José Tronchoni

Firmina Cable, Google, & Cirion Google's Firmina cable is a 16 fibre pair spatial division multiplexing cable that connects its Myrtle Beach CLS in South Carolina to Uruguay, Brazil, and Argentina. Firmina was one of Brazil's first notable writers and novelists. The cable is on the verge of RFS with the wet segments done and the focus on securing back haul, equipment installation, and testing. Design capacity is 240 Tbps. The cable is open. This means each fibre pair or spectrum owner selects the Layer 1 technology vendor such as Ciena or Infinera. Hence Firmina is technology agnostic. This reflects the fact that subsea optical amplifiers are compatible with all DWDM manufacturers and hence there is no compelling reason for capacity owners to chose the same terminal equipment. The main reason for doing so was the consortium model where a single operating entity was created to manage the physical assets on behalf of the members. But this model lead to conservative, status quo decision making. Google and the other Digital Titans are mavericks intent on using what works best, not what keeps their partners happy or minimizes risk. Cirion purchased Lumen's South American assets a couple years back, but the Lumen cables are extremely old. In fact, SAC (South American Cable) only provides 10G waves. I know because I tried to get a 100G on the system. So Cirion purchased a Firmina fibre pair in order to stay competitive with the regional market leader, Telxisu. The Cirion press release is here: https://lnkd.in/dbFB6AWs. There is an annoying tendency among subsea cable service providers to purchase a fibre pair and then pretend it is a distinct cable. So Cirion's fibre pair is SAC-2, obviously intended to replace the aging SAC system. These branding efforts are an attempt to product differentiate a network segment which is fundamentally identical to the other fibre pairs on the system. Buyers are certainly not influenced so I don't why providers continue to do it. One significant Cirion advantage is the extensive Lumen back haul fibre it acquired. A success of a subsea cable service provider largely reflects its ability to deliver service to the desired carrier neutral data centre. The more end points POPs you have, the more you can sell. Buying local loops is generally a failed strategy. Wholesale market is price driven and the lowest price generally wins. Although the main trunk is 16 pairs, the Uruguay branch is 12 pairs, and Brazil's is 24. Branching units today can switch wavelengths from one fibre pair to another. This enables the cable's segments to have varying fibre pair counts to better reflect actual usage. It is important to note that Google owns Firmina. It has no real project partners. Google sells fibre pairs or spectrum on 25 year or life of system IRUs. So Google remains firmly in control unlike a traditional consortium where consensus rules. #cirion #firmina #subseacables #internetinfrastructure #SDM #southamerica

44

3 Comments

Two interesting trends in private 5G as of May 2024 🧿Growth and Open RAN: The market for #private #5G is expected to experience significant growth, reaching an estimated value of $129.6 billion by 2032. This growth is driven by the increasing adoption of private networks across various industries, academia, and even public sectors. Additionally, the concept of #OpenRAN (Radio Access Network) is gaining importance. #Open #RAN allows for more flexibility and #interoperability in building private networks, making them more accessible and #customizable. 🧿Focus on Use Cases and Innovation: There's a growing focus on developing specific use cases for private 5G networks. This includes initiatives like the 5G-Testbed-BB project, which is creating a #research #network for exploring applications in #aviation using #drones. These use cases will pave the way for further #innovation and unlock the full potential of private 5G technology. The latest trends in use cases for private 5G networks in May 2024 show a shift towards: 🌀#Sustainability and Energy Efficiency: The #telecommunications sector is looking for ways to reduce its #environmental impact. Private 5G networks can play a role here by enabling #smarter #energy #grids and optimizing #industrial processes. For instance, private 5G can be used to remotely monitor and control energy consumption in factories or distribute #renewable #energy sources more #efficiently. 🌀#Convergence with Other Technologies: There's a growing trend of integrating #private5G with other technologies like #AI and #IoT (Internet of Things). This convergence allows for powerful applications. For example, in #manufacturing, private 5G networks can connect a vast number of #sensors on #machines, enabling real-time #monitoring and AI-powered #predictive #maintenance, reducing downtime and optimizing #production lines. 🌀Focus Beyond Traditional Industries: While manufacturing, #energy, and #transportation remain major adopters, private 5G is finding applications in new areas. This includes: 💠#Retail: Private 5G can improve in-store logistics and enhance customer experiences with features like augmented reality #AR product visualization. 💠#Healthcare: Secure and reliable private 5G networks can facilitate remote #patient #monitoring, #surgery with #robotics, and real-time data analysis for better #diagnostics. 🌀Focus on #Security and #Control: Data security and privacy remain paramount concerns for enterprises. Private 5G offers businesses greater control over their data compared to public networks. This is particularly important for industries like #healthcare and #finance where #sensitive #information is handled. What are your thoughts? 🤔🧐 Follow us on Kaneshwaran Govindasamy & Global 5G Evolution Click comment box. #subscribe our #youtube channel For 5G Private Network advisory services, please contact me.

