It’s always interesting (and dangerous) to lay out some predictions for the future of technology, so here are a few visions:
The exponential growth of broadband data is driving wireless (and wired) communications systems to more effectively use existing bandwidth. Mobile data traffic continues to grow, driven both by increased smartphone subscriptions and a continued increase in average data volume per subscription, fueled primarily by more viewing of video content. Ericsson forecasts mobile video traffic to grow by around 50% annually through 2022, to account for nearly 75% of all mobile data traffic. Social networking is the second biggest data traffic type. To make effective use of the wireless channel, system operators are moving toward massive-MIMO, multi-antenna systems that transmit multiple wide-bandwidth data streams—geometrically adding to system complexity and power consumption. Total mobile data traffic is expected to grow at 45% CAGR to 2020.
5G cellular technology is still in development, and is far from ready in 2017. As international groups set 2020 deadline to agree on frequencies and standards for the new equipment, anything before that is pre-standard. Expect to see many 5G announcements that might not be what 5G will actually be when standard is ready. The boldest statement is that Nokia & KT plan 2017 launch of world’s first mobile 5G network in South Korea in 2017: commercial trial system to operate in the 28GHz band. Wireless spectrum above 5 GHz will generate solutions for a massive increase in bandwidth and also for a latency of less than 1 ms.
CableLabs is working toward standardization of an AP Coordination protocol to improve In-Home WiFi as one access point (AP) for WiFi often is not enough to allow for reliable connection and ubiquitous speed to multiple devices throughout a large home. The hope is that something will be seen mid-2017. A mesh AP network is a self-healing, self-forming, self-optimizing network of mesh access points (MAPs).
There will be more and more Gigabit Internet connections in 2017. Gigabit Internet is Accelerating on All Fronts. Until recently, FTTH has been the dominant technology for gigabit. Some of the common options available now include fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 over cable’s HFC plant, G.Fast over telco DSL networks, 5G cellular, and fiber-to-the-building coupled with point-to-point wireless. AT&T recently launched its AT&T Fiber gigabit service. Cable’s DOCSIS 3.0 and 3.1 are cheaper and less disruptive than FTTH in that they do not require a rip-and-replace of the existing outside plant. DOCSIS 3.1, which has just begun to be deployed at scale, is designed to deliver up to 10 Gbps downstream Internet speeds over existing HFC networks (most deployments to date have featured 1 Gbps speeds). G.Fast is just beginning to come online with a few deployments (typically 500 meters or less distance at MDU). 5G cellular technology is still in development, and standards for it do not yet exist. Another promising wireless technology for delivering gigabit speeds is point-to-point millimeter wave, which uses spectrum between 30 GHz and 300 GHz.
There are also some trials for 10 Gbit/s: For example Altice USA (Euronext:ATC) announced plans to build a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network capable of delivering broadband speeds of up to 10 Gbps across its U.S. footprint. The five-year deployment plan is scheduled to begin in 2017.
Interest to use TV white space increases in 2017 in USA. The major factors driving the growth of the market include providing low-cost broadband to remote and non-line-of-sight regions. Rural Internet access market is expected to grow at a significant rate between 2016 and 2022. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global TV white space market was valued at $1.2 million in 2015 and is expected to reach approximately $53.1 million by 2022, at a CAGR of 74.30% during the forecast period.
The rapid growth of the internet and cloud computing has resulted in bandwidth requirements for data center network. This is in turn expected to increase the demand for optical interconnects in the next-generation data center networks.
Open Ethernet networking platforms will make a noticeable impact in 2017. The availability of full featured, high performance and cost effective open switching platforms combined with open network operating systems such as Cumulus Networks, Microsoft SoNIC, and OpenSwitch will finally see significant volume uptake in 2017.
Network becomes more and more software controlled in 2017.NFV and SDN Will Mature as Automated Networks will become Production systems. Over the next five years, nearly 60 percent of hyperscale facilities are expected to deploy SDN and/or NFV solutions. IoT will force SDN adoption into Campus Networks.
SDN implementations are increasingly taking a platform approach with plug and play support for any VNF, topology, and analytics that are instrumented and automated. Some companies are discovering the security benefits of SDN – virtual segmentation and automation. The importance of specific SDN protocols (OpenFlow, OVSDB, NetConf, etc.) will diminish as many universes of SDN/NFV will solidify into standard models. More vendors are opening up their SDN platforms to third-party VNFs. In Linux based systems eBPF and XDP are delivering flexibility, scale, security, and performance for a broad set of functions beyond networking without bypassing the kernel.
For year 2016 it was predicted that gigabit ethernet sales start to decline as the needle moving away from 1 Gigabit Ethernet towards faster standards (2.5 or 5.0 or 10Gbps; Nbase-T is basically underclocked 10Gbase-T running at 2.5 or 5.0Gbps instead of 10Gbps). I have not yet seen the result from this prediction, but that does not stop from making new ones. So I expect that 10GbE sales will peak in 2017 and start a steady decline after 2017 as it is starts being pushed aside by 25, 50, and 100GbE in data center applications. 25Gbit/s Ethernet is available now from all of the major server vendors. 25 can start to become the new 10 as it offers 2.5x the throughput and only a modest price premium over 10Gbit/s.
100G and 400G Ethernet will still have some implementation challenges in 2017. Data-center customers are demanding a steep downward trajectory in the cost of 100G pluggable transceivers, but existing 100G module multi-source agreements (MSAs) such as PSM4 and CWDM4 have limited capacity for cost reduction due to the cost of the fiber (PSM4) and the large number of components (both PSM4 and CWDM4). It seems that dual-lambda PAM4 and existing 100G Ethernet (100GE) solutions such as PSM4 and CWDM4 will not be able to achieve the overall cost reductions demanded by data-center customers. At OFC 2016, AppliedMicro showcased the world’s first 100G PAM4 single-wavelength solution for 100G and 400G Ethernet. We might be able to see see 400GE in the second half of 2017 or the early part of 2018.
As the shift to the cloud is accelerating in 2017, the traffic routed through cloud-based data centers is expected to quadruple in the next four years according to the results of the sixth annual Global Cloud Index published by Cisco. Public cloud is growing faster than private cloud. An estimated 68 percent of cloud workloads will be deployed in public cloud data centers by 2020, up from 49 percent in 2015. According to Cisco, hyperscale data centers will account for 47 percent of global server fleet and support 53 percent of all data center traffic by 2020.
The modular data center market has experienced a high growth and adoption rate in the last few years, and is anticipated to experience more of this trend in years to come. Those data centers are typically built using standard 20 ft. container module or standard 40 ft. container module. Modular data center market is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 24.1% during period 2016 – 2025, to account for US$ 22.41 billion in 2025. Also in 2017 the first cracks will start to appear in Intel’s vaunted CPU dominance.
The future of network neutrality is unsure in 2017 as the Senate failed to reconfirm Democratic pro-net neutrality FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, portending new Trump era leadership and agenda Net neutrality faces extinction under Trump. Also one of Trump’s advisers on FCC, Mark Jamison, argued last month that the agency should only regulate radio spectrum licenses, scale back all other functions. When Chairman Tom Wheeler, the current head of the FCC, steps down, Republicans will hold a majority.
