NVIDIA advances its Spectrum-X Ethernet switching, Bluefield-3 SuperNIC

Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Lenovo will be the first to integrate NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking technologies for AI into their server lineups

Spectrum-X combines the extreme performance of the Spectrum-4 Ethernet switch; the NVIDIA BlueField-3 SuperNIC, a new class of network accelerators for supercharging hyperscale AI workloads; as well as acceleration software. Spectrum-X complements BlueField-3 DPU.

NVIDIA describes Spectrum-X as a new class of Ethernet networking that can achieve 1.6x higher networking performance for AI communication versus traditional Ethernet offerings.

“Generative AI and accelerated computing are driving a generational transition as enterprises upgrade their data centers to serve these workloads,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. “Accelerated networking is the catalyst for a new wave of systems from NVIDIA’s leading server manufacturer partners to speed the shift to the era of generative AI.”

NVIDIA’s Spectrum-4 is a 51 Tbps Ethernet switch featuring adaptive routing and enhanced congestion control mechanisms for multi-tenant, AI cloud workloads.  The NVIDIA Spectrum-4 uses a custom ASIC with a 51.2 terabits per second switching capacity, supporting up 128 ports of 400G or 64 ports of 800G, and based on 100 Gbps PAM4 SerDes technology. It integrates a 12.8 Tb/s crypto engine wtih support for MACsec and VXLANsec. It also support secure boot as default via hardware root of trust . It is based on 4nm process technologies.

BlueField-3 SuperNICs are designed for network-intensive, massively parallel computing, offering up to 400 Gbps RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) network connectivity between GPU servers and boosting performance for AI training and inference traffic on the east-west network inside the cluster. They also enable secure, multi-tenant data center environments, ensuring deterministic and isolated performance between tenant jobs. 

Highlights of NVIDIA’s SuperNICs: 

• High-speed packet reordering to ensure that data packets are received and processed in the same order they were originally transmitted. This maintains the sequential integrity of the data flow. 
• Advanced congestion control using real-time telemetry data and network-aware algorithms to manage and prevent congestion in AI networks. 
• Programmable compute on the input/output (I/O) path to enable customization and extensibility of network infrastructure in AI cloud data centers. 
• Power-efficient, low-profile design to efficiently accommodate AI workloads within constrained power budgets. 
• Full-stack AI optimization, including compute, networking, storage, system software

https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidias-new-ethernet-networking-platform-for-ai-available-soon-from-dell-technologies-hewlett-packard-enterprise-lenovo

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Zayo to acquire Globalways GmbH

Zayo agreed to acquire Globalways GmbH, a Stuttgart-based fibre infrastructure and network services company. 

Globalways operates approximately 360km of owned fibre infrastructure across the Stuttgart metropolitan area and surrounding regions, with more than 700 on-net buildings.

Yannick Leboyer, Managing Director at Zayo Europe, said: “Globalways has established itself as a key player in the Stuttgart and wider German market, offering high-quality communication infrastructure and network solutions via a comprehensive owned network. Globalways’ local expertise is the perfect complement to our European footprint. 

“This acquisition will enable Zayo to offer an extended range of services to our European clients and provide Globalways’ customers with access to Zayo’s extensive international network. This is a testament to our commitment to delivering unparalleled connectivity solutions and further building our presence in Germany. We are excited about the opportunity this creates for our European customers, employees, and stakeholders.”

Moritz Frenzel, Managing Director at Globalways, said: “After successfully growing Globalways to a strong and successful national internet service provider under the ownership of Relined GmbH, we’re now looking forward to enabling our customers and partners to connect international markets and expanding our product portfolio with Zayo as an ideal strategic partner that shares our vision and values.”

www.zayo.com 

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Ericsson: Consumers will pay for superior 5G experience

A new study by Ericsson ConsumerLab reveals over one-in-five Canadian 5G smartphone users are willing to pay a premium for a 5G plan that ensures elevated network performance, particularly in areas of quality of experience and network performance, that caters to high-performing video streaming, gaming, and other popular apps to boost user satisfaction.

