Here are some of my collection of newest trends and predictions for year 2018. I have not invented those ideas what will happen next year completely myself. I have gone through many articles that have given predictions for year 2018. Then I have picked and mixed here the best part from those articles (sources listed on the end of posting) with some of my own additions to make this posting.This article contains very many quotations from those source articles.
Big Data, mobility and the Internet of Things (IoT) are generating an enormous amount of data, and data center operators must find ways to support higher and higher speeds. Recent data center trends predict bandwidth requirements will continue growing 25 percent to 35 percent per year. Many older data centers were designed to support 1-gigabit or 10-gigabit pathways between servers, routers and switches. Today’s Ethernet roadmap extends from 25- and 40-gigabit up through 100-gigabit, and 400-gigabit and even 1-terabit Ethernet loom within a few years. The biggest sales are forecasted for 25G and 100G ports for next few years. Ethernet switch market has now 100 Gbit/s products in the volumes at the moment, and both 200G and 400G Ethernet versions will be taken to use in 2018.
Broadcom dominates the Ethernet switch chip market today with a 73 to 94 percent share, depending on how market watchers slice the sector valued at nearly a billion dollars. Its closest rival, Cisco Systems, takes most of the rest with systems using its own ASICs. Juniper, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Huawei also make Ethernet switch ASICs for their systems. With seven merchant chips in the pipeline and four in-house ASICs in the works, we will see a record number of unique platforms ship in 2018. Wheeler of the Linley Group expects the competition will drive Ethernet switch costs from about $60/port today to about $36/port by 2020.
Data center giants “are driving their own code and programmable capabilities as close to the server as possible.” The dozen largest data center operators — including the likes of Facebook and Google — build their own switch systems or specify systems built by ODMs. They can drive sales of millions of chips a year but demand maximum bandwidth at minimum cost and power consumption. The Tomahawk-3 is geared for the next-generation of their top-of-rack and aggregation switches, delivering up to 128 100GE or 32 400GE ports, the first merchant chip to support 400GE rates.
China will start making more optical components: Several Western component and subsystems vendors have cited reduced demand from Chinese systems houses such as Huawei and ZTE for revenue declines in 2017. One reason for the slowdown is the fact that these systems houses have begun looking for more local optical technology sources. In addition to doing more development work in-house (particularly in the case of Huawei), the two Chinese systems vendors have begun to work more closely with Chinese companies such as Accelink, Hisense, and HiSilicon as well as Japanese vendors. This can mean that Western firms (particularly in the U.S.) may not see their Chinese orders return to previous levels.
Higher power power over Ethernet: 802.3bt – IEEE Draft Standard for Ethernet Amendment: Physical Layer and Management Parameters for DTE Power via MDI over 4-Pair amendment to IEEE Std 802.3-2015 increases the maximum PD power available by utilizing all four pairs in the specified structured wiring plant. This represents a substantial increase to the capabilities of Ethernet with standardized power – allow delivery of up to 90 watts of power via existing Ethernet cabling. The Ethernet Alliance has announced details of its next plugfest: Dedicated to pre-standard testing of Power over Ethernet (PoE) technologies against Draft 3.2 of the IEEE P802.3bt standard, the event will be held in February 2018. The specification’s ratification is expected in September of 2018.
802.11ax hasn’t been signed off yet, but promises to send WiFi towards 10 Gb/s thanks to its use of both multi-user multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO) and the new Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA). 802.11ax is good at combining lots of different links so that users get more connections, more often, and end up with more bandwidth. Marvell claims it’ll have the first chipsets for new 10G WiFi ready for products in H2 2018. Marvell said the chipsets will ship some time in early 2018 and will appear in products in the second half of the year. Widespread 802.11ax adoption in devices probably won’t happen until 2019.
5G something in it for everyone. 5G is big. 5G New Radio (NR) wireless technology will ultimately impact everyone in the electronics and telecommunications industries. Most estimates say 2020 is when we will ultimately see some real 5G deployments on a scale. In the meantime, companies are firming up their plans for whatever 5G products and services they will offer. Though test and measurement solutions will be key in the commercialization cycle. 5G is set to disrupt test processes. If 5G takes off, the technology will propel the development of new chips in both the infrastructure and the handset. Data centers require specialty semiconductors from power management to high-speed optical fiber front-ends. 5G systems will drive more complexity in RF front-ends .
Networks will become more and more virtual, especially on 5G. 5G networks will build on LTE network architecture with the introduction of cloud RANs (C-RANs) and virtualized RANs. Network function virtualization (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN) tools and architectures could enable operators to reduce network costs and simplify deployment. For more details read System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved article.
Automotive Ethernet: Automotive Ethernet will replace the Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) bus found on many vehicles today and also compete with systems like Maxim’s Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link (GMSL). The standards include IEEE 802.3bw 100BASE-T1 and IEEE P802.3bp 1000BASE-T1 that adopt the 100-Mb/s and 1-Gb/s Ethernet protocols to run over over a single twisted pair up to 15 meters. Chips, PHYs and switches are now readily available for automotive Ethernet. Automotive switches will support time-sensitive networking (TSN) features like audio video bridging (AVB) ingress policy, rate limiting andalso features 802.1Qav/Qbv queue-shaping support. We will need a Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet.
Car-to-car communication: The industry and government have defined several versions of vehicular communications. These are vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and vehicle-to-everything (V2X). V2V is the direct communications between vehicles within range of one another. V2V link-up is automatic and cars exchange status information messages Basic Safety Message (BSM) 10 times per second (contains data such as GPS location, speed, direction, brake status, and related conditions). There are competing technologies to make this all work. IEEE802.11p ahead of LTE-V2V for safety critical applications. 5G will offer increased capacity and decreased latency for some critical applications such as vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) or vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving vehicles. The big question is whether 5G will disrupt the landscape or fall short of its promises.
TSN (time sensitive networking) will be talked on many application. Success in the IIoT requires that information- and operational-technology networks work in tandem—time-sensitive networking can make it happen. A converged industrial network will address several challenges that currently exist in today’s disparate network architecture, and it is believed that needed convergence is provided by time-sensitive networking (TSN). TSN is a set of IEEE 802 sub-standards that, when implemented, enable deterministic communication over Ethernet networks while keeping the benefits of communication in best effort manner, on that same network. TSN introduces different traffic classes that share the same link. Proper implementation of TSN requires a solution that can provide a low latency and deterministic response at TSN end points and TSN bridges – it is usually implemented with combining a processor and a FPGA or using advanced Ethernet switch chip.
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’: Govekar said that as soon as 2019, at least a third of the largest software vendors will have transitioned their products from cloud-first to cloud-only. For this reason Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers. If this happens , there will be a lot of work for network operators and cloud service companies to be able to build the infrastructure that can handle all this without problems. I expect that not all on-premises data centers are doomed. There are applications where moving everything to central could does not make sense – for example many IoT applications are moving some of the processing from cloud to edge devices for various reasons (lower latency, reduce needed bandwidth, work also when communications does not work etc..). There is also place for some on-premises data centers on some application (may them be depending on need anything from embedded server to room full of equipment racks). When designing for the IoT, security needs to be addressed from the Cloud down to each and every edge device. Protecting data is both a hardware and a software requirement, as more data is being stored and analyzed in edge devices and gateways.
Network neutrality talks will continue in 2018. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 14, 2017 overturned the Title II-based Open Internet Order the previous Democratic-controlled FCC regime put in place in 2015. So what happens next? In the immediate term, nothing. The Restoring Internet Freedom Order won’t go into effect until sometime in the first half of 2018.
