Intel previews Xeon Granite Rapids and Sierra for telco AI acceleration

At MWC 2024, Intel unveiled its next-gen Xeon processor (code-named Granite Rapids) for vRAN applications and its its next-gen Intel processor (code-named Sierra Forest) for 5G cores. The company also introduced a modular and open software platform that enables enterprises to build, deploy, run, manage and scale edge and AI solutions on standard hardware

Highlights

• Granite Rapids-D, featuring the latest generation of P-cores, promises significant gains in performance and power efficiency utilizing improved Intel AVX for vRAN and integrated Intel vRAN Boost acceleration alongside other architectural and feature enhancements. Silicon is currently sampling. Samsung has demonstrated a first-call at their research and development lab in Suwon, South Korea. Ericsson has also demonstrated a first-call validation in the Ericsson-Intel joint lab in Santa Clara, California. Intel is also working with Dell Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Lenovo, Red Hat, Wind River and other leading ecosystem partners to ensure market readiness. Granite Rapids-D is planned to launch in 2025, following the launch of Granite Rapids server CPUs in 2024.
•  Sierra Forest, which will launch later this year, brings up to 288 Efficient-cores (E-cores) on a single chip. It is well-suited for 5G core workloads to advance network core performance and power savings. By utilizing Intel’s latest E-core technology, operators will recognize greater energy and cost savings, driving to a 2.7x performance per rack improvement1 and industry-leading performance per rack for 5G core workloads.

• Intel Infrastructure Power Manager, which enables operators to take advantage of the built-in telemetry of Intel Xeon processors to reduce CPU power by an average of 30%, is gaining market traction. Casa Systems, NEC, Nokia, and Samsung are planning to deliver in 2024.

“Intel is delivering innovations for our partners and their customers across network, edge and enterprises to modernize their networks, monetize new services at the edge, and bring AI everywhere,” said Sachin Katti, senior vice president and general manager of the Network and Edge Group at Intel. “Intel’s network- and edge-optimized SOC strategy uniquely integrates general purpose compute and acceleration for networking, AI and vRAN workloads, and we are announcing market-leading next generation products for 5G core with Sierra Forest and 5G vRAN with Granite Rapids-D.”

false

Read More

#MWC24 Intel video: Harnessing AI for the Network Edge

 Check out complete MWC Barcelona 2024 Showcase at: https://ngi.fyi/mwc24yt

AI its the talk of MWC 2024 in Barcelona and Intel is here with a special announcement for the Network Edge. Cristina Rodriguez, VP Network & Edge Group, GM Wireless Access Network Division from Intel explains:

• The industry is embracing a software-defined network, open virtualized network that brings flexibility, scalability, and innovation such as AI. This technology is accessible to all workloads, including the run and the core in the mobile infrastructure.
• Intel's CPU technology underpins this software-defined architecture, capable of running AI workloads without requiring any external power-hungry components or additional hardware. The latest generation of Intel's scalable processor, codenamed Granite Rapid D, delivers significant gains in performance and power efficiency, with integrated vRAN boost acceleration and additional AI built-in acceleration.
• Intel is working with operators to reduce the total cost of ownership and bring new value-added services that they can use to monetize their investments. The early availability of Intel's AI development kit allows operators to dynamically and intelligently reconfigure the network on the fly, saving costs, getting more out of their infrastructure, and supporting new revenue streams.

https://youtu.be/VPeFgh3vb5w

Like our videos? Want to participate? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

false

Read More

#MWC24 video: Nvidia finds that telcos are increasing AI budgets

Check out complete MWC Barcelona 2024 Showcase at: https://ngi.fyi/mwc24yt

To get a handle on how AI is impacting the telecoms sector, check out NVIDIA's newly released survey of over 300 operators. Chris Penrose, Global Head Business Development - Telco from NVIDIA, provides some highlights:

• He discusses the key findings from NVIDIA's second annual AI and Telecom report, highlighting the growing importance of AI in the telecom sector. 
• Chris reveals that 56% of telecom companies believe AI is crucial for their future success, a significant increase from 42% last year. 
• He also shares that 53% of respondents see AI as a source of competitive advantage, indicating how telecom companies are leveraging this technology to transform their operations and create new revenue streams. 
• Critically, Chris mentions that 66% of telecom companies plan to increase their budget for AI infrastructure, showing a strong commitment to harnessing the power of AI in 2024. 

https://youtu.be/wzHUvKAv95A

Join us to learn more about the exciting trends and future of AI in the telecom industry.

Like our videos? Want to participate? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

false

Read More

HPE launches Telco Core Automation

 HPE launched a new Telco Core Automation offering built on its OSS technology and aimed at helping service providers to simplify multi-vendor, multi-generation operations.

The aim is to leverage AI-driven automation to improve service quality and agility.

HPE says that as service providers virtualize and cloudify network functions (NFs), it becomes more challenging to manage a constantly changing, increasingly diverse set of technologies. Each technology and vendor (Kubernetes, OpenStack, OpenShift, EKS, AKS, and others) has its own approach to managing workloads. Even different release versions of the same NF or underlaying cloud introduce more complexity. 

The new HPE Telco Core Automation , which joins HPE Telco RAN Automation, offers pre-built orchestration and assurance to make rolling out and managing network functions easier. It marries intent-based automation and AI-based assurance, which were previously separate silos. 

Highlights:

• NF lifecycle. Designed to support the NF lifecycle and monitor resources of any managed workload and key KPIs for each workload and the broader environment, automatically or manually trigger closed-loop actions, relocate virtualized and containerized workloads, restore/relocate workloads using event triggers, measure the workload and cluster resource usage over time.
• Resource management. Monitoring the resources consumption and trends to identify the busiest clusters and resource-hungry NFs and perform zero-touch scale in and scale out.
• Automatic remediation. Monitors key faults and KPIs for every workload and uses intent-based, AI/ML intelligence to detect deviations and automatically take the appropriate closed loop action.
• Capacity planning. Provides visibility into current/past/future resource needs for each NF or cluster.

https://www.hpe.com

Read More

#MWC24 NTT video: Industrial Use Cases Drive AI

Check out complete MWC Barcelona 2024 Showcase at: https://ngi.fyi/mwc24yt

Global Carriers are watching AI quite closely.  What are the strongest uses cases? Parm Sandhu, VP Enterprise 5G Products & Services from NTT, shares: 

• The increasing importance of AI in various sectors such as manufacturing, pharma, transportation, and logistics, enhancing worker efficiency, productivity, and faster product turnaround.
• The role of AI in supply chain management, parts management, and worker training to resolve problems and reduce downtime.
• The upcoming collaboration between NTT and Schneider, combining Schneider's ecostructure capabilities and NTT's Edge as a service infrastructure for developing AI transformation at the edge. 

https://youtu.be/SI4al2zTY7A

Join us to learn more about these real-world applications of AI and how they're shaping the future of industrial operations.

Like our videos? Want to participate? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

false

Read More

Nokia: Trial of wireless access technology for 140GHz

 Beamforming trials were successfully conducted using Nokia's 140GHz-band radio system prototype and a 128-element phased-array antenna in Japan, confirming the effectiveness of phased-array beam steering in different directions to achieve good reception when the receiver is moving. Further trials will focus on more specific applications to confirm the practicality of sub-terahertz (sub-THz) signals in indoor environments.

https://www.nokia.com

Read More

Mobile operators expand 6G testing

NTT DOCOMO and NTT added two new global partners to their collaborative 6G trials with the world's leading vendors and global operators: SK Telecom and Rohde & Schwarz, a manufacturer of high-frequency high-performance measurement instruments.

 The two new companies join existing collaborators Fujitsu, NEC, Nokia, Ericsson and Keysight Technologies.