Head of Ericsson ConsumerLab, Jasmeet Singh Sethi, says: "Canadian 5G users have high expectations for their service; they're seeking not just connectivity but rather differentiated connectivity where it matters most like crowded arenas or public indoor locations, the value-added experience that enhances daily activities,” says Sethi. "Our findings reveal that if these expectations aren't met, consumers are three times more inclined to switch to a provider that can deliver a superior 5G experience, with twenty two percent of users willing to pay nine per cent more for a service that offers differentiated quality of experience over 5G."

The Ericsson report offers  four priorities for service providers:

• 5G network satisfaction drivers are evolving beyond coverage. Post 5G buildout, service providers would benefit from prioritizing network optimizations that cater to high-performing video streaming, gaming, and other popular applications to boost user satisfaction.
• 5G is reshaping video streaming and augmented reality (AR) usage. On average, Canadian 5G users report a 28 per cent increase in time spent streaming video in HD/4K format per day and a 59 per cent increase in time spent on watching multi-view video streaming compared to 2022. Service providers looking to increase customer engagement should offer innovative service bundles to leverage the rising demand for new video formats and AR, driven by 5G.
• 5G performance at key locations influences consumer loyalty. Since the launch of 5G in Canada, a substantial 20 per cent of consumers have changed their service provider, and the primary driving factor behind this shift is 5G network performance. Remarkably, nearly 46 per cent of those who've made the switch did so due to the quality of their 5G network. Service providers should prioritize enhancing 5G performance in key locations to boost consumer loyalty and minimize churn rates.
• 5G consumers will pay premiums for differentiated quality of experience . Forty-one per cent of users demand more data to justify a price increase, and 17 per cent are looking for bundles with innovative services, while 22 per cent expect superior performance and prioritize connectivity. Service providers should explore differentiated 5G monetization strategies with speed tiers, content bundles, and QoS-based pricing, leveraging 5G SA capabilities and targeted segmentation.

https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/6/2023/users-willing-to-pay-more-for-best-quality-5g

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Cyxtera expects to complete sale to Brookfield in 1Q24

Cyxtera received approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey for the sale of substantially all of the company’s assets to Brookfield Infrastructure Partners and its institutional partners.

Cyxtera expects to complete the transaction with Brookfield, subject to regulatory approval and the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, and emerge from the court-supervised process in the first quarter of 2024.

“We are pleased to be moving forward with our sale to Brookfield, which will provide Cyxtera with additional financial flexibility and enable us to benefit from Brookfield’s global infrastructure expertise,” said Nelson Fonseca, Cyxtera’s Chief Executive Officer. “Demand for our innovative data center services remains high, and we see significant opportunities ahead with our customers as we enter this next phase of growth.”

As previously announced on November 1, 2023, Cyxtera entered into an asset purchase agreement (with Brookfield for a sale of substantially all of the Company’s assets. In connection with the APA, Brookfield entered agreements with certain of the company’s landlords to purchase the real estate underlying seven of Cyxtera’s U.S. data centers. Additionally, Cyxtera amended the terms of its leases at three U.S. sites and three international sites to allow it to exit those sites in 2024. Collectively, these transactions will strengthen and optimize Cyxtera’s data center portfolio, better positioning it for the long term.

• Earlier this month, Brookfield Infrastructure Partners will acquire substantially all of Cyxtera’s assets for $775 million.In connection with the APA and the court supervised process, Brookfield will purchase from several landlords the real estate at which seven of Cyxtera’s U.S. data centers are located. 

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Keysight's quarterly sales dip to $1.31 billion

Keysight Technologies reported revenue of $1.31 billion, compared with $1.44 billion last year, for its fourth fiscal quarter ended October 31, 2023.

