freeing up internet capacity, it will help to deliver a higher quality of experience for both live and non-live content.

Howard Watson, Chief Security and Networks Officer at BT Group said: “MAUD is a major breakthrough in how we deliver content over the internet. Developed in our world leading labs at Adastral Park in Suffolk, MAUD could be a key solution to how we manage ever increasing traffic loads. By combining individual streams, MAUD delivers a more reliable, consistent picture, no matter whether customers are watching over Wi-Fi, fibre or mobile networks.”

BT said it is working with major broadcasters and platforms to employ MAUD technology to support live events coverage in 2024.

https://newsroom.bt.com/bt-group-announces-live-tv-technology-breakthrough-to-meet-growing-customer-demand/

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Dell'Oro: Increased Spending on Data Center Physical Infrastructure

The third quarter of 2023 marked the fifth sequential quarter of double-digit year-over-year (Y/Y) growth for the Data Center Physical Infrastructure (DCPI) market, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group.  This segment has historically grown at mid-single digit rates for the past decade. Growth from pandemic induced orders is waning, but early AI deployments are materializing as a new driver of revenue growth. Some vendors have secured orders for equipment optimized for large scale AI workloads, which are more than offsetting the decline in pandemic-related orders, and backlogs are rising.

“The generative AI infrastructure story began with the NVDIA H100 in 1Q 2023, which has remained the industry barometer for AI adoption. End-users have utilized significant resources to obtain initial shipments of the costly and supply constrained GPU,” said Lucas Beran, Research Director at Dell’Oro Group. Due to the effort required here, many end-users are only able to address the power and thermal management infrastructure requirements after or close to receiving those initial GPU shipments.

“Without a doubt, these AI related power and cooling investments started contributing to market growth in 3Q 2023. This was particularly prominent for rack power distribution units, where customized products with higher power ratings were notable. The next few quarters will increasingly emphasize the transition in DCPI market drivers, from broad based pandemic induced digitalization and supply chain constraints, to large scale, purpose-built AI facilities,” Beran added.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 Data Center Physical Infrastructure Quarterly Report:

• Vertiv continued to outpace market growth and gained over 2 percentage points of market share in 3Q 2023.
• North America, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Europe, and the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) were the fastest-growing regions in 3Q 2023, maintaining double-digit growth rates. Caribbean and Latin American (CALA) revenues grew at a high single-digit rate, while the China market was the only region to decline.
• Product growth was broad-based, but Thermal Management and Power Distribution grew at the fastest rates.
• Looking ahead, we forecast worldwide DCPI market growth to moderate in 2024 as pandemic induced orders are filled. However, we predict the market growth rates will remain at higher than historic levels, as AI deployments increasingly materialize throughout the year.

https://www.delloro.com/news/early-ai-deployments-contribute-to-data-center-physical-infrastructure-market-in-3q-2023/

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Dell'Oro: Global Broadband Access Equipment Spend Plummets

Total global revenue for the Broadband Access equipment market decreased to $4.1 B in 3Q 2023, down 14 percent year-over-year (Y/Y), according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group. The lone bright spot this quarter was spending on Fixed Wireless CPE, as North American operators continued to expand their 5G Sub-6GHz subscriber bases.

"The inventory alignment that began in North America has now migrated to Europe and Latin America, as both regions saw significant Y/Y declines in equipment spend," said Jeff Heynen, Vice President with Dell'Oro Group. "Meanwhile, Chinese operators are once again accelerating their purchases of PON ONTs to support growing FTTR (Fiber-to-the-room) deployments," explained Heynen.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 Broadband Access and Home Networking quarterly report:

• Total Fixed Wireless CPE unit shipments were up 1 percent from last quarter, buoyed by indoor 5G Sub-6GHz units, which reached just below 1.3 M units for only the second time on record.
• Total cable access concentrator revenue was down 18 percent Y/Y at $197 M. Remote PHY devices and Virtual CMTS platforms both saw slowdowns this quarter, as cable operators pulled from their existing inventories. Meanwhile, Remote OLT (R-OLT) revenue was up Y/Y, but down from last quarter.

https://www.delloro.com/news/global-broadband-access-equipment-spend-plummets-to-a-two-year-low/

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Arelion adds PoP in Lisbon

Arelion activated its first Point-of-Presence (PoP) in Portugal at the Equinix LS1 data center in Lisbon. 

The Lisbon PoP follows 17 new on-net PoPs added to the Arelion network since early 2023. Additionally, 12 more PoPs are currently being implemented in locations spanning North America, Europe and Asia.

