Mobile infrastructure must catch up with user needs and demands. Ubiquitous mobile computing is all around us. Some time in the next six months, the number of smartphones on earth will pass the number of PCs. As the power and capability of many mobile devices increases, the increased demand on networks. We watch more videos, and listen to music on our phones. Mobile Data Traffic To Grow 300% Globally By 2017 Led By Video, Web Use. Mobile network operators would have had an easier life if it wasn’t for smartphones and the flood of data traffic they initiated, and soon there will be also very many Internet of Things devices. Businesses and consumers want more bandwidth for less money.
More and more network bandwidth is being used by video: Netflix And YouTube Account For Over 50% Of Peak Fixed Network Data In North America. Netflix remains the biggest pig in the broadband python, representing 31.6% of all downstream Internet traffic in North America during primetime. In other parts of the world, YouTube is the biggest consumer of bandwidth. In Europe, YouTube represented of 28.7% of downstream traffic.
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends For 2014 expects that Software Defined Anything is a new mega-trend in data centers. Software-defined anything (SDx) is defined by “improved standards for infrastructure programmability and data center interoperability driven by automation inherent to cloud computing, DevOps and fast infrastructure provisioning.” Dominant vendors in a given sector of an infrastructure-type may elect not to follow standards that increase competition and lower margins, but end-customer will benefit from simplicity, cost reduction opportunities, and the possibility for consolidation. More hype around Software-Defined-Everything will keep the marketeers and the marchitecture specialists well employed for the next twelve months but don’t expect anything radical.
Software defined technologies are coming quickly to telecom operator networks with Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV). Intel and rather a lot of telcos want networks to operate like data centres. Today’s networks are mostly based around proprietary boxes designed to do very specific jobs. It used to be that way in the server business too until cheap generic x86 boxes took most of the market. The idea in NFV is that low-cost x86 servers can successfully many of those those pricey proprietary boxes currently attached to base-stations and other parts of the network. This scents a shift in the mood of the telcos themselves. This change is one that they want, and rather a lot of them are working together to make it happen. So the future mobile network will have more and more x86 and ARM based generic computing boxes running on Linux.
With the introduction of Network Functions Virtualisation base stations will have new functions built into them. For example NSN has announced a mobile edge computing platform that enables mobile base stations to host data and run apps. Think of this as an internet cloud server that’s really close to the customer.
Hybrid Cloud and IT as Service Broker are talked about. Telecom companies and cloud service providers are selling together service packages that have both connectivity and cloud storage sold as single service. Gartner suggests that bringing together personal clouds and external private cloud services is essential.
The type of device one has will be less important, as the personal or public cloud takes over some of the role. The push for more personal cloud technologies will lead to a shift toward services and away from devices, but there are also cases where where there is a great incentive to exploit the intelligence and storage of the client device. Gartner suggests that now through 2018, a variety of devices, user contexts, and interaction paradigms will make “everything everywhere” strategies unachievable, although many would like to see this working.
“Internet of Things” gets more push. The Internet is expanding into enterprise assets and consumer items such as cars and televisions. The concept of “Internet of Things” will evolve a step toward The Internet of Everything. Gartner identifies four basic usage models that are emerging: Manage, Monetize, Operate, Extend. The Internet of Things (IoT) will evolve into the Web of Things, increasing the coordination between things in the real world and their counterparts on the Web. The Industrial Internet of Things will be talked about. IoT takes advantage of mobile devices’ and sensors’ ability to observe and monitor their environments
Car of the future is M2M-ready and has Ethernet. Many manufacturers taking an additional step to develop vehicle connectivity. One such example is the European Commission’s emergency eCall system, which is on target for installation in every new car by 2015.
Smart Home Systems Are on the Rise article tells that most automated technology is found in commercial buildings that feature automated lighting that changes in intensity depending on the amount of sunlight present. Some of these buildings have WiFi incorporated into their lighting systems. There will be new and affordable technology on the market, but people today are still reluctant to bring automation to their homes.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
‘Windows on Devices’ Internet of Things plans web site material in web archive:
http://web.archive.org/web/20130301011953/http://www.windowsfordevices.com/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cat5e data and 250W power in a single cable
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/cat5e-data-and-250w-power-in-a-single-cable.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003629&vID=1323#.Uz0K8VdM0ik
Available at distributor TTI, TE Connectivity’s CLOUDSPLITTER Connector System combines eight signal and two power positions: applications include intelligent building management, video surveillance over IP networks, factory automation, and wireless network transceivers
Electrical characteristics for the CLOUDSPLITTER Connector System are 1.5A/150 VAC/DC for signal data and it provides DC power at 5A up to 50 VDC over two integrated power contacts. Operating temperature range is -40C to +85C.