GAAP net income was $226 million, or $1.28 per share, compared with $299 million, or $1.66 per share, in the fourth quarter of 2022. Non-GAAP net income was $352 million, or $1.99 per share, compared with $386 million, or $2.14 per share in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Communications Solutions Group (CSG)

• CSG reported revenue of $891 million in the fourth quarter, down 10 percent over last year, reflecting a 17 percent decline in commercial communications, while aerospace, defense, and government increased 4 percent driven by investments in defense technology modernization, electromagnetic spectrum operations, radar, and space and satellite.

Electronic Industrial Solutions Group (EISG)

• EISG reported revenue of $420 million in the fourth quarter, down 7 percent over last year, reflecting contraction in semiconductor and manufacturing-related customer spending, while investment in new mobility automotive, advanced research, and digital health held steady.

“Keysight delivered solid fourth quarter results and finished the year with record revenue, gross margin, and operating margin,” said Satish Dhanasekaran, Keysight’s President and CEO. “In what remains a challenging macro environment, our strategic customer engagement is high, and we are continuing to capitalize on opportunities across a broad and diverse set of end markets, positioning us well for an eventual recovery.”

https://investor.keysight.com/investor-relations/default.aspx

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Kelly Bayer Rosmarin steps down as CEO of Optus

Optus Chief Executive Officer Ms Kelly Bayer Rosmarin has tendered her resignation.  

The announcement comes in the wake of an Australia-wide blackout across the Optus mobile and landline networks for most of Wednesday, November 8.

“On Friday I had the opportunity to appear before the Senate to expand on the cause of the network outage and how Optus recovered and responded. I was also able to communicate Optus’ commitment to restore trust and continue to serve customers. Having now had time for some personal reflection, I have come to the decision that my resignation is in the best interest of Optus moving forward,” she said.

“It’s been an honour and privilege to lead the team at Optus and to serve our customers. I am proud of the team’s many achievements, and grateful for the support of the Optus team, Moon, and the Group. I wish everyone and the company every success in the future.”

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IOWN: Advancements in Thin-film Lithium Niobate Photonics

A panel discussion at last week’s IOWN Acceleration event, hosted by NTT in Japan, focused on how Thin-film Lithium Niobate (TFLN) photonics aims to combine the scalability of silicon with the performance of lithium niobate.

IOWN stands for the "Innovative Optical and Wireless Network" and is an initiative led by NTT to pursue a forward-looking vision for a new kind of information infrastructure. One of the central technologies in IOWN is advanced photonics.

Speaking on the panel were:

• Bob Byer, Professor Emeritus of Applied Physics at Stanford University and Distinguished Scientist, Physics & Informatics Laboratories, NTT Research
• Timothy McKenna, Principal Scientist, Physics & Informatics Laboratories at NTT Research

Key topics of discussion included

• The growing market for TFNP
• Recent breakthroughs allow the manufacturing of lithium niobate with nanometer precision, previously impossible
• TFLN allows for the creation of new types of photonic integrated circuits (PiCs)   
• Current technologies based on silicon photonics will struggle at link speeds above 1 Tbps
• How AI cluster networks will flatten with optical transceivers embedded in accelerators, forming a mesh network with fewer optical switches
• In 5-10 years, TFLN photonics may dramatically change the compute landscape in another way — All optical compute accelerators that go beyond CMOS

Registration required for watching the presentations: https://forum.rd.ntt/event/7783/?

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Kulicke and Soffa books order for SiPH Co-Packaged Optics

 Singapore-based Kulicke and Soffa Industries, which is known for designing, manufacturing, and servicing equipment used in the assembly of semiconductor devices, confirmed the release of multiple orders for its Thermocompression Bonding (TCB) solutions, primarily supporting Silicon Photonics (SiPh) based Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) applications deployed in high-bandwidth networking transceivers. K&S anticipates a series of follow on CPO orders to support aggressive capacity expansion plans throughout fiscal years 2024 and 2025. 

"Our capable, performance-focused advanced packaging solutions are driving significant market interest, as they efficiently address many emerging assembly challenges. Our unique solutions provide precision control and critical features, which unlock meaningful value for the most challenging optical, high-volume logic and emerging heterogeneous applications. These recent orders highlight our leadership in TCB, but also validate the growth potential of the emerging advanced packaging marketplace," said John Molnar, K&S Vice President & General Manager, Advanced Solutions.

https://www.kns.com

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Introducing the Advanced Photonics Coalition

A new Advanced Photonics Coalition was announced at the OpticaPhotonic-Enabled Cloud Computing Industry Summit, which was hosted at Juniper Networks’ Aspiration Dome in Sunnyvale, California.

Picking up on the previous Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO), APC aims to foster cooperation across all corners of the ecosystem.

“Our mission is for optical fabs to be leading and creating the world’s best technology in terms of reliability, validation, and trust. This allows for the creation of building blocks for Silicon Photonics ICs that are put together in an assured way using foundry Process Development Kit to accelerate production.”

https://youtu.be/wI1UbUaGR20

With billions of dollars of funding being invested in new semiconductor fabs, the time has come for the industry to adopt best practices for integrating advanced photonics. 

Jeffrey Maki, Distinguished Engineer at Juniper Networks and a member of the board at the Advanced Photonics Coalition (formerly the Consortium for On-board Optics),  talks about the need for collaboration to ensure a more open and secure supply chain.

The newly-launched Advanced Photonics Coalition has just published its mission charter and is inviting collaboration from design firms and equipment OEMs through manufacturing and packaging.

https://youtu.be/7kzT-vONdCc

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MediaTek debuts RedCap modem chipset

MediaTek has unveiled its T300 series, the world's first 6nm Radio Frequency System-On-Chip (RFSOC) designed specifically for RedCap applications. 

The RedCap (reduced capability) specifications, part of the 3GPP Release 17,  are aimed at devices that do not need the full capabilities of standard 5G NR. These devices have reduced complexity, making them more cost-effective and energy-efficient.

The MediaTek T300 series is notable for its use of the highly efficient 6nm process technology from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). This leading-edge fabrication process enables the T300 series to deliver enhanced performance and efficiency, making it a pioneering solution in the RedCap domain.

At the heart of the MediaTek T300 series is a single-core Arm Cortex-A35 processor. This integration results in a more compact Printed Circuit Board (PCB) area, which is a critical factor for manufacturers looking to create sleek, innovative designs for a variety of applications.

The chipset supports up to 227 Mbps downlink and 122 Mbps uplink data rates, ensuring robust and reliable connectivity for RedCap devices. This capability is particularly important in a market segment where efficient and stable data transmission is vital for the success of IoT devices and other connected technologies.

"Our RedCap solutions are a significant part of our mission to democratize 5G, providing our customers the ability to optimize components and deliver 5G-enabled devices from a range of applications and a range of price points," said JC Hsu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek. "The migration to 5G RedCap will replace legacy 4G/LTE solutions, offering significantly better power efficiency and more reliable user experiences compared to leading edge 5G eMMB modem solutions and legacy 4G LTE Cat 4 and Cat 6 devices."

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Synopsys.ai Copilot to accelerate Chip Design

A newly introduced Synopsys.ai Copilot, the result of a strategic collaboration with Microsoft to integrate Azure OpenAI Service, aims to accelerate the design process for semiconductors. 

Azure OpenAI Service gives customers access to OpenAI's large language models (LLMs) with the enterprise-ready capabilities of Microsoft Azure. 

Synopsys.ai Copilot brings together Azure OpenAI Service generative AI capabilities with Synopsys' chip design tools and IP to help engineering teams accelerate time to market and address systemic complexity through the power of conversational intelligence.

"The semiconductor industry is racing to develop faster, more efficient, and optimized computing, which is also driving complexity. At the same time, we're facing a projected 15% to 30% workforce gap for chip design engineers by 2030," said Shankar Krishnamoorthy, general manager of the Synopsys EDA Group. "AI-driven design can help address these challenges. Synopsys pioneered AI-driven design with our Synopsys.ai EDA suite. Now, working collaboratively with Microsoft, we're taking AI-driven design to the next level with generative capability such as conversational intelligence delivered in this first Synopsys.ai Copilot."

https://news.synopsys.com/2023-11-15-Synopsys-Announces-Synopsys-ai-Copilot,-Breakthrough-GenAI-Capability-to-Accelerate-Chip-Design

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MediaTek expands Wi-Fi 7 Chipset portfolio

MediaTek introduced its Filogic 860 and Filogic 360 chipsets supporting Wi-Fi7. Sampling is underway.

Filogic 860 combines a Wi-Fi 7 dual-band access point with a new advanced network processor solution and is ideal for enterprise access points, service provider Ethernet gateways and mesh nodes, as well as retail and IoT router applications. 

The Filogic 860 platform key features:

• * 6nm low power Wi-Fi design
• * Single-MAC MLO support
• * Supports 4096-QAM and MRU
• * Supports dual-band Wi-Fi 7 with industry-highest dual-band MLO speed, 7.2Gbps
• * Dual-band, dual concurrent capabilities with 4T4R for 2.4GHz up to BW40 and 5T5R 4SS for 5GHz up to BW160
• * Support for an additional receive antenna for zero-wait DFS
• * Filogic Xtra range support, boosting receiving distance using an extra antenna

Filogic 360 is a stand-alone client solution that integrates Wi-Fi 7 2x2 and dual Bluetooth 5.4 radios in a single chip, and is designed to deliver next-generation Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to edge devices, streaming devices and a vast array of other consumer electronics.

Key features of the Filogic 360 include:

• * Triple-band selectable Wi-Fi 7 2x2 with up to 2.9Gbps speed
• * Supports 4096-QAM and MRU
• * 160MHz channel bandwidth support
• * Filogic Xtra range support, boosting communication distance by unique Hybrid MLO solution
• * Support for dual Bluetooth 5.4 cores for gaming and other applications
• * BLE audio with integrated DSP for LC3 codec support
• * MediaTek advanced Wi-Fi and Bluetooth coexistence technology ensures both technologies can operate on the 2.4 GHz band seamlessly, without interference

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Telxius signs on to Google’s Firmina cable linking US, Brazil and Argentina

Telxius  is joining the Firmina subsea cable system, the Google led project connecting the East Coast of the United States to Las Toninas (Argentina), with additional landings in Praia Grande (Brazil) and Punta del Este (Uruguay). Telxius will subsequently host Firmina in its Santos digital hub in Brazil.

Telxius will have three redundant routes between the US and Brazil (Firmina, Brusa, SAm-1) as well as three redundant routes extending to Argentina (Firmina, Tannat, SAm-1).

“We are excited about joining Firmina which demonstrates our commitment to delivering low latency, enhanced diversity and high-capacity networking across the Americas for our customers and partners. In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, we believe in the continuous growth of our international submarine cable network to create major business opportunities for all of us involved. We are also thrilled to announce the expansion of our collaboration with Google and confirm our shared mission to jointly invest in internet infrastructure”, said Mario Martín, CEO at Telxius.

https://telxius.com/en/telxius-joins-google-on-the-firmina-subsea-cable-system-connecting-us-brazil-and-argentina/

• The Telxius network spans over 100,000 km of submarine and terrestrial fiber, including eight next-generation subsea systems: Marea, Brusa, Dunant, Tannat, Junior, Mistral, Tikal, and now Firmina. Telxius also has a Tier-1 international IP network (AS 12956) offering direct Internet connectivity to major carriers and ISPs, with a capacity of more than 20 Tbps plus a wide-ranging portfolio of capacity, colocation and security services across the globe.
• In 2021, Google announced plans to build a 12-fiber pair subsea cable linking North and South America via the Atlantic. The Firmina cable system, which will be designed, manufactured and installed by SubCom, will run from the East coast of the United States to Las Toninas, Argentina, with additional landings in Praia Grande, Brazil and Punta del Este, Uruguay. The Firmina system will use SubCom’s 18kV power technology, which will enable Firmina to be the world’s longest cable capable of maintaining operations with single-end feed power, in the event there is a far-end fault. Manufacture of the cable and equipment will take place at SubCom’s recently expanded manufacturing campus in Newington, NH, USA during 2021 and early 2022, with main lay installation operations scheduled for summer 2022. The system is expected to be ready for service by the end of 2023.

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NASA’s Deep Space optical communications achieves first light

NASA confirmed that its Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment achieved ‘first light’ during the early hours of November 14, sending data via laser to and from far beyond the Moon for the first time.

The experimental transmitter is mounted aboard the recently launched Psyche spacecraft, which is traveling to the asteroid belt.

The uplink laser beacon transmitted from the Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory at JPL’s Table Mountain Facility near Wrightwood, California. The uplink beacon helped the transceiver aim its downlink laser back to Palomar (which is 100 miles, or 130 kilometers, south of Table Mountain) while automated systems on the transceiver and ground stations fine-tuned its pointing.

“Achieving first light is one of many critical DSOC milestones in the coming months, paving the way toward higher-data-rate communications capable of sending scientific information, high-definition imagery, and streaming video in support of humanity’s next giant leap: sending humans to Mars,” said Trudy Kortes, director of Technology Demonstrations at NASA Headquarters in Washington.

https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-deep-space-optical-comm-demo-sends-receives-first-data

https://youtu.be/VsKgYmQS-Kw?feature=shared

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Swisscom’s Next Evolution Wavelength Transport Optical Network

Swisscom and Nokia marked the launch of Swisscom’s nationwide Next Evolution Wavelength Transport Optical Network (NEWTON) and the official start of service migration to the modernized network. The new optical network will transport all of Swisscom’s fixed and wireless traffic from customer-provided equipment to metro access to the backbone, supporting client services from 1G to 400G, and efficiently aggregating and managing traffic from end-to-end while maximizing fiber usage. 

Swisscom is using Nokia’s portfolio of optical networking hardware, software and professional services for the entire transformation, including the Nokia Photonic Service Engine (PSE)-V powered 1830 family of Wavelength Division Multiplexing/Optical Transport Networking (WDM/OTN) platforms, and the WaveSuite portfolio of networking applications.

Christoph Aeschlimann, CEO at Swisscom, said: “The transformation of Swisscom’s optical network is essential for our future digitalization. Through the partnership with Nokia, we have a network that can quickly adapt to changes and provide superior service to our customers while contributing to our sustainability goals. We are pleased to move to this next stage of service migration, working together with Nokia as our trusted partner.”

Federico Guillén, President of Network Infrastructure, Nokia, said: “We are proud to partner with Swisscom on the modernization of its optical transport network, and to deliver in record time during a period of tremendous global uncertainty. This is a showcase service-centric network, fully leveraging automation to streamline service delivery and minimize costs, even as it effortlessly scales to support surging customer traffic demands.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/11/16/swisscom-and-nokia-begin-service-migration-to-new-high-capacity-optical-transport-network/

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Dell’Oro: RAN market to remain challenging in 2024

 

The dividends once reaped from the 5G surge in RAN (Radio Access Network) revenues are now a distant memory, according to the analysis of the Dell’Oro Group.  

Following a remarkable 40 percent to 50 percent increase between 2017 and 2021, global RAN revenues witnessed a second consecutive quarter of steep declines in 3Q 2023, primarily driven by reduced RAN investments in North America.

“The asynchronous nature of the 5G rollouts is in this case helping to cushion some of the blow in the US, though clearly not enough,” said Stefan Pongratz, Vice President for RAN market research at Dell’Oro Group. “This remarkable RAN/capex decline in the US market is partially offset by more favorable conditions elsewhere. Helping to explain the more upbeat sentiment outside North America is the 5G ramp in India, taken together with positive trends in the Middle East and Africa region. Also, MBB investments remain fairly elevated relative to pre-5G levels in most of the advanced 5G markets even in the post-peak period, with the exception of North America,” continued Pongratz.

 Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 RAN report:

• Top RAN suppliers in 3Q 2023 include Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia, ZTE, and Samsung.
• Ericsson and Nokia are gaining revenue share outside of North America.
• In the quarter, worldwide RAN revenues excluding North America recorded a third consecutive quarter of growth.
• The developments in the quarter are not impacting the RAN trajectory. The RAN market, having peaked in 2021, is on track to decline in 2023 and 2024. While the pace of the decline is expected to moderate in 2024, conditions will remain challenging as the pendulum swings towards the negative in India.

https://www.delloro.com

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Nokia and Mavenir test Open RAN system performance

Nokia completed interoperability testing between Nokia Baseband (DU/CU) and Mavenir Radio Unit (O-RU) using the O-RAN Alliance 7-2x fronthaul interface at Nokia’s Open RAN Innovation Center in Dallas, Texas.

During the trial, both companies validated the interoperability of Mavenir’s CBRS Radio Unit and Nokia AirScale Baseband supporting the O-RAN compliant 7-2x interface. The testing was performed according to O-RAN Alliance specifications, demonstrating end-to-end configurations with 5G user devices. Nokia and Mavenir are able to demonstrate 5G peak performance by activating 4CC Carrier Aggregation using TDD and FDD spectrum in a 5G Standalone configuration. 

Mark Atkinson, Head of RAN at Nokia, said: “Our technology collaboration with Mavenir is further evidence of our commitment to Open RAN. We have developed our baseband software in a way that ensures that multi-supplier O-RAN systems can be deployed without compromises in performance, energy efficiency, security, or resiliency. This is key when people depend on wireless connectivity in all aspects of their daily lives. We have now completed operability with Radios from four different suppliers using the O-RAN compliant 7-2x interface.” 

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/11/15/nokia-partners-with-mavenir-to-prove-open-ran-system-performance/

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Energetiq appoints Singh to lead new Laser-Driven Light Source business

Energetiq Technology, a photonics manufacturer based in Wilmington, Massachusetts, has appointed Vikram Singh, PhD, to manage the newly formed Laser-Driven Light Source (LDLS) Business Unit. 

Energetiq says its LDLS technology creates extremely small, high-brightness plasma that delivers efficient light collection and a broad spectral range, from the deepest UV through visible and into the NIR.

“We recognize the pivotal role that our core LDLS technology plays in creating cutting-edge products forthe semiconductor industry and beyond,” said Debbie Gustafson, CEO of Energetiq. “Given his extensive background in the industry and years of research on plasma processing and process control, we are very pleased to welcome Dr. Singh to Energetiq as we continue bringing innovative LDLS-based solutions to market.”

In his role as VP and General Manager, Dr. Singh will oversee R&D, Product Development, Marketing, Sales, and Service operations pertaining to LDLS. 

Prior to joining Energetiq, Dr. Singh worked at Lam Research and Applied Materials in various roles with increasing responsibilities, with his last two roles being Executive positions responsible for New Product Development and Technology Supply Chain. 

https://www.energetiq.com

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Microsoft Ignite infrastructure announcements

Microsoft unveiled two custom-designed chips and integrated systems for its Azure hyperscale data centers. The new silicon represents the latest steps from Microsoft to develop core infrastructure in-house, extending from silicon, accelerator boards, custom server boards,  liquid-cooled data center racks, fiber cabling, renewable power facilities, and even subsea cable systems.

Highlights of infrastructure announcements from the Microsoft Ignite event in Seattle.