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Tomi Engdahl says:
Fluke Networks introduces DSX-8000 Category 8 tester
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/01/fluke-networks-dsx-8000-category-8-tester.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-01-30
Fluke Networks introduced the DSX-8000 CableAnalyzer today. The company says the DSX-8000 is “the first tester independently certified and endorsed to meet all requirements for the Category 8 field testing standard.” The latest addition to Fluke Networks’ Versiv cable certification family, the Category 8 tester “helps data communications installers more quickly, accurately and profitably achieve system acceptance for copper and fiber jobs,” the company stated.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Platinum Tools launches ezEX-RJ45 termination system at BICSI; modular crimper eases handling of larger-diameter twisted-pair cables
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/01/platinum-ezex-bicsi.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-01-30
“In today’s networks, twisted pair cables are demanding more speed and bandwidth,” observes John Phillips, Platinum Tools, Inc. product manager. “To help meet these requirements, Cat5e/6/6A cables have increased in size. Both the outer diameter of the cable and the insulation diameter of the conductors are larger and vary by manufacturer, making cable and connector compatibility a challenge. Platinum Tools new patented ezEX-RJ45 termination system is the solution, providing greater cable to connector compatibility to meet higher performance demands.”
The patented EXO Crimp Frame is a RJ45 crimp tool that can terminate multiple sizes of cables and conductors. The crimp frame highlights two interchangeable dies that work with the company’s EZ-RJ45 and ezEX-RJ45 connectors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
700 MHz introduction begins in Finland
Finnish telecom operators DNA, Elisa and Sonera will continue to build 4G networks with a new 700 MHz frequency band. Construction work may cause some of the aerial TV viewers disorders that have been promised to repair free of charge.
Previously received a 4G base stations for the 800 MHz frequency band, like the introduction of new base stations may cause interference to a small percentage of TV viewers who watch TV through your aerial. For the majority of Finnish TV-households will not be exposed to any harm.
Source: http://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2017/01/31/700-mhzn-kayttoonotto-alkaa-hairiosivusto-toimintaan/
Tomi Engdahl says:
What is Ethernet’s role in industrial Internet?
Applications demand sensible migration path and robust network.
http://www.controleng.com/single-article/what-is-ethernet-s-role-in-industrial-internet/07b38ef542ca18365f9f86712e3fc9bd.html
Visibility and control of connected IIoT objects calls for high-performance, low-latency networks with remote management capabilities.
Today’s industrial networks, however, largely use specialized network protocols and have diverse installed bases. This makes modernization onto an all IP Ethernet infrastructure complex. Meeting challenges related to system reliability, determinism and security calls for using Ethernet switching solutions, programmable devices, high-precision timing, Power over Ethernet (PoE) and application-optimized software.
IIoT network security must be multi-layered to protect the data, management, and control planes, particularly for M2M communications. A typical approach relies on data encryption; traffic control; authentication, authorization and accounting (AAA); and data integrity.
As to networkwide encryption, MACsec (IEEE 802.1AE) and Keysec (now part of IEEE 802.1X) are the L2 encryption and key management protocols to secure Ethernet physical ports and VLANs. Further enhancing confidentiality, IEEE 802.1AEbn includes strong 256-bit encryption now required by certain government agencies.
While encryption alone is insufficient to secure a network, using strong 256-bit encryption like MACsec in networking equipment and end points is a means to authentication, data integrity and user confidentiality. Leveraging FPGAs with built-in security capabilities can be used to provide a root of trust in a system.
For deterministic performance and network reliability, the expectation is that specific functions occur within a precise timeframe. This is possible when each network element is time-aware and recognizes whether it delivered Ethernet packets “on time.”
But this is only one part of the solution. A mechanism to synchronize and distribute precise “time” in Ethernet exists today using IEEE 1588v2; however, the latest Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards bring system developers a very time-oriented style of traffic scheduling.
Besides usability and performance, for example, IEEE 802.1ASbt adds one-step time stamp support. Reduced packet numbers are needed to convey network timing information versus a two-step process in the prior generation standard.
While Ethernet with TSN will finally be a plausible deterministic backbone for industrial networks, proprietary interfaces will remain in place. FPGAs/SoCs that have the capability to translate between Ethernet, IEEE 1588, TSN and specialized industrial protocols while keeping deterministic behavior will be critical.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Citing surging Ethernet demand, CommScope showcases 10G to 400G high-speed network infrastructure at BICSI
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/01/commscope-bicsi.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-01-31
“The world’s insatiable demand for data is pushing IT teams to rethink and retool their network infrastructure,” commented John Schmidt, vice president of data center market development at CommScope. “By next year, there will be approximately 30 billion connected devices — from phones to gaming remotes. That is five per person and a lot of demand placed on data centers around the world. Meeting that demand means building for speed, simplicity and savings.”
“We’re now at the dawn of the next Ethernet era,” said John D’Ambrosia, chairman, Ethernet Alliance. “New technologies like more efficient modulation, transmission schemes and fiber types illustrate just how fast things are changing.”
D’Ambrosia added, “With a diverse array of interoperable, multivendor solutions in place, the Ethernet ecosystem is ready to begin the build-out of next generation, reliable, high-speed networks based on those technologies.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EXFO’s ‘Fast Short Link’ OTDR feature tests high counts of optical short links in data centers
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/01/exfo-fast-short.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-01-31
EXFO Inc. this week introduced its newly released OTDR test feature, “Fast Short Link.” The company contends that the Fast Short Link OTDR feature “is able to characterize high counts of optical short links five times faster than what was possible so far in the industry.”
Fast Short Link is a new capability of EXFO’s iOLM software, designed to drive the company’s line of OTDRs to optimal performance through automation and intelligent diagnostics. The Fast Short Link feature provides link characterization including accurate link loss, length and high-level link mapping, “all in under 10 seconds per fiber,” as stated by EXFO. The new feature is especially designed for applications such as data centers, FTTA, enterprise LAN/WAN, and for any other high count of short links.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Now, it has been decided: roaming fees waived in EU
The EU has finally decided to roaming, ie the abolition of roaming charges within the European Union. Concordance required the wholesale prices between operators agreement.
Since mid June, operators will no longer be allowed to charge customers extra for calls or mobile data in another EU country.
New wholesale prices for voice calls are EUR 0.032 per minute and text messages .01 per message, the EU’s sheet sets .
The data in respect of the price will fall in stages, so that this summer the price of EUR 7.7 gigabytes and ends up to EUR 2.5 gigabytes at the beginning of 2022. Prices for “fair use”.
Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/nyt-se-on-paatetty-roaming-maksuista-luovutaan-tassa-uudet-hinnat-6620284
Tomi Engdahl says:
European Commission – Press release
End of roaming charges: EU negotiators agreed on wholesale prices, the final piece to make it happen
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-193_en.htm
As the last step towards the end of roaming charges by 15 June 2017, representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission agreed on how to regulate wholesale roaming markets (the prices operators charge each other when their customers use other networks when roaming in the EU).