Arelion's fiber network offers a full ecosystem of data center, cloud and content services that includes direct, fully resilient access to Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud and Oracle Cloud on a global basis.

"Portugal has evolved into a fast-growing digital economy where consumers and enterprises need to reach global cloud and content service providers, as well as provide their own services to a global market," said Christoph Lannert, Head of EMEA Sales at Arelion. "Large-scale data center and fiber investments in the region, along with future subsea systems like 2Africa, Nuvem and Medusa, makes Lisbon into a hot spot for connectivity between Africa, Latin America and other parts of the EU. Arelion is committed to supporting this growth with resilient, high-capacity connectivity."

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STACK expands its No Virginia data center campus

STACK Infrastructure announced the expansion of its flagship Prince William County data center campus in Northern Virginia with the purchase of an adjacent plot of land. 

The expansion increases STACK’s Northern Virginia data center portfolio to 1GW across six campuses.

https://www.stackinfra.com/about/news-events/press-releases/stack-infrastructure-expands-northern-virginia-data-center-campus/

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Digital Realty and Blackstone enter $7B partnership for Data Centers

Digital Realty is forming a joint venture with Blackstone to develop four hyperscale data center campuses across three metro areas in Europe and the United States.  

The four hyperscale data center campuses are located in Frankfurt, Paris and Northern Virginia.  The companies estimate development costs of approximately $7 billion over the course of the next several years.  

The campuses are planned to support the construction of 10 data centers with approximately 500 MW of potential IT load capacity.  Of this capacity, 46 MW is under construction and is 33% pre-leased.  The remaining land capacity is in varying phases of pre-construction and is expected to be developed to meet customer demand.  Approximately 20% of the total potential IT load capacity is expected to be delivered through 2025, with the balance expected to be delivered in 2026 and beyond. 

Blackstone will acquire an 80% ownership interest in the joint venture for approximately $700 million of initial capital contributions, while Digital Realty will maintain a 20% interest.  Subsequent to closing, the joint venture parties will fund their pro rata share of the remaining development costs.  Digital Realty will manage the development and day-to-day operations of the joint venture, for which it will receive customary fees.

"By partnering with Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, Digital Realty is better able to deliver capacity to meet the burgeoning demand of our hyperscale customers, by accessing a deep pool of likeminded private capital," said Andy Power, President and Chief Executive Officer of Digital Realty.  "Digital Realty is focused on executing on the sizable opportunity that lies ahead and this partnership helps to accelerate the monetization of nearly 20% of our industry-leading land bank."

Greg Wright, Chief Investment Officer of Digital Realty, added, "Partnering with Blackstone marks the culmination of a record year of capital recycling and aptly reflects the shift in our funding strategy, to diversify our sources of capital and bolster our balance sheet in order to capitalize on the significant opportunity that lies ahead."

https://investor.digitalrealty.com/news/news-details/2023/Digital-Realty-and-Blackstone-Announce-7-Billion-Hyperscale-Data-Center-Development-Joint-Venture/default.aspx

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Coherent intros 800G ZR/ZR+ QSFP-DD transceivers

Coherent Corp. unveiled its 800G ZR/ZR+ transceiver in ultracompact QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors.

The 800G ZR/ZR+ transceivers leverage digital coherent optics (DCO) and can plug directly into QSFP-DD and OSFP transceiver slots on IP routers. Leveraging their high output power of 0 dBm, these transceivers can connect routers directly to access, metro, and regional DWDM transport networks without additional intermediary interfaces.

“This 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable transceiver is built on the 140 GBaud IC-TROSA that we introduced at ECOC in September 2023, which was also an industry first,” said Matthias Berger, Vice President, Coherent Technology. “We continue to advance the state of the art of optical transmission in core networks by leveraging the inherent capabilities of our indium phosphide technology platform. Indium phosphide photonic integrated circuits are differentiated by their high output power in combination with high performance, which enables disruptive use cases such as IP-over-DWDM in metro networks.”

“We demonstrated the new transceiver with 800G 16QAM for metro/regional transmission and with 400G 8QAM for long-haul transmission,” said Dr. Beck Mason, Executive Vice President, Telecommunications. “The module is designed to support multiple modulation formats including QPSK, 8QAM and 16QAM, and multiple data rates between 200 Gbps and 800 Gbps. This 800G transceiver features a high-efficiency indium phosphide modulator and receiver combined with a built-in tunable laser that delivers best-in-class transmission performance and high optical output power.”

