prnewswire | October 07, 2020
The market for 5G devices is expanding rapidly, several 5G smartphones are now available on the market, with manufacturers emphasizing the benefits of low latency and high download rates. However, 5G still faces many challenges, especially in the infrastructure. PCMag recently published a report comparing 4G and 5G download speeds across various regions in the US (PCMag report). They concluded that 5G is not quite ready yet. Verizon showed the fastest download rate at around 2 Gbps but found only 4 % of the network has 5G coverage. 5G utilizes either mmWave spectrum or sub-6GHz, mmWave achieves the fastest download rates but also has the shortest range, hence Verizon's limited 5G coverage.
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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
POINTek | September 02, 2021
POINTek, Inc., a global leader and provider of high performance athermal AWGs, announced launching of new Athermal AWG Multi/Demultiplexer (MUX/DMX) products in various LGX cassettes for 5G wireless fronthaul application and high-density DWDM channel management. These products fall into three groups as follows:
LGX Cassette with Athermal AWG Brick for Metro Area 5G Wireless Fronthaul
This LGX product (see Figure 1) consists of (a) 40-CH DWDM AWG equipped with bidirectional Blue/Red channels which stand distinguished each other for 20-CH upstream (Blue) and 20-CH downstream (Red) traffics and (b) 2-Slot LGX-short cassette equipped with 40-CH LC connectors.
This 40-CH DWDM brick packaged in 2-slot LGX-short cassette supports solidly point-to-point 5G DWDM wireless fronthaul with bidirectional Blue/Red 20-CH DWDM Upstream and 20-CH DWDM Downstream ports. The 2-Slot front panel accommodates 40 DWDM LC connectors with additional monitoring (optional) ports. Small form factor athermal AWG bricks are necessary for the LXG-Short cassette enclosure.
LGX Cassette with Athermal AWG Brick for Rural Area 5G Wireless Fronthaul/FTTH
This LGX product (see Figure 2) consists of (a) 40-CH DWDM AWG equipped with bidirectional Odd/Even channels which stand distinguished each other for 20-CH upstream (Odd) and 20-CH downstream (Even) traffics, (b) 2-Slot LGX-short cassette equipped with 40-CH LC connectors and in addition, (c) N-Skip-0 Band Filter at a remote node to support 5G wireless fronthaul/FTTH deployment in rural areas.
This 40-CH DWDM brick is similar to that of the Metro Area 5G Wireless Fronthaul application, but is designed to support purely point-to-point 5G DWDM wireless fronthaul as well as FTTH. Hence, the modules work with a N-skip-0 Band splitter for a remote node usage to affect the cost-effective network deployment in rural areas.
"The LGX cassettes with the low-loss Gaussian AWG bricks featured in these two 5G Wireless Fronthaul applications have been fully demonstrated and deployed in the field," says Dr. T.H. Rhee, CEO of POINTek. "We meet customer's unique operational environment optimally. For example, we can provide these new LGX-short Cassettes with Athermal AWG bricks for meeting emerging broadband infrastructure deployments where 5G Wireless fronthaul upgrade is needed or where broadband expansion to rural communities is planned," Rhee adds.
LGX Cassette with 4x Athermal AWG Multi/Demultiplex Bricks for High-Density DWDM Channel Management
This product group highlights packaging of (a) 2 Athermal AWG Multi/Demultiplxer pairs for a total of 4 Athermal AWG bricks in 1-slot LGX-long cassette and (b) the 1-slot LGX-long cassette equipped with MPO connectors.
"We have tailored this product in a single slot LGX fiber patch cassette for high density larger scale fiber networking operations, allowing an efficient fiber management for truly maximum use of popular low insertion loss 100GHz C-band 40-CH Gaussian AWG DWDM channels within limited networking spaces of today's customer environment at data centers, central offices or headend of networking facilities," according to Dr. Donald Yu, CMO of POINTek, operating from Los Angeles, California. "Now, we have added this module to our other pluggable high-density 1RU fiber patch form," Yu adds.