Thanks to yesterday’s political agreement on wholesale rules and the rules on fair use policy and sustainability adopted by the Commission in December 2016, consumers can use their home subscriptions when travelling periodically abroad. If consumers exceed their contract limits when roaming, any additional charges will not be higher than the wholesale roaming caps agreed today.
The Commission will conduct a review of the wholesale market by the end of 2019 and provide the colegislators with an interim assessment by 15 December 2018.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Let’s replace Ethernet with infrared light bouncing off mirrors!
No, seriously. Microsoft-supported scientists think this is a good idea in the data centre
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/01/boffins_want_to_cut_the_cord_in_the_data_centre/
Microsoft-supported boffins hopes to eliminate cables in the data centre entirely.
They’re not, however, deluded enough to think that Wi-Fi is the answer. With thousands of switch ports in a decent data hall, connections have to be uncontested and point-to-point, so the Penn State University researchers have been working on free space optical (FSO) communications over infrared wavelengths.
FSO isn’t itself a new idea, but the university’s added a little special sauce by creating kit that automates the business of aiming the transmitter at the receiver.
Shown off at Photonics West 2017 in San Francisco, Firefly (acronymically tortured out of Free-space optical Inter-Rack nEtwork with high FLexibilitY, we kid you not) proposes FSO to provide multiple 10 Gbps inter-rack links.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Infrared links could simplify data center communications
http://news.psu.edu/story/447946/2017/01/31/research/infrared-links-could-simplify-data-center-communications
“We and others tried radio frequency signaling, but the beams become wide over short distances,” said Mohsen Kavehrad, W. L. Weiss Chair Professor of Electrical Engineering, Penn State. “The buildings could be a mile long and every rack should be able to communicate.”
In an experiment conducted by Microsoft engineers, researchers found that radio-frequency signaling resulted in high interference, limited active links and limited throughput — the amount of data that can go through a system.
“We use a free space optical link,” Kavehrad told attendees today (Jan. 31) at Photonics West 2017 in San Francisco. “It uses a very inexpensive lens, we get a very narrow infrared beam with zero interference and no limit to the number of connections with high throughput.”
According to Kavehrad, data centers may house 400,000 servers on racks filling a mile-long room.
The researchers have designed the Firefly architecture, but it is not yet implemented. They have created a simplified, proof-of-concept system to show that their infrared laser can carry the signal and target the receiver. They are transmitting wavelength division multiplexed — multiple signals sent by different colored lights — bi-directional data streams each carrying data at a transmission rate of 10 Gigabits per second from a Bit Error Rate (BER) test set. BER testing determines the number of errors in a signal caused by interference, noise, distortion or sychronization problems.
The proof of concept setup has the bidirectional signal wavelength division multiplexed with a one-way cable television signal. The total data stream goes from fiber-optic cable to the infrared laser, across the room to the receiver and shows the results on a TV and the BER test set.
The system uses MEMs –microelectromechanical systems — with tiny mirrors for rapid targeting and reconfiguring
Accurately targeting and sending a signal via infrared laser are only two of the hurdles the researchers need to pass before Firefly is operational.
Tomi Engdahl says:
EU announces deal to end all wireless roaming charges starting June 2017
http://venturebeat.com/2017/02/01/eu-announces-deal-to-end-all-wireless-roaming-charges-starting-june-2017/
The European Union took a big step toward creating a Digital Single Market today with the announcement of a deal that would end roaming charges for mobile consumers across the continent.
The plan had originally been announced two years ago when the European Commission unveiled an ambitious plan to create a DSM that would unify the continent’s fractured rules around digital content, ecommerce, and mobile communications.
European Commission – Press release
End of roaming charges: EU negotiators agreed on wholesale prices, the final piece to make it happen
Brussels, 1 February 2017
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-17-193_en.htm
Tomi Engdahl says:
David Shepardson / Reuters:
As FCC chairman, Ajit Pai says he plans to rollback unnecessary commission regulations but declined to comment on net neutrality or the AT&T-Time Warner merger
New FCC chair vows to shrink industry regulations
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-fcc-regulations-idUSKBN15F26Z
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nick Statt / The Verge:
AT&T says it will begin rollout of its “5G Evolution” network with 400 Mbps+ peak theoretical speeds in Austin and Indianapolis later this year — With top speeds starting at 400Mbps — AT&T is paving the way for 5G in the US, starting with an initial rollout in its Austin …
AT&T is starting its 5G rollout with Austin and Indianapolis later this year
With top speeds starting at 400Mbps
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/1/14474434/att-5g-network-launch-austin-indianapolis-markets
AT&T is paving the way for 5G in the US, starting with an initial rollout in its Austin and Indianapolis markets later this year, the company announced at an event in San Francisco today. The telecom is calling this new high-speed network “5G Evolution,” and it’s supposed to reach initial top speeds of 400 Mbps, or about 40 times faster than a standard cellular data connection.
This isn’t true 5G, which is supposed to hit 1 Gbps. However, by the end of the year, AT&T says advancements in the network could allow for theoretical top speeds in the gigabit range
The idea is to use software advancements to make existing hardware more capable
Tomi Engdahl says:
Facebook is closing in on 2 billion users
http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/01/technology/facebook-earnings/
Facebook is quickly closing in on the two billion user mark.
The social network had 1.86 billion monthly active users as of the end of 2016, up from 1.79 billion the previous quarter and 1.59 billion a year earlier, according to its fourth quarter earnings report on Wednesday.
400M people use Facebook Messenger audio and video calling each month
https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/01/facebook-video-calls/
Facebook’s push for video goes well beyond the News Feed. On today’s earnings call, Mark Zuckerberg said 400 million people are making audio and video calls each month, up swiftly from 300 million in just September.
Zuckerberg also reiterated Facebook’s plans for video content. He noted that Facebook is now investing in partners producing longer-form professional videos.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MNOs will lose 5G rewards to new entrants if they will not share networks
Even in rural Australia, sharing is resisted
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/02/mnos_will_lose_5g_rewards_to_new_entrants_if_they_will_not_share_networks/
Analysis The advantages of network sharing seem glaringly obvious in a world where the mismatch between mobile data demand and mobile data ARPU is rushing MNOs’ profits. The need to reduce the cost of delivering those rising tides of data is urgent, but many operators are ready to discuss almost any tactic – Wi-Fi offload, automation, outsourcing, even an early move to more spectrally efficient 5G radios, or an outright merger – rather than consider sharing the RAN load with others.
So will that reluctance to lose control and “enable the competition” end up weakening the 5G business case, delaying deployments and letting non-MNOs, with a more open approach to infrastructure, into the market?