IPv6 usage seems to be finally accelerating in 2018. IPv6 has been a “future” since 1998, and an important future since 2007. IPv6 deployments have been increasing and chances are you have already used IPv6 – but haven’t realized it yet. IPv6 deployment is increasing around the world, with over 9 million domain names and 23% of all networks advertising IPv6 connectivity. Network admins will have many concerns about migrating to IPv6 in 2018. China plans to put the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6)-based network into large-scale use, to boost the development of the Internet industry. China aims to have 200 million active users of IPv6 by the end of 2018. IPv6 use is increasing, but that does not mean that IPv4 is no way dying. It seems that both of those technologies will co-exist in Internet for a long time.
Sources:
Chinese systems houses engaging with alternative component, subsystem sources: LightCounting
System architecture milestone of 5G Phase 1 is achieved
Five technology trends for 2018
NI Trend Watch 2018 explores trends driving the future faster
ADAS Needs V2X to Meet ITS Goals
Taking Automotive Ethernet for a Test Drive
A Security Blanket for Automotive Ethernet
TSN: Converging Networks for a Better Industrial IoT
Gartner analyst says on-premises data centers will soon be ‘useless’
Gartner analyst predicts doom for on-premises data centers
M2M within the IoT – Pushing Security from the Cloud Down to Every Last Endpoint
Net Neutrality Overturned: Now What?
B’com Shifts Switch to 12.8 Tbits/s
Planning starts now for high-speed data center migration
China to speed up IPv6-based Internet development
Top 5 Concerns of Network Admins About Migrating to IPv6 in 2018
1,081 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8548-salattua-kvanttidataa-yli-10-megabitin-sekuntinopeudella
Tomi Engdahl says:
WiFi Networking is FINALLY Getting Interesting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74cRuj6fQTY
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tehokkaampaa salaustekniikkaa
https://www.nanobitteja.fi/uutiset.html?142663
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Game-changing technology transformations’ seen driving U.S. in-building wireless market to $11 billion
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/game-changing-technology-transformations-seen-driving-u-s-in-building-wireless-market-to-11-billion.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2268410
According to a new report by ABI Research, in-building wireless systems are on the cusp of evolving to become a very high throughput, multi-technology HetNet as they converge LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi and 802.11ax, CBRS/OnGo, LAA and MulteFire technologies into a single indoor RAN.
Per the analyst, “Indoor wireless systems of the future merge the best of distributed antenna systems (DAS), small cells and Distributed Radio Systems for a range of solutions to economically tackle any deployment scenario driving the growth of the in-building wireless equipment market to $11 billion by 2023. This growth comes with numerous challenges, however.”
CommScope, Corning, Dali Wireless, Ericsson, Huawei, JMA Wireless, Kathrein, and Nokia.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE forms study groups targeting extremely high throughput, Wi-Fi latency
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/ieee-forms-study-groups-targeting-extremely-high-throughput-wi-fi-latency.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2268410
IEEE and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEE-SA) announced the formation of a study group and topic interest group focused on advancing the technology and deployment of the IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly referred to as “Wi-Fi.” The groups are inviting stakeholder participation from around the world in their respective areas of focus: extremely high throughput and real-time applications.
The IEEE 802.11 Extremely High Throughput Study Group has been established to initiate discussion on new IEEE 802.11 features for bands between 1 and 7.125 GHz. The group is identifying requirements for a possible amendment to IEEE 802.11 that would increase peak throughput to support demanding applications such as video over wireless local area networks (WLANs), augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
The IEEE 802.11 Real Time Applications Topic Interest Group is quantifying performance lags and stability issues that have been observed with real-time applications such as mobile and multiplayer games, robotics and industrial automation, as well as the range of mechanisms in the industry to address those issues. The group is working to document usage models and requirements metrics for real-time applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Plain-Language Lesson From a Wi-Fi Group
https://associationsnow.com/2018/10/a-plain-language-lesson-from-a-wi-fi-group/
After relying on technical names for its standards for two decades, the Wi-Fi Alliance announced this week that it would go with something more user-friendly: Wi-Fi 6.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industrial communication networks installation specification IEC 61918:2018 now available
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/industrial-communication-networks-installation-specification-iec-61918-2018-now-available.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2268410
IEC 61918:2018 specifies basic requirements for the installation of media for communication networks in industrial premises and within and between the automation islands, of industrial sites. This standard covers balanced and optical fiber cabling. It also covers the cabling infrastructure for wireless media, but not the wireless media itself.
IEC 61918 Ed. 4.0 b:2018
Industrial communication networks – Installation of communication networks in industrial premises
https://www.techstreet.com/standards/iec-61918-ed-4-0-b-2018?product_id=2025203
Tomi Engdahl says:
99.7 Percent of Unique FCC Comments Favored Net Neutrality, Independent Analysis Finds
https://tech.slashdot.org/story/18/10/15/2024241/997-percent-of-unique-fcc-comments-favored-net-neutrality-independent-analysis-finds?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
When a Stanford researcher removed all the duplicate and fake comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission last year, he found that 99.7 percent of public comments — about 800,000 in all — were pro-net neutrality.
99.7 Percent of Unique FCC Comments Favored Net Neutrality
https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/3kmedj/997-percent-of-unique-fcc-comments-favored-net-neutrality
A new report from Stanford University shows that most commenters were knowledgeable about the issue and very much in favor of keeping the protections.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SerDes For Chiplets
https://semiengineering.com/serdes-for-chiplets/
The key goals are low power and high bandwidth over extremely short distances.
The XSR 56G and 112G Interoperability Agreements (IAs) announced by the OIF are intended to cover a channel consisting of a pair of up to 50mm. The primary defined application of the XSR SerDes is connecting a chip to a “nearby” optical engine. Because the requirements on these channels are much less stringent than they are on long reach channels, XSR SerDes are expected to have lower power than long-reach SerDes.
There are two aspects that are often confused when talking about an XSR SerDes. On one hand, XSR SerDes connect two chips on a channel defined by the IAs (in terms of loss and other electrical properties). On the other hand, the XSR SerDes is seen purely in terms of the application it is intended for, i.e., connecting a chip to a nearby optical engine. As the industry looks at more general approaches in which applications are implemented on chiplets connected inside a shared package, it is important to separate these two aspects of an XSR SerDes.
Because the primary application of XSR is connecting a chip to an optical engine, the traffic transported by an XSR SerDes is assumed to be protected by the end-to-end system FEC.
That FEC is designed to protect against a raw bit-error ratio (BER) of 1E-5, and possibly as high as 1E-4. Therefore, the XSR SerDes used in such an application are only assumed to have a BER that is several orders of magnitude better than 1E-5. This has been quite fortuitous in the OIF standardization of PAM-4 signaling for CEI-56G-XSR since PAM-4 signaling struggles to deliver a BER of 1E-9 without the use of heavy Forward Error-Correction (FEC) techniques, which in turn leads to higher power consumption, and latency. The situation is even worse when going to 112G since PAM-4 is inherently vulnerable to reflections that will dominate at that higher rate. The BER requirement may have to be further relaxed to 1E-6 or even 1E-5.
So an XSR SerDes, as mandated by the OIF, is capable of addressing only one problem— tunneling traffic with an end-to-end FEC that is capable of recovering from a raw BER of 1E-5 to 1E-4. Does this solve the problem of connecting to a nearby photonics engine? Yes, but only if other important implementation aspects such as power, latency, etc., are ignored.