the CLOUDSPLITTER SMT RJ45 modular jack accepts either CLOUDSPLITTER or standard RJ45 shielded plugs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Win32/Sality newest component: a router’s primary DNS changer named Win32/RBrute
http://www.welivesecurity.com/2014/04/02/win32sality-newest-component-a-routers-primary-dns-changer-named-win32rbrute/
Win32/Sality is a family of malware
Lately, a new component has now appeared with some novel characteristics: the ability to change a residential broadband gateway router’s primary DNS address
Win32/RBrute.A tries to find the administration web pages for routers
If a web page is found, the C&C sends a short list of about ten passwords to the bot and instructs it to perform a brute force password guess attack against the router. If the bot is able to log in to the router, it will then proceed to change the router’s primary DNS server settings.
Tomi Engdahl says:
In Bjørndalen, Norway, a Small Cabin Enjoys Some of the World’s Fastest Internet
Svein Nordahl Has No Running Water, but Quick Access to the Web; More Polar Bears Than People
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303325204579467542262163298?mod=trending_now_2
A few years ago, state-controlled Telenor decided to upgrade Longyearbyen’s infrastructure with fiber optics and a 4G mobile network in an attempt to scrap older technologies like copper, coaxial cable and older generation mobile networks.
“We quickly get feedback on what works and what doesn’t,” Mr. Stødal said during a recent visit to the archipelago.
“Before we got fiber we struggled a bit,” he said. “Capacity used to be unreliable during peak season, but now it is as stable as it gets.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
David Cameron defends BT’s taxpayer-funded broadband ‘monopoly’: It’s a ‘success story’
PM says more detail from telco will allow other firms to ‘fill gaps’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/03/david_cameron_claims_bt_taxpayer_funded_broadband_monopoly_is_a_success_story/
Prime Minister David Cameron has defended BT’s command of the £1.2bn taxpayer-funded deployment of faster broadband access, claiming the one-time national telco had worked hard to make the two-year-late, competition-stifled scheme “a success story”.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Q: Just why are AT&T, banks snubbing kit from Cisco & co? A: Control
We drill into what’s causing seismic shifts in the networking world
http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2014/02/25/atandt_cisco/
Relationships between big data-center buyers and IT providers are dramatic
AT&T’s new supplier program spends less on traditional networking hardware
The Supplier Domain Program 2.0 was announced in September 2013 as a way to help AT&T separate “hardware and software functionality” as well as “network control plane and forwarding planes” along with “improving management of functionality in the software layer.”
an open operating system for networking running on merchant silicon
advanced software on well-understood hardware
Amazon.com, and by extension cloud provider Amazon Web Services, is designing its own networking switches
Google, meanwhile, has been designing its own networking gear for several years as well
For a telco as large and as influential as AT&T to have admitted to the WSJ that its new multi-supplier strategy is saving it money is a big deal.
“They are trying to aggressively move to industry-standard hardware and away from large supplier lock-ins,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
European Parliament passes strong net neutrality law, along with major roaming reforms
http://gigaom.com/2014/04/03/european-parliament-passes-strong-net-neutrality-law-along-with-major-roaming-reforms/
Europe’s crucial telecoms package has passed through its first European Parliament vote, as have amendments that remove loopholes that would have clashed with the open internet.
It’s a good thing the net neutrality argument didn’t sink the whole package, as it also includes new laws to eliminate roaming fees within Europe, creating a truly single market for telecoms services.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google launches Andromeda, a software defined network underlying its cloud
http://gigaom.com/2014/04/02/google-launches-andromeda-a-software-defined-network-underlying-its-cloud/
The Andromeda virtualized network that underlies some of Google’s services is now available to certain customers of Google’s Compute Engine with more zones coming on in the coming months.
For everyone saying that software-defined networking is a pipe dream, Google is about to prove you wrong. The search engine giant and cloud provider said it has made its Andromeda software-defined network platform available in two of its Compute Engine zones, with the rest of its zones transitioning to Andromeda in the coming weeks.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Tesla cars can now ‘do an ET’ without hurting anyone’s bottom line
‘I can tell, you know how I can tell? ‘Cos we’re connected’
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/03/telefonica_jasper_and_tesla_drive_off_into_sunset/
Electric car firm Tesla’s products are almost as talkative as the company’s CEO. They constantly ET* to allow the company to check that the battery is in tip-top condition, the car isn’t being driven badly or that the owner isn’t thinking negative thoughts about Tesla.
The company can collect a huge amount of data, although CEO Elon Musk says: “Tesla data logging is only turned on with explicit written permission from customers, but after Top Gear BS, we always keep it on for media.”