Even in the rising number of markets where regulators permit sharing of active network equipment, the level of RAN sharing remains low (by contrast, there is significant willingness to share passive infrastructure such as towers and transport links). For every operator which has pushed ahead with RAN sharing, such as the UK’s big four, there are several others which reject the notion. This month, AT&T was the latest to argue against the idea that building three or four 5G networks per country would be the only way to get 5G rolled out.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netgear Nighthawk M1: LTE Cat 16 Router up to 1 Gbps
by Anton Shilov on February 2, 2017 12:01 PM EST
http://www.anandtech.com/show/11097/netgear-nighthawk-m1-lte-cat-16-router-1-gbps-carrier-aggregation
Netgear this week announced the Nighthawk M1 mobile router, which is the industry’s first 4G LTE device with download speed up to 1 Gbps. The Nighthawk M1 is powered by Qualcomm’s X16 LTE modem with 4×4 MIMO announced a year ago and will be available only on Telstra’s 4GX LTE network in Australia. As soon as similar networks are launched in different parts of the world, the same router or its derivatives may hit the market elsewhere as well.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Wait To Double Your Network Bandwidth?
http://semiengineering.com/why-wait-to-double-your-network-bandwidth/
Why 25 Gigabit Ethernet is the next logical complement to 10GbE interconnect speed in next-generation data center servers.
10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) has been the economical workhorse high-performance interconnect for data center server networks for years. 40GbE and 100GbE of course are just derivatives of 10GbE, with 4 x 10GbE channels or 10 x 10GbE channels. 10GbE, therefore, has been the building block for server racks everywhere.
The question companies are facing is whether to adopt 25GbE, 40GbE or even 100GbE as they replace or add to their current 100BASE-T or 10BASE-T installation.
Using 10 GbE as the standard server and Top-of-Rack (ToR) switch speed, data centers wanting to upgrade to higher link speeds typically aggregated multiple single-lane 10GbE network Physical layers into 40- or 100GbE speeds.
The evolution of high-speed signaling on a single pair of conductors moved from 10Gbps to 25Gbps. This allowed a 100Gbps link to be implemented by bundling four 25Gbps links together.
The introduction of 25GbE provided a solution with the benefits of enhanced compute and storage efficiency, delivering 2.5 times more data than 10GbE at a similar long-term cost structure.
With 25GbE, companies can run two 25GbE channels to achieve 50GbE or four channels to attain 100GbE
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G & IoT
The next-generation wireless communications tech will boost IoT deployment.
http://semiengineering.com/5g-iot/
“Designing to Evolving 4G and Pre-5G Requirements” was the title of a Tuesday morning tutorial at DesignCon 2017 in Santa Clara, Calif. Talk of 5G naturally segued into Internet of Things discussion during the session.
Enhanced mobile broadband access, massive machine-type communications, and ultra-reliable and low-latency communications will be aspects of 5G, he noted. These attributes will be especially useful in autonomous vehicles, drones, and remote robotics for medical applications.
As is usual with an emerging technology, “commercial 5G” will be available ahead of “official 5G” standards, he commented. “We can’t wait around for these standards to be finalized,” Yegani asserted.
Between 2017 and 2020, there will be “announcements and hype,” he predicted. The years from 2020 to 2025 will see “pilot deployment and tech winners emerge,” he added. For 2025 and beyond, 5G will experience “mass deployment,” he said.
“There’s a lot of noise in the market,” Yegani asserted. “It will take a while to get 5G up and running.” Low latency, a higher data rate and capacity, and more mobility uses, such as connected cars and drones, will drive 5G adoption, he added.
While many industry observers were expecting Ethernet over radio to be a key 5G technology, the reality will be a mix of old and new. The existing Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) “is here to stay,” Snyder said, noting that it will work with Ethernet as eCPRI.
Another new wrinkle is Antenna Integrated Radio (AIR), a concept realized in new products from Ericsson and Nokia, according to Snyder.
For Cisco to fully realize its 5G ambitions, it needs to acquire Ericsson, according to market rumors.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Colin Lecher / The Verge:
FCC closes the inquiries into sponsored-data offerings by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, and Comcast, new agency Chairman Ajit Pai confirms — Under recently departed chief Tom Wheeler, the FCC opened inquiries into how companies might be using free data programs, which allow customers to use …
AT&T and Verizon just got a free pass from the FCC to divide up the internet
http://www.theverge.com/2017/2/3/14501898/att-verizon-t-mobile-sponsored-data-fcc
Under recently departed chairman Tom Wheeler, the FCC opened inquiries into how companies might be using free data programs to anti-competitively favor certain streaming music and video services. But a new, President-Trump-appointed chairman recently took over at the FCC, and according to letters just posted by the agency, the inquiries have been dropped.
Companies that offer such programs allow customers to stream music and video without it counting toward a data plan limit, in a process called “zero-rating.”
Net neutrality advocates have long contended that such programs harm competition by unfairly marginalizing some services, and the nightmare scenario has been a competitive landscape where giant service providers pick winners and losers on a carved-up internet.
“Today, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau is closing its investigation into wireless carriers’ free-data offerings,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Susan Crawford / Backchannel:
Interview with former FCC head Tom Wheeler on the new FCC chairman, Trump administration’s talk of “modernizing” the FCC, municipal broadband, and more — Obama’s FCC head Tom Wheeler talks candidly about the open internet—and why, in Trumpworld, four companies could lock it up.
Here’s Exactly How the Internet Is Now Under Threat
https://backchannel.com/obamas-fcc-head-is-worried-about-our-online-future-628b8f63efc5#.7rlt4ncck
Obama’s FCC head Tom Wheeler talks candidly about the open internet — and why, in Trumpworld, four companies could lock it up.
Tomi Engdahl says:
System-in-Package Gets 100G Link
EEs struggle to keep fast links on copper
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331294
An emerging 100-Gbit/s standard aims to create a lower-cost alternative to 2.5D chip stacks. Proponents believe that the ultra-short-reach interface could help to spawn an ecosystem for a growing set of system-in-package (SiP) designs.
The effort is one of many trying to craft 100G links in part so next-generation systems in data centers can handle the deluge of mobile and internet traffic. Engineers aim to make changes in chips, boards, and systems to enable 100G on copper, staving off for another generation a move to more expensive optical links.
The Common Electrical Interface 112G for multichip modules is one of the shortest of all of the efforts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This many standards is dumb: Decoding 25Gb Ethernet and beyond
Cease this silliness with haste
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/06/decoding_25gb_ethernet_and_beyond/
The 25 and 50Gb switching standards have finally been ratified. Switches from various manufacturers have been available for some time, but now there’s a better than average chance they’ll interoperate with one another. While more speed is generally good, the 25 and 50Gb standards will complicate things for data centre administrators by making us have to think carefully about which 100Gb switches we buy.
To understand the chaos we’re stepping into with 25 and 50Gb it is important to understand the history of 10Gb Ethernet, which is actually a jumble of different standards, and not all of them actually go at 10Gb.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Watch what happens when a counterfeit cable undergoes a burn test
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/ccca-counterfeit-cable-burn-test-steiner-tunnel.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-06
The Communications Cable and Connectivity Association (CCCA) recently produced a video that includes footage of counterfeit cable being subjected to a burn test, with drastic results. Available on YouTube, the three-minute video begins with a dramatic question: “Communications cable, or fuse?” Much of the rest of the video depicts footage indicating that question is not just hyperbole.
After referencing the existence of standards from TIA and fire codes from NFPA, the video’s narrator explains, “It’s in everyone’s best interest that if a fire breaks out in a building, communications cables don’t act like a fuse and carry fire all over the building. The sad truth is, there are cable manufacturers that are manufacturing communications cable that does not pass fire and life-safety building codes. However, they are labeling this cable with all the markings you might expect to find on properly constructed cables.”