As part of its technical collaboration with DOCOMO and NTT, SK Telecom will participate in trials using AI technology to tailor radio interfaces for various propagation environments, which is being conducted jointly by DOCOMO with NTT and Nokia. The trial will now be expanded to include environments closer to envisioned uses, leveraging SK Telecom’s expertise as a telecom operator and ecosystem creator, similar to DOCOMO. 

In addition, Rohde & Schwarz will use its measurement-system design technology in channel models to evaluate new wireless-sensing solutions beyond mobile communication technologies, and evaluate wireless-sensing performance using measurements and channel models in real-world environments.

Separately, DOCOMO and NTT also announced the following results of trials using new wireless communication technologies and AI: 

false

Read More

Keysight: 6G Architecture for sub-THz propagation measurement

A device for real-time visualization of the spatial arrival of sub-THz radio waves was successfully realized by combining an 896-element super multi-element antenna developed by NTT and a receiving signal analyzer developed by Keysight Technologies. 

Also, combining a SISO channel sounder developed mainly by DOCOMO and a signal transceiver built by Keysight Technologies enabled ultra-high-resolution observation of the temporal arrival of sub-THz signals. Using this equipment, DOCOMO and NTT have successfully conducted radio propagation experiments for ultra-broadband communications in the sub-THz band. 

Channel models with dynamic tracking capabilities in real-world environments will be further developed for the design of an efficient ultra-wideband 6G communication system.

https://www.keysight.com

false

Read More

Fujitsu: Trial of distributed MIMO at 100GHz and 300GHz

The trial successfully acquired propagation channel information equivalent to a distributed MIMO system using Fujitsu's 100GHz phased-array antenna prototype and wireless circuit.

Simulations will be performed to analyze factors such as shielding resistance and distributed MIMO characteristics.

https://www.fujitsu.com

Read More

Virtual cell site router eliminates physical router hardware

Samsung Electronics, Juniper Networks, and Wind River have collaborated on a virtual cell site router (vCSR) to allow service providers to operate their networks with end-to-end virtualization. 

vCSR is part of a new architecture in which the distributed unit and CSR functions coexist as virtualized network elements on one server. In this joint effort, the companies integrated the Juniper Cloud-Native Router, a fully containerized network element, with the Samsung virtualized DU (vDU) on Wind River Studio Cloud Platform. By running multiple network elements on a single virtualized RAN (vRAN) server, the companies are essentially eliminating the need for physical router hardware typically deployed at a cell site and reducing the total cost of ownership (TCO) for network deployments of 5G.

Highlights:

• End-to-end automation with Samsung’s CognitiV Network Operations Suite: The solution supports plug-and-play deployment, management visibility, and massive software upgrades, delivering a more streamlined and efficient deployment and operation process.
• Greater agility and flexibility: Built on Software-Defined Networking principles, the virtualized architecture enables the greater scalability and flexibility needed to meet operators’ various network configurations and service demands.
• Ability to support diverse applications: With software-centric architecture, vCSR can support security applications such as firewalls and intelligently steer data flows.
• Reduced CapEx thanks to simplified deployment with less hardware: There is no need to purchase legacy hardware since it can be combined within the existing server with the vDU and other software platforms. It also frees up additional rack space.
• Reduced OpEx with energy savings: By eliminating the physical CSR hardware through server consolidation, approximately 30% of energy use can be saved.

“Leveraging our expertise in real-world vRAN deployments, Samsung, along with Juniper and Wind River, are paving the way for end-to-end virtualized networks across the world,” said Ji-Yun Seol, Vice President, Head of Product Strategy, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “With this revolutionary approach, we are giving operators the confidence to transform their networks and embrace virtual and open approaches.”

false

Read More

NEC accelerates 5G core performance

NEC set a new performance benchmark for User Plane Function (UPF) processing of user data traffic in 5G core networks (5GC): a throughput of 1.3Tbps per server on Intel servers with 4th generation Intel Xeon Scalable processors.

