Fujitsu announced an integrated network solution simplifying the deployment of 100G services on access, metro, and core networks. Enabling this push of 100G to the network edge are new, high-density 100G units in the FLASHWAVE 9500 platform and new demarcation and aggregator units in the FLASHWAVE CDS. These new devices can be combined with FLASHWAVE 9500 OTN switching, if desired, to provide a comprehensive solution that will make it more simple and efficient to deploy 100G services throughout customer networks.

The Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 9500 features new, slim 100G muxponder and transponder units, establishing an industry-best 7.2 Tbps density for a standard rack. With reduced size, lower power consumption and higher performance, the new units support an all-coherent network architecture and are backward compatible with existing 100G units. Enhanced 100G service delivery and assurance are enabled by combining the next-generation CDC-F ROADM capabilities of the FLASHWAVE 9500 with the automated network management of an SDN controller.

In extraterrestrial news, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) announced it is adopting a primary allocation of the 1090 MHz frequency band for the reception by satellite of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) signals from aircraft.  The decision, made during the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15) in Geneva, Switzerland, protects this essential frequency for real-time flight tracking and global surveillance of aircraft through ADS-B over satellite.  This important step will extend air traffic surveillance coverage of equipped aircraft to 100 percent of the earth's surface – from the 30 percent coverage available today.

Memotec and OneAccess announced this month that they are teaming up to solve satellite latency issues for 4G LTE services. The Memotec WX optimizer virtually eliminates the satellite link latency effect, a major concern with delivering 4G/LTE services over satellite, and provides mobile end-users with a true broadband LTE experience. In addition, the product’s intelligent and powerful data optimization processing allows a mobile operator to save up to 50% or more on transmission costs, and to sustain the highest throughput required for backhauling 4G/LTE services.

Memotec’s WX product is powered by OneAccess technology, which provides mobile operators with a unique set of combined features for optimizing 4G/LTE cellular backhaul traffic and allowing the full bandwidth capacity potential of LTE. The solution also applies to the data core when backhauling remote RNCs or SGSN 2G-3G trunks over satellite, be it directly or for backup or disaster recovery.

In Israel, satellite tech provider Gilat Satellite Networks announced its distributed X-Architecture for SkyEdge II-c for high-throughput Satellite (HTS). The Software-Defined Networking (SDN)-based architecture enables satellite operators and service providers to support mobility, enterprise, cellular and consumer broadband applications and business models from a single platform.

France’s global cellular network provider for IoT applications, SIGFOX further extended the reach of the internet of things (IoT) by announcing it helping San Francisco become the IoT innovation capital of the world.  San Francisco is the first of ten US cities in which SIGFOX will be deploying in networks by Q1 2016. The SIGFOX IoT network is currently operating or being deployed in 10 additional European countries. The company also is adding a multitude of device to the IoT boom by announcing that it has been selected by SOGEDO, a leading water-distribution company in France, for automatic and remote water-meter reading and real-time customer data usage analysis.

In other IoT news, Verizon announced its global strategy for simplifying IoT and accelerating its market adoption. With a 495 million dollar investment, 1,000 channel partners, and generating the largest amount of IoT revenue, Verizon appears to be leading the IoT charge in the US. It’s newly announced global strategy encompasses: launching ThingSpace, a IoT platform to help foster the development of IoT applications; creating a dedicated IoT network for next-generation IoT use cases; driving IoT innovation in vertical industries such as healthcare and agriculture; integrating with Verizon’s Big Data and Analytics engine; and introducing IoT for three, new end-to-end smart city deployments.

Expansion Efforts

In expansion news, international exchange operator DE-CIX adds UAE-IX to its partner program expanding the reach of global network services in to the Middle East.

In the U.S., Cologix and Neural Path announced they are providing new connectivity routes to the Midwest states. The collaboration allows Neural Path to tap the networks of 70 operators, broad range of customers, and the core node of the Midwest Internet Exchange Cooperative (MICE).