Let’s look at a Glasswing link, instead. Current versions of Glasswing are built for USR links, that is, links inside a shared package like a multi-chip-module. However, by changing the IP slightly, it can be designed to work on the very same channels that XSR is intended for
In contrast to an XSR SerDes, Glasswing delivers a ton of bandwidth from one IP—the current version provides 500 Gbps bi-directional traffic and the next generation which is already in development will double this bandwidth. A 56G XSR SerDes would deliver 56 Gbps, and a 112G XSR SerDes would deliver 112 Gbps. So the XSR bandwidth is about 12.5% that of Glasswing. This is both good and bad.
So, which is better? The answer depends on the application and on the associated power constraints. The poor BER performance of XSR SerDes makes them a bad fit for the many diverse applications of heterogeneous integration of die inside a shared package, or even between packages of short distance. When connecting to a nearby optical engine an XSR SerDes can do the job fine, but Glasswing would do the job at one-third the power or less.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm’s New Wi-Fi Chips Are Meant To Rival 5G Speeds
https://mobile.slashdot.org/story/18/10/16/2137253/qualcomms-new-wi-fi-chips-are-meant-to-rival-5g-speeds?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
“Qualcomm is launching a family of chips that can add incredibly high-speed Wi-Fi — at speeds up to 10 gigabits per second — to phones, laptops, routers, and so on,” reports The Verge. The Wi-Fi standard used for something like replacing a virtual reality headset’s data cable with a high-speed wireless link is being updated. Qualcomm’s latest chips improve a wireless technology called WiGig, which relies on a connection standard known as 802.11ad, which can hit speeds up to 5 gigabits per second over close to 10 meters. The new generation of that wireless standard, called 802.11ay, can reach speeds twice as fast, and can do so up to 100 meters away, according to Dino Bekis, the head of Qualcomm’s mobile and compute connectivity group. The Wi-Fi Alliance says the new standard “increases the peak data rates of WiGig and improves spectrum efficiency and reduces latency.” From the report:
Qualcomm’s new Wi-Fi chips are meant to rival 5G speeds
https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/10/16/17980124/80211ay-wigig-qualcomm-wifi-10-gigabit-speeds
Qualcomm’s latest chips move WiGig up to a new generation of that wireless standard, called 802.11ay, which Bekis says can reach speeds twice as fast, and can do so up to 100 meter away. The Wi-Fi Alliance says the new standard “increases the peak data rates of WiGig and improves spectrum efficiency and reduces latency.”
It’s not clear if this will really catch on, though. While there’s definitely room for adoption from VR gamers, the earlier version of this tech has found minimal pickup in its couple years on the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Samsung acquires network analytics startup Zhilabs to help its transition to 5G
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/16/samsung-acquires-network-analytics-startup-zhilabs-to-help-its-transition-to-5g/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Samsung Electronics is betting that acquiring Zhilabs, a real-time networks analytics startup based in Barcelona, will ease its transition from 4G to 5G technologies. Financial details of the deal, which was announced today, have not been disclosed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vital tips about wires, cabling
https://www.csemag.com/single-article/vital-tips-about-wires-cabling/57dfffeafabbf0df9ee02e434abc5412.html?OCVALIDATE=
Ethernet cable not only can be used to transmit data and communication, but also power for low-power-usage devices. This article discusses design considerations and relevant codes and standards.
Category cable
Category (Cat) cable is a classification of a varying number of twisted pairs of insulated conductors used for telecommunications. There are shielded and non-shielded varieties, depending on the environment and application. Most common types have unshielded twisted pairs (UTP).
Examples include Cat-1, Cat-2, Cat-3, Cat-4, Cat-5, Cat-5e, Cat-6, Cat-6a, Cat-7, and Cat-8. The construction of these cables is described in the American National Standards Institute/Telecommunications Industry Association (ANSI/TIA)-568 (2017 Revision D) standard, which is maintained and published by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).
Systems using UTP of the Cat-1 and Cat-2 variety are typically not governed by these boards because they do not handle high-speed data transfers and are intended for simple voice communication. This standard does, however, recognize Cat-5, Cat-5e, Cat-6, Cat-6a, and Cat-8 variations of communications cable.
A key difference in the category rating of a cable is the number of twisted pairs in the communication channel. By increasing the number of pairs and the quality of the conductors, the cable can be used to communicate within a more complex system for transmission of information, such as networking, data transfer, cable television, and power over Ethernet (PoE) applications.
Cat-5e cable is today’s most abundantly used cable for networking and data-transfer systems, containing four twisted pairs for a total of eight conductors. Cat-5e provides a bandwidth of 100 MHz and is compatible with 10Base-T, 100Base-T, 1000Base-T, audio/video (A/V) systems, and telephony applications.
Cat-6 cable is a more robust cable that exceeds many of the parameters of its Cat-5e cousin. Typically selected with a larger-gauge wire, this cable provides higher bandwidth, higher frequency, less attenuation, and less delay skew. Cat-6 cable is capable of handling up to 10 GB Ethernet for applications such as large organizations, universities, and high-speed.
Cat-8 cables are further enhanced cables, but they are not in wide use yet.
Complex applications, such as those requiring Ethernet connections, employ a Cat-5 cable or above. Ethernet cabling can be used to control various electronic elements through an internet connection based at the A/V source switch. Examples such as security cameras, LED lighting fixtures, and fire alarm equipment can all be connected through the Ethernet-connection cable.
Power-limited circuits
NEC Article 725 categorizes power-limited circuits into three classes: Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3.The power limitation for a Class 1 circuit is 1,000 VA (volt-amperes) and not more than 30 V.
The power and voltage limitations for Class 2 and Class 3 circuits are defined in NEC Chapter 9, Tables 11(A) and 11(B). The volt-amperes allowed do not exceed 250 VA and have several other parameters based upon whether the system is ac or dc, whether overcurrent protection is required, and what the circuit voltage is (never exceeding 150 V).
Power-limited cable classifications
Class 2 and Class 3 cables have various power, location, and support requirements specific to their application. Power regulations are specified in NEC 840.160 regarding power-limited PoE systems. Any device requiring less than 60 W is typically unrestricted; however, once the 60-W threshold has been exceeded, the additional requirements of Article 725 govern the system.
A common application for these cables is a Class 2 power supply operating at 24 V with a load of less than 100 VA, typically found in many LED lighting power supplies.
For PoE systems, the category cable is typically the chosen method of power delivery. These cables generally are supplied with between 22- and 26-AWG copper conductors in the twisted pairs.
It is also notable that in PoE circuits of more than 60 W, the ampacity determination of the conductor varies significantly from that of NEC Article 310. The number of bundled cables, size of the copper conductor, temperature rating, and conductor use are still the predominant factors, but they are scaled down for maximum ampacities up to 3 amps.
Heat generation
When determining the required ampacity of the cables, the higher-numbered category cables will generally provide a lower internal resistance; for example, Cat-5e is typically more resistive than Cat-6a.
Joule heating is responsible for a majority of all power dissipation in resistive cables and can be detrimental to a communication circuit’s functionality. Every incremental increase in internal resistance provides equal incremental power losses in the system.
In a situation where high power dissipation is unavoidable, it is imperative to select cables capable of performing under warmer conditions. Higher cable-temperature ratings will ensure that the cable can withstand the combined heating of internal current flow and ambient temperature.
Cable length and voltage drop
As with all current-carrying conductors, there is some maximum allowable distance before the resistance of the wire causes an excessive voltage drop. While not a mandatory requirement in all jurisdictions, the NEC recommends limiting voltage drop to an overall 5% from the point of service to the final outlet or device.