The battery thing is very important
$40,000 it costs to replace a Tesla Roadster’s cells
Telefonica has proudly announced that it’s the M2M (machine to machine) partner for Tesla’s Model S electro-car:
The M2M alliance is run by M2M specialists Jasper Wireless, and is a collaboration between KPN, NTT DOCOMO, Rogers, SingTel, Telefónica, Telstra and Vimpelcom.
Tomi Engdahl says:
European Cybersecurity to standardise under ETSI
http://www.edn-europe.com/en/european-cybersecurity-to-standardise-under-etsi.html?cmp_id=7&news_id=10003751&vID=44#.Uz1R3FdM0il
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has opened a new technical committee on Cybersecurity to address the growing demands for standards in this field.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Did you believe your data traffic was protected?
Finland are the mobile operators do not encrypt LTE networks traffic from the base station forward. The telecommunications sector standardizing organization 3GPP LTE does not require specification of traffic encryption.
The base station access to the premises is not that much of a thing, if you want to get in there. Station on the traffic passing the Ethernet cable.
Germany, for example, all operators encrypt traffic, the USA and the Russian part of the operators are turning to encryption, mainly because of the massive network of organized crime.
“In Finland, we go for encryption only when something happens to an operator. Then everything encrypt traffic, “reckons Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) broadband networks, security expert Ville Autere.
Source: Tietokone
http://www.tietokone.fi/artikkeli/uutiset/uskoitko_dataliikenteesi_olevan_suojassa_suomessa_4g_liikenne_kulkee_salaamattomana
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Google really mulling building a US cellphone network? Allegedly, yes
Web king seeking to build mobile service around Fiber network, says a report
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/04/google_pegged_for_mobile_network_plan/
Google is in the early stages of planning to roll out its own cellphone network, an upstart tech news wire is claiming.
“Such an offering would mean Google customers in places like Kansas City, Mo. could get voice and Internet access through their mobile devices wherever they go.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm unveils MU-MIMO silicon
A bit of spectrum space-saving
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/04/qualcomm_unveils_mumimo_silicon/
A hyped and highly-anticipated feature of the next generation of WiFi kit, MU-MIMO (multi-user multiple in, multiple out), has taken a step towards commercial reality, with chip vendor Qualcomm announcing its first silicon to support the feature.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IEEE signs off on 400 Gb/s Ethernet development
And we shall call it P802.3bs
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/04/ieee_signs_off_on_400_gbs_ethernet_development/
As we foreshadowed last month, the The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has green-lighted development of 400 Gb/s Ethernet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google Weighs a Plunge into Mobile Phone Services
https://www.theinformation.com/Google-Plots-Plunge-into-Mobile-Phone-Services
After thrusting itself into competition with U.S. cable operators, Google is inching closer to competing with wireless carriers, too.
Google executives in recent months discussed their hope to offer a full-fledged wireless service in markets where it offers Google Fiber Internet and TV service, according to two people who have discussed the matter with Google.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet Tube
http://geography.oii.ox.ac.uk/?page=internet-tube
This schematic map shows a simplification of the world’s network of submarine fibre-optic cables.
The map uses data sourced from cablemap.info.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel launches Internet of Things gateway platform based on Quark and Atom chips
Partners taking advantage of the gateway will be introducing products this quarter
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2338003/intel-launches-internet-of-things-gateway-based-on-quark-and-atom-chips
INTEL HAS ANNOUNCED the availability of Intel Gateway Solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), an integrated approach based on Quark and Atom processors.
“This gateway not only has Intel’s processors but also integrated software which is pre-validated. That includes software from both Wind River and McAfee.”
Customers developing gateway products include Shaspa for energy and building automation, Rockontrol for energy management, Transwiseway and Vnomics for transportation, and Zebra Technologies Corp for locating solutions in retail, healthcare and manufacturing.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Open Source Power Line Communication
http://hackaday.com/2014/04/05/open-source-power-line-communication/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook and Google’s Race to Zero
And the Real Opportunity for the Next 5 Billion
https://medium.com/editors-picks/7136fc3e5925
Facebook plans to shell out $19B for WhatsApp, the instant messaging service on-pace to grow to 1 billion users in places like India, Brazil, and Mexico. Google is launching balloons up into the stratosphere via its “Project Loon” (cost undisclosed) to bring Internet connectivity to the billions of people without it.
Facebook, Google, and other tech giants are racing to win the enormous business opportunity created by the next 5 billion people coming online, mostly with their mobile phones.
According to a UN report, more people in the world today have access to mobile phones than toilets. Mobile penetration in emerging markets is around 70-80% in Africa and Southeast Asia. Some countries exceed 90%, a penetration rate greater than any other consumer electronic device.
Balloons and drones make colorful media stories.
