OFC 2018 Theme: 400 Gbps

Qualcomm MWC20 announcements include Updates on 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and mmWave

2/25/2020

Qualcomm made many wireless-related announcements today from its San Diego, CA headquarters, in place of making a presentation at #MWC20 in Barcelona. Top announcements included its FSM100xx 5G small cell chips customer announcements, RF-chip availability, Wi-Fi 6E demonstrations, and 5G smartphone customer announcements.

FSM100xx 5G RAN endorsements. Qualcomm announced its FSM 5G RAN platform in May 2018, targeting small cells and remote radio heads and enabling bothmmWave and sub-6 GHz spectrum using 10 nm process geometry. The company listed multiple vendors and operators in its press announcement relating to FMS100xx chips. Each of the vendors shared some interesting statistics, the most important of which we share here:

Airspan is using FSM products in developing its small cell products and base stations. The company’s CEO said, “we are on track to deliver tens of thousands of 5G base stations in [the] field in 2020.”
Altiostar, an Open vRAN software maker well-known for its win at Japan’s competitive mobile operator, Rakuten, announced a year-ago at #MWC19, said that the performance of its vRAN and Qualcomm’s 5G RAN platform will allow operators to build carrier-grade high performance RAN.
Baicells plans to use Qualcomm’s 5G RAN platform chips to serve “vertical industries” using small and easily deployable infrastructure.
Corning has a working relationship with Qualcomm on 5G mmWave RAN and plans bring “open platforms” to indoor spaces.
Radisys, Rakuten, Small Cell Forum endorsed Qualcomm, as well, without too many specifics.
Samsung has expanded its 5G product set, using Qualcomm 5G RAN platform, to “in-building and outdoor hotspots.”
Sercomm plans to use Qualcomm 5G RAN platforms in its products to serve mobile network operators with 5G small cells.
T&W has used the FSM90xx and FSM99x to deliver “over 100,000” 4G RAN small cells for leading operators. Using FSM10xxx, T&W expects to provide Tier 1 operators with its 5G small cells on both sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands.
Verizon endorsed the use of Qualcomm based small cells, as well as the “incorporation of virtualization and open interfaces.”

Qualcomm and Facebook speak about VR on Feb 25, 2020

Qualcomm ultraSAW Filter. Expect availability in 2H20. Hit parity in performance in 2019 and now claims that its ultraSAW Filter will exceed performance of competitors, especially in high-bands.

Wi-Fi 6E. Qualcomm demonstrated 6 GHz operation between its Networking Pro Series (Wi-Fi 6 chips for Wi-Fi infrastructure like access points and routers). Qualcomm was not specific about the timetable for delivery of 6 GHz systems, but the company hinted that the 6 GHz demonstration “underscores Qualcomm’s readiness to extend its successful Wi-Fi 6 portfolio into the 6 GHz band for a transformative Wi-Fi 6E performance, pending regulatory approval.” The company expects that mobile devices using its Snapdragon 865 Mobile chips (intended for user devices like smartphones) can operate more than 3 Gbps when using the new 6 GHz spectrum, or 1.8 Gbps when using existing 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz available today. Qualcomm said its Networking Pro Series (Wi-Fi 6 chips) have been “deployed in more than 200 designs shipping or in development.”

Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Mobile Platform. The company announced that its chip system for mobile phones that features its second-generation 5G Modem-RF system, the Snapdragon X55, has been “announced or are in development” in over 70 designs, including those from top vendors such as OPPO, Samsung, Xiaomi and ZTE.

Additionally, the company made VR devices and Personal Computer (PC) announcements including partners such as Facebook (VR) and Microsoft (PC).

0 Comments

Cisco’s many MWC announcements include a system to unify WiFi, LTE, CBRS, 5G called Unified Domain Center

2/25/2020

0 Comments

We review the new announcements Cisco made public for the now-cancelled MWC20 show, and they are: BNG on unified control plane, Unified Domain Center-to-DNA Center interoperation, IoT Control Center, SP Services Edge (CDN), new Open RAN partners, NCS 540 router with CPRI support, and Crosswork automation platform. Since MWC is a show primarily focused on mobile and wireless, we think the two announcements that are most “wireless” in nature were: (a) Unified Domain Center announcement, which will unify management of WiFi to cellular operator LTE is interesting and (b) the partnerships Cisco announced with Open RAN vendors like Parallel Wireless, NEC and World Wide Technology.