In general, it is recommended to limit the voltage drop to 2% for feeders and 3% for final branch circuiting. For Ethernet category cables, this distance is limited to 100 m (328 ft), with 90 m (295 ft) allowed from the patch panel and 10 m (33 ft) from the wall jack to the device. When the powered device (PD) is attached to the power-sourcing equipment (PSE), the PD sends a signal to the PSE requesting the amount of power it requires to operate.
At more than 300 ft, the camera’s operation may be compromised
If a longer run is desired in a location without sufficient 120-V connections, then a media converter can be substituted into the system. At or near the PSE, the category cable can be connected to the media converter and the signal will be passed along via fiber-optic cables for up to 900 ft.
Typical applications of power over Ethernet (PoE) cabling include:
Daylight sensing.
LED lighting.
Motion detection.
Security cameras.
Security sensors (touchpads).
Speakers/audio equipment.
Wi-fi routers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm Introduces New Chipsets for 60-Gigahertz Wi-Fi
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/qualcomm-introduces-new-chipsets-for-60-ghz-wifi
Millimeter waves aren’t just for 5G networks. The gigahertz frequencies could also be a boon for Wi-Fi. Routers like the Nighthawk XR700, which sends and receives signals at 60 gigahertz, have emerged in the past few years, though they’ve remained useful largely for specialized applications like online gaming.
Qualcomm hopes to make 60-GHz Wi-Fi easier with two new chipsets, announced today. The chipsets, the QCA64x8 and QCA64x1, make use of the new IEEE standard 802.11ay. 802.11ay improves upon the 2014 standard 802.11ad, which laid the groundwork for 60-GHz Wi-Fi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Beauty Isn’t Skin Deep
https://flukenetworks.cloudhostedresources.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.flukenetworks.com%2Fblog%2Fcabling-chronicles%2Fbeauty-isn-t-skin-deep&width=360
While neatly combed bundles of cables might look really nice in exposed overhead cable trays and in racks and cabinets, this aesthetically pleasing deployment isn’t always a thing of beauty when it comes to performance.
Whenever Category 6A UTP cables capable of supporting 10 Gig applications are combed or tightly bundled, you risk increased alien crosstalk (AXT) that can wreak havoc on high speed transmission. Why?
Alien crosstalk is caused by interference on a cable pair from a pair in an adjacent cable, and it became an issue with Category 6A cabling characterized up to 500 MHz simply due to the higher level of frequency and noise. So it’s easy to understand that anytime cables are evenly combed or tightly bundled together so that they lay adjacent to one another, alien crosstalk will increase—precisely why worst-case alien crosstalk testing involves six around one.
By increasing the level of noise within the channel, alien crosstalk decreases signal-to-noise ratio and degrades the bandwidth capabilities of the cable, potentially preventing the cable from supporting 10 Gig transmission.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wifi kiihtyi yli 10 gigabittiin
http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8583&via=n&datum=2018-10-18_16:35:27&mottagare=31202
802.11ay
Tomi Engdahl says:
Yitong Technology Ethernet to coax adapter review
Need to distribute wired internet in your home? Ethernet to coaxial may be the solution for you!
https://www.imore.com/yitong-technology-ethernet-coax-review
In order to avoid spotty connectivity in my new home whist attempting to keep my network access speeds as fast as possible, I decided to make certain that each router in my home (one for each floor, for a total of three) had a dedicated and wired connection to my internet gateway.
What is ethernet over coaxial
Simply put, ethernet over coax is the ability to send TCP/IP ethernet packets over a regular coaxial cable wire such as the ones used for cable television. In order to do this you need to purchase an adapter that is very similar to an internet cable modem that can be attached to each end of the coaxial wire.
Finally, as compared to other dual purpose wired solutions, ethernet over coaxial offers some decent transfer speeds this side of a straight up 1Gbit ethernet cable. In my experiments I averaged around 40MB/s transfers. Lower than my ~80MB/s transfers when using an ethernet cable but the speed is plenty sufficient for 4K streaming between devices.
How do you set up the Yitong ethernet to coaxial adapters
The best part of these adapters is that they are literally plug and play. You need to connect one adapter to an ethernet port on your router. Then that adapter connects one end of a coaxial cable that runs through your home. At the other end of the coaxial cable, you connect a second Yitong adapter. Finally the ethernet port on the second adapter can be directly connected to a computer or another router depending on your requirements.
Ethernet over Coaxial Cable BE8216EOC-MINI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVenXEKpFTA
The BE8216EOC-MINI Ethernet Extender can transfer full – duplex Ethernet signal with single coaxial cable. It is capable of delivering the IEEE802.3 10 Base-T/ 100Base – TX signal up to 100 meters. The product can be interlinked with each other for easier cable management. There is no power required. It can be used widely in the field of network transmission project and security surveillance applications. It is the perfect device to convert an existing analog camera system to an IP system without having to re-wire.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet moves closer to process controls
https://www.controleng.com/single-article/ethernet-moves-closer-to-process-controls/bd87ea68459665b84f85dbb7a379b96c.html?OCVALIDATE=
International: The latest developments to the Advanced Physical Layer (APL) project to enable Ethernet for process applications were reported at the 2018 ACHEMA exhibition by three standards-based organizations for process automation suppliers. The goal is a ruggedized, two-wire, loop-powered Ethernet physical layer.
the IEEE 802.3cg Task Force, which is working to extend the Ethernet physical layer operating at 10 Mb/sec over single-pair cable.
So far, the APL project has proved the feasibility of a solution for this problem. It also generated interest in an industry-wide solution based on IEEE Ethernet standards. This resulted in the creation of the IEEE P802.3cg project to focus on the development of enhancements to the existing IEEE 802.3 Ethernet standard (IEEE 802.3) for Ethernet via twisted-pair wiring (10BASE-T1L), which would allow for long-reach applications within hazardous areas.
The argument for a solution was as the process industry moves towards Industrie 4.0, it requires a network standard that can transfer process data from instruments to communication systems with the speed and flexibility of standard Ethernet and IP technologies to replace existing field devices, which typically rely on traditional fieldbus network infrastructures that hinder the implementation of increasingly data-intensive applications.
The draft of the enhanced standard resulting from IEEE P802.3cg will include specifications for short-reach constrained applications and for powering. It is expected to be completed in 2018 with the amendment to IEEE 802.3 expected to be approved before the end of 2019.
APL technology and ecosystem
APL is a ruggedized, two-wire, loop-powered Ethernet physical layer that uses 10BASE-T1L plus extensions for installation within demanding operating conditions and hazardous areas of process plants. It enables a direct connection of field devices to Ethernet-based systems to enable a convergence of operations technology (OT) and information technology (IT) systems.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ethernet, Fieldbus protocols now can power industrial step drives
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/ethernet-fieldbus-protocols-now-can-power-industrial-step-drives.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2276368
Applied Motion Products introduced a new series of stepper drives at PACK EXPO International. The drives support a range of industrial Ethernet and Fieldbus network protocols, including EtherCAT, EtherNet/IP, CANopen, Modbus, Ethernet and RS-485, as well as a proprietary Serial Command Language (SCL) for efficient network communications over Ethernet (UDP or TCP) and RS-485.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Single-pair connector designs from CommScope, Harting chosen as standard interfaces
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/09/single-pair-connector-interfaces-commscope-harting.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hackers could definitely intercept terahertz wireless networks: Researchers
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/hackers-could-definitely-intercept-terahertz-wireless-networks-researchers.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2276368
New research shows that it’s possible to steal data undetected from terahertz wireless links, even though those links involve beam transmissions from the transmitter to the receiver. The research indicates terahertz data links, which may play a role in ultra-high-speed wireless data networks of the future, aren’t as immune to eavesdropping as many researchers have assumed. The researchers found that it is possible for a clever eavesdropper to intercept a signal from a terahertz transmitter without the intrusion being detected at the receiver.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Testing modular plug terminated links (MPTLs) with Fluke Networks
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/testing-modular-plug-terminated-links-mptls-with-fluke-networks.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2276368
Tomi Engdahl says:
Powered fiber cable drives video security
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-24/issue-2/features/security/powered-fiber-cable-drives-video-security.html
High-definition video cameras are increasingly popular as a means to secure sites such as hospitals and university campuses, but evolution in camera technology and the demands of specific venues are driving changes in the cabling systems used to connect these cameras. The need to bring power and high-bandwidth data resources to every camera in a broad-based deployment often means high construction costs and suboptimal placement of cameras. In this article, we’ll look at the changing technology in surveillance cameras, how this impacts the type of cabling used to connect them, and how hybrid cable systems can support future deployments.