Alpha samples of the 800G QSFP-DD DCO ZR/ZR+ transceivers will be available in the first quarter of calendar 2024. 

https://www.coherent.com/news/press-releases/coherent-unveils-industry-first-800g-zrzr-transceiver?utm_campaign=communications&utm_source=facebook,twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_content=800G_transceiver

ECOC23: Coherent unveils 140 GBaud optical subassembly for 800G

Wednesday, October 04, 2023    

Coherent unveiled  its 140 GBaud integrated coherent transmitter-receiver optical subassembly (IC-TROSA), the industry’s first to enable 800G QSFP-DD and OSFP digital coherent optics (DCO) pluggable transceivers for high-speed datacenter interconnects and metro networks. The IC‑TROSA is a highly integrated coherent optics subassembly with embedded optical amplification that can deliver high transmitter output power with low power dissipation,...

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Sivers Photonics develops narrow-linewidth tunable lasers

Sivers Photonics has commenced a new partnership with LioniX International and Chilas B.V. to develop and supply a narrow-linewidth integrated O-Band CW Tunable 1310nm laser targeting high growth applications across optical communications and optical sensing sectors.

LioniX , based in Netherlands, is a provider of customised microsystem solutions specialising in silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and MEMS, with expertise covering chip fabrication, electro-optical system architecture, and module assembly and packaging.  Lionix have introduced the highly sought after laser to meet the growing demand for O-Band solutions for use by OEMs, advanced laboratories, and industrial sensor manufacturers innovating in the communications (passive optical networks, fiber optic communications), LiDAR, and molecular analysis markets.

Sivers Photonics has developed an advanced customised optical amplifier component on its InP100 product platform to efficiently power this integrated laser solution and will supply this part as standard to the LioniX platform. The end-user, Chilas B.V. also based in Netherlands, will provide testing services for the assembled photonic integrated circuit, and offer this latest product worldwide as part of its diverse laser portfolio.

“This partnership with LioniX and Chilas further demonstrates Sivers Photonics RSOA gain blocks being deployed into high precision laser sources. The narrow linewidth and wide tuneability afforded by these external cavity lasers make them ideal sources for a broad range of applications including datacoms and optical sensing markets.” says Andy McKee, MD of Sivers Photonics.

“The two technology platforms of LioniX International and Sivers complement each other creating ultra narrow linewidth lasers with unprecedented performance. This collaboration between Sivers, LioniX and the end user Chilas is a great example of how the ecosystem can work together to create new applications in this wavelength domain” says Arne Leinse, CEO of LioniX International.

https://www.sivers-semiconductors.com/press/sivers-photonics-lionix-international-and-chilas-b-v-partner-to-develop-narrow-linewidth-tunable-laser-technology-for-optical-communications-and-optical-sensing-markets/

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Broadcom posts quarterly revenue of $9.295 billion, up 4% yoy

Broadcom reported revenue of $9,295 million for its fourth fiscal quarter ended October 29, 2023,  up 4 percent from the prior year period.

Non-GAAP diluted EPS amounted to $11.06 for the fourth quarter; GAAP diluted EPS of $8.25 for the fourth quarter.

"Broadcom's fiscal year 2023 revenue grew 8% year-over-year to a record $35.8 billion, driven by investments in accelerators and network connectivity for AI by hyperscalers," said Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom Inc. "The acquisition of VMware is transformational. In fiscal year 2024 we expect semiconductor to sustain its mid to high single digit revenue growth rate, with the contribution of VMware driving consolidated revenue to $50 billion, and adjusted EBITDA to $30 billion."

"In fiscal year 2023 we achieved record adjusted EBITDA margin of 65%, generating $17.6 billion in free cash flow or 49% of revenue, demonstrating our stable and diversified business model," said Kirsten Spears, CFO of Broadcom Inc. "With this transformational acquisition and expected increase in cash flows, we are increasing our quarterly common stock dividend by 14% to $5.25 per share for fiscal year 2024. The target fiscal 2024 annual common stock dividend of $21.00 per share is a record, and the thirteenth consecutive increase in annual dividends since we initiated dividends in fiscal 2011."

https://www.broadcom.com/company/news/financial-releases/61576

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Wave Photonics leads SiNQ project with Oxford Ionics

Wave Photonics, a startup based in Cambridge, UK, has been selected to lead a £500k Innovate UK feasibility study project to create photonics chips for trapped ion quantum computers. Partners in the project include Oxford Ionics, the CORNERSTONE foundry at the University of Southampton and the Compound Semiconductor Applications (CSA) Catapult.