Strategy 1: “Zero-rating.” Facebook, Google, and others want to dramatically reduce the cost of access to their sites on mobile devices. When I say drastically reduce the cost, what I really mean is eliminate the data-related cost for users.
Strategy 2: “Consolidated use.”
Now, if I told you that Facebook’s strategy was to become the next Prodigy or AOL, you’d take me for crazy and stop reading right now. But, to a certain degree, that’s exactly what they’re trying to do. In places where zero-rating for Facebook or Google is the key to accessing the Internet, they are the Internet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Fifth Protocol
http://startupboy.com/2014/04/01/the-fifth-protocol/
Cryptocurrencies will create a fifth protocol layer powering the next generation of the Internet.
Humans don’t *need* math-based cryptocurrencies when dealing with other humans. We walk slowly, talk slowly, and buy big things. Credit cards, cash, wires, checks – the world seems fine.
Machines, on the other hand, are far chattier and quicker to exchange information. The Four Layers of the Internet Protocol Suite are constantly communicating. The Link Layer puts packets on a wire. The Internet Layer routes them across networks. The Transport Layer persists communication across a given conversation. And the Application Layer delivers entire documents and applications.
This chatty, anonymous network treats resources as “too cheap to meter.” It’s a giant grid that transfers data but doesn’t transfer value. DDoS attacks, email spam, and flooded VPNs result. Names and identities are controlled by overlords – ICANN, DNS Servers, Facebook, Twitter, and Certificate “Authorities.”
Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin are already trustless – any machine can accept it from any other, securely. They are (nearly) free. They are global
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why There Are So Few ISP Start-Ups In the U.S. ?
One big reason we lack Internet competition: Starting an ISP is really hard
Creating an ISP? You’ll need millions of dollars, patience, and lots of lawyers.
http://arstechnica.com/business/2014/04/one-big-reason-we-lack-internet-competition-starting-an-isp-is-really-hard/
There are probably many reasons that US households have so few choices for Internet service, but not least among them is the fact that starting a new ISP is really difficult, and expensive to boot.
As of Dec. 2012, 29 percent of US households lived in census tracts with one or zero providers offering fixed Internet service of at least 6Mbps
Seems like a huge market opportunity, right? But actually starting a new Internet service is no simple task.
A new fiber provider needs a slew of government permits and construction crews to bring fiber to homes and businesses. It needs to buy Internet capacity from transit providers to connect customers to the rest of the Internet. It probably needs investors who are willing to wait years for a profit because the up-front capital costs are huge.
“I have never seen an independent… start up without having to fight the incumbent legally,” Patten told Ars. “The incumbents are notorious for frivolous delay lawsuits. They know perfectly well they’re frivolous, but it’s a delay tactic.”
Falcon started as a wireless Internet service provider, but moved to a fiber-to-the home system to stay competitive after Comcast arrived.
“Generally the industry prices itself on getting about 30 percent penetration,” so 50 percent was enough to make it worth it.
Falcon offers Internet, TV, and phone services, and while Wagner was there the company purchased bandwidth from multiple providers, evaluating them on reliability and price. “We usually had two different sources for that bandwidth, and we would load balance it out, so if there was a problem with routing and pathing, we could easily adjust,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Qualcomm set to boost public WiFi speeds with 802.11ac and MU-MIMO
Will offer two to three times more network capacity
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2338427/qualcomm-set-to-boost-public-wifi-speeds-with-80211ac-and-mu-mimo
technology rather confusingly named multi-user, multiple-input and multiple-output (MU-MIMO).
Qualcomm said that MU-MIMO is the first Vive 4-stream 802.11ac technology and will aid the “growing number of connected devices in homes, offices and public hotspots”.
MU-MIMO must be used on both sides of the connection in order to work to its full potential, Qualcomm said.
MU-MIMO is built into all of Qualcomm Atheros’ latest 802.11ac client products, and is supported on the Snapdragon 805 and Snapdragon 801 mobile processors, Qualcomm added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cable-adapter combo enables voice, data, cable TV and power over single medium
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/datwyler-rj45iec.html
Dual-mode Category 7A cables and an RJ45-IEC adapter, all available from Datwyler, form a media solution that enables a single medium to deliver voice and data transmission as digital-television signals and power to the end devices.
The company says that its Category 7A cables allow both differential mode and common mode transmission.
“These dual-mode cables therefore really are universally suitable for transmitting speech, for the transmission of data at a rate of up to 10 Gbits per second, of BC signals for digital cable TV up to 862 Megahertz and, not least, for the remote supply of power to end devices,”
In addition to the dual-mode cables, shielded modules of at least Category 6A and Datwyler’s new RJ45-IEC adapter are neede
Tomi Engdahl says:
Powered fiber cable pushes deployment limits
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/te-powered-fiber-article.html
One of the big challenges to deploying small cells, HD CCTV cameras, digital signage, Wi-Fi hotspots, and other remote devices is finding a local source of power for them.