POINTek's specialty low-loss Athermal AWG Multiplexers/Demultiplexers packaged in small form factors for LGX Cassettes offer a timely and appropriate solution to on-going 5G Wireless Fronthaul for metro infra and rural FTTH applications as well as high-density fiber management globally.
About POINTek, Inc.
Launched in 2000 with the goal of developing cutting edge Planar Optical Waveguide Technology, POINTek has become a global leader in the following two decades since its establishment, providing top-quality high performance athermal AWGs. POINTek specializes in packaging and manufacturing athermal AWG based DWDM optical device products.
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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
BT | November 02, 2021
BT and OneWeb have agreed terms for a new Distribution Partner Agreement, with OneWeb to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communication services across BT Group.* This builds on an initial Memorandum of Understanding signed in July and means BT is testing how LEO satellite technology integrates with its existing terrestrial capabilities to meet the communications needs of customers. On successful completion, BT will commence the first live trials with customers from early next year. The partnership will span a growing range of connectivity solutions around the world as well as specific opportunities for the UK market.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: "I am thrilled to see the UK at the forefront of this emerging technology thanks to the Government's investment in OneWeb – a crucial part of our plans to cement our status as a global science and technology superpower."
Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: "The agreement between OneWeb and BT will help bring fast and reliable global connectivity, from the Highlands to the Himalayas. I'm delighted these two British companies have joined forces to research the technological benefits of working together, and I look forward to exploring how this could play a role in our mission to put hard-to-reach areas in the digital fast lane."
Philip Jansen, Chief Executive of BT Group, said: "Space is an emerging and enormous digital opportunity, and this is an important step towards harnessing its potential for BT's customers across the globe. We will put OneWeb's technology through its paces in our UK labs with the goal of delivering live trials in early 2022. Delivered securely and at scale, satellite solutions will be an important part of our plans to expand connectivity throughout the UK and globally, and to further diversify the range of services we can offer our customers."
"BT has taken the lead in the recognition of LEO satellite's advantage. We are delighted as this agreement with BT Group represents an important strategic partnership for OneWeb as we continue to make progress towards our operational launch. We are excited to be playing such a key role in improving the resilience of the overall telecom infrastructure in the UK. OneWeb's connectivity platform will help bridge the last digital divides across the country and enhance the nation's digital infrastructure."
OneWeb's Chief Executive Officer Neil Masterson
OneWeb is expected to deliver global coverage by June 2022 through a constellation of 648 LEO satellites and is poised to deliver services from the North Pole to the 50th parallel, covering the entire United Kingdom, later this year. The new partnership supports BT's wider network ambition, set out in July this year, to deliver digital solutions across the entire UK by 2028, through a combination of an expanded network and 'on demand,' requestable solutions anywhere beyond. In building a converged, software-defined network, BT will leverage and integrate both terrestrial and non-terrestrial technologies to deliver on the goal of seamless, ubiquitous connectivity.
This agreement marks a clear path towards the first LEO solutions being available for customers within a year. As the next step, BT will test capabilities in its Bristol lab to demonstrate how they integrate with existing services. Current capacity levels within OneWeb satellites mean initial trials will focus on its role as a supplementary, low latency backhaul solution to sites where additional capacity or a back-up solution is required, and to deliver improved resilience for business customers. On successful completion, BT will begin early adopter trials for UK and international customers, expected early next year. As OneWeb grows their capacity, the list of future use cases could also widen, opening up the opportunity to explore the use of satellite for IoT backhaul and Fixed Wireless Access in rural areas.
The work with OneWeb shows the capabilities being developed by UK businesses in the pioneering area of space technology and follows the UK Government's recently published National Space Strategy, which recognises the enormous strategic opportunities on offer. BT, which boasts a heritage of nearly 60 years in space and satellite communication innovation, continues to explore a diverse range of partners across all its services, including space, to ensure the latest and best connectivity solutions are available for customers.
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