Displaying items by tag: connectivity

Optical solutions and automation software enable IMEWE to meet expanding capacity requirements of the consortia.

The UK government has decided to invest £30 million to install 5G technology in rural areas in an effort to spark a ‘tech revolution” within the country.

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, announced Qualcomm® Networking Pro Series platforms, its second-generation Wi-Fi 6 networking offerings, designed to deliver the ultimate Wi-Fi 6 connectivity experience across the widest range of applications.

At Qualcomm® Wi-Fi 6 Day in San Francisco, executives demonstrated the Qualcomm Networking Pro Series, comprised of four platforms, the 1200, 800, 600, and 400, distinguished by format, scale of application, and computing needs. The platforms leverage the company’s unique Wi-Fi 6 architecture and approach and are designed for densely congested networks, onboarding of hundreds of devices without degradation of user experience, and high performance.

Modern networks are overmatched by the number of devices and data demands placed on them in the most densely populated environments today. Networks must meet expectations for high bandwidth, low latency, and with fair and simultaneous access. This reality belies the promise of the Wi-Fi 6 standard and demands a new architectural approach to wireless networking silicon optimized for this environment. The Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms are built for the dense connectivity requirements of modern Wi-Fi networks, with Wi-Fi 6 features offering increased network capacity for high-density environments such as university lecture halls, malls, stadiums, and office buildings.

“Wi-Fi 6 is a transformational reimagining of how Wi-Fi works, a leap forward arriving alongside 5G and designed to accommodate the massive surge of connected devices,” said Nick Kucharewski, vice president and general manager, wireless infrastructure and networking, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “The Qualcomm Networking Pro Series platforms raise the bar for the management of the ever-growing number of connected devices, the variation and complexity of those devices’ data needs, and the quality of the overall connectivity experiences they deliver.”

UK telecommunication operators are pooling together in an effort to try and tackle the coverage issues afflicting rural areas.

3 UK has expressed their scepticism over Ofcom’s plans to address poor rural coverage in the United Kingdom, highlighting that the costs of the proposal were too excessive and overall the initiative lacked ambition.

3 UK’s Chief Operating Officer, Graham Baxter has called for the regulator to ditch their plans and work collectively with all UK operators in an effort to find a lasting solution to the ongoing problems experienced by users in rural parts of the UK.

Baxter blasted their plans to remove partial hot-spots in the UK’s countryside, areas which are not covered by any of the country’s four major operators.

As a way to incentivise investment, Ofcom in 2018 said it planned to offer mobile operators a discount in a spectrum auction planned for 2020, if they make binding coverage commitments.

Ofcom said two operators could receive discounts of up to £400 million on the cost of spectrum licences by committing to meet three targets within four years; providing good outdoor data coverage to at least 90 per cent of the UK’s land mass; improve mobile coverage for 140,000 buildings; and install 500 new masts in rural areas.

However, Baxter has criticized the plan for lacking ambition, while also hitting out at the expense incurred by the operator to execute the program.

Instead, he said the regulator should push an initiative for a single rural network, which would see the country’s operators jointly invest in a shared infrastructure.

In addition, he urged authorities to relax planning permission rules for taller mobile masts in rural areas of the country.

In addition to this, Baxter also argued that Ofcom’s plan would only benefit two mobile operators, but conceded that a single network would be beneficial for all four of the country’s operators with regards to coverage.

KDDI, a leading telecommunications operator in Japan, is deploying Nokia's G.fast solution to apartments and multi-dwelling units (MDU) buildings to deliver ultra-broadband services to customers.

Reducing the need to install new fiber, Nokia's technology will enable KDDI to use existing copper lines in MDU buildings to deliver 830Mbps combined uplink and downlink speeds to customers.

To support customers' ultra-broadband needs, Japanese operators are using fiber where possible along with new technologies like G.fast for a large number of MDU locations where copper is already installed.

Developed by Nokia Bell Labs, G.fast uses vectoring technology to effectively reduce cross-talk interference that typically impacts data speeds over copper networks. 

Providing support for Japan's VDSL2 specifications, Nokia's G.fast solution will minimize the impact to existing VDSL systems and enable operators to quickly upgrade their high-speed internet service to gigabit class through a simple CPE (customer premises equipment) replacement.  

KDDI has been deploying Nokia's G.fast solution and has started its rollout of 'au Hikari MDU Type G'.

Teresa Mastrangelo, principal analyst at Broadband Trends said: "G.fast continues to be a preferred choice for operators seeking to deliver gigabit broadband services to MDUs as it eliminates many of the issues found with FTTH deployments such as building types and access.  However, in Japan, deploying G.fast can be just as challenging as fiber due to the unique VDSL ecosystem and standards in place. 

As one of the few vendors capable of supporting both the global and local Japanese VDSL standard, Nokia has been able to help KDDI capitalize on the benefits of G.fast and seamlessly scale and migrate their network with minimal disruption.  This win is another great example for how G.fast technology is being used to quickly address customers need for greater broadband speeds."    