The idea is to use precisely controlled lasers to remove one of the electrons from trapped ions to form qubits, which are then controlled at extremely low error rates using electric fields.

The SiNQ project (Silicon Nitride for Quantum Computing) will apply component design and optimisation techniques in development at Wave Photonics to design better performing devices faster to work with the multiple wavelengths of light that are needed for trapped ion quantum computers.

Wave Photonics will be building upon its core photonics design capability and software to create component designs for the huge span of wavelengths needed to readout and manipulate the trapped ions.

https://www.wavephotonics.com/news/sinq-project

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Japan plans Space-based Direct-to-Device Service

Space Compass, NTT DOCOMO, NTT and SKY Perfect JSAT Corp. selected by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) to develop direct-to-device (D2D) mobile services, which will be deployed via a space-based non-terrestrial network (NTN) using high-altitude platform stations (HAPS).

The project is part of the NICT's Innovative ICT Fund Projects for Beyond 5G/6G, known as Beyond 5G, which envisions a society where connectivity is assured over the air, sea, and space regardless of user location.

The project comprises two phases:

Early commercialization (Phase 1)

The four participating companies aim to solve various technical issues and demonstrate a communication service using HAPS positioned in the stratosphere over Japan, with the goal of accelerating the commercialization of HAPS D2D communication services.

System evolution (Phase 2)

Research and development (R&D) will be conducted on high-speed, high-capacity technology and time-division duplex (TDD) communication (downlink and uplink use same frequency band but in different time slots), aiming to expand the business scope and applicability of HAPS services in the coming 6G era. Phase 2 will also focus on upgrading the feeder link, including increasing its capacity, and installing a satellite backhaul system for flexible operation in areas where it is not possible to install terrestrial gateway stations connecting HAPS and terrestrial networks.

Space Compass, which plans to launch HAPS services in Japanese fiscal year 2025, will lead the project, define network service requirements and evaluate demonstrations conducted under the project. DOCOMO, which plans to develop a HAPS-based mobile communications business spanning air, sea and space for 5G evolution and 6G, will mainly develop ground base stations and HAPS-equipped base stations for mobile communications, focusing on maximizing service-link efficiency and capacity. NTT will mainly develop the control technology of the HAPS feeder link, such as site diversity and control of the transmit power, for robust service quality. SKY Perfect JSAT, which plans to offer the NTN business by connecting satellites and HAPS networks to multi-terrestrial networks, will mainly focus on developing alternative feeder link methods, such as satellite-backhaul and improvement of connection rates through the multi-connection of ground gateway stations.

https://space-compass.com/en/news/000065.html

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Verizon Business offers Zebra rugged devices for Private 5G

Verizon Business is now offering Zebra mobile device and software packaged solutions to Verizon Private 5G customers .

Zebra rugged enterprise tablets and mobile computers are purpose-built to simplify processes for frontline workers in transportation and logistics, retail, manufacturing, and other industries. The devices include Zebra Mobility DNA software applications and tools to help customers better track inventory, manage projects and communication on job sites, and keep manufacturing processes and industrial workflows moving smoothly -- all certified to work with Verizon’s private wireless networks. Zebra’s devices can also leverage the capabilities of Zebra Workcloud software solutions.

“As a network provider, Verizon wants to make it easier for customers to get the devices and software they’ll need to take full advantage of their private network as soon as possible,” said Steve Szabo, Vice President of Business Products for Verizon Business. “Partnering directly with Zebra Technologies accelerates the timeline from adoption to implementation, giving critical days or weeks back to businesses that can get caught up in protracted cycles of getting operations up and running.”    

Industries, environments and use cases for Zebra rugged enterprise mobile computers, tablets and software with Verizon private wireless networks include:

• Retail: price/inventory checks, item location, mobile point of sale, assisted selling, workforce scheduling, workforce timekeeping, task management, front of store replenishment, loss prevention, actionable intelligence, price management, inventory visibility/cycle counts, workforce communications, inventory ordering, inventory ordering, forecasting and analysis
• Warehouse, Manufacturing, Ports: Order/Inventory management, returns processing, item picking/put-away, EDI transactions, warehouse management, asset management, voice communications, forklift operations, assembly line quality control, track and trace, product information management, equipment maintenance, workforce management, shipping
• Transportation & Logistics: asset management, parcel dimensioning, invoicing/mobile point of sale, fleet management, inventory management

https://www.zebra.com/us/en/products/mobile-computers/vehicle-mounted.html?page=1

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O-RAN Global PlugFest Fall 2023 draws wide participation

The O-RAN ALLIANCE Global PlugFest Fall 2023, which was conducted from September to November 2023 in 16 labs across Asia, Europe and North America, highlighted its momentum.