In recent years, NEC has been working to improve UPF performance and its processing efficiency by applying advanced approaches such as optimizing CPU processing, accelerating memory access, and reducing memory access delays. 

NEC has also been continuously evaluating the latest hardware to improve performance and has now successfully confirmed the groundbreaking high throughput of 1.3Tbps in testing of a UPF on servers using 4th generation Intel Xeon scalable processors. Moreover, NEC has ensured the energy efficiency of the UPF by using Intel Infrastructure Power Manager, enabling the company to offset the influence of increasing power consumption in pursuit of carbon neutrality.

false

Read More

Nokia adds new 5G mmWave receiver for Fixed Wireless Access

Nokia introduced a new 5G outdoor fixed wireless access receiver for urban, suburban, and rural areas. The outdoor receiver allows operators to use low-cost mmWave spectrum to provide consistent, reliable, ultra-fast wireless broadband services in areas where fiber can be challenging to deploy.  

Thehe outdoor receiver uses unique 360-degree field-of-view technology and Nokia Bell Labs advanced algorithms to enhance performance. Nokia says the receiver has the ability to create a digital fingerprint of available radio signals, enabling it to identify changes and rapidly switch between signal sources to ensure the best possible connection is maintained between the base station and receiver. Jigh gain antennas (up to 27 dBi) enables the mmWave FWA solution to work in non-Line-of-Sight conditions.

Dirk Verhaegen, VP of Broadband Devices at Nokia, said: "We are excited to introduce the FastMile 5G mmWave Receiver, a game-changer for FWA services. Operators that have successfully deployed FWA frequently come up against capacity challenges. mmWave is ideally suited to solve this, allowing operators to add capacity where needed. Our High-Gain, 360-degree mmWave technology eliminates line-of-sight hurdles associated with mmWave, making it easier for operators to deploy and quickly add capacity to their FWA network.”

https://www.nokia.com/about-us/news/releases/2024/02/22/nokia-launches-new-5g-mmwave-receiver-to-add-capacity-to-fixed-wireless-access-networks-mwc24/

false

Read More

Cisco and DISH test network slicing in a hybrid cloud

Cisco and DISH Wireless are running a proof-of-concept of network slicing solution in a hybrid cloud environment based on Cisco hardware and software.

The companies are working to enable new capabilities in routing and network automation, while providing service assurance and driving simplicity, monetization and sustainability. Cisco has been driving innovation in this area, particularly with “shared slices”, using segment routing and an intent-driven declarative network automation platform that can quickly deploy differentiated services while assuring end-to-end optimization. Cisco introduced the transport slice automation capabilities with Cisco Crosswork Network Controller version 6.0.

Network slicing will help DISH Wireless separate and efficiently manage network traffic by use case and application, determining the appropriate performance requirements for each type. The proof-of-concept test with innovative Cisco technology will enable DISH Wireless to offer enterprise customers simplified deployment of 5G services with more meaningful service level agreements (SLAs).

false

Read More

Major U.S. mobile operators experience outage

 In the pre-dawn hours of Thursday morning, AT&T, Verizon, Cricket Wireless, Boost Mobile and other U.S.-based mobile operators experienced a significant outage affecting service in major cities across the country.

AT&T confirmed the service disruption, and said that its full network was restored about six hours later.

The FCC confirmed that is Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau were investigating but no official explanation has been posted.

https://about.att.com/pages/network-update

false

Read More

Viavi and VMware offer Testbed as a Service for TAN

Viavi and VMware, now part of Broadcom, have improved their joint Testbed as a Service (TBaaS) offering. This service combines Viavi's TeraVM RIC Test and VMware's RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) to create a digital twin. This digital twin helps in testing and measuring the performance of applications. TBaaS has proven its worth with various app vendors and groups, like the i14y Lab, because it helps speed up deployment and makes networks more flexible. 