“The difference between properly manufactured cables that have been UL tested and certified, versus counterfeit cables utilizing non-compliant cable designs and materials is clear.”
CCCA Counterfeit Communications Cable Fire Test
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sx0PhGlofE
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to distinguish CCA cables from Copper Cables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cHvW2d-TfQ
How to identify CCA through mechanical performances, how to identify CCA thanks to electrical performance testing (certification)
Comparing Pure Copper Cat 5e vs CCA Cat 5e
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4lXNiMW4hE
Testing 108 pixels Pure Stranded Copper Cat 5e compared to using CCA Cat 5e cable. Distance from the power supply to the pixels is 35 feet for each cable.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Passive optical LAN allows Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel to provide fiber to the room
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/atlanta-marriott-marquis-passive-optical-lan.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-06
Tellabs, along with solutions integrator VT Group, recently announced the completion of a passive optical LAN (POL) installation at the 52-story Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel. “Though challenged by the Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s center atrium architecture [pictured on this page], the passive optical LAN delivered substantial benefits for Marriott, including less cabling, reduction in telecommunications rooms and a fiber-to-the-room design that efficiently converged guest services,” Tellabs said when announcing the successful project.
“Marriott International has been an advocate for fiber-to-the-room technology for over three years, since it allows them to deliver higher bandwidth, with more security, in a smaller footprint, that benefits their hotel guests, employees, owners and operators,” Tellabs continued. “With this fiber-based infrastructure in place, hotel owners, operators and developers are now in control of their network future; they are no longer technology-dependent and they possess greater flexibility for addressing network change.”
“Tellabs Optical LAN was the optimal cost-effective answer that delivered improved network performance demanded by Marriott’s guests. The Tellabs Optical LAN was the best choice for Marriott to deliver on the expectations of the tech-savvy guests accessing mobile check-in, location services, mobile room key and digital concierge services from their smartphones, tablets, laptops and even wearable devices.”
A Tellabs 1150E optical line terminal (OLT) was positioned in a main distribution frame; from there fiber was connected to optical network terminals (ONTs) located behind access paneling in each guest room. In between, there were far fewer, smaller core holes needed per floor than would have been the case with a hierarchical-star topology. Existing custodial closets were used to position the passive optical splitters. This architectural approach is what eliminated the need for 22 telecom rooms.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Oracle co-CEO predicts 80% of corporate data centers will be gone by 2025
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/01/oracle-co-ceo-predicts-80-of-corporate-data-centers-will-be-gone-by-2025.html
Oracle Corp. co-CEO Mark Hurd said on Tuesday [Jan. 17] that the company expects 80% of corporate data centers to disappear by 2025, as the cloud becomes the primary way that information technology is deployed. Hurd explained that as more and more applications move to the cloud, a tipping point will be crossed and the economic rationale for standalone corporate facilities will in turn diminish.
Oracle CEO Hurd Says 80% of Corporate Data Centers Gone by 2025
Oracle forecast says 80 percent of production applications will move to cloud within eight years
http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2017/01/17/oracle-co-ceo-mark-hurd-says-80-of-corporate-data-centers-gone-by-2025/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joint Ethernet Alliance, NBASE-T Alliance Plugfest demonstrates market-readiness of 2.5GBASE-T, 5GBASE-T products
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/ea-nbt-plugfest.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-06
The Ethernet Alliance, a global consortium dedicated to the advancement of Ethernet technologies, and NBASE-T Alliance, an industry-wide cooperative effort focused on enabling the development and deployment of products that support 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T Ethernet, have shared co-findings from their recent plugfest. The two organizations’ first-ever joint test event was held October 10 – 14, 2016 at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Laboratory (UNH-IOL) in Durham, N.H. Aimed at verifying interoperability, robustness, and standards conformance of 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T Ethernet technologies, the consortia say the plugfest results confirm the specifications’ maturity and readiness for adoption by the market.
During the event, more than 1,100 interoperability link up and Frame Error Rate (FER) tests were completed, covering the complementary IEEE 802.3bz standard and NBASE-T Alliance PHY interface specifications, resulting in a >99 percent success rate for all cabling and equipment combinations. A broad array of products supporting 2.5GBASE-T and 5GBASE-T were thoroughly evaluated against multiple test scenarios and checks, such as:
The five-day gathering marked the first test of IEEE 802.3bz. The industrywide effort brought together 15 diverse stakeholders from across the Ethernet ecosystem, including manufacturers of Ethernet switches, network interface controllers (NICs), wireless LAN access ports, physical layers components, cabling, and protocol test and electrical test equipment.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Optimizing Multi-Gigabit Serial Interfaces
http://electronicdesign.com/communications/optimizing-multi-gigabit-serial-interfaces?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170206_ED-003_124&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=9537&utm_medium=email&elq2=94219cbcb87144d08b09530c80f611d1
High-speed serial interfaces are the primary I/O architecture of most of today’s communications products. Virtually all electronic devices in use now incorporate fast serial data transfers. Examples include ASIC and FPGA connections on a printed-circuit board (PCB), board-to-board connections, or short cables. Multiple interface standards exist to carry such data.
PCIe is used in computers, SATA and SAS generally target storage products, and Ethernet is employed in networking. Other serial standards are used in telecom, medical, and consumer products. And gigabit data speeds are the norm. With serial rates up to 28 Gb/s and more, the design challenge is maintaining signal integrity over any distance. Careful design of the signal path and the inclusion of equalization have proven to produce the desired result.
Goals of Signal Integrity
The main design objectives of any serial link are a low bit error rate (BER), minimal jitter, and no inter-symbol interference (ISI). Typical BERs are in the 10-10 to 10-18 range. Jitter is the rapid time shift in the leading and trailing edges of a pulse. It’s similar to a low-deviation frequency modulation caused by clock instability, PLL variations, and noise.
A common measurement of good signal integrity is the eye diagram, which is an oscilloscope display of repeating and overlapping bit time periods (unit intervals or UIs) (Fig. 1). The rise and fall times define the pattern.
With fast rise and fall times, the “eye” becomes wide open
The typical signal path is a differential-pair transmission line. The transmission line is implemented as stripline, a pair of parallel copper traces on a printed-circuit board (PCB), or copper wires in a cable. The signal path also includes the connections to the ICs on the PCB and through connectors. Total signal path length varies from a few inches to several feet in most equipment.
The goal is to maintain a constant characteristic impedance throughout the path.
Green Box Testing
The key to optimum signal integrity and minimal BER is proper setting of the transmitter FIR coefficients. The TX doesn’t know the characteristics of the channel, so the settings will initially not be the best possible. These settings are an issue in any product using multi-gigabit serial links such as routers, switches, and security equipment.
The approach taken by Green Box (GB) testing is to sweep the coefficients over a range and make measurements to establish a pattern that will indicate when the channel is optimized. The outcome is a graphical plot of BER for each pair of TX coefficient settings. The outputs with no errors are colored green. Readings with errors but less than the RX can record are colored yellow, while maximum errors are recorded as red.