According to Transparency Market Research, the demand for video surveillance systems is rising, expected to approach $40 billion USD by 2020. Similarly, securitysales.com predicts a market of $42 billion USD by 2019 with a compound annual growth rate for IP-based video surveillance in particular of 24.2 percent from 2013 to 2019.
Changing camera technology
In the past, lower-resolution analog security cameras have been widely deployed. But the quality of the video in these 920H and lower resolution cameras is far lower than the new wave of IP-based high-definition (HD) video cameras (meaning cameras with resolution of at least 720p).
With the advent of 4K video standards, security cameras are now supporting 3840 pixels by 2160 lines, or 2160p resolution, and camera makers are already experimenting with 8K video
4K video cameras are already making significant improvements in security. With high resolution, these cameras can be placed at considerable distances from the area they monitor and still allow digital zoom to pick up small objects.
In addition, sites are enhancing security by using low-cost facial recognition servers to process the video feed. One customer recently cited to us that for as little as $6,000
With higher resolution comes the need for higher bandwidth. Yesterday’s video cameras could be connected with coaxial cable because they needed fairly low bandwidth. Some estimates are that a single 4K camera video feed, with modern video compression, needs about 15 Mbits/sec minimum of bandwidth (without video compression the bandwidth need is much higher).
IEEE ratified a standard for delivering both power and data in a single Ethernet cable; it is called Power over Ethernet, or PoE. The standards 802.3af (PoE) and 802.3at (PoE Plus) define how power and data can be delivered at distances up to 100 meters via category cabling. More than a simple direct current (DC) power solution, the PoE standard incorporates excellent safety features, software handshaking, etc. into a truly useful solution.
nstallers will often want to use optical fiber to form connections. Singlemode fiber can carry nearly unlimited data, so it is more than ample for connecting 4K or 8K cameras, and its reach can extend for miles. Multimode fiber, especially newer 50-micron core-size Om3 and Om4 fibers, can handle distances in the “hundreds of meters” range and so is also a viable option for many situations.
So fiber is a great option for handling long-distance data transmission, but what about also delivering power?
A powered fiber cable system (PFCS) addresses the need for local power as well as the need for fiber data connectivity. The PFCS incorporates a rack-mounted power and optical-fiber termination point, a hybrid cable that includes both singlemode and multimode fiber and electrical conductors, and a remote termination node that plugs into the camera being powered.
In a PFCS, each cable is capable of powering any PoE-compliant device at a distance of up to 3 kilometers, giving the system 30 times the reach of standard PoE systems. An integrated media converter and PoE chipset work together to deliver a simple PoE or PoE Plus output in an RJ45 jack.
With a PFCS, deploying video cameras becomes a fairly straightforward process. The PFCS acts as a long extension cord for data and power connectivity to any location desired
The PFCS also eliminates the need for licensed electricians by staying within the National Electrical Code (NEC) Class 2 and Safety Extra Low Voltage (SELV) limits for low power, intrinsically safe electrical systems. Cables may be routed in the same cable pathways as Ethernet cable and other fiber-optic communications cables.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The 5 most damaging structured cabling scenarios
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2016/06/5-damaging-problems.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2276368
1. Cause: Intermittent faults – Unidentified intermittent faults are amongst the most common and damaging issues that affect structured cabling networks. Faulty patch leads and broken or malfunctioning outlets are typical causes of this frustrating and puzzling problem, but identifying the lead or outlet that’s misfiring can be a headache in itself.
2. Cause: Wi-Fi problems – Wi-Fi can present a host of challenges when installed incorrectly – from poor coverage to intermittent connectivity. Connecting multiple devices that use conflicting Wi-Fi standards is a common cause of many problems.
3. Cause: Disorganization and disorder – Structured cabling networks often become disorderly over time as multiple firms are called in to install, maintain and repair them, resulting in a confused and jumbled system.
4. Cause: Mismatched cabling – Even if your infrastructure is built on one category of cable, if two different manufacturers have supplied different elements of your network, you may encounter problems.
5. Cause: A lack of network redundancy – Organizations need a backup cabling network and an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) to ensure connectivity and power remain consistent when the lights go out unexpectedly. This is especially true of critical links and services that underpin crucial business operations
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC Proposes More Spectrum for Unlicensed Use
https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-proposes-more-spectrum-unlicensed-use
FCC puts gigabit Wi-Fi on the roadmap by opening up new wireless spectrum
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/23/fcc-puts-gigabit-wi-fi-on-the-roadmap-by-opening-up-new-wireless-spectrum/
More and more, the internet is delivered wirelessly, but as bandwidth demand grows in each home — multiple TVs, smart devices, tablets and phones — current Wi-Fi standards are starting to fall short. Fortunately the FCC and wireless industry are prepared for this, and the former has just officially proposed opening up a wide swathe of spectrum to bring our Wi-Fi systems up to gigabit level.
Still, there’s not a lot of room to move right now, and as you may have noticed there’s quite a bit of interference because of the dozens of networks that are soaking you and your phone right now — we could use more spectrum to fit more channels and higher-speed networks, among other things.
That’s the purpose of the FCC proposing opening up what’s generally called the 6 gigahertz band — 5,925 to 7,125 MHz — for similar purposes.
Now, 6 GHz isn’t completely untenanted; there are existing applications that new devices and standards will have to work around, but that’s par for the course.
“It’s an ideal place to explore Wi-Fi expansion because it’s close to our existing Wi-Fi bands,” c
“It also offers an opportunity to introduce wider channels—channels that will be able to take advantage of the new 802.11ax or Wi-Fi 6 standard and deliver speeds even faster than 1 gigabit per second. In other words, this is how we develop next-generation Gigabit Wi-Fi.”
She pointed out, however, that there are lots of other opportunities in other bands — 3.5 and 5.9 GHz — that the FCC is not pursuing with adequate vigor.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Imec Spinoff Demos 60-GHz Active Phased Array
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1333897
A spinoff initiative currently incubating at research institute Imec this week demonstrated a 60-GHz active phased array prototype to telecoms operators and OEMs at the Telecom Infra Project Summit here.
Pharrowtech, co-founded by four researchers at Imec, says that its solution paves the way for telecom OEMs to dramatically increase range and field of view of backhaul nodes, access points and home units. It is built using low-cost, high-volume chip and antenna technology, paving the way for accelerated deployment of cost-effective high-speed internet in rural, urban, and suburban environments, according to the company.
