What Are Smaller Operators Missing that Tier 1s Already Have?
9/5/2017 - Tier 1 operators are deploying IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architectures and virtualizing their networks to control costs and deploy a variety of innovative, revenue-generating services, but most Tier 2-4 operators' networks aren't yet equipped to deliver.

Nokia to Manage Telenor-Telia Mobile Network
8/24/2017 - Telenor and Telia have called on Nokia to manage their joint mobile radio network in Denmark.

Nokia Launches EU-Supported 5G Research Project
8/24/2017 - Nokia-led 5G research project aims to create specs for, evaluate, validate, and verify networking slicing architectures.

Nokia Discusses 5G Timeline, Plans
8/2/2017 - Nokia this week offered an update on its 5G FIRST initiative. In doing so, the company laid out its plans for supporting the 3GPP 5G Phase I protocol in its end-to-end solution.

Nokia: 5G Accelerating, Creating 'Near-Term Risk'
8/1/2017 - 5G is moving forward faster than initially expected, creating near-term risk, said Nokia's CEO.

Nokia and WorldLink Bring Next Generation Communications to Nepal
7/11/2017 - Nokia announced this week that it is teaming up with WorldLink to build Nepal's first 100G optical network for super-fast broadband services. These services will be beneficial to consumers and businesses alike, and should serve to improve operations in Nepal immensely.

Nokia Lowers Latency Using 4.9G Technology for 5G Application
7/5/2017 - Nokia has demonstrated a reduction in network latency to less than 2ms using 4.9 G technology with its AirScale base station.

Nokia and Infracapital to Build and Operate Fiber Optic Networks in Poland
6/27/2017 - A new joint venture between Nokia and Infracapital will design, deploy and operate advanced fiber networks in Poland to deliver broadband services to residents and schools.

Nokia's Velocix Content Delivery Network Improves Service Delivery for Sky
2/2/2017 - Increase for on-demand premium video content has led Sky to deploy Nokia's Velocix Content Delivery Network (CDN) to improve high-speed video and data services.

Nokia Brings LTE to 7705 Router
1/31/2017 - Nokia has introduced the 7705 SAR-Hm LTE/3G wireless router. It enables utilities to more easily extend IP/MPLS to smart grid locations.

Nokia Purchase Boosts Next Generation Communications
12/15/2016 - Nokia's intended purchase of Deepfield will add real time analytics functions to next generation communications capabilities.

Moving Beyond Gigabit Will Be 2017 Broadband Story
12/13/2016 - Judging by the number of different announcements over the past month, the broadband bar is moving upward from the gigabit level to multiples of Gbps, with 10 Gbps likely to be the "new normal" for high-end high-speed connectivity for homes and businesses. Meanwhile, carriers and third-party service providers continue to test how fast and practical fixed wireless connectively can be delivered. Faster fiber is the sure thing, while many questions surround 5G-esque broadband schemes.

Nokia Brings Machine Learning to Customer Experience
11/18/2016 - Service providers of next generation communications put machine learning to work to make the best customer experience.

Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Bring Out New Record for Single Mode Fiber Transmission
10/14/2016 - Innovations like these will likely go a long way toward addressing our current bandwidth crunches. Thanks to an increasing number of uses for online traffic, from work to play and beyond, we need more bandwidth, and creating comparatively simple ways to get it in play are vital to its ongoing health. With more fiber systems coming to regular users and 5G still waiting in the wings, we may well have those necessary connection tools in fairly short order.

Nokia Adds Assurance to Network Services Platform
10/13/2016 - Nokia has developed its Network Services Platform (NSP) software so operators can make the most of their networks that include multiple layers, a combination of physical and virtual infrastructure, and equipment from more than one vendor.

Administrators Can Use DNS RPZ for Malicious Site Queries
8/23/2016 - The Domain Name Server (DNS) Response Policy Zone (RPZ) is an open, vendor-neutral standard for the interchange of DNS firewall configuration information. RPZ was developed by the Internet Systems Consortium (ISC) to fight the abuse of the DNS by groups or individuals with malicious or harmful intent. RPZ is a standard feature of BIND 9 (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) as of version 9.8.1 and was built upon the Mail Abuse Spam Project, which introduced reputation data as a means of protecting against email spam. Due to the proliferation of criminal activity on the Internet, it is difficult for the Internet security industry to remove criminal infrastructure at domain registries, hosting providers or ISPs on a timely basis.

Nokia Completes World's Largest Modernization of HLR Database in India for Vodafone
8/17/2016 - World's largest HLR modernization for Vodafone's SuperNet in India by Nokia brings 200M subscribers under one consolidated database.

China Mobile Awards Nokia 30 Percent of Its 2016-17 Optical Build
8/17/2016 - Nokia captures major part of China Mobile next generation network for 4G build out.

New GSA Report Details LTE Uptake
8/17/2016 - LTE in its various flavors is now widespread and LTE-Advanced in particular is mainstream according to a new report from the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GMSA).

OpenSignal Study of Mobile Speeds and Coverage by Country is Revealing
8/17/2016 - People who have high speed and accessibility as vacation selection priority will find OpenSignal study illuminating.

The Case for a Holistic Approach: Getting the Right Handle on PSTN Migration
8/10/2016 - No matter where one looks in the world the public switched telephone network (PSTN) is in the midst of being retired as fixed, mobile and converged networks transform to next generation all-IP ones. And, while these migrations are taking place at varying speeds, realities are that the legacy TDM PSTN has outlived its utility in our digital world, making this an issue of when and not if.

Attracting Customers with Data Allowances, Voice and Messaging Programs
8/8/2016 - This is the last in what has been a deeper dive into the recently published Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study, where the focus has been on a series of reports that provide a more granular view and explanation of the overall study. In the last installment, the focