Amazon's Project Kuiper will be an optical mesh in orbit

Following successful tests of 100 Gbps optical links between its prototype satellites, Amazon confirmed that its is now confident in the optical inter-satellite link (OISL) capabilities of Project Kuiper.

These tests validated Project Kuiper’s advanced communications architecture by maintaining 100 Gbps optical links between prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, over nearly 621 miles (1,000 kilometers) for the entire test window. 

The plan now is for each Project Kuiper satellite to be equipped with multiple optical terminals to connect many satellites at a time, establishing high-speed laser cross-links that form a secure, resilient mesh network in space. 

Manufacturing of Kuiper satellites is now beginning. Large-scale launches are set for later in 2024. 

https://youtu.be/ZsUDWXI5KbM

“With optical inter-satellite links across our satellite constellation, Project Kuiper will effectively operate as a mesh network in space,” said Rajeev Badyal, Project Kuiper's vice president of technology. “This system is designed fully in-house to optimize for speed, cost, and reliability, and the entire architecture has worked flawlessly from the very start. These immediate results are only possible because we approached our OISL architecture as one part of a fully integrated system design, and it’s a testament to this team’s willingness to invent on behalf of customers. We’re excited to be able to support these next-generation OISL capabilities on every Kuiper satellite from day one.”

Amazon also notes that becauseight travels faster in space than it does through glass, Kuiper's orbital laser mesh network can move data approximately 30% faster than if it traveled the equivalent distance via terrestrial fiber optic cables.

https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/innovation-at-amazon/amazon-project-kuiper-oisl-space-laser-december-2023-update

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Intel launches its Next-Gen AI processors

Intel introduced its latest processors for the data center, cloud, network, edge and PCs, and featuring AI optimizations. 

Some highlights:

5th Gen Intel Xeon processors (code-named Emerald Rapids) optimized for networking workloads including specialized AI and virtualized workloads.

Xeon for the network

• 1.51x higher throughput with 5G core user plane functions (UPF) vs. prior generation.
• 1.37x performance per watt improvement with Intel Infrastructure Power Manager software for 5G UPF applications vs. prior generation.
• • 3.73x higher throughput on VPP IPSec (1420B) with integrated Intel QAT accelerator (as compared to without Intel QAT).
• 1.69x higher connections per second on NGINX TLS 1.3 Webserver Handshake with integrated Intel QAT accelerator vs. prior generation.
  

Xeon for the edge

• 1.29x average performance-per-watt gain vs. 3rd Gen Intel Xeon® Gold 6348 processor.
• 1.59x average performance gain vs. 3rd Gen Intel® Xeon® Gold 6348 processor
• 3.13x higher real-time inference performance for image classification vs. AMD EPYC 9334
• 5.28x higher real-time inference performance for object detection vs. 3rd Gen Intel Xeon Gold 6348 processor

Intel expects to deliver its Gaudi3 AI accelerator for deep learning and large-scale generative AI models.

Intel Core Ultra processors for the edge

• 1.5x the AI performance
• • 1.81x the Graphics performance
• • 2.56x the AI Performance per Watt

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Nokia's Cloud RAN trial with In-Line acceleration with Arm and HPE

Nokia conducted a collaborative laboratory trial of Cloud RAN featuring In-Line acceleration in partnership with Arm and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). 

The successful trial, which saw the completion of an end-to-end Cloud RAN L3 data call, demonstrated the flexibility of Nokia’s Cloud RAN solution using In-Line accelerator architecture which works seamlessly on multiple silicon architectures. The test was held at Nokia’s Open Cloud RAN Innovation Center in Dallas, Texas.

The trial saw the completion of a Cloud RAN L3 data call utilizing Ampere Computing’s Arm®-based general-purpose processor, the HPE ProLiant RL series server as well as Nokia’s Cloud RAN In-Line Layer 1 accelerator and Cloud RAN software. It took place over-the-air utilizing Nokia’s AirScale massive MIMO radios utilizing 100MHz cells on the n78 spectrum band (3.5 GHz band), which is the most common 5G capacity band worldwide. Data calls were successfully performed with a selection of both test and commercial user devices. The trial successfully proved the performance of the In-Line acceleration architecture chosen by Nokia.

Nokia said the trial highlights the openness offered by its anyRAN approach. In-Line acceleration in servers with Arm processors works in Nokia’s Cloud RAN architecture. The approach ensures the same performance and interoperability as purpose-built RAN and Cloud RAN with other server designs. It is this flexibility that provides network operators with a smooth evolution path in hybrid networks, as well as ensuring that Cloud RAN with Nokia is open to server processor design choices.

Mohamed Awad, senior vice president and general manager, Infrastructure Line of Business, Arm said: “Network operators are being challenged with increasing energy costs and looking for ways to improve the efficiency of their networks. Our collaboration with Nokia and HPE is enabling innovative CloudRAN solutions, powered by energy-efficient and high-performance Arm Neoverse-based servers and In-Line accelerators, to deliver the flexibility and scalability the 5G era demands.”

Mark Atkinson, Head of RAN at Nokia, said: “We have once again proven the effectiveness and maturity of Nokia’s anyRAN approach by demonstrating how our Cloud RAN solution using In-Line accelerator architecture works seamlessly on multiple silicon architectures, and harnesses the power of Arm-based servers to enable 5G at scale. Nokia’s approach to Cloud RAN means we can deliver performance consistency between Cloud RAN and purpose-built RAN ensuring our customers have choice and flexibility.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/12/14/nokia-demonstrates-cloud-ran-flexibility-with-arm-and-hpe/

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ONF projects move under Linux Foundation

The following Open Networking Foundation (ONF) projects become independent projects under the Linux Foundation (LF):

• LF Broadband Directed Fund - supports a collection of projects that transformed broadband networks and the Passive Optical Network (PON) industry. The portfolio includes the SEBA reference design for building open broadband networks, and the VOLTHA open source project for virtualizing multi-vendor PON systems. These projects are in deployment with Deutsche Telekom, Jio, Türk Telekom and elsewhere around the world.

• Aether Directed Fund - supports the portfolio of 5G mobile networking projects, including Aether (private 5G and edge computing), SD-Core (open 5G mobile core) and SD-RAN (open RAN). Telco, commercial and research deployments rely on these projects, and a $2M US government research grant was just awarded to the project to advance energy savings and sustainability of 5G networks.

• P4 Directed Fund - supporting a body of work enabling programmability of the networking dataplane, including P4 Architecture, Language, APIs, Applications and Platforms. This includes open source compilers and stack implementations of programmable network fabrics (SD-Fabric, Stratum), with diverse deployments from cloud to data centers and operator edge networks (e.g. Comcast, Google, SKT, Tencent, and Brazil's air traffic control system).

Additionally, a new Open Network Models and Interfaces (ONMI) project is hosting ONF's network modeling and interface projects (OIMT, OTCC, T-API, Wireless xHaul), the output of which various standards organizations continue to rely upon today.

The ONF's current Technical Steering Teams (TSTs) will remain at the helm of each project, ensuring the continuity of their technical guidance. The significant shift lies in the creation of fresh Governing Boards for each of the newly established directed funds. This move grants the community full control over project direction and the allocation of the approximately $5 million in funding provided by ONF to initiate these directed funds.

"ONF is pleased to transition our robust portfolio of open source platforms into a set of LF-hosted community-led projects," said Timon Sloane, general manager, ONF. "With this merger, the ONF's amazing portfolio of work that has been incubated and advanced over the last decade will naturally graduate into a community-driven open source model leveraging the best practices of the Linux Foundation."

"Linux Foundation is merging ONF's marquee portfolio of broadband, mobile, edge and cloud networking projects under the LF umbrella to help usher in the next phase of community growth," said Jim Zemlin, executive director, Linux Foundation. "Open source has already achieved a dramatic impact on networking, and by bringing together ONF's body of work with the broader LF portfolio we're creating more opportunity for collaboration, synergy and reuse to further fuel the open networking movement."

https://opennetworking.org

Intel acquires the Open Networking Foundation's team

Monday, April 11, 2022  Intel, ONF, Silicon  

The Open Networking Foundation (ONF), which was established in 2011 with a mission of transforming networking by championing software-defined networking (SDN), disaggregation and open source, has released all of its projects to open source with permissive software licenses as it transitions away from code development by an internal team. To this end, ONF has open sourced the entirety of its portfolio of production-ready platforms, including solutions...

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Dell’Oro: Amazon, Meta, and Enterprise to drive data center CAPEX

Worldwide data center CAPEX is forecast to rebound to 11 percent growth in 2024 as select hyperscale cloud service providers return to an expansion cycle and the spending freeze in the enterprise markets thaws, according to a new report from Dell’Oro Group.

"Worldwide data center capex is projected for only a 4 percent growth in 2023. The slowdown in general-purpose server and storage deployments weighed down the market despite increased AI-related investments. While Microsoft, Google, and Oracle have increased their data center investments in 2023 year-to-date, other cloud service providers such as Amazon and Meta have trimmed their data center capex," said Baron Fung, Sr. Research Director at Dell'Oro Group. "Our outlook for 2024 is more optimistic. New AI applications such as generative AI will be a key investment driver in the cloud and enterprise. Furthermore, we anticipate demand for general-purpose servers to recover following a prolonged correction, and as customers make a transition to new server platforms that enable more efficient computing," explained Fung.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 Data Center IT Capex Quarterly Report:

• Server and storage system revenue is forecast for growth greater than 20 percent in 2024, while network and physical infrastructure revenues grows single digits.
• Dell led all OEMs in server revenue in 3Q 2023, followed by IEI Systems (formerly Inspur) and HPE. White box server vendors gained 8 points of revenue share year-over-year compared to the OEMs.
• The hyperscale cloud service providers are forecast to increase their data center capex by 13 percent in 2024.

https://www.delloro.com/news/amazon-meta-and-enterprise-spend-to-drive-data-center-capex-to-11-percent-growth-in-2024/

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Nokia Drone gains FCC certification for Beyond Visual Line of Sight

The Nokia Drone Networks solution has received certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), making it the first fully certified 4G/5G drone-in-a-box solution by the agency. This achievement is a significant milestone, as it offers a reliable and industrial-grade 4G/5G drone solution for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations in the United States. Nokia plans to utilize its recent partnerships for private LTE and 5G solutions to expedite its entry into the market.

Nokia's Drone Networks solution places a strong emphasis on robust and resilient connectivity, crucial for remote drone operations, real-time data streaming during missions, and BVLOS operations across various 3GPP spectrum bands. The solution incorporates features like network redundancy, multi-operator support, and hot failover for enhanced operational reliability.

Nokia and Rohde & Schwarz initially collaborated in 2022 to integrate Rohde & Schwarz QualiPoc 4.9G/LTE and 5G network measurement capabilities into the Nokia Drone Networks platform, expanding its use cases for customers. This collaboration extended to device testing and certification, with Rohde & Schwarz's R&S CMX500 radio communication tester being employed for rigorous testing at Nokia Bell Labs Global Product and Compliance Laboratory. The R&S CMX500's comprehensive toolset and user-friendly interface played a pivotal role in conducting thorough signaling protocol tests.

Olaf Heisch, Director Target Accounts Mobile Network Testing at Rohde & Schwarz, said: “This achievement underscores the transformative capabilities of our Radio Communication Tester R&S CMX500. Its role in securing FCC certification for Nokia Drone Networks is a testament to its pivotal position in driving innovation in the 5G and drone technology landscape. This collaboration highlights the power of cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships in shaping the future of the industry.”

Thomas Eder, Head of Embedded Wireless Solutions, Nokia, said: “This achievement highlights the vital role that collaboration and diligent testing play in the 5G era. By meeting the FCC’s rigorous standards, we are shaping the path in the U.S. for industrial and public sector use cases, improved 5G spectrum monetization, and the nationwide roll-out of drones for BVLOS operations on 3GPP spectrum. With more than 675 private wireless customers worldwide and leadership in building nationwide wireless networks, Nokia is well positioned to expand its market leadership into the U.S. with a certified industrial grade drone-in-a-box solution.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/12/14/nokia-drone-networks-launch-in-north-america-following-successful-collaboration-with-rohde-schwarz-to-secure-fcc-certification/

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OIF: Optics Leads the Way for Next Gen Data Centers

Nathan Tracy, OIF President, underscores the rising importance of machine learning and artificial intelligence in data centers, driving the need for increased bandwidth and density. 

- The future data centers will require a significant shift in bandwidth and bandwidth density to meet the demands of machine learning and artificial intelligence. This will inevitably drive power consumption and thermal management in these data centers.

- OIF is working on several key developments to enable the next generation of hyperscale data centers. These include the 200 Gbps electrical interface developments, which are optimized for the lowest possible power, and the development of the 112 Gbps Linear Optics specification, which provides significant savings on power consumption and cost.

- OIF has also initiated the Energy Efficient Interfaces project, which takes a holistic view of all the electrooptical link requirements needed in an AI data center. This includes fabric data rates and latencies required directly at the GPU and CPU interface, as well as the backend fabric where 200 gigabit will be a critical building block for next-generation bandwidth and bandwidth density.

https://youtu.be/2iJQzCIUtCc

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Windstream carries 800G over 1,386km with Nokia

Windstream Wholesale and Nokia completed a trial of 800 Gigabit Ethernet (GE) service transmission over a single 800 Gbps wavelength on an over 1,386-kilometer link across Windstream’s live network.

The trial used Nokia FP5 IP service routing platforms with 800GE interfaces and Nokia optical transport platforms with 6th generation super coherent Photonic Service Engine (PSE-6s) technology. The demonstration validates the readiness of Windstream Wholesale’s network to provision 800GE business and wholesale services to support soaring customer traffic volumes.

The trial was conducted over Windstream’s Intelligent Converged Optical Network (ICON) backbone connecting Atlanta, Georgia, to Miami, Florida, and leveraging one of Windstream Wholesale’s latest East Coast ICON routes into Florida. The Nokia 7750 Service Router with an 800GE interface was connected to Nokia’s production-ready 1830 PSI-M optical transport platform with PSE-6s linecards operating at 800Gb/s per wavelength over a third-party WDM line system. The trial ran across 16 spans and seven ROADM nodes in the Windstream ICON network and demonstrated the first turn-up of error-free performance at 800G over a long-haul link with 800GE service bandwidth.

This combination of Nokia 800GE routing, shipping since 2022, and 800Gb/s long-haul optical transport enables Windstream Wholesale to efficiently scale network capacity over its backbone and provide wholesale Wave service connectivity at both 400GE and 800GE speeds. In addition, Windstream can utilize fewer client and transponder ports while reducing network power per bit for both IP and optical network layers. A significant industry milestone, this transport and technology breakthrough will undoubtedly pave the way for more advanced and efficient communication networks in the future.

“We are thrilled with the success of this trial and its confirmation of our continued optical technology leadership and readiness to deliver ever-greater bandwidth and service choice across our nationwide footprint,” said John Nishimoto, Windstream Wholesale senior vice president of product marketing and strategy. “We pride ourselves on being ‘fast and flexible,’ and with the combination of Nokia 800GE routing and PSE-6s technology we will continue to lead the marketplace in innovation and excellence.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/12/13/nokia-and-windstream-wholesale-achieve-800ge-service-readiness-with-800gbs-long-haul-transport-on-single-wavelength/

Nokia intros 6th gen super-coherent photonic service engine

Thursday, February 16, 2023    

Nokia introduced its sixth-generation super-coherent photonic service engine, enabling efficient delivery of 400G to 800 Gigabit Ethernet over distances of 2,000km and beyond. 

Nokia's PSE-6s, which integrates the latest generation of 5nm coherent digital signal processors (DSPs) with Nokia’s CSTAR silicon photonics, operates at 130 Gbaud for coherent transport at up to 1.2Tb/s of capacity per wavelength. The PSE-6s optical engines support a unique chip-to-chip interface that enables them to be deployed in pairs for 2.4 Tb/s coherent capacity, supporting any combination of high-speed client services including 400 and 800GE. 

Nokia says this next generation photonic service engine provides an economic case for 800GE services in metro and datacenter interconnect (DCI) applications, and with reach of 2,000km and beyond, across long-haul networks and trans-oceanic cables. In terms of energy efficiency, the PSE-6 promises network power reduction of up 40% per bit transported. 

Significantly, the PSE-6s cards can be deployed across the company's existing 1830 family of optical networking platforms, including the 1830 PSS, 1830 PSI-M and 1830 PSS-x, leveraging existing ITU-T WDM channel plans.

James Watt, Vice President Nokia Optical Networks, said: “Additional capacity often means additional complexity for operators. But PSE-6s is designed to make scale simple. PSE-6s is available as an upgrade across our portfolio. Powerful enough to redefine the frontier of coherent transport, it’s nevertheless simple to deploy, so network operators can take immediate advantage of its scale and performance capabilities. What’s more, these benefits come with lower power consumption per bit, resulting in a better TCO, as well as helping operators meet increasingly aggressive carbon reduction targets.”

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Keysight 400GE Network Test Platform Validates Fortinet’s Hyperscale DDoS

The Keysight APS-M8400 network cybersecurity test platform was chosen by Fortinet to validate the hyperscale DDoS defense capabilities and carrier-grade performance of its FortiGate 4800F next-generation firewall. 

The APS-M8400 platform generated 3 Tbps of legitimate and malicious traffic in a single test, validating the hyperscale firewall protection offered by the FortiGate 4800F, which successfully defended against an 800 Gbps layer 2-3 DDoS attack while continuing to deliver 2.2 Tbps of legitimate layer 4-7 traffic. The single pane of glass management of the APS-M8400 allowed Fortinet to  configure the multiple compute node and FPGA resources required to run a hyperscale, multi-terabit test, reducing their overall test time and system maintenance.

John Maddison, Executive Vice President of Products and Chief Marketing Officer, Fortinet, said: “The FortiGate 4800F is the industry’s fastest compact hyperscale firewall, offering carrier-grade performance and scalability to safeguard datacenters and service providers as cyberattacks continue to accelerate at an unprecedented pace. Powered by 16 of Fortinet’s custom built seventh-generation network processors, this NGFW delivers the necessary 400GE port density, multi-terabit application throughput, and session scalability to protect customers against DDoS attacks. This is validated by Keysight's innovative APS-M8400 8x400GE cybersecurity test platform, proving that the FortiGate 4800F delivers the hyperscale performance and real-time threat protection our customers expect.”

Ram Periakaruppan, Vice President and General Manager, Keysight Network Test and Security Solutions, said: “Cybersecurity threats like DDoS attacks are continually increasing in scope, scale, and impact on their potential victims. It is vital that carriers, service providers and data centers protect their critical infrastructure from these attacks to continue serving the hyperscale volumes of legitime traffic that continue to grow at a rapid pace. Keysight's APS-8400 helps network equipment manufacturers like Fortinet validate that their solutions are up to the task, delivering carrier-grade application and cybersecurity test loads in a flexible, 8x400GE solution that can grow with their changing needs."

https://www.keysight.com/us/en/about/newsroom/news-releases/2023/1213-pr24-017-keysight-400ge-network-cybersecurity-test-platform.html

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Dell'Oro: The Party Is Still On for the Campus Switch Market

Worldwide sales of Campus Switches in 3Q 2023 surged by 24 percent year-over-year (Y/Y), marking the fifth consecutive quarter of over 20 percent growth in this market and reaching record levels, according to a new report from Dell'Oro Group. This achievement is remarkable given the market's historical mid-to-high single-digit growth rate prior to the pandemic. Several vendors including Arista, Cisco, CommScope, Extreme, HPE Aruba, and Juniper experienced a robust increase in sales but HPE grew the fastest; gaining more than three points of revenue share during the quarter.

"The market continues to showcase impressive growth, reflecting primarily backlog fulfillment as the supply environment continues to improve and lead times continue to shrink," said Sameh Boujelbene, Vice President at Dell'Oro Group. 

"We would like to note, however, that despite this improvement in supply that facilitated the ongoing release of backlog, total port shipments declined, marking a departure from five consecutive quarters of growth. Most of the decline originated from products and customer segments that were early to receive their orders and therefore were the first to be hit by a pause and a "digestion" phase. That is the case of the 1 Gbps port speeds as well as fixed switch form factors. In the meantime, we saw impressive growth in the higher priced 2.5/5.0 Gbps products as well as modular switches. This shift to a richer product mix resulted in higher prices that were able to more than offset the decline in total port shipments and resulted in ongoing growth in sales during the quarter," added Boujelbene.

Additional highlights from the 3Q 2023 Ethernet Switch – Campus Report:

• Double-digit sales growth was broad-based across all regions, except China, which declined 8 percent in 3Q 2023.
• 2.5/5.0 Gbps ports more than tripled Y/Y in 3Q 2023. This surge underscores significant improvements in supply, coupled with rising demand stimulated by the increasing adoption of Wi-Fi 6E Access Points (APs).

https://www.delloro.com/news/the-party-is-still-on-for-the-campus-switch-market-as-vendors-fulfill-backlogs/

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FCC rejects Starlink for $900M in subsidies for rural broadband

The FCC voted to reject Starlink’s application to receive $900 million in public support through the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund program.

The FCC determined that “Starlink failed to demonstrate that it could deliver the promised service,” and therefore funding “would not be the best use of limited Universal Service Fund dollars to bring broadband to unserved areas across the United States .”

The RDOF program authorized more than $6 billion in funding to bring primarily fiber gigabit broadband service to over 3,458,000 locations in 49 states and the Northern Mariana Islands.  

“The FCC is tasked with ensuring consumers everywhere have access to high-speed broadband that is reliable and affordable.  The agency also has a responsibility to be a good steward of limited public funds meant to expand access to rural broadband, not fund applicants that fail to meet basic program requirements,” said Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.  “The FCC followed a careful legal, technical and policy review to determine that this applicant had failed to meet its burden to be entitled to nearly $900 million in universal service funds for almost a decade.”

In a dissenting statement, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr writes “Today, the Federal Communications Commission adds itself to the growing list of administrative agencies that are taking action against Elon Musk’s businesses.  I am not the first to notice a pattern here….First, the FCC revokes Starlink’s $885 million award by making up an entirely new standard of review that no entity could ever pass and then applying that novel standard to only one entity:  Starlink.  In particular, FCC law provides that a winning bidder like Starlink must demonstrate that it is “reasonably capable” of fulfilling its end of the bargain that it struck with the FCC back in 2020.  In this case, that means Starlink needed to show that it was more likely than not that Starlink could provide high-speed Internet service (specifically, low-latency, 100/20 Mbps service) to at least 40% of those roughly 640,000 rural premises by December 31, 2025.  Starlink did exactly that in a voluminous series of submissions that it filed with the FCC throughout 2021 and 2022.  Indeed, the record leaves no doubt that Starlink is reasonably capable of providing qualifying high-speed Internet service to the required number of locations by the end of 2025.“

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-reaffirms-rejection-nearly-900-million-subsidy-starlink

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Nokia to acquire Fenix Group for defense solutions

Nokia agreed to acquire Fenix Group, a privately held company that specializes in tactical 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) communications solutions for the defense communities. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fenix Group, which is based in Chantilly, Virginia, specializes in tactical communications products, including its Banshee product family. The systems are designed to provide high-speed, low latency data connections to many devices and users simultaneously, making them ideal for supporting a wide range of military applications. Fenix Group is a portfolio company of Enlightenment Capital.

Nokia is a leading global provider of commercial 5G mobile broadband technology and private wireless solutions for ultra-reliable, mission-critical applications. The addition of Fenix’s tactical communications capabilities will allow Nokia to offer a more comprehensive suite of solutions to its defense customers.

Tommi Uitto, President of Mobile Networks at Nokia, said: “The acquisition of Fenix Group is an important milestone in our strategy to grow our defense business. We are excited to welcome Fenix to the Nokia family, and we look forward to working together to create a more stable world with high-performance, secure, and reliable communications solutions.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2023/12/12/nokia-to-acquire-fenix-group-strengthening-wireless-offering-in-the-defense-segment/

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AT&T Expects 2024 CAPEX in the $21-22 billion range

AT&T expects 2024 capital investment in the $21-22 billion range as it remains focused on building vital digital infrastructure for both mobile and fiber networks.  The company believes it was at “peak capital investment” in 2022 and 2023, and now expects to decrease investments in the year ahead, inclusive of the recently announced deal with Ericsson.

Speaking at the Oppenheimer 4th Annual 5G Summit, Pascal Desroches, chief financial officer of AT&T, provided the following updates:

• AT&T is on track to generate full-year free cash flow of about $16.5 billion, grow adjusted EBITDA by 4%-plus and achieve an adjusted EPS at the higher end of the previously shared $2.35-to-$2.45 range or in the low $2.40’s range.
• AT&T expects to pass 30 million-plus consumer and business fiber locations by the end of 2025. Based on returns from fiber coming in better than initial assumptions, AT&T sees an opportunity to potentially pass an incremental 10 to 15 million consumer and business fiber locations within its existing footprint – assuming similar build parameters and a regulatory environment that remains attractive to building infrastructure.
• AT&T remains on track to reduce net debt and to achieve a leverage target of 2.5x net-debt to adjusted EBITDA in the first half of 2025.
• AT&T’s fixed wireless access (FWA) product – AT&T Internet Air – which is now available in parts of 34 locations. The company remains measured in where and how it offers AT&T Internet Air, and as a result, it expects FWA subscriber growth to vary from quarter to quarter.

https://investors.att.com/news-and-events/events-and-presentations

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Finland's DNA deploys Juniper QFX switches and Apstra software

DNA, a prominent mobile and fixed communications service provider in Finland and a member of the Telenor Group, has implemented an advanced data center network built on Juniper’s Apstra automation software, bolstered by high-performance hardware, and integrated by NEC. 

The new infrastructure in DNA’s data center supports both the services provided to business clients and the company's internal IT operations. 

Furthermore, DNA has selected Juniper Networks QFX Series Switches to drive the operations of its Telco Cloud locations throughout Finland.

Apstra is a turnkey multi-vendor automation solution (both hardware- and OS-agnostic), that provides DNA with a unified, real-time view of millions of data center elements, plus their dynamic performance, relationships and interdependencies. Its capabilities bring agility and more reliability to DNA’s network design, build and operations. The entire network management operations will be streamlined, and IT teams will be able to focus more on other priorities. It also enables DNA to create a set of templates for its data center network built on its desired intent and required business outcomes. Apstra automatically converts this intent into the network configurations and policies necessary to consistently achieve DNA’s defined outcomes.

“Apstra helps to de-risk data center networking significantly but also streamlines the operational overhead, making life much easier for pressured operators. Automation drives down the total cost of ownership in DNA’s data centers and frees up talent, all the while enabling it to open up rich new revenue streams via services which can be taken to market quickly and more reliably,” stated Mansour Karam, Group Vice President Products, Cloud Ready Data Center, Juniper Networks.

https://newsroom.juniper.net/news/news-details/2023/DNA-Plc-Automates-New-Data-Centers-with-Juniper-Networks-and-NEC/default.aspx

https://youtu.be/28oXvpXJ_3A

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Cloudflare: Global Internet traffic continues to grow 25% yoy

Global Internet traffic grew 25% in 2023, in line with peak 2022 growth, according to Cloudflare's Year in Review. 