Pharrowtech’s prototype has a logn long range and large field of view, achieved through 256 antenna elements driven by 128 power amplifiers, Van Thillo told EE Times. Its proprietary chips are realized in high-volume CMOS to ensure low cost and power consumption, he said.
“We believe we are the first ones to demonstrate such a large 60-GHz active array at this cost/power point, optimized for 60-GHz fixed wireless access,” Van Thillo said. “With our technology, operators will meet the combination of range, field of view, and robustness (weather, foliage) that will be required for a viable deployment of 60-GHz FWA.”
Pharrowtech’s intellectual property is based on a prototype transceiver outlined by Imec in April 2017. At that time, the 60-GHz transceiver chip compatible with WiGig consisted of a phased-array transceiver IC and a small four-antenna module. The transceiver IC was implemented in 28-nm CMOS technology and measured 7.9 mm2. It enables beamforming for directional transmission or reception, direct down-conversion, and beam steering (phase shifting) in the analog baseband.
Tomi Engdahl says:
eSilicon 7nm SerDes Hits 56Gbps
NeuASIC platform Includes AI accelerators for 2.5D/3D ICs.
https://semiengineering.com/esilicon-7nm-serdes-hits-56gbps/
ASIC provider eSilicon focuses on high-performance devices for communications infrastructure, networking, and other data-center applications. Using 7nm TSMC pro- cess technology, it has developed ASIC-design platforms under the NeuASIC brand. Each platform includes hard and soft macros for networking applications along with a new architecture and intellectual-property (IP) library for building AI accelerators.
The NeuASIC platforms give designers a variety of power-optimized memory compilers, serdes, and 2.5D-IC interposers. The 7nm library includes a 56Gbps serdes, High Bandwidth Memory 2 (HBM2) PHY, and ternary- content-addressable-memory (TCAM) compiler, as well as networking-optimized I/Os and other components. The eSilicon design team is also working on a 112Gbps serdes, which it plans to tape out in 1Q19 on a 7nm test chip.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/10/25/nokia-hakee-kasvua-5gn-lisaksi-yritysverkoista-ja-vahentaa-vakeaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/8615-heikon-tuloksen-tehnyt-nokia-jatkaa-irtisanomisia
Tomi Engdahl says:
Entire broadband industry sues Vermont to stop state net neutrality law
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/10/entire-broadband-industry-sues-vermont-to-stop-state-net-neutrality-law/
State law says ISPs must follow net neutrality to get government contracts.
The nation’s largest broadband industry lobby groups have sued Vermont to stop a state law that requires ISPs to follow net neutrality principles in order to qualify for government contracts.
The lawsuit was filed yesterday in US District Court in Vermont by mobile industry lobby CTIA, cable industry lobby NCTA, telco lobby USTelecom, the New England Cable & Telecommunications Association, and the American Cable Association (ACA)
CTIA, NCTA, USTelecom, and the ACA also previously sued California to stop a much stricter net neutrality law, but they’re now expanding the legal battle to multiple states.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Maximizing hardware emulation’s value for networking designs
https://www.edn.com/design/integrated-circuit-design/4461234/Maximizing-hardware-emulation-s-value-for-networking-designs?utm_source=Aspencore&utm_medium=EDN&utm_campaign=social
There are challenges unique to designing ASICs for networking applications. One is that bandwidth and latency performance tests for these devices require significantly more simulation cycles than required by other types of ICs. Of course the extended simulation slows the entire design process. To address these and other issues, Cisco engineers have adopted the practice of combining simulation with emulation to both improve and accelerate the verification process.
In the past, Cisco would pursue a unique verification regime for each new IC. To save effort and time, the company has worked with its tool vendor, Mentor Graphics, to standardize a methodology that can be applied to multiple designs.
“Migrating towards off the shelf emulation offering has been beneficial, especially the bring up of large chips and systems,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Twisted’ fibre optic light breakthrough could make internet 100 times faster
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/oct/24/twisted-fibre-optic-light-breakthrough-could-make-internet-100-times-faster
Researchers say they have developed tiny readers that can detect information in light spirals
A new development in fibre optics could make internet speeds up to 100 times faster – by detecting light that has been twisted into a spiral.
The research, published in the journal Nature Communications, can be used to easily upgrade existing networks and significantly boost efficiency, scientists say.
By twisting light into a spiral, engineers effectively create a third dimension for light to carry information: the level of orbital angular momentum, or spin.
Previous detectors were “the size of a dining table”, but the new detector is the width of a human hair. “We could produce the first chip that could detect this twisting and display it for mobile application,” Gu said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Directing traffic: Demystifying internet-scale load balancing
https://opensource.com/article/18/10/internet-scale-load-balancing?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
Common techniques used to balance network traffic come with advantages and trade-offs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New plans aim to deploy the first US quantum network from Boston to Washington, DC
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/25/new-plans-aim-to-deploy-the-first-u-s-quantum-network-from-boston-to-washington-dc/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
About 800 kilometers of unused fiber optic cable running down the U.S. eastern seaboard is set to become the first stateside quantum network.
The aim is to get the quantum network up and running and accepting customers by the end of the year, making it the first time that quantum keys will be exchanged commercially on U.S. soil.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC puts gigabit Wi-Fi on the roadmap by opening up new wireless spectrum
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/23/fcc-puts-gigabit-wi-fi-on-the-roadmap-by-opening-up-new-wireless-spectrum/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
we could use more spectrum to fit more channels and higher-speed networks, among other things.
That’s the purpose of the FCC proposing opening up what’s generally called the 6 gigahertz band — 5,925 to 7,125 MHz — for similar purposes.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The new version of Wi-Fi is called Wi-Fi 6 because rules don’t matter
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/03/the-new-version-of-wi-fi-is-called-wi-fi-6-because-rules-dont-matter/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Marguerite Reardon / CNET:
In a deal with the DOJ, California has agreed to not enforce its net neutrality law until legal challenges to the FCC’s net neutrality repeal are resolved
California agrees to not enforce net neutrality law… for now
https://www.cnet.com/news/california-agrees-to-not-enforce-net-neutrality-law-for-now/?ftag=COS-05-10aaa0b&linkId=58775528
It promised the Justice Department that it won’t enforce the state law until a lawsuit challenging the repeal of the federal regulations is resolved.
California has agreed to not enforce its net neutrality law until a lawsuit challenging the Federal Communications Commission’s repeal of the federal regulations is resolved.
The agreement is part of a temporary deal struck with the US Justice Department, which is suing the state over its new law. The deal still has to be approved by a judge.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Catalin Cimpanu / ZDNet:
Researchers detail how state-owned China Telecom, the third largest carrier in the country, regularly hijacks internet traffic passing through the US and Canada — Chinese government turned to local ISP for intelligence gathering after it signed the Obama-Xi cyber pact in late 2015, researchers say.
China has been ‘hijacking the vital internet backbone of western countries’
https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-has-been-hijacking-the-vital-internet-backbone-of-western-countries/
Chinese government turned to local ISP for intelligence gathering after it signed the Obama-Xi cyber pact in late 2015, researchers say.
In their paper, the duo lists several long-lived BGP hijacks that have hijacked traffic for a particular network, and have made it take a long detour through China Telecom’s network in mainland China, before letting it reach its intended and final destination.
Starting from February 2016 and for about six months, routes from Canada to Korean government sites were hijacked by China Telecom and routed through China.
On October 2016, traffic from several locations in the USA to a large Anglo-American bank headquarters in Milan, Italy was hijacked by China Telecom to China.
Traffic from Sweden and Norway to the Japanese network of a large American news organization was hijacked to China for about six weeks in April/May 2017.