The basic test procedure is to connect the transmitter to a pseudorandom-binary-sequence (PRBS) generator set to a bit pattern typical of what’s mandated by the interface protocol.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Super Efficient data transmission in fiber
Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have set a new record on a super-tight coding data transmission. Such particles from a process such as properties of photons, protons and electrons are used to store as much information as possible.
ORNL’s Brian Williams led a group transferred its 1.67-per-bit quantum bits over a short fiber optic cable connection.
Although the technology is now largely experimental, practical applications may include a cost-effective way to compress and transfer data. This includes efficient methods for transmitting and receiving data in such application areas such as the Internet and cyber safety.
- This experiment shows how the quantum communication techniques can be integrated into conventional network technologies.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/5795-supertehokasta-tiedonsiirtoa-kuidussa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trump’s new telecoms chief bins broadband subsidies for the poor
Net neutrality’s taken a hit, too
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/05/chairman_pai_reverses_lifeline_decision_no_broadband_for_the_poor/
The Trump administration’s propensity for bold and sudden action reached the United States Federal Communications Commission on Friday, as commissioner Mignon Clyburn and the Commission’s chair Ajit Pai clashed over an end-of-week “news dump” that has profound policy implications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Networking Startup SnapRoute Scores Big-Name Backers
http://fortune.com/2017/02/07/networking-startup-snaproute-apple-norwest-lightspeed-microsoft-venture/
SnapRoute, a new-age networking startup founded by former Apple (aapl) engineers, now has $25 million in Series A funding.
Norwest Venture Partners led the round with contributions by Lightspeed, as well as AT&T and Microsoft (msft) Ventures.
The company’s goal is to use freely-available open-source software and its own know-how to make data center networking more flexible and less dependent on expensive, proprietary hardware. The company says customers using its FlexSwitch network operating system can rely on non-branded hardware and add new features, updates, and patches to it via the software itself.
In that effort, it’s banking that big, Fortune 500 companies are sick of paying for pricey switches and routers from companies like Cisco (csco) and Juniper (jnpr).
“It sounds crazy to say, but customers want only what they want and nothing more. In the network space, existing hardware options come with 30, 40, 50 million lines of code, which may sound nice but makes the network brittle,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
ITU-T wants video sizes to halve again by 2020
Boffins challenged to make H.265 compression look flabby
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/02/09/itut_pushes_start_on_new_codec_standard/
The International Telecommunications Union wants researchers to get busy on new video compression codecs, setting an ambitious target to double their squeezing compression power by 2020.
H.264 is probably today’s most-used video codec, but the ITU-T’s asking for experts to submit proposals to double-down on H.265 codec, also known as High Efficiency Video Codec (HEVC), developed in 2013 and formally published in 2015.
The (deep breath) “Preliminary Joint Call for Evidence [CfE – Ed] on Video Compression with Capability beyond HEVC” asks for companies or organisations with suitable technology to get in touch with the Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET).
JVET reckons its early work on a Joint Exploration Model can improve compression capability by 30 per cent, but it suffers from high computational complexity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Wait To Double Your Network Bandwidth?
http://semiengineering.com/why-wait-to-double-your-network-bandwidth/
Why 25 Gigabit Ethernet is the next logical complement to 10GbE interconnect speed in next-generation data center servers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
5G & IoT
The next-generation wireless communications tech will boost IoT deployment.
http://semiengineering.com/5g-iot/
Yegani described the timeline for specifying 5G standards between now and 2020.
As is usual with an emerging technology, “commercial 5G” will be available ahead of “official 5G” standards, he commented. “We can’t wait around for these standards to be finalized,” Yegani asserted.
Between 2017 and 2020, there will be “announcements and hype,” he predicted. The years from 2020 to 2025 will see “pilot deployment and tech winners emerge,” he added. For 2025 and beyond, 5G will experience “mass deployment,” he said.
“There’s a lot of noise in the market,” Yegani asserted. “It will take a while to get 5G up and running.” Low latency, a higher data rate and capacity, and more mobility uses, such as connected cars and drones, will drive 5G adoption, he added.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Network neutrality déjà vu
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/brians-brain/4457425/Network-neutrality-d-j–vu
Tomi Engdahl says:
Study: 5G will begin to change the world this year
5G standards might not be ready for another couple of years, but the techniques below belong to begin to change the world right now. Deloitte’s TMT Predictions recent study predicts that this year the world takes concrete steps towards the next generation of wireless networks.
5G-network technologies for consumer use swam slowly, while globally more than 200 operators to deploy LTE-Advanced, and more than 20 operators in LTE-Advanced Pro technologies by the end of 2017.
- 5G network is a real engineering feat, but technical excellence alone is not the key to happiness, but it is important to network equipment manufacturers, network operators and service developers to collaborate and move the innovation focus of consumers and users
- In order to 5G network will succeed commercially, the providers need to be able to tell consumers and users of the network in plain text by the benefits that faster 5G-network data transfer, higher capacity and shorter response time make it possible.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/5812-tutkimus-5g-alkaa-muuttaa-maailmaa-taenae-vuonna
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia takes high-speed copper to Japan
Nokia says that it had agreed with the Japanese Energy Communications’ high-speed network G.Fast resale in Japan.
Retail agreement means that Nokia will sell EneCom G.Fast solution for all Japanese operators.
International Telecommunication Union ITU ratified G.Fast technology in the autumn of 2014. It allows the user gets home Gigabit connection via the old copper lines yet 250 meters away from the telephone exchange.
Nokia has also developed a version of evolution called XG-Fast
It has been successful demo of the franchises of up to 10 gigabits of data rates (about 30 meters distance double pair cable). However, the XG-Fast’s tandardointi is likely to take a few more years.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/5813-nokia-vie-huippunopean-kuparin-japaniin
Tomi Engdahl says:
8.4 billion devices online
this year a total of 8.4 billion connected devices. The amount is 31 per cent higher than last year. In 2020, the number will grow 20.4 billion for the unit, estimates Gartner. The world has 7.5 billion people, so the number of connected devices will grow into larger this year. Two-thirds, or 67 per cent of IoT devices are China, North America and Europe.
IoT devices including 5.2 billion consumers and 3.1 billion for companies in various industries.
The most common consumer IoT devices are smart TVs and digital terminals (in addition to smart phones). Enterprises are most common smart meters as well as various security cameras.
This year, the money for various end products will return to nearly $ 1.7 billion.
In 2020, the sum will grow to 2.9 trillion.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5799&via=n&datum=2017-02-07_16:04:09&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel discusses 5G on the road to WRC-19
http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/anablog/4443303/Intel-discusses–5G–On-the-road-to-WRC-19–at-Radio—Wireless-Week-2017
Tomi Engdahl says:
Networking is Not Something to Lose Sleep Over
http://www.rockwellautomation.com/global/news/blog/detail.page?pagetitle=Networking-is-Not-Something-to-Lose-Sleep-Over-%7C-Blog-%7C-Rockwell-Automation&content_type=blog&docid=c46d34e96e198dc6386170b1f324dab9
The world is more networked than ever. Some of you may be reading this very post on LinkedIn or after following a tweet.