Some of the biggest highlights of 2023 include:

• Most Popular Internet Service: Google came in first for the second year in a row, followed by Facebook (#2), Apple (#3), and TikTok (#4).
• Most Popular Social Media Platform: Facebook came in first, beating out 2022 leader TikTok (#2), followed up by Instagram (#3) and Twitter/X (#4).
• Most Popular Generative AI Service: OpenAI came in first for this emerging category, followed by Character AI (#2), Quillbot (#3), and Hugging Face (#4).
• Most Targeted Industry: Threat actors most commonly launched attacks on Financial organizations, globally.
• Most Common Cyberthreats: Deceptive links and extortion attempts found in malicious email messages were the top two most leveraged attack types.
• Internet Outages Observed: There were more than 180 Internet outages around the world in 2023 – compared to over 150 in 2022 – with many due to government-directed regional and national shutdowns of Internet connectivity.
• Globally, over two-thirds of mobile device traffic was from Android devices. Android had a >90% share of mobile device traffic in over 25 countries/regions; peak iOS mobile device traffic share was 66%. 
• Global traffic from Starlink nearly tripled in 2023. After initiating service in Brazil in mid-2022, Starlink traffic from that country was up over 17x in 2023. 

“We all depend on the Internet, and Cloudflare’s global network – one of the largest in the world – has evolved into a pillar of the critical infrastructure the digital world relies on,” said Matthew Prince, CEO and co-founder at Cloudflare. “Our unique role on the Internet allows us to see the ebbs and flows of online popularity and emerging technology trends in real-time – such as the boom in AI and accelerated global use of Starlink. It is our responsibility to be transparent and share the data and perspectives from reports like our Year in Review to help keep the online world more informed, resilient, and secure.”

This data comes from Cloudflare Radar, a free tool that lets anyone view global trends and insights across the Internet. Radar is powered by data from Cloudflare’s global network (one of the world’s largest, spanning 300+ cities in 100+ countries), and aggregated and anonymized data from Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 public DNS Resolver, widely used as a fast and private way to browse the Internet.

https://blog.cloudflare.com/radar-2023-year-in-review/

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Oracle opens cloud region in Valparaíso, Chile

Oracle activated a cloud region data center in Valparaíso, Chile. 

The new public cloud region is Oracle’s 2nd in Chile, after Santiago, and its 48th worldwide. It will offer Oracle Cloud’s full capabilities across more than 100 Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) services and cloud applications, including Oracle Autonomous Database, MySQL HeatWave Database Service, Oracle Container Engine for Kubernetes, Oracle Cloud VMware Solution, and AI infrastructure. 

Oracle Cloud Valparaíso Region underscores the company's significant investment across Chile and the broader Latin America region. Oracle now operates seven public cloud regions across Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico—more than triple that of any other major hyperscaler.

“The arrival of the second Oracle Cloud Region in Chile is a significant milestone as it allows our customers to gain the benefits of OCI’s services, while leveraging best practices for business continuity and disaster recovery,” said Joaquin Ma-Shichoy, managing director, Oracle Chile. “With the opening of the Oracle Cloud Valparaíso Region, we’re strengthening our commitment to Chile’s technological development by enabling organizations—including those in highly regulated industries and with in-country data residency requirements—to accelerate their journeys to the cloud.”

“Given that in Chile the rise of cloud infrastructure is a reality, the arrival of Oracle’s second region not only marks a technological milestone, but it will also help drive digital transformation and new cloud architectures that are more resilient and secure for industries across the country,” said Helder Branco, head of IT operations, Entel. “In addition, the opening of this new region demonstrates Oracle’s commitment to the country and continues to enable local companies to use world-class solutions recognized for their stability and high performance.”

https://www.oracle.com/news/announcement/oracle-becomes-the-first-hyperscaler-with-two-cloud-regions-in-chile-2023-12-12/

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Raytheon pursues Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay

Raytheon has received a $10 million contract from DARPA for the Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program, which aims to revolutionize energy distribution by leveraging power beaming for near-instantaneous energy transport in a resilient, multi-path network.

Under the two-year contract, Raytheon will create an airborne relay design to enable "webs" capable of harvesting, transmitting and redirecting optical beams. These "webs" will transmit energy from ground sources to high altitude for the precision, long-range operation of unmanned systems, sensors and effectors. Harvesting energy will ultimately reduce the military's dependence on fuel as well as its delivery and storage.