Shigenari Saito, Administrative Officer, General Manager, Network Technology Development Division, Technology Sector, at KDDI said:

"KDDI already provides 10Gbps service for our 'au Hikari' FTTH customers, but the speed we can provide has been limited to 100Mbps service for MDUs where fiber is difficult to deploy.  Nokia's G.fast solution enables us to connect existing 100Mbps users and new G.fast users under the same DPU (distribution point unit).  This gives us the flexibility and economical path to meet the customer's demands for higher speed.  Our decision to deploy Nokia G.fast is based on our long-term relationship and Nokia continues to be our long-term partner for delivering technology innovations."

Sandra Motley, president of Nokia's Fixed Networks Business Group, said: "Operators looking to quickly roll out new ultra-broadband services are increasingly adopting multi-technology strategies that allow them to maximize the use of both fiber and copper technologies. This is particularly true in some cases like inside an apartment building, where more traditional Fiber-to-the-Home solutions can be very challenging to deploy. We are excited to be working with KDDI to deploy our G.fast solution to deliver fiber-like speeds that will enhance the way customers experience their broadband services."

Project Loon, a network of balloons traveling on the edge of space, designed to extend Internet connectivity to people in rural and remote areas, developed by Alphabet subsidiary 'X' (formerly Google X), has been working with satellite company SES to restore 4G/LTE connectivity to disaster-stricken Puerto Rico.

The connectivity is powered by Project Loon's targeted cell coverage and SES Networks' O3b FastConnect, a rapidly deployable satellite terminal delivering fibre-like performance. Together with local technology partners, SES and X are providing reliable high-performance connectivity to Puerto Ricans whose lives have been devastated by the hurricane Maria and who have limited means of communication.

"Our thoughts are with those whose lives have been impacted by this devastating hurricane," said Steve Collar, CEO of SES Networks. "Access to connectivity is crucial in getting those affected the information and help they need after a natural disaster. We are really pleased to be working with X and their other partners to deploy high-performance connectivity to Puerto Rico and to play a part in the island's restoration efforts."

Project Loon balloons float in the stratosphere, twice as high as airplanes and the weather. By partnering with telecommunications companies to share cellular spectrum, Project Loon enables people to connect to the balloon network directly from their phones and other LTE-enabled devices. The signal then passes across the balloon network and back down to the global internet on Earth.

"This is the first time we have used our new machine learning-powered algorithms to keep balloons clustered over Puerto Rico, so we're still learning how best to do this," said head of Project Loon Alastair Westgarth. "As we get more familiar with the constantly shifting winds in this region, we hope to keep the balloons over areas where connectivity is needed for as long as possible."

Project Loon was launched in Puerto Rico by Alphabet's X in collaboration with the government of Puerto Rico, the US Federal Communications Commission, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency and US telecommunications company AT&T.

Vodafone Germany said it plans to invest €2 billion in its fixed infrastructure as it moves to deliver gigabit fiber broadband to 13.7 million customers. The company said it aims to finish the investment by 2021 and will focus on three segments in cooperation with partner companies in Germany.

The network expansion and upgrade plays into Vodafone Germany’s aim to become a “leading converged communications operator” in the country. The operator said its enterprise-focused unit will bring fiber connectivity to 100,000 companies across 2,000 business parks at a cost of around €1.4 billion to €1.6 billion.

Vodafone Germany’s consumer operation, it said, will fork out €200 million to €400 million to expand its fiber network to reach 1 million homes in rural areas. The overall scheme will include €200 million invested into upgrading existing cable infrastructure to deliver gigabit speeds to Vodafone Germany’s cable base of 12.6 million.

Vodafone Germany CEO Hannes Ametsrejter said he was “excited to announce this transformation investment plan for Germany, which will bring gigabit broadband services to millions of consumers and business.”

Ametsrejter added, “The project is consistent with our strategic goal to become a leading converged communications operator in Germany, enabled by a best-in-class gigabit network infrastructure.”

The company’s fixed unit contributed 40 percent of service revenue in Germany in the opening quarter of its financial year, contributing €1 billion in quarterly earnings, according to Vodafone’s Q1 fiscal financial statement covering the three months to end June.

The investment is Vodafone’s largest since its £19 billion ‘Project Spring’ investment, a two-year strategy to improve its mobile infrastructure. The operator’s presence in Germany’s broadband market grew when in 2013 it acquired the country’s largest cable operator Kabel Deutschland for €7.7 billion.

Infinera and Seaborn Networks (Seaborn) tells us they have deployed Infinera’s new XTS-3300 meshponders on Seaborn’s Seabras-1 submarine cable to rapidly offer cloud connectivity services like SeaCloud™. Seabras-1 is the only submarine cable system with a direct connection between São Paulo, Brazil and New York City, enabling Seaborn to offer SeaSpeed™, its proprietary lowest-latency route, between these key global financial centers. 

Seaborn recently announced that Seabras-1 is now ready for operations. At 10,600 kilometers of subsea cable with multiple branching units, Seabras-1 is the longest uncompensated cable deployed connecting North and South America. Seabras-1 is designed to provide additional route diversity to Virginia Beach, Miami, St. Croix, Fortaleza, Rio de Janeiro, southern Brazil and Cape Town. Seaborn selected the XTS-3300 to deliver the industry’s highest subsea spectral efficiency and lowest power consumption available in a commercially deployed, compact, easy-to-use platform. 