43

9 Comments

5G investments are paving the way for a faster, more connected future. With significantly faster data speeds, reduced latency, and the ability to connect more devices simultaneously, the transformative benefits are clear. The healthcare, automotive, and entertainment sectors are among those set to benefit the most. The advancements made possible by 5G have the potential to foster innovation, improve efficiency, and enhance user experiences. Are you ready for the future of connectivity? #5G #connectivity #innovation #futuretech

1

Performance degradation due to asynchronous 5G networks. The intrinsic understanding of Intermodulation and the need for interference mitigation: Key focus areas: Understand how intermodulation creates interference in TDD networks Explore details about the network configuration and measurement campaign  Learn how critical the performance degradation can be #Rohde&Schwarz #Networkperformance #Makeideasreal https://lnkd.in/dxveGENH

23

2 Comments

Check on the most viewed session of the ONE Summit by István Kispál about how to orchestrate Nokia CNFs using Nephio . Intent based network management realized with open source.

9

According to Juan Ramón García Bish, wireless connectivity is becoming the main bottleneck for offering reliable high-speed services to customers. Although Internet access speeds of over 100 Mbps are being offered thanks to fiber optics to the home, the WiFi network that connects the customer's devices to the network is the main limitation. García Bish considers that it is essential to optimize the capacity of the WiFi network so that it is in line with the rest of the transmission chain. He analyzes that WiFi6 technology is already mature and available to everyone, while WiFi7 is already knocking on the door. He recommends taking advantage of the benefits of WiFi6 and complementing it with easy mesh technologies to improve efficiency and add intelligence to the network. In summary, García Bish believes that wireless connectivity is today the main challenge for being able to offer reliable high-speed services, and that it is necessary to evolve to WiFi6 and complementary technologies to optimize performance.

15

1 Comment

New and exclusive to T-Mobile: The TCL LINKPORT. It turns most USB-C devices into a 5G-capable device for instant, on-the-go 5G connectivity.   Starting October 17, it’s available for under $50 and $5/month on Go5G Next and Go5G Business Next plans.   The LINKPORT is the first 5G RedCap capable device commercially available in North America. 5G RedCap is a new network technology that bridges the gap between full 5G capabilities and simpler lower-cost devices, offering a boost in performance, enhancing security and using less battery power compared to traditional Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connections. This technology is only possible on a standalone 5G network, which T-Mobile is still the ONLY major carrier to have nationwide. Learn more about how almost any USB-C device can be a 5G device: https://lnkd.in/gXY-ycUi