If you are, I heartily recommend looking up our company blog on the website for more from me and other Rockwell Automation leaders on a range of topics at the heart of industry today!
For industry, as it takes its first steps into the world of IIoT, becoming more networked also brings risks. But industry is arguably much less mature than social media in the best approaches to mitigating those risks and achieving the benefit of connectivity without the vulnerability.
Cybersecurity is the subject of eye-opening (and sleep inhibiting) studies, such as this one from PwC that suggests that three in four industrial manufacturers in Europe (76%) reported security incidents being detected in their company over the previous 12 months.
Of the remaining quarter of respondents, 14% reported no security incidents but a staggering 10% did not know if, or how many times, their security had been breached.
The ray of hope here is that the same research states a significant shift toward an understanding that cybersecurity solutions can also facilitate business growth, create market advantages and build brand trust.
I believe this is a massive step forward.
In a separate study by McAfee, 71% of respondents reported that a shortage in cybersecurity skills does direct and measurable damage. Similarly though, there is a positive observation that leaders are no longer burying their heads in the sand. Nine out of ten think that technology could help compensate for this skills shortage, and that outsourcing cybersecurity is considered an option to overcome this.
Skilled teams of Network Security Service Consultants check our customers’ networks and give recommendations. It’s by working closely with our own network of Strategic Alliance Partners at Cisco and Microsoft that we are able to offer these services, because no one company or product can meet the security requirements of industry’s huge variety of unique applications and installed architecture. We advocate a defense-in-depth approach to security that adds layers of security on top of each other to reduce risk.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Understand IEEE 802.11ax PA Test Requirements
http://mwrf.com/test-measurement/understand-ieee-80211ax-pa-test-requirements?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170209_MWRF-001_189&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=9560&utm_medium=email&elq2=40da5c10dfe44f75bace690e56ab8e5b
The upcoming IEEE 802.11ax standard is intended to enhance wireless connectivity, offering more consistent and reliable high-throughput Wi-Fi in crowded user environments. Such environments include places like busy airports and stadiums. The power amplifier (PA) is a critical component in a Wi-Fi transmitter, because its performance affects wireless coverage area, data-rate capacity, and battery life. Achieving the desired PA performance becomes even more challenging in IEEE 802.11ax applications for a number of reasons—all of which are discussed in LitePoint’s application note, “Testing Power Amplifiers for 802.11ax.”
IEEE 802.11ax is expected to improve spectral efficiency in real-world environments, leveraging a number of technologies from cellular 4G LTE. Unlike the IEEE 802.11ac standard, which only operates in the 5-GHz frequency band, IEEE 802.11ax is intended to operate in both 2.4- and 5-GHz bands. IEEE 802.11ax also utilizes orthogonal-frequency-division multiple-access (OFDMA) technology. Another key aspect is the utilization of 1024-quadrature amplitude modulation (1024-QAM).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Data Center Calls for 800GE Spec
Arista founder wants standard this year
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1331332&
Bandwidth-hungry data centers need a fast-track effort this year to define 800 Gbit/second Ethernet links, said a networking veteran. The existing IEEE process is too slow to serve the needs of Web giants, said Andreas Bechtolshiem, chairman of Arista Networks and a serial entrepreneur.
Network bandwidth has long been the bottleneck for companies such as Amazon, Facebook and Google, trying to connect thousands of servers to handle a flood of Web and mobile traffic. They are moving to 100GE connections this year and will start buying in volume as early as 2019 the 400G systems that are still in the lab today, he predicted.
At this pace, data centers won’t be able to wait for a formal IEEE process that could take three years to define 800GE, said Bechtolsheim. He called for serdes makers to forge a multi-source agreement this year on 112G interfaces using PAM-4 modulation as the basis for doubling the data rate of the IEEE 400G standard about to be formally ratified.
“We think the cloud industry needs faster networks and this is the best way to get there,”
Bechtolshiem forecasts vendors will ship five million 100GE Ethernet ports this year and double those shipments in 2018. Hard on its heels, 400G shipments could rise to one million units in 2019 and four million the following year, he estimated.
An unexpected drop in 100G prices triggered the fast ramp, now generating shortages in optics
“800G would be the next logical step, and I think people are not aware how fast it’s coming,”
Ethernet chip and system vendors heard calls for Terabit Ethernet from Facebook and Google as early as 2011. They claimed both technical and economic hurdles prevented them from pressing the roadmap as fast as data centers wanted.
“I am unaware of any individuals bringing forward any efforts at this time to start a next speed project after the 400GbE standard is completed,”
Nevertheless, “the Ethernet Alliance [trade group] has recognized 800GbE as a logical next step after 400GbE on its Ethernet roadmap, so there is no real surprise at individuals calling out the need for this standard,”
Meanwhile the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is already hammering out multiple interfaces for 112G serial links. Their efforts come as demos of 56G serdes using PAM-4 are now emerging at events such as last week’s DesignCon.
The OIF also is working on a Flexible Ethernet standard. It aims to cover a wide range of data rates up to 100G in chips arriving next year with a 400G follow-on in the works.
“FlexE 1.0 is based on standard 100GE PHYs, requiring only incremental logic inside a 100GE switch chip,”
Beyond the 800G generation, Web giants may need to move to optics on the board, an initiative Microsoft’s Azure cloud group has been championing since early 2015. The Consortium for On-Board Optics aims to give and update on its progress at the Optical Fibers Conference in March where vendors wil stage a demo of 400G systems. On-board optics maybe required as early as 2021, said Bechtolsheim.
“There’s still a factor of 100 in transistor density ahead, and networking is coming from far behind, with 28nm chips shipping today and this year 16nm ones coming,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
David Shepardson / Reuters:
FCC says wireless spectrum auction bidding has ended at $19.6B for 84 MHz, a significantly lower price than many analysts forecasted — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said Friday that bidding in the wireless spectrum auction has ended at $19.6 billion, significantly less than many analysts had initially forecast.
FCC spectrum auction bidding ends at $19.6 billion
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-wireless-auction-idUSKBN15P2QF
bidding in the wireless spectrum auction has ended at $19.6 billion, significantly less than many analysts had initially forecast.
Of the nearly $20 billion raised, more than $6 billion will go to reduce the U.S. deficit, more than $10 billion will go to broadcasters that chose to relinquish spectrum rights, and up to $1.75 billion for other broadcasters that incur costs in changing channels.
In June, the FCC said sellers had initially sought $86.4 billion for 126 megahertz of television airwaves taken from broadcasters to be sold for wireless use.
“These low-band airwaves will improve wireless coverage across the country and will play a particularly important role in deploying mobile broadband services in rural areas,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Joe Rossignol / MacRumors:
Verizon launches unlimited plan at $80/mo. for one device or $45/mo. per device for four lines, with 10GB of 4G LTE tethering; throttling kicks-in at 22GB/line — Verizon today introduced its first unlimited data plan since 2011. Verizon Unlimited, which includes unlimited talk, text …
Verizon Introduces $80 Unlimited Data Plan With 10GB of 4G LTE Tethering
https://www.macrumors.com/2017/02/12/verizon-unlimited/
Verizon today introduced its first unlimited data plan since 2011. Verizon Unlimited, which includes unlimited talk, text, and 4G LTE data, will cost $80 per month for a single smartphone or tablet, or $45 per month for four lines. The plan will be available to new and existing customers starting Monday.