"Energy is essential in the modern battlespace, and it is critical to achieving military objectives," said Colin Whelan, president of Advanced Technology at Raytheon. "When operating in contested environments, energy may not always be available or abundant, making the need to generate, store and re-distribute it vital. This technology seeks to enable our military to generate power where it is safe and efficient to do so and easily distribute it to other platforms."

https://raytheon.mediaroom.com/2023-12-12-RTX-to-create-network-of-energy-webs-for-DARPA

https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2022-10-05b

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DC BLOX plans new 216MW data center campus in Georgia

DC BLOX has acquired 72 acres of land in Conyers, Georgia, for a new hyperscale-ready data center campus.

The new campus will span 750,000 square feet of space with 216MW of total power committed by Georgia Power.

The first phase of the project will deliver 160,000 square feet of space to additional tenants, with an expected delivery date in Q4 2025.

DC BLOX is also building a dark fiber ring around the Atlanta metropolitan area, providing significant new fiber capacity for campus tenants and a resilient connection to its dark fiber route.

The facility will be developed with DC BLOX's design and construction partners: Evans General Contractors, DLB Associates, Corgan, Thomas & Hutton, and Bennett & Pless.

"DC BLOX’s ability to build vertically integrated infrastructure solutions including data centers and dark fiber networks is proving to be an important differentiator for our customers," said Jeff Uphues, CEO of DC BLOX.

https://www.dcblox.com/dc-blox-to-build-hyperscale-ready-data-center-campus-rockdale-county-ga/

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CoreSite Expands in New York and Denver

CoreSite expands data center campuses in New York and Denver to fulfill rising capacity and power needs.

• In New York, the new NY3 data center will add 85,000 square feet and 15 critical megawatts of capacity. Construction of the NY3 data center is set to complete in Q4 2024.
• In Denver, CoreSite plans to build a three-building data center campus spanning 600,000 square feet with 60 critical megawatts of capacity. The development is anticipated to have an on-site substation and expand CoreSite’s Denver market footprint, which today includes DE1 (910 15th Street, Denver) and DE2 (639 East 18th Avenue, Denver). The new campus will be constructed on 15 acres, and the first of three facilities will be built with three floors and offer 18 CMW of capacity.

CoreSite says these latest expansions are aimed at public and private cloud providers, enterprises, and network and service providers.

"Our approach to data center design and construction incorporates best practices from ideation to execution. CoreSite’s campus model is driven by customer demand and requirements that have seen a surge with the increased adoption of artificial intelligence and other high-density, high performance computing applications. The New York and Denver market expansions exemplify the need for purpose-built, modern and efficient data centers that can provide native access to the leading cloud providers and a comprehensive interconnection ecosystem." - Brian Warren 

https://www.coresite.com/

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Aliro Quantum develops simulation software for quantum networking

Aliro Quantum has developed simulation software for designing and building quantum networks.

The company's Aliro Simulator allows users to evaluate, fine-tune, and optimize quantum networks before deployment. The simulator models key aspects of a quantum network, from individual optical components to complex heterogeneous networks. The goal is to allow users to assess the accuracy, flexibility, and scalability of their quantum network designs without investing in hardware or software.

"Being able to easily design and simulate quantum network infrastructures will be key to quantum's success," said Jim Ricotta, CEO of Aliro Quantum.

https://www.aliroquantum.com

• Aliro Quantum was founded in 2019 and is based in Brighton, Massachusetts. The company was spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University. In terms of funding, Aliro Technologies (the parent or associated entity of Aliro Quantum) has raised a total of $3 million over three funding rounds, with the latest funding secured on October 10, 2023

Cisco makes an investment in Aliro Quantum 

Wednesday, October 25, 2023    

Aliro Quantum, a start-up based in Boston, announced that Cisco Investments participated in its recently announced round of funding, joining Accenture Ventures and lead investor Flybridge Leaders Fund.Aliro Quantum is developing foundational technologies needed for quantum networks and has filed ten patents that include 124 claims. The company has launched AliroNet, a non-QKD multipurpose entanglement-based secure network solution. Aliro is also...

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Aliro Quantum attracts investment from Accenture

Tuesday, October 10, 2023  Aliro  

Aliro Quantum, a start-up based in Boston developing entanglement-based secure quantum networks, has attracted an equity investment from Accenture. Financial terms were not disclosed.Aliro, spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, includes world-class experts in quantum and classical networking and is leading the charge in quantum network development by offering the foundational technologies needed for organizations around the world to build...

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Aliro introduces end-to-end entanglement-based Quantum Network 

Wednesday, October 26, 2022  Aliro, Quantum, Start-Ups  

Aliro Quantum, a quantum networking start-up that spun out of NarangLab at Harvard University, introduced its end-to-end entanglement-based Quantum Network solution. AliroNet is hardware vendor agnostic and is licensed in three modes of operation. These three modes of operation align with the genuine quantum network rollout stages. Each mode of operation includes Aliro technical support services with the option to purchase additional services...

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