123

1 Comment

dApps: Real-Time O-RAN RIC Apps ◼ rApps, xApps and dApps - rApps: Applications that run on the non-real-time RIC, responsible for long-term control actions and decision-making that require timescales greater than one second. - xApps: Applications operating on the near-real-time RIC, which handle control loops ranging from 10 milliseconds to a few seconds. They are capable of closed-loop control for use cases like mobility management and network slicing. - dApps: Distributed applications running directly on RAN elements, such as CUs and DUs. They handle real-time control loops below 10 milliseconds, focusing on radio management, resource scheduling, beamforming, and modulation functionalities. dApps provide faster control for these functions by operating closer to the data source, ensuring fine-grained management and reducing overhead. ◼ Need for dApps While rApps and xApps deliver meaningful improvements, their architecture falls short in providing efficient control at sub-10 millisecond scales due to inherent latency in data collection and decision implementation. dApps address this gap by embedding control logic directly into the RAN nodes. They achieve reduced latency, programmability at the edge. ◼ Interaction with the User Plane: Access to low-level user data, such as IQ samples, allows dApps to manage interference, beam directionality, and modulation while maintaining privacy and security. ◼ Challenges and Architectural Evolution The concept of dApps, though promising, presents challenges related to resources, orchestration, and standardization: - Resource Management: With multiple dApps sharing the same physical resources at DUs/CUs, intelligent resource allocation is crucial to avoid conflicts. - Standardized Interfaces: The interfaces connecting dApps to the CUs/DUs need to be defined and standardized to facilitate seamless data collection and control. - Orchestration: An orchestration framework is essential to determine which tasks are suitable for xApps versus dApps and to mitigate conflicts between them. ◼ Proposed Architecture for dApps - dApps as Softwarized Containers - Southbound and Northbound Interfaces - Conflict Mitigation - Intent-Based Orchestration ◼ Real-World Applications - Beam Management: dApps can implement AI-driven beam selection logic to enhance spectrum utilization and reduce interference. - Ultra-Low Latency Applications: By managing scheduling and slicing at sub-10 millisecond timescales, dApps can support ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC). Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things (WIoT), which has been a leader in research on real-time RIC and dApps, published a paper on the topic and made a more detailed proposal at the last RIC Forum. Collaboration between industry and research is crucial to realizing this vision, addressing challenges in standardization, resource management, and orchestration. Tommaso Melodia Salvatore D'Oro Michele Polese #ORAN #OpenRAN #RealTimeRIC #dApps

157

17 Comments

Excellent decision from Rakuten Symphony. I had long held the belief that Rakuten’s acquisition of Altiostar was a strategic mistake. Without verifying the hypothesis that brownfield network operators would buy network-critical technology from another (unproven) operator, buying the market leader at the time set the Open RAN market back by 3 years. Rakuten Symphony has since pivoted to network automation and autonomy and has created a convincing narrative, outside of #openRAN considerations. Licensing the CU DU software to other vendors is the smart move to monetize the asset and to allow RUs vendors to provide full solutions to compete efficiently against full spectrum vendors. https://lnkd.in/g_BiywDD

63

User generated content, like live streams, and XR is tipping the scale for 5G and making uplink performance more critical for customers. With America’s leading nationwide 5G standalone network, T-Mobile is integrating new 5G Standalone uplink features to help deliver the necessary performance improvements. 👉Higher power-class 👉Uplink MIMO (UL-MIMO) 👉Uplink Carrier Aggregation (UL-CA)   According to Signal Research Group, LLC, “These features provide another compelling reason for operators to transition their 5G networks to SA.”

183

7 Comments

Rakuten Symphony is so appreciative to AT&T for being included in its network simplification transformation program. Thank you to all the AT&T executives who have given us this chance to be part of an industry-changing program. Mike Dano's article captures so many aspects of what is required to be successful in an undertaking like this. It starts with the fundamentals of using different words to describe what is being done. "I think the word 'cell site' goes away," AT&T's Todd Zeiler said. "I think this pivots to a world of CU, DU, RU. Servers and access points." Before we built mobile networks. Today we start building distributed data center operations where the primary user is a mobile network. We see so many parallels between how AT&T is approaching this and how Rakuten Symphony already approached it. The hope is we can discover an industry blueprint that can make sense for the whole of telecom to be able to follow and accelerate the change to being a truly software-driven cloud-native operation. From Mike Dano's below article when describing the vendors involved "One is Japan's Rakuten Symphony. According to The Mobile Network, AT&T counts roughly 7,000 users of Rakuten Symphony's Site Manager software within its own and its contractor construction teams. The software automates parts of AT&T's site deployment processes." To listen to the full discussion between Yigal Elbaz and Sharad Sriwastawa at MWC BCN this year click here https://lnkd.in/e5ErFYJg To learn more about Rakuten Symphony Site Management solution click here https://lnkd.in/eq8Bsx27

12

The Open RAN Ecosystem is showing strength and segmentation The Open RAN Ecosystem is showing strength and segmentation with the latest August update to version 24 of the chart. Despite turbulence in analyst forecasts and industry skepticism, the Open RAN ecosystem remains stable, evolving into two distinct market segments: Open RAN Enterprise and Macro deployments. During a recent visit to Taiwan and interactions with ecosystem players, it became clear that these two segments are solidifying. The ecosystem chart now includes "End to End" system providers under two categories, incorporating new players into the map. While the distinction at an element level remains challenging, the segmentation is evident. If any key players have been overlooked in this update, please reach out promptly, and I will work on another quick release. Todate there are over 136 organization in 21 countries participating and as of today i have not had to remove any logo. Again thanks to everyone that has help put this together and let me know of any errors and changes.