• Microsoft Azure Maia, an AI Accelerator chip designed to run cloud-based training and inferencing for AI workloads such as OpenAI models, Bing, GitHub Copilot and ChatGPT. Maia 100, the first generation in the series, boasts 105 billion transistors and is built on 5nm process technology. 
• Microsoft Azure Cobalt, a cloud-native chip based on Arm architecture optimized for performance, power efficiency and cost-effectiveness for general purpose workloads. Cobalt 100, the inaugural model in the series, is a 64-bit, 128-core chip. It delivers up to a 40 percent performance improvement over current Azure Arm chip generations and powers services like Microsoft Teams and Azure SQL. 
• Microsoft Azure Boost, a system that makes storage and networking faster by moving those processes off the host servers onto purpose-built hardware and software.  The company cites remote storage acceleration up to 12.5 Gbps throughput with 650K IOPs. Additionally, Azure Boost introduces Microsoft’s proprietary programmable networking interface: MANA (Microsoft Azure Network Adapter). Using MANA allows Azure VM customers to achieve up to 200Gbps networking throughput on select VM sizes. 
• AMD MI300X accelerated virtual machines (VMs) are now available on Azure. The ND MI300 VMs are designed to accelerate the processing of AI workloads for high range AI model training and generative inferencing, and will feature AMD’s latest GPU, the AMD Instinct MI300X.
• NVIDIA NC H100 v5 Virtual Machine Series built for NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs are in preview, offering greater performance, reliability and efficiency for mid-range AI training and generative AI inferencing. 
• NVIDIA ND H200 v5 Virtual Machine Series in development, an AI-optimized VM featuring the upcoming NVIDIA H200 Tensor Core GPU.
• Microsoft is manufacturing its own hollow core fiber.  This follows its acquisition of UK-based Lumenisity in December 2022. Lumenisity was formed in 2017 as a spinoff from the world-renowned Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton
• Microsoft now has 60+ Azure regions and 300+ data centers worldwide

https://news.microsoft.com/source/features/ai/in-house-chips-silicon-to-service-to-meet-ai-demand/

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Cisco reports strong quarter, weak outlook

Cisco reported revenue of $14.7 billion for the first quarter of its fiscal 2024, up 8% year over year;.GAAP EPS was$0.89, up 37% year over year, and Non-GAAP EPS was $1.11, up 29% year over year.

The financial performance marked the strongest first quarter results in Cisco's history in terms of revenue and profitability, however, the company noted  “a slowdown of new product orders in the first quarter of fiscal 2024 and believes the primary reason is that customers are currently focused on installing and implementing products in their environments following exceptionally strong product delivery over the past three quarters. “

Cisco estimates there are one to two quarters of shipped product orders still waiting to be implemented by its customers. 

"We had a solid start to fiscal 2024 with the strongest Q1 results in our history on both revenue and profitability,” said Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco. “We are confident in the foundational strength of our business and future growth opportunities fueled by AI, Security, Cloud, and Observability.”

"In Q1, we delivered revenue and EPS at the high end or above our guidance range, generating strong operating leverage," said Scott Herren, CFO of Cisco. “We also saw double-digit year-over-year growth in software revenue, product ARR and total RPO. After customers implement large amounts of recently shipped product, we expect to see product order growth rates accelerate in the second half of the year. We are committed to delivering operating leverage and increasing capital returns to our shareholders.”

Some highlights

• Total revenue was $14.7 billion, up 8%, with product revenue up 9% and service revenue up 4%. 
• Revenue by geographic segment was: Americas up 14%, EMEA flat, and APJC was down 3%. Product revenue performance reflected growth in Networking up 10%, Security up 4%, Observability up 21% and Collaboration up 3%.
• Total software revenue up 13% year over year and software subscription revenue up 13% year over year
• Total annualized recurring revenue (ARR) at $24.5 billion, up 5% year over year and product ARR up 10% year over year
• Remaining performance obligations (RPO) at $34.8 billion, up 12% year over year and product RPO up 14% year over year
• During the quarter, Cisco completed the acquisions of Accedian (network performance monitoring); Working Group Two (a cloud native mobile services platform); Oort (identity threat detection and response technology);  SamKnows (broadband network monitoring company); Code BGP (border gateway protocol monitoring company).

https://investor.cisco.com/financial-information/financial-results/default.aspx

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