Today, there are two alternatives to addressing this challenge: powered fiber cable and Power over Ethernet (PoE). In this article, we’ll look at powered fiber cable and PoE, and we’ll also take a look at the Carrier Ethernet 2.0 standard that enables service providers to deliver Ethernet over their infrastructure.
In a powered fiber system, each cable is capable of powering a 25W device at a distance of up to one kilometer, giving the system much farther reach than POE systems. An optional media converter allows the powered fiber cable system to be used for PoE if desired.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Pre-standard Category 8 cable
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/05/datwyler-cu82034p.html
The CU 8203 4P cable from Datwyler is a “compact, S/FTP AWG23 cable which complies fully with the anticipated requirements of the new Category 8.2 as specified in the ISO/IEC draft,” the company says.
balanced cabling systems for 40-Gbit/sec
The ISO/IEC TR 11801-99-1 draft “defines a point-to-point connection between active devices at a maximum distance of 30 meters,” Datwyler explains, “comprising 26 meters of installation cable and 2 meters of patch cable on either side. Such a connection can replace expensive fiber-optic and twinax cabling in data centers.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Panasonic develops new multi-mode wireless technology for M2M sensor networks
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/panasonic-m2m-wireless.html
The company says the first-of-its kind technology is based on a single LSI [large-scale integration] chip that can simultaneously detect multiple wireless communication standards, which differ from one country to another or in the target applications.
The new LSI helps create a small and power-saving wireless module that will continue to operate for around 20 years on one battery (when used in a smart meter or HEMS child device, and receiving/transmitting information every 30 seconds using a 1200mAh industrial-use lithium-ion battery).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Low-power fiber-optic transmission modules leverage POF
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/toshiba-toslink-new-modules.html
Toshiba has announced new additions to its Toslink series of fiber-optic transmission modules that support a data rate of direct current (DC) to 10 Mb/s for distances up to 100 m using plastic optical fiber (POF).
With the new Toslink fiber-optic modules, transmission distances of 40 m to 100 m can be achieved with a 6 mA drive current, and distances of 0.2 m to 50 m with a 1.5 mA drive current.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DynDNS Cuts Back Free DNS Options
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/11/12/17/0141213/dyndns-cuts-back-free-dns-options
‘free’ non-commercial service from DynDNS has been deprecated.
“home router infrastructure out there has been built around the promise of free dynamic DNS service. Most manufacturers offer DynDNS as their only option.”
“Existing users, it says, will see no changes”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet is a TOOL OF SATAN that destroys belief, study claims
That’s me in the chatroom, losing my religion
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/07/internet_is_the_tool_of_satan_and_destroys_belief_study_claims/
A US computer scientist has released a study claiming to have found out why so many Americans are abandoning their religious faith and says it’s the internet’s fault.
“Internet use decreases the chance of religious affiliation,” reports Allen Downey, professor of computer science at Olin school of engineering.
Downey found that the biggest influence on religious belief was whether or not children had been raised in a particular faith.
Americans in higher education these days, you’d expect to see a drop in religiosity.
But internet use is another factor likely to reduce one’s belief in a Supreme Being (or Beings, if you’re a polytheist), he argues, noting that internet use rose from virtually nothing in 1990 to over three-quarters of the US populace 20 years later.
Internet use is certainly causing religions many problems.
But, based on Downey’s data, it may be a bit of a stretch to blame the loss of faith on the internet.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The EU Court ruled the Data Retention Directive to be illegal
European Court of Justice found 8 In its April 2014 decision that the EU Data Retention Directive is invalid.
The Data Retention Directive, the so-called forced to save the Directive provides that electronic communications service providers for the service users’ traffic and location data, as well as the service the subscriber or user to identify the appropriate information needed. However, the Directive prohibits the content and applied for storing the data.
The Court stated that the directive in question deal with the protection of privacy and personal data protection of the fundamental rights of a large scale and in a particularly severe.
- The Court’s decision is a clear statement on the confidentiality of communications. The decision will inevitably have an impact on the Finnish debate on the need for mass intelligence. I
Source: http://www.lvm.fi/tiedote/4395687/eu-tuomioistuin-totesi-tietojen-sailyttamista-koskevan-direktiivin-laittomaksi#.U0QDq_ajfZo.twitter
Tomi Engdahl says:
400 Gigabit Ethernet Task Force rolls up sleeves
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/400g-task-force.html
The effort to create specifications for 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GbE) has reached a major milestone with the formal creation of the IEEE P802.3bs Task Force.