136

3 Comments

Some big announcements this week related to the use of #AI in Telco Mobile Networks. Timing couldn't be better as Spectrum Effect was just this week awarded the patent for the use of AI and Machine Learning Models for classifying interference types in Mobile Operator RAN networks. I have strong conviction on AI's ability to drive more efficient and effective operations of mobility networks and ultimately better outcomes for consumers of the services that mobile networks enable. We are in fantastic company to be joined on this journey with the NVIDIA, Ericsson, Nokia, and T-Mobile announcing their intentions to invest in this space. https://lnkd.in/ebB4BM9X

51

3 Comments

The Role of Private 5G in Transforming Enterprise Connectivity Enterprises looking for secure, high-performance, and scalable connectivity can take advantage of P5G (Private 5G networks). With private 5G networks, businesses get unmatched control and reliability, unlike public 5G. Private 5G networks allow organizations to customize network settings and prioritize critical applications, offering greater flexibility than public 5G. Many users share public 5G networks, which can cause congestion and reduced performance during peak times. Private 5G networks with AI/ML technologies makes it even more exciting. AI is revolutionizing private networks by dynamically allocating bandwidth and predicting and resolving connectivity issues in real time. Private 5G will enable real-time automation and hyper-personalized customer experiences. #5G #Private5G #DigitalTransformation #EnterpriseConnectivity #AI #Innovation #FutureOfWork

5

Find out why 41% of operators say they would prefer to start #OpenRAN deployments sooner. Join AnalysysMason, Intel and Wind River experts as they unpack the key indicators of rising operator confidence in virtual and Open RAN: https://ow.ly/frKp30sEAVy #vRAN #WeAreWindRiver

3

If you are looking for a breakthrough in how you conduct your site audits... whether for asset audits, surveys, or ATP's... I'll happily put you in touch with the CEO referenced here who can speak first hand to the power of Digitata Networks Automation.

10

INSIGHT on Netflix CDN architecture and associated traffic   You have probably read too much over the last 7 days especially from people who 1/do not have much data on Netflix live event, or 2/ who even have no idea on how the Netflix caches are distributed over the Internet.   My reference is a Nokia paper written end of 2020 (middle of COVID-19) and that provides traffic data on the Netflix caches utilization, this will give a good perspective on how the Netflix Live caching mechanism could work.   You will in particular discover not all caches are embedded inside ISP networks (deep caching), some are located at the IX level, and therefore when traffic storms happens and all deep caches are saturated, traffic goes over the peering points, which can create buffering problems depending on how the ISP has architected (redundant path or no) and dimensioned its network (enough spare capacity  left).   https://lnkd.in/gxf-kdAw Xavier Leclercq Mark de Jong Robin Oakley Jason Thibeault Keith Chow Will Law  

32

9 Comments

The "AI Telco energy savings" paradox AI for Telcos offers amazing efficiencies, such as potentially slicing up to 10%-20 off base station energy consumption. On the other hand, it feeds an ever-growing beast—AI data centers—projected to devour a staggering 25% of US energy by 2030. It's much like turning off the lights to save electricity, only to power a small town with your backyard carnival every night. AI effectiveness in optimizing networks is unmatched, but we must also confront the shadow it cast: a voracious energy appetite that could undermine Telco sustainability goals. https://lnkd.in/gydmwaFy

59

5 Comments

🔊 Exploring the Core of DMR: Voice LC Header 📡 Ever wondered how voice data finds its way through the complex web of Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) networks? Meet the Voice LC (Logical Channel) Header, the unsung hero behind seamless voice communication in DMR. In DMR protocol, the Voice LC Header acts as a guiding light for voice data within each DMR frame. It's not just a bunch of bytes; it's the backbone of efficient voice transmission in professional and commercial radio systems. What's inside this magical wrapper, you ask? Everything a receiver needs to decode and understand the voice data: source and destination info, synchronization cues, error correction codes, and more. Think of it as the GPS for your voice packets, ensuring they reach their destination intact and on time. So next time you're making a call over a DMR network, remember to thank the Voice LC Header silently working behind the scenes. It's the small details like these that keep our communications crystal clear, even in the busiest of radio environments. 📻✨ #DMR #VoiceCommunication #TechnologyUnveiled

1