• The O-RAN Global PlugFest Fall 2023 carried out critical testing and validation of O-RAN technologies to support and encourage ongoing adoption by the industry.
• The tests provided participants validation of O-RAN equipment conformance, performance and interoperability; tackled issues to overcome hurdles to wider technology adoption; and facilitated exploration of new features, scenarios and applications. 
• Two labs conducted field trials of O-RAN equipment, one in a rural environment and the other in an urban one.
• O-RAN Global PlugFest Fall 2023 was co-hosted by 24 major operators, Open Testing and Integration Centres (OTIC) and independent institutions. 
• 
  There were 52 companies and institutions participating: Aarna Networks, Actiontec, Aira Technologies, AirHop Communications, Analog Devices, Anritsu, AT&T, CableLabs, Calnex Solutions, Ciena, COSMOS Lab, Dell Technologies, Deutsche Telekom, Digital Catapult, DISH, DZS, EANTC, EURECOM, ETRI - Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Fujitsu, Future Connections, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, HFR, i14y Lab, Infinera, Innowireless, Intel, Juniper Networks, KDDI, Keysight Technologies, LENOVO, LG Uplus, MAVENIR, NEC, Net AI, National Instruments, NIST, Nokia, NTT DATA, NTT DOCOMO, NVIDIA, Orange, PHYTunes, POWDER Lab Site, Qualcomm, Quanta Cloud Technology, Radisys, Rakuten Mobile, Rakuten Symphony, Red Hat, Ribbon, Rimedo Labs, Rohde&Schwarz, Samsung Electronics, Sercom, Simnovus, SK Telecom, SoftBank, Software Radio Systems, SOLiD, Spirent Communications, Super Micro Computer, Telefonica, TIM, UNH-IOL, Verizon, VIAVI Solutions, VMware, Vodafone, VVDN, Wind River, Wiwynn Corporation, Xena Networks and YRP (Yokosuka Research Park) R&D Promotion Committee.

“The continued level of industry participation in the Global PlugFest demonstrates commitment and progress in advancing O-RAN,” said Alex Jinsung Choi, Chair of the Board of O-RAN ALLIANCE and SVP Group Technology, Deutsche Telekom. “In the Fall 2023 PlugFest, we expanded scope of testing beyond lab-based conformance and interoperability of equipment. Security validation continued to be a priority throughout the PlugFest. Several venues hosted demonstrations of RIC for energy savings, enabling attainment of sustainability objectives. And participants applied AI/ML for intelligent automation of network operation.”

https://www.o-ran.org

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Poland's largest power grid operator implements IP/MPLS

PGE, Poland's largest power grid operator, will deploy a country-wide critical backhaul network using Nokia's IP/MPLS.

The network will provide foundational connectivity for its private wireless infrastructure for critical communications of all power grid companies operating in Poland.

The decision to choose Nokia for this transformative project was driven by Nokia's reputation for delivering state-of-the-art solutions and its commitment to innovation. Nokia's expertise in grid communications and its proven track record in deploying robust and scalable networks for power grid operators made it the ideal partner for PGE's ambitious plans.

Dirk Lewandowski, Vice President Central and East Europe, Nokia Enterprise, said: "We are honored to collaborate with PGE on this transformative project. Nokia's IP/MPLS technology is at the forefront of innovation, offering a reliable and scalable solution that aligns seamlessly with PGE's vision for a modernized and efficient communication network. Our experience with numerous power grid operators worldwide shows that IP/MPLS is a well-established standard for Operational Telecommunication (OT) and critical communication networks. We look forward to supporting PGE in achieving its strategic objectives and contributing to the success of Poland's power grid infrastructure."

Wojciech Dąbrowski, President of the Management Board PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, said: “The LTE450 network is one of the key elements in PGE's building of a modern energy industry. A reliable and secure communications network combined with network metering will provide a constant, real-time picture of the operation of the energy distribution network. This will allow an immediate response to incidents occurring in the network and reduce the time it takes to detect and remove failures. a digitalisation, of which the LTE network is an essential element, will speed up customer service and enable new services to be offered to customers.”

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