Verizon charges an access fee of $20 per month per smartphone and $10 per month per tablet, but it did not confirm if those charges will apply to its new unlimited plan.
Tomi Engdahl says:
TV and video delivery is likely to become a core capability of next-generation 5G wireless service, according to Strategy Analytics. “Recent demonstrations have suggested that 5G will support 1-Gbps data throughput rates,” according to the firm. “Combining 5G with other networking enhancements and technologies would allow operators to support TV-equivalent services which could eat into the $500 billion global TV and video market currently served by cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast service providers.”
Source: http://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-manufacturing-150/
More:
5G TV Could Become Rival to Cable, Satellite and IPTV, Says Strategy Analytics
https://www.strategyanalytics.com/strategy-analytics/news/strategy-analytics-press-releases/strategy-analytics-press-release/2017/02/06/5g-tv-could-become-rival-to-cable-satellite-and-iptv-says-strategy-analytics#.WJyVyGfTnIU
5G Should Include TV and Video as ‘Anchor’ Use Case
Boston, MA – February 6 2017 – TV and video delivery is likely to become a core capability of next generation 5G wireless services, concludes a new report from Strategy Analytics. Recent demonstrations have suggested that 5G will support 1Gbps data throughput rates. Combining 5G with other networking enhancements and technologies would allow operators to support TV-equivalent services which could eat into the $500Bn global TV and video market currently served by cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast service providers.
Tomi Engdahl says:
That counterfeit cabling you installed is basically a whole-building fuse: The week’s top stories
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/top5-fuse.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-13
Watch what happens when a counterfeit cable undergoes a burn test
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/ccca-counterfeit-cable-burn-test-steiner-tunnel.html
The Communications Cable and Connectivity Association (CCCA) recently produced a video that includes footage of counterfeit cable being subjected to a burn test, with drastic results. Available on YouTube, the three-minute video begins with a dramatic question: “Communications cable, or fuse?” Much of the rest of the video depicts footage indicating that question is not just hyperbole.
After referencing the existence of standards from TIA and fire codes from NFPA, the video’s narrator explains, “It’s in everyone’s best interest that if a fire breaks out in a building, communications cables don’t act like a fuse and carry fire all over the building. The sad truth is, there are cable manufacturers that are manufacturing communications cable that does not pass fire and life-safety building codes. However, they are labeling this cable with all the markings you might expect to find on properly constructed cables.”
A cable earns the plenum rating by passing specific flame-spread and smoke-generation requirements in a Steiner Tunnel. In the video, a compliant cable is subjected to the burn test, and the results are documented. Then a counterfeit cable—which claims compliance but does not have
Tomi Engdahl says:
Siemon introduces Category 6A UTP cable
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/2017/02/siemon-category-6a-gt-utp-cable.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-13
Siemon recently announced the expansion of its copper cabling systems portfolio with the release of Category 6A GT unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) balanced copper cable that the company explained “offers a significantly smaller overall diameter and improved performance to better support advanced remote powering applications.”
The cable’s Gap Technology (GT) “features a discontinuous foil construction with periodic gaps that enable a typical UTP termination process while providing improved heat dissipation and crosstalk performance to better support applications using both advanced Power over Ethernet [PoE] and 10-Gbit/sec application speeds such as IEEE 802.11ac or IEEE 802.11ax WiFi access points and other emerging high-speed IP-based technologies,
“While Siemon’s 6A shielded system comprising F/UTP cable with a continuous shield still offers superior channel performance, the discontinuous foil construction of our new Category 6A GT UTP Cable has advantages over traditional 6A UTP cables and helps close the gap between these two options.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Terahertz wireless links could enable 10x 5G data rates over 300-GHz band: Researchers
http://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2017/02/terahertz-wireless-links-could-enable-10x-5g-data-rates-over-300-ghz-band-researchers.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cimdatacenternewsletter_2017-02-13
Hiroshima University, Japan’s National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, and Panasonic Corporation have announced the development of a terahertz (THz) transmitter capable of transmitting digital data at a rate exceeding 100 gigabits (= 0.1 terabit) per second over a single channel using the 300-GHz band.
According to a press release issued by the university, “this technology enables data rates 10 times or more faster than that offered by the fifth-generation mobile networks (5G), expected to appear around 2020.” Details of the technology will be presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) 2017 to be held from February 5-9 in San Francisco, CA. “The THz band is a new and vast frequency resource expected to be used for future ultra high-speed wireless communications,” added the press statement.
The research group says it has developed a terahertz transmitter that achieves a communication speed of 105 gigabits per second using the frequency range from 290 GHz to 315 GHz. This range of frequencies are currently unallocated, but fall within the frequency range from 275 GHz to 450 GHz, whose usage is to be discussed at the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) 2019 under the International Telecommunication Union Radiocommunication Section (ITU-R).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia does things in Barcelona with 4.9G
Before 5G networks will bring equipment manufacturers offer solutions that are named, for example, the term 4.9G or 4.5g Pro. Indeed, the two Nokia, this means, for example, the first commercial massive MIMO antenna system, which the company intends to try the demo and the Barcelona Mobile World Congress.
Commercially new network will improve the speed of the solutions are already becoming available in by the end of the year. AirScale product family brought new active antennas, which improve network capacity, especially in dense urban areas.
then talk about what kinds of speed improvements over existing LTE networks? According to Nokia, solid-MIMO, or multi-directional antenna array to improve network capacity up to five times. New radiopää (RRH, remote radio head) brings gigabit connections available, users can also take advantage of free frequencies for network links.
The demo takes place commercially available from devices in the TD-LTE band 41 (2496-2690 MHz).
Barcelona, Nokia promises for the first time in the world try the demo network with virtualized 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G networks are run in the same cloud-based online radio commercial AirScale-base stations and airframe network servers.
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5831&via=n&datum=2017-02-13_16:49:56&mottagare=30929
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nokia: fiber to arrive to 5G cells
Nokia has introduced a series of fiber optic solutions that meet the capacity demands of the future 5G networks. In practice, 5G standards require that the mobile network to the dense cells are exported to the backbone fiber connection. Fibre connections problem is their high price. Fortunately, Nokia provides two operators developed by Bell Labs research center solutions that reduce costs significantly fiber links.
Another technique is a passive optical network technology of the next generation 10 Gbps, which allows a fast link between the base station and the symmetric network. Technology imported from the current Nokia’s optical network routers, as shown in the figure 7360 ISAM FX device.
Another solution is helping operators to P2P or point to point fiber connection type. Thanks to these solutions, operators can leverage their existing fiber network to bring 5G-link performance required for future mobile network cells. At the same time the solution costs are up to 50 percent less than the construction of the frame connection completely from scratch would mean.
Nokia points out that the 5G networks will present and future millimeter frequencies to be 150-300 base stations per square kilometer.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/5836-nokia-kuitu-viedaan-perille-5g-soluihin