While many subsea cables can take days to activate capacity, the Seaborn team was able to configure the XTS-3300 and light the fiber in an impressive 30 minutes. Infinera’s unique large-scale photonic integration technology delivers terabit super-channels and, along with the Advanced Coherent Toolkit (ACT), enables rapid activation of subsea links. With Infinera Instant Bandwidth, the industry’s first software defined capacity (SDC) solution, Seaborn can deploy bandwidth in 100 gigabits per second increments within minutes and a few clicks of a mouse, while the XTS-3300 platform enables scalability up to 11.8 terabits per second on a fiber. The XTS-3300 seamlessly integrates with Seaborn’s existing Infinera terrestrial backhaul networks in Brazil and New York, which include Infinera’s XTC and XTM Series.

The XTS-3300 provides Seaborn with a subsea platform that integrates the groundbreaking performance of the Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine 4 (ICE4), which features unique performance-enhancing technologies such as Nyquist subcarriers and SD-FEC gain sharing. The deployment of the XTS-3300 on Seabras-1 significantly exceeded Seaborn’s capacity-reach performance targets, helping increase the return on Seaborn’s deployed subsea cable asset. The XTS-3300 is a highly efficient rack-and-stack solution with the lowest power consumption in a commercially deployed platform.  

“In our quest to meet unprecedented bandwidth demand from our customers, we rely on solutions that are easy to operate, highly reliable and provide cloud scale capacity in a small form factor,” said Larry W. Schwartz, Chairman & CEO, Seaborn Networks. “The Infinera XTS3300 meshponder significantly exceeded our expectations, allowing us to provision services within minutes between our Infinera metro networks in Brazil and New York. This, combined with Instant Bandwidth, enables us to rapidly respond to our customers’ hyperscale requirements and offer cloud scale service on demand.”

“We are honored to partner with Seaborn to light the Seabras-1 cable,” said Tom Fallon, Infinera Chief Executive Officer. “Infinera continues to push the physics of the optical transport world for the benefit of our customers and the networks they run. The XTS-3300 is purpose-built for subsea applications, delivering industry leading subsea performance while integrating seamlessly into Seaborn’s existing terrestrial and subsea network.” 

The Jordanian region of Saraya Aqaba is the first in the country to get Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) connectivity. The luxury mixed-use tourism and leisure destination located on the shores of the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aqaba in Jordan was fitted with the infrastructure by R&M, A Swiss producer of products and systems for communication and data networks.

The undertaking by R&M will allow more than 800 residential units and commercial establishments to enjoy high-speed connectivity and the latest triple-play services from telecom operators. 

Saraya Aqaba covers over 634,000 square meters, features residential units, premium five-star hotels, several entertainment outlets, state-of-the-art business facilities and a Souk. The deployment of R&M’s cabling solutions was executed by Optimiza, the cabling vendor’s systems integrator partner in Jordan.

In recent years, FTTH has become a key aspect of city development projects as the in-home lifestyle of consumers in the region is being transformed into an online-dominated experience. Raed Al-Omari, Director of Mega Projects, said Saraya Aqaba is “designed to provide the very latest facilities and amenities to residents and guests. The fibre infrastructure we have deployed provides the robust platform upon which a host of critical modern services will be offered.”

With the ability to provide Gigabit connectivity, FTTH opens up a range of possibilities. Among these are triple play services - the packaging of voice, high speed internet, and television as a combined offering from a single telecom provider. Convenience and safety are also top priorities for the developers of the mega-project which is why vital services such as fire alarms, CCTV, intercoms, and access control will all be connected to a centrally managed system via the secure FTTH network.

As this is the first FTTH project in the country, the project’s consultants were keen on leveraging the expertise of qualified experts for the undertaking. Having successfully delivered many such projects in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman, R&M had an impressive list of regional references and was qualified to provide the technical expertise and guidance necessary through the design, deployment and testing phases.

Product quality was also a major factor in vendor selection as the network had to meet present and future requirements. “Today we provide 10GbE connectivity over this network, but thanks to the quality and capabilities of the solutions we have invested in, we can increase this speed by a factor of four without having to make any changes to the cabling infrastructure,” explained Raed Al-Omari.

Optimiza has utilized R&M’s Cat. 6 copper cabling system for a horizontal cabling system. The entire compound is networked by FTTH using GPON technology whereby every subscriber has broadband-ready connectivity. The deployment has also entailed the use of specially customized Smart Home cabinet solutions from R&M, housing copper, fibre optic as well as the ONT equipment from the service provider on all customer premises.

“R&M is proud to add another high-profile city development project to the list of FTTH successes. With the advancement of technology in the Middle East and the tech-savvy nature of consumers, FTTH is the clear way forward to meet growing expectations,” said Mohammad Sweidan, Area Director - Africa, Levant & Kuwait at R&M Middle East, Turkey and Africa.