Traffic to the mail server (and other IP addresses) of a large financial company in Thailand was hijacked several times during April, May, and July 2017. Some of the hijack attacks started in the USA.
Tomi Engdahl says:
FCC Leaders Say We Need a ‘National Mission’ To Fix Rural Broadband
https://news.slashdot.org/story/18/10/29/0923214/fcc-leaders-say-we-need-a-national-mission-to-fix-rural-broadband?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
Democrats and Republicans in Washington can’t agree on much of anything these days. One thing they do agree on: The digital divide undercutting rural America needs to be fixed. But figuring out the details of achieving this goal is where the two sides diverge.
FCC leaders say we need a ‘national mission’ to fix rural broadband
https://www.cnet.com/news/fcc-leaders-say-we-need-a-national-mission-to-fix-rural-broadband/
Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel may disagree on the net neutrality angle, but they do agree on finding inspiration in the 1930s.
One thing they do agree on: The digital divide undercutting rural America needs to be fixed. But figuring out the details of achieving this goal is where the two sides diverge.
As anyone who’s ventured beyond major cities or population centers in the US can tell you, high-speed internet access is a luxury that millions of people don’t experience. According to data from the Federal Communications Commission, roughly 39 percent of people living in rural regions of this country lack access to high-speed broadband, compared with just 4 percent of urban Americans.
What’s more, the internet that rural Americans can access is slower and more expensive than it is for their urban counterparts. To add insult to injury, rural residents generally earn less than those in urban areas.
“It really would be a game-changer for rural America if every town in this country were connected.”
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai
“In big cities and urban areas where you have dense populations, the cost of deployment is lower,” Rosenworcel said. “When you get to rural locations it’s harder because financing those networks, deploying them and operating them is just more expensive.”
She added, “That’s not a reason not to do it. We’re just going to have to get creative and find ways to connect everyone everywhere.”
It might even take what Pai called a “national mission” to get the job done.
The maps ‘stink’
But before you can really get things going, you have to address one key issue, Rosenworcel said.
“Our broadband maps are terrible,” she said. “If we’re going to solve this nation’s broadband problems, then the first thing we have to do is fix those maps. We need to know where broadband is and is not in every corner of this country.”
You can’t solve a problem you can’t measure, she added.
The FCC’s current broadband maps grossly misstate where internet or wireless service exists and where it doesn’t.
One of the major reasons for that: The FCC has relied on wireless and broadband companies to report to the FCC where they offer service. But the agency doesn’t check the data. What’s more, providers only need to report advertised maximum speeds and not actual speeds. They also keep pricing information confidential, which means that broadband speeds may be available but outrageously expensive.
A bigger issue is that so long as providers report having just one customer in a census block — the smallest geographic area used by the US Census Bureau — who can get broadband service, the entire area is considered served. In rural areas, that home may be the only place with internet service for miles around.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Siemon experts take leadership positions in single-pair Ethernet standard development
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/10/single-pair-ethernet-standards-siemon-maguire-celella.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-29&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2283419
Two technical experts from Siemon
have taken leadership roles in the development of single-pair Ethernet and single-pair cabling standards development.
Valerie Maguire, global sales engineer, serves as chief editor for the IEEE single-pair Ethernet amendment, and Brian Celella, principal electrical engineer, serves as co-editor of the under-development ISO/IEC 11801-1 amendment defining single-pair cabling performance requirements.
IEEE P802.3cg “Physical Layer Specifications and Management Parameters for 10 Mb/s Operation and Associated Power Delivery over a Single Balanced Pair of Conductors” addresses the emerging application commonly referred to as single-pair or Base-T1 Ethernet. “This game-changing application is positioned to fill the gap in industrial automation and other low-speed connections with non-proprietary cabling, while also providing a path for them to merge with the Internet of Things (IoT),
“In response to this emerging technology, both TIA and ISO/IEC standards organizations are developing single balanced twisted-pair cabling specifications, and both recently selected the single-pair connector form factor specified in IEC 63171-1 based on the LC optical fiber form factor for use in enterprise and intelligent building commercial environments and the ruggedized form factor specified in IEC 60176-3-125 for use in light and heavy industrial environments.”
Paper describes TIA’s single-pair cabling, IEEE’s 10Base-T1 Ethernet standards
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2018/10/siemon-single-pair-cabling-paper.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-10-29&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2283419
Tomi Engdahl says:
U.S. National Labs Team Up to Build a Quantum Network
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/security/us-national-labs-join-forces-on-a-quantum-network
Two U.S. national labs plan to build a new quantum network bridging a distance of 48 kilometers (30 miles) between their facilities. The project could advance U.S. efforts in the global race to develop unhackable communication technologies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New plans aim to deploy the first US quantum network from Boston to Washington, DC
https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/25/new-plans-aim-to-deploy-the-first-u-s-quantum-network-from-boston-to-washington-dc/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
About 800 kilometers of unused fiber optic cable running down the U.S. eastern seaboard is set to become the first stateside quantum network.
The aim is to get the quantum network up and running and accepting customers by the end of the year, making it the first time that quantum keys will be exchanged commercially on U.S. soil.
Quantum Xchange, a Bethesda, Maryland-based quantum communications provider, has inked a deal for Zayo, a fiber network giant, to provide the stretch of fiber from Boston to Washington, DC.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spectrum-starved Wi-Fi vendors look at DSRC band, sharpen knives
FCC reckons 5.9 GHz coexistence can Pai
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/10/31/fcc_5_9_ghz_coexistence/
A mostly-unused slice of radio spectrum set aside for connected cars in 1999 could soon be shared with Wi-Fi, with the Federal Communications Commission seeking comment on the future of the 5.9 GHz band.
Since vendors have worked for years learning how to “play nice” with other spectrum – for example, in the “LTE unlicensed versus Wi-Fi” debate resolved last year – it should come as no surprise to learn that Wi-Fi kit can obey “detect and vacate” rules in the 5.9 GHz band.
The FCC noted that there are other developments in the market since the test process began, and said comments can include the impact of autonomous vehicle developments, emerging cellular “vehicle-to-everything” (C-V2X), and the “limited deployment of DSRC”.
The Internet and TV association NCTA wants the FCC to free up 75 MHz of the spectrum immediately.
The Auto Alliance doesn’t agree. Last week, the group said 5.9 GHz DSRC technology is “already deployed on some cars”, and one day might “reduce up to 79 per cent of crashes”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Average Cable Bill Has Increased More Than 50 Percent Since 2010
https://news.slashdot.org/story/18/10/31/2258236/the-average-cable-bill-has-increased-more-than-50-percent-since-2010?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29
According to new research, the average cost households pay for cable is now up to $107 a month — that’s a 50% increase since 2010 when cable bills were $71.24 a month. When compared to last year, it’s only a 1% increase, “thanks in large part to increasing fees for things like regional sports licensing and taxes,”
The Average Cable Bill is Now $107 a Month, Up More Than 50% Since 2010
https://www.streamingobserver.com/the-average-cable-bill-is-now-107-a-month/
The most common reason so many households are kicking their cable TV habit is the cost. Cable bills keep soaring ever higher, yet millions of households still pay ridiculous costs each month for hundreds of channels they’ll never watch, endless hours of commercials, and contracts with hidden fees. Despite the fact that streaming video has become the new norm for millions of households, some people seem to hang on to their cable subscriptions no matter what the cost. According to new data collected by consumer research firm Leichtman Research Group, Inc. (LRG), the average cost households pay for cable is now up to $107 a month. How high will it go before more households decide to cut the cable for good?