Digital twin technology, which uses AI for predictive analysis, is becoming essential for managing complex networks. It allows service providers to simulate and understand network behavior and problems by creating a virtual network model. TBaaS offers a cloud-based digital twin with tools that help communication service providers (CSPs) test applications and manage continuous updates and network security more efficiently.

The TBaaS solution from Viavi and VMware uses realistic simulations for RIC applications, providing valuable geolocation data and applications that work with real network data on the VMware RIC platform. This enables a CSP to collect data once and use it across multiple applications, saving time and resources. The TeraVM RIC Test includes a RAN Scenario Generator, which helps developers and operators create realistic scenarios for testing or in situations where real data is scarce. This data can also help train AI/ML models.

Read More

#MWC24 Preview: Rethinking Open RAN with AI

Interested in AI/ML and Telco? SUBSCRIBE to our channel  — we'll be shooting live at MWC 2024!

How can AI help improve O-RAN?  RaviKiran Gopalan, Chief Technology Officer from Aira Technology explains how:

- O-RAN envisions an open future for telco networks out to the radio access network.

- O-RAN Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) is replacing Self-Optimizing Networks (SON), eliminating the need for vendor-specific automations and enabling cross-compatibility.

- SMO allows for seamless integration across all vendors, making it a game-changer in the industry.

https://youtu.be/jsU27xy8L1k

Want to participate? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

false

Read More

#MWC24 Preview: Digital Identity & Personal Data in the Mobile Ecosystem

 Check out complete MWC Barcelona 2024 Showcase at: https://ngi.fyi/mwc24yt

How will regulations around digital identity and personal data impact the mobile ecosystem? Michael Becker, CEO from Identity Praxis, explains:

- The critical factors influencing how identity data are being shaped by the mobile ecosystem and how they're shaping the mobile ecosystem in return.

- The rise of the self-sovereign individual and the emergence of industry-driven identity and personal information management service solutions.

- The convergence of organizational identity and personal data management with individual identity and personal data management, and how this "meeting of the waters" is transforming society and industry.

https://youtu.be/llSWTre8E9Q

Like our videos? Want to participate? Contact info@nextgeninfra.io

false

Read More

MaxLinear intros Single Chip for 5G Open RAN Radio

MaxLinear introduced a highly integrated SoC optimized for 4G/5G Open Radio Access Network (RAN) radio units (RU). 

The new Sierra line is a single-chip platform that flexibly supports major RU applications including traditional macro, massive MIMO, picocell, all-in-one small cells, etc. The design integrates the following sub-systems into a single chip, providing a complete software-programmable radio signal processing engine for Open RUs (O-RU):

• RF transceiver supporting up to 8 transmitters, 8 receivers, and 2 feedback receivers
• Digital Front End (DFE) including DPD, crest factor reduction (CFR), and Passive Intermodulation (PIM) cancellation
• Low-PHY baseband processor supporting 5G, 4G, and NB-IoT air interfaces
• O-RAN Alliance Split 7.2x fronthaul interface

“Infrastructure vendors have been waiting for an open-market silicon solution that can enable them to develop O-RUs without compromise on performance or cost,” said Sean Martin, Senior Director of Wireless Infrastructure. “By integrating our highest performance RF and system technologies in Sierra, MaxLinear is empowering these radio vendors to rapidly and cost effectively develop new O-RUs with reduced size, weight, and power consumption.”

false

Read More

Nokia appoints Sandy Motley as Country Manager for U.S.

Nokia appointed Sandy Motley as the new Country Manager for Nokia in the U.S., a newly defined role for the company. She has held the position of President of the company’s Fixed Networks division – which is part of Nokia’s Network Infrastructure business group – since 2019. 

Nokia has an established presence and more than 10 000 employees. The U.S. was the first region to deploy Nokia’s 5G technology and around 90% of the U.S. population is connected by Nokia’s network solutions. The U.S. is also home to the organization’s world-leading industrial research lab, Nokia Bell Labs. 