The Task Force will tackle Ethernet Media Access Control (MAC) parameters, physical layer specifications, and management parameters for Ethernet transmission at 400 Gbps. This will include the creation of Physical Medium Dependent Sublayers (PMDs) for such applications as 100 m over multimode fiber and 500 m, 2 km, and 10 km via singlemode fiber.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TIA to remove the word ‘Tier’ from its 942 Data Center standards
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/03/tia-942-tiers.html?cmpid=$trackid
Coinciding with this statement, the TIA re-issued the ANSI/TIA-942-A standard with the editorial change that removed the word “Tier” from the annex that discusses cabling-system redundancy.
The cabling schematics and practices prescribed in the original 942-A remain what they were, and under the newly re-issued ANSI/TIA-942-A, achieving a certain level of redundancy requires exactly what it required under the original. The only difference is the elimination of the word “Tier.”
“TIA and the Uptime Institute share the vision of greater efficiency to data center designs. TIA’s TR-42 Engineering Committee will continue to establish and improve voluntary consensus-based standards that enable the data centers which our consumers and businesses demand. “
Tomi Engdahl says:
Industry alliance developing 100G-over-duplex-singlemode specification
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/clr4100g-alliance.html
The CLR4 100G Industry Alliance, anchored by Intel Corporation and Arista Networks, has set an aggressive timetable for the development of an open, multi-vendor specification under which coarse wave-division multiplexed (CWDM) long-wavelength transceivers will be built. The transceivers will take the QSFP form factor and enable 2-kilometer 100-Gbit/sec transmission over duplex singlemode fibers. 100G CLR4 systems will consume less than 3.5 Watts, the alliance said when announcing the new technology, and it will enable the deployment of 36, 100G ports in a single RU.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Data center, enterprise switch market hinges on specialized products, partnerships
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/delloro-specialized-ethernet-switching.html
A new report from Dell’Oro Group reveals what the firm sees as gathering momentum in the trend towards vendor product specialization and partnerships to deliver tailored Ethernet Switch platforms.
According to the firm’s latest research, while customer requirements have always influenced the features that vendors incorporate into their Ethernet Switch products, the migration in the data center towards 10 Gigabit Ethernet for server access has underlined the reality that vendors are introducing unique products optimized for specific network deployments.
“Distinct requirements will force many vendors to specialize in certain segments or to partner with other vendors to offer customers a complete solution portfolio,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
EU court rejects requirement to keep data of telecom users
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/08/us-eu-data-ruling-idUSBREA370F020140408
The European Union’s highest court on Tuesday overthrew a rule that required telecoms companies to store the communications data of EU citizens for up to two years, on the grounds that it infringed on basic rights.
Brussels introduced the data-retention directive in March 2006 after bombings on public transport in Madrid and London. The aim was to give the authorities better tools to investigate and prosecute organised crime and terrorism.
The rule had required telecoms service providers to keep traffic and location data as well as other information needed to identify the user, but not the content of the communication.
Tomi Engdahl says:
WiFi Chip Tracks Indoor Location
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321718&
Broadcom announced today an 802.11ac SoC designed for indoor positioning applications. The BCM43462 SoC will be demonstrated at Interop, April 1 through April 3 in Las Vegas.
“Venue operators — from stadiums and malls to campuses and dense urban areas — are all looking for ways to provide indoor location tracking capability and monetize their WiFi infrastructure,” Mike Powell, director of product marketing for Broadcom’s Infrastructure and Networking Group, told EE Times.
Analysts at ABI Research expect location-based technology installations to reach 25,000 this year, with over 100 million mobile devices supporting indoor location within two years. Indoor location technology could be used to provide better mapping applications and targeted advertising.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Asia’s internet in peril as cable network breaks in TWO places
Philippine telco tries to calm angry customers with backup plan
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/01/apac_cable_network_breaks_outage/
Asia Pacific’s internet traffic is likely to be up the spout until mid-April after a key pan-regional undersea cable system suffered damage in two places.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Internet of Things blow up the amount of data: 44 trillion gigabytes by 2020
The World’s data volume is estimated that by 2020, ten times or more from the current approximately 4.4 trillion GB to 44 trillion gigabytes. The biggest factor affecting the rate of growth is the Internet of Things, which allows the network devices grows to tens of billions, evaluating EMC’s recent Digital Universe study.
The study carried out according to IDC, the world is now about $ 200 billion a device or object in general can be connected to the Internet. However, only 7 per cent (about 14 billion) is connected to the Internet and the data produced is responsible for only about 2 percent of the world’s total amount of data.