Summary of announcements by Cisco:
Core Networks

Core first in the 5G era. Cisco believes SPs should focus on new services creation, and that process begins with selection of the core of the network. So, its view is that the decision on how to architect a 5G networks begins with the core; in contrast, in the 3G era, selection of radio was first.
CUPS / Packet Core. The company now offers a single control-plane system that includes EPC, CCAP and BNG (BNG integration is a new announcement). The user-plane can be delivered over three different systems: Cisco VPP (servers) and/or Physical ASR 9000 and/or Physical NCS 5700. These will then connect to various access systems: 3G, 4G, 5G (private and/or public), home, business.
The company shared maximum throughputs of each of the user plane systems: VPP throughput 400 GB, ASR 9000-series 4 Tb, and NCS 5700 2.4 Tb.
Cisco 5G Core engagements cover 1.3B mobile connections: VZ, Orange, kt, Spring, Rakuten, KDDI, Telenor, T-Mobile, Spark, Gogo, 5G RuralFirst, Working Group Two. This list of engagements excludes 4G announcements. Engagement: have deployed NSA or trialing NSA or SA.
Dynamic microservices and cloud-native.
Its 5G Core (Ultra Cloud Core) does forwarding 50% faster, services proxy 20% faster during congestion and 40% cell site capacity, and does traffic optimization that reduces congestion 30% to save on RAN expansion.

Unified Domain Center

(new) Unified Domain Center. SPs can expose their SP network to enterprise, as a managed service. DNA Center manages WiFi – will see the SP slice. We are in proof of concepts with a few SPs in the world
The company has no public announcements to share yet
This system works in conjunction with Cisco’s cloud-native packet core.
Cisco has confidence in the deman for Unified Domain Center; in fact, according to a Cisco-led survey, 94% of customers want unified management of WiFi, CBRS/Private-LTE, FWA, etc.

IOT Control Center

(new) IoT Control Center was announced. This is based on technology Cisco got from the acquisition of services company, Jasper. We did not get a lot of detail on what is new here, but is clear that Cisco is aggressively pursuing the IoT opportunity.

SP Services Edge

Delivering a CDN system (hardware, services, software) that can be provided to edge sites to allow distribution of things like Disney-Plus.
The business model, as we understand it - is Cisco pays for the equipment/software and gets paid based on usage.

Converged SDN Transport “New Engines”

In Dec 2019, Cisco made an announcement around “Silicon One.” Spokepersons today summarized this announcement for MWC as “New cards for existing routers, plus new routers, improving throughput.”
NCS 540, 10/25/100 GE, 4.5x* vs ASR 900 – 300 Gb system
ASR 9000 line card generation: 4 Tb/slot
NCS 5700, 9.6 Tb/slot
Cisco 8000, 14.4/Slot

Open RAN

RAN has an advantage of 30-50% capex reduction.
Partners planned for the MWC show: Parallel Wireless, NEC, World Wide Technology partnership announced.
Cisco has momentum: Rakuten, Telenor, Etisalat, etc.

NCS 540

(new) NCS 540. Converged Fronthaul router. Move towards IP implementation, reduces operations costs.
Indoor and outdoor, plus aggregation site router (includes CPRI support).

Automated Network Operations

(new) Cisco Crosswork Automation Portfolio
Previously, had individual applications like Network Service Orchestrator (NSO), Situation Manager, etc.
In the future, these applications can be delivered in an integrated platform called “Crosswork”
Single pane of glass: segment routing provisioned end to end to cell site to DC
ACI routing capabilities are also being introduced that are SP-specific

Trusted path routing

Routes around altered routing software images
Security function

0 Comments

650 Group Blog

Qualcomm MWC20 announcements include Updates on 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and mmWave

Cisco’s many MWC announcements include a system to unify WiFi, LTE, CBRS, 5G called Unified Domain Center

CHRIS DePUY
&
Alan weckel

Archives

Categories

650 Group Blog

Qualcomm MWC20 announcements include Updates on 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and mmWave

Cisco’s many MWC announcements include a system to unify WiFi, LTE, CBRS, 5G called Unified Domain Center

CHRIS DePUY&Alan weckel

Archives

Categories

CHRIS DePUY
&
Alan weckel