Tomi Engdahl says:
Interesting idea for cable management but looka rather pricey!
https://patchbox.com/page/patchbox-plus?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paidsocial&utm_campaign=FB_1909_PATCHBOX_EU
Tomi Engdahl says:
While everyone coos at the promise of 5G, UK network Three asks if it can tempt you with 4G+
Need to up dem data rates
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/11/01/three_4g_plus_carrier_aggregation/
Hutchison’s UK network Three has upgraded 2,700 urban sites to support faster 4G data.
The introduction of carrier aggregation technology on the network has enabled it to boost downloads by an average of 33 per cent, said Three UK. Users in cities, traditionally the most congested areas, will see the benefit, which manifests itself with a “4G+” label on your phone.
Carrier aggregation is a feature of LTE-A (the A is for Advanced) and allows the component carriers of the signal at different frequencies to be combined to increase bit rate. Contiguous and adjacent spectrum works optimally, but the idea is to make the most of a patchwork of frequencies and spectrum bands. Three said half of the devices on its network support carrier aggregation technology.
Tomi Engdahl says:
eSilicon Achieves 56G Long-Reach SerDes Over 5-m Copper Cable
https://www.eeweb.com/profile/max-maxfield/articles/esilicon-achieves-56g-long-reach-serdes-over-5m-copper-cable
eSilicon and Samtec have achieved error-free operation in 56G PAM4 over a 30-dB backplane without forward error correction (FEC) and operation over a 5-m cable
Tomi Engdahl says:
Testing high-throughput satellites: prototyping to in-orbit verification
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/out-of-this-world-design/4461249/Testing-high-throughput-satellites–prototyping-to-in-orbit-verification?utm_source=Aspencore&utm_medium=EDN&utm_campaign=social
To deliver the next generation of satellite applications, operators are exploiting the on-board processing advantages of digital, wideband high-throughput payloads at higher frequencies. By moving to Ku, K, Ka, O, and V-band, larger bandwidths are available to deliver services such as real-time, ultra high-definition Earth observation, and low-latency internet.
When developing satellite electronics, testing occurs throughout all stages of spacecraft development, from characterising the performance of analogue parts, digital logic, SpaceWire/SpaceFibre interfaces, RF circuits, and antennas during the initial system architecture, to verifying the functionality of hardware demonstrators and validating proof-of-concepts at the prototyping (EM) phase. This is followed by measuring the performance of complete payload sub-systems and then entire spacecraft validation
A single channel of a digital, wideband high-throughput transponder is illustrated below and the key challenge for today’s manufacturers of high-throughput satellites is how to test payloads processing GHz bandwidths using M-QAM, M-PSK or M-APSK RF carriers. The ADCs and DACs are directly sampling IF/RF carriers at GSPS speeds handling Gbps of data.
Starting at the receiver, phased-array antennas and digital beamforming techniques are increasingly being used by satellites of all sizes, orbits, and frequencies to maximise the radiation pattern for reception and transmission.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Andrew Allemann / Domain Name Wire:
US Department of Commerce to lift price freeze on .com domains from December 2020 after extending contract with Verisign to run the internet registry until 2024
Who wins, who loses from Trump Admin decision on domain names
https://domainnamewire.com/2018/11/02/who-wins-who-loses-from-trump-admin-decision-on-domain-names/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Martha Pskowski / New York Magazine:
Profile of TIC, a community-run low-cost cellular service operating in underserved areas across Oaxaca in Mexico, as it gears up to launch in four more states
The Pirate Cell Towers of Rural Mexico
http://nymag.com/developing/2018/11/tic-oaxaca-indigenous-affordable-cell-phone-service.html
A small nonprofit is fighting big telecom companies to bring cell service to the country’s indigenous groups.
Talea de Castro is a four-hour drive through winding mountain roads from the capital of Oaxaca, Mexico. In 2013, the indigenous Zapotec town launched Mexico’s first nonprofit, community-run cell-phone network. Now, Indigenous Community Telecommunications (TIC for its initials in Spanish) provides low-cost cell-phone service to more than 3,400 users in underserved areas across Oaxaca.
Commercial cell-phone companies like Telcel and Movistar had declined requests to extend service in this mountainous area known as the Sierra Norte. Talea de Castro, along with other nearby towns, petitioned the federal government for the right to use the radio frequency for their own cell network.
TIC picks up the slack in areas that commercial telecommunications companies have overlooked. Rural Mexico lags in both internet and cell-phone connectivity.
“For Telcel, it’s not profitable to come out to these communities,” says Erick Huerta, of Rhizomatica, a nonprofit that supports the cell-phone network. “They have a very low profit margin. When they have to do repairs, it’s very costly because they are so remote.”
“These communities already govern themselves through the usos y costumbres system,” he says, referring to the process in which indigenous communities select their own leaders outside the political-party system.
A paper by Huerta, Carlos Baca-Feldman, and Daniela Parra describes TIC as a project where “two communities converge”: the indigenous communities of Oaxaca and hackers, two sometimes overlapping groups. Since the project began in 2013, independent programmers have contributed to developing the open-source software necessary to operate the cell-phone network.
Each community within the network installs a base transceiver station, which can operate with solar energy. The station transmits local calls and connects to Wi-Fi to make calls outside of the network.
Each user pays 42 pesos ($2.18 USD) a month for unlimited minutes within the network. Twenty-five pesos stays in the community, 15 pesos goes to TIC, and 2 pesos go into an emergency fund for repairs.
“It’s a nonprofit network, which the community manages. We’re not seeking to make money, so our costs are lower,”
The network not only provides communications services but is building local technical capacity.
The Mexican government did not accept the project without a fight.
“It’s been a constant struggle for recognition of indigenous peoples’ rights to have their own forms of communication,” says Huerta.
TIC is working with communities in Brazil that have recently launched their own cell-phone networks. Redes published a detailed manual, explaining how to launch community cell-phone systems.
https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/68af39_eba48b72522c4cb3a2467aa22298a0a3.pdf
Tomi Engdahl says:
Where PAM4 fits: The Rick Eads interview
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-standards/4461216/Where-PAM4-fits–The-Rick-Eads-interview?utm_source=Aspencore&utm_medium=EDN&utm_campaign=social
In “Is PAM4 really necessary?,” I shared an earful from Lee Ritchey on why 4-level pulse amplitude modulation (PAM4) may not be the solution to high data rate signaling. To get another perspective, I asked Keysight’s Rick Eads.
https://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/eye-on-standards/4461146/Is-PAM4-really-necessary-?utm_source=AspenCore&utm_medium=EDN
Tomi Engdahl says:
Startup firm will apply quantum mechanics to secure data in long-haul fiber-optic cables: Report
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/10/startup-firm-will-apply-quantum-mechanics-to-secure-data-in-long-haul-fiber-optic-cables-report.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-11-05&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2290029
A startup called Quantum Xchange has struck a deal giving it access to some 500 miles of fiber-optic cable running along the east coast of the U.S. to conduct trials of a new data transmission method. The system leverages quantum mechanics to encrypt data in a manner that would destroy that data if it were spied on, thereby, in theory, protecting the data from attacks on the network infrastructure…
Startup to apply quantum mechanics to protect data in fiber-optic cables
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/quantum-network-trial/
A startup called Quantum Xchange has struck a deal giving it access to some 500 miles of fiber-optic cable running along the east coast of the U.S. to conduct trials of a new data transmission method. The system leverages quantum mechanics to encrypt data in a manner that would destroy that data if it were spied on, thereby, in theory, protecting the data from attacks on the network infrastructure.