The survey found that the Internet of Things to multiply the recoverable amount of data. EMC and IDC estimates that in 2013 about 22 per cent of all the data has been utilized in some way, or for further processing, but in practice, only 5 percent of this useful data to be analyzed.
Internet of Things will increase by the year 2020, the recoverable portion of the data up to 35 per cent of our data.
Source: Tietoviikko
http://www.tietoviikko.fi/kaikki_uutiset/esineiden+internet+rajayttaa+datan+maaran+44+biljoonaa+gigatavua+vuonna+2020/a980946
Tomi Engdahl says:
Surveillance is the Business Model of the Internet: Bruce Schneier
http://www.securityweek.com/surveillance-business-model-internet-bruce-schneier
“Surveillance is the business model of the Internet,” Schneier told attendees. “We build systems that spy on people in exchange for services. Corporations call it marketing.”
The data economy—the growth of mass data collection and tracking—is changing how power is perceived, Schneier said in his keynote speech. The Internet and technology has changed the impact a group can have on others, where dissidents can use the Internet to amplify their voices and extend their reach. Governments already have a lot of power to begin with, so when they take advantage of technology, their power is magnified, he said.
“That’s how you get weird situations where Syrian dissidents use Facebook to organize, and the government uses Facebook to arrest its citizens,” Schneier said.
Data is currency, and consumers are willing to hand over their information in exchange for “free or convenience,” Schneier said. Companies such as Facebook and Google want the data so that they can sell more stuff. Users hand it over to play games, to get email, or some other benefit. “I like to think of this as a feudal model. At a most fundamental model, we are tenant farming for companies like Google. We are on their land producing data,” he said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast wins! (Worst company in America)
http://www.cnet.com/news/comcast-wins-worst-company-in-america/
In the Consumerist’s annual competition, Comcast defeated Monsanto in a pulsatingly close poll — and just as it’s trying to take over Time Warner Cable too.
So as Comcast persuades Congress that its takeover of Time Warner Cable will be good for all concerned (especially all concerned at Comcast), I hear news of another Comcast triumph.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why the IETF Isn’t Working
http://tech.slashdot.org/story/14/04/13/0428208/why-the-ietf-isnt-working
“left the IETF because standards bodies are not able to keep up with the rapid pace of tech development.”
“consensus is the lack of leadership” have come to life. In the name of consensus, we debate frivolous details forever. In the name of patents, we never finish.”
Why I quit writing internet standards
By Vidya Narayanan, guest contributor
http://gigaom.com/2014/04/12/why-i-quit-writing-internet-standards/
After contributing to standards organizations for more than seven years, engineer Vidya Narayanan decided it was time to move on. Although she still believes that these organizations make the Internet a better place, she wonders about the pace of change versus the pace of organizations.
several years ago, when I was nominated for the Internet Architecture Board, I decided it was not for me
Consider the Internet of Everything (IoE), one of the hottest topics of today. The Internet of Everything, you say? Surely, this must be built on interoperable standards! How can you possibly be talking to everything, from lightbulbs to toothbrushes to phones without interoperability? That sounds absurd!
And you would be right; there is a need for interoperability. But what is the minimum we need? Is it IP? Is it some link layer defined by IEEE, such as 802.15.4? Or Bluetooth 4.0? HTTP perhaps? It is useful to remember that none of these are fully sufficient to have IoE working in a meaningful way that is of some use to the user or the end consumer. And yet, while we wait on some inevitable PHY (physical) and MAC (link layer) protocols that must be defined by IEEE, once that is in place, we are ready to roll.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Optical Diode Reverses Time, Making Photo-Based IC Possible
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1321884&
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have built what could become a critical component for microprocessor circuits that crunch data using light rather than electricity. The group developed a system of optical resonators that intensifies light traveling in one direction and weakens it to virtually nothing in the other — and shrank the whole thing down so it’s small enough to fit on a silicon chip.
The component does the same job that a simple diode would in an electrical system. It does so using a twisting concept of quantum mechanics that not only keeps light flowing in one direction and not the other, but appears to let more energy out of the device than went in.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Google looks to LTE and Wi-Fi to help it lube YouTube tubes
Bandwidth hogger needs tube embiggenment if it’s to succeed
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/04/14/google_looks_to_lte_wifi_to_boost_youtube/
There were reports last week that Google is considering taking an MVNO mobile network and using it as a fall back for a Wi-Fi first service – in the areas where it has fibre in the ground in the US.
Faultline thinks this is a great idea.
If Google really wants YouTube to be the “daily destination of a generation” (its words) it needs to help existing MNOs deliver YouTube without eating up half of their bandwidth
As viewing moves slowly from TVs to portable devices, YouTube has to make the same journey or die. And if it wants YouTube to be made up more of TV channels (it now claims 500 channels with at least 1 million subs each), then it needs collaboration with LTE providers, not competition.