In August 2023, Nokia announced it was becoming the first telecom company to announce the manufacture of fiber broadband optical modules in the U.S. for the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program.

“We are delighted to announce Sandy as our new U.S. Country Manager. Her expertise, passion, and deep understanding of the market and the priorities of our customers and partners make her the ideal frontperson for Nokia in the U.S.,” said Pekka Lundmark, President and CEO, Nokia. “Sandy possesses a wealth of senior leadership experience and has managed cross-disciplinary teams at many levels of the organization. This appointment demonstrates our commitment to the U.S. market, and I have full confidence that Sandy will lead our people with distinction and further strengthen Nokia’s position in this vital region.

Read More

Intel Foundry sets ambitious agenda for the AI era

Three years after returning to Intel as its CEO, Pat Gelsinger launched Intel Foundry as a “systems foundry business for the AI era.”

In a press event in San Jose, Gelsinger set a target to become the No.2 foundry globally by the end of the decade.   The idea of a “systems foundry” versus a traditional foundry is that a systems foundry approach offers full-stack optimization from the factory network to software. 

Gelsinger also unveiled an expanded process roadmap for Intel Foundry. He highlighted an expanding ecosystem of partners, and confirmed that Microsoft will be a lead  customer on the Intel 18A process. As a measure of progress,  Intel Foundry’s expected lifetime deal value is now greater than $15 billion. It will have to reach the $100 billion by the end of the decade for a chance to displace the industry’s current No.2 fab - Samsung.

Speaking via an online video link, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo called for long-term investments to rebuild America’s manufacturing. Chips Act grants for Intel Foundry’s expansions in Arizona, New Mexico and Ohio are expected, but still pending.

“AI is profoundly transforming the world and how we think about technology and the silicon that powers it,” said Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger. “This is creating an unprecedented opportunity for the world’s most innovative chip designers and for Intel Foundry, the world’s first systems foundry for the AI era. Together, we can create new markets and revolutionize how the world uses technology to improve people’s lives.”

Some highlights from the event:

•  Intel 14A is the newest and smallest node on the company's updated process roadmap  
• Gelsinger affirmed that the five-nodes-in-four-years (5N4Y) process roadmap remains on track and that Intel will regain process leadership with Intel 18A in 2025.
• The new roadmap includes evolutions for Intel 3, Intel 18A and Intel 14A process technologies. It includes Intel 3-T, which is optimized with through-silicon vias for 3D advanced packaging designs and will soon reach manufacturing readiness. 
• Intel Foundry is collaborating with Taiwan-based UMC on new 12 nanometer nodes.
• Intel also announced the addition of Intel Foundry FCBGA 2D+ to its suite of ASAT offerings, which already include FCBGA 2D, EMIB, Foveros and Foveros Direct.
• Intellectual property and electronic design automation (EDA) partners Synopsys, Cadence, Siemens, Ansys, Lorentz and Keysight disclosed tool qualification and IP readiness to enable foundry customers to accelerate advanced chip designs on Intel 18A, which offers the foundry industry’s first backside power solution. 
• Several vendors announced plans to collaborate on assembly technology and design flows for Intel’s embedded multi-die interconnect bridge (EMIB) 2.5D packaging technology. These EDA solutions will ensure faster development and delivery of advanced packaging solutions for foundry customers.
• Intel also unveiled an "Emerging Business Initiative" that showcases a collaboration with Arm to provide cutting-edge foundry services for Arm-based system-on-chips (SoCs). 

Stuart Pann, senior vice president of Intel Foundry at Intel said, “We are offering a world-class foundry, delivered from a resilient, more sustainable and secure source of supply, and complemented by unparalleled systems of chips capabilities. Bringing these strengths together gives customers everything they need to engineer and deliver solutions for the most demanding applications.”

false

Read More