So the rumour also has it that Google wants such collaboration with mobile operators in partnership, rather than just hitching a ride over their networks.
In other countries Google may find it easier to woo mobile operators with collaborative deals, given the growing impact of YouTube videos on their bandwidth.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cat 5e, 6 cables achieve HDBase-T certification
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/ice-hdbaset.html
ICE Cable Systems recently announced that its Category 5e and Category 6 cables have received HDBase-T certification, meeting the specifications established by the HDBase-T Alliance. The HDBase-T connectivity standard for residential and commercial distribution of uncompressed HD multimedia content features the trademarked 5Play technology “a feature set that converges uncompressed full HD digital video, audio, 100Base-T Ethernet, power-over-cable and various control signals through a single LAN cable,” ICE Cable Systems explained when it announced its cables’ certification.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: Anixter had no bidders
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/anixter-bidders.html
Bloomberg has reported that the bidding process for the acquisition of Anixter has come to a halt, as numerous potential bidders chose not to make offers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
For industrial cabling systems physical characteristics are paramount
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/print/volume-22/issue-3/features/for-industrial-cabling-systems-physical-characteristics-are-paramount.html?cmpid=EnlCIMApril142014
In order to carry information successfully, the cable and connectivity components must withstand their unfriendly surroundings.
From more-tightly twisted pairs to a higher grade of optical fiber (i.e. Om3, Om4), what is inside a cable largely determines its performance. Along with cables, connecting hardware also achieves a certain performance level based primarily on the inner details of its design and construction. Of course, the installation of these systems is a professional craft, and the manner in which the cable is terminated to connecting hardware to create a cabling circuit is critically important to performance as well.
ANSI/TIA-1005-A includes information organized into the following topics: Industrial Areas, Telecommunications Spaces, Telecommunications Pathways, Firestopping, Backbone Cabling, Horizontal Cabling, Work Area, Grounding and Bonding, and Industrial Cabling Performance Requirements. The standard’s annexes include information on two-pair 100-ohm twisted-pair cabling, the use of more than four connectors in a channel, and the extension of fiber-optic channels.
Later, the paper explains that the characteristics “flex life” and “flexibility” are not synonymous. “Some cable constructions may appear to possess limited flexibility, but perform very well in continuous flex applications, such as robotics,” the paper explains. “Other cables may seem to enjoy maximum flexibility, yet possess a very limited life when it comes to continuous flexing applications.”
“A high-bandwidth, rugged and reliable cabling solution is indispensable for industrial networking as adoption of increased data rates emerges,” t
Tomi Engdahl says:
Report: 40 million new broadband subscribers in 2013; copper-based infrastructure still dominant
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2014/04/broadband-forum-copper-dominant.html
Year-end figures for broadband and IPTV adoption show a steady growth in broadband subscribers but slowing as older markets reach saturation. The figures, published by the Broadband Forum and prepared by market research firm Point Topic, highlight the addition of over 40 million new users, an annual increase of 6.15%, bringing the total number of broadband lines up to 678.5 million worldwide.
The figures show that copper-based broadband technologies (DSL, ADSL, and ADSL2+) continue to be dominant, although fiber-optic broadband technologies (which include VDSL and VDSL2, according to the Broadband Forum) are taking a firmer grip with growth rates of 17.6% overall. Although DSL remains the predominant technology, fiber continues to outpace all access types in new deployments, according to the analysts.
“There are signs that fiber infrastructure in Africa will start to make an impact going forward. The relatively low deployment rate of DSL means any further growth can be based on optical technologies. Fixed wireless will also make up an increasing proportion of Africa’s subscribers in the coming quarters. With acceptable bandwidths and much lower deployment costs, the technologies that make up this sector are well placed to gain market share.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Steve Forbes: Copper cabling is obsolete
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2013/04/steve-forbes-copper.html
In an opinion column posted on FoxNews.com, Steve Forbes criticizes federal and state rules “requiring providers to maintain a copper wire infrastructure even though it has become impractical, inefficient and very costly.”
He further points to “next-generation wireless and fiber networks” as a more-viable technological and economic alternative to carriers’ old copper plant.
“Regulations should not favor a century-old technology over the most cutting-edge of today’s services.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connect MORE
http://www.ti.com/ww/en/internet_of_things/index.html?DCMP=ConnectMore&HQS=iot
Texas Instruments is connecting the IoT now with the industry’s broadest portfolio of embedded wireless connectivity technologies, microcontrollers, processors and analog solutions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IoT Readiness
http://www.ti.com/ww/en/internet_of_things/challenges.html
The building blocks of technology require delivery on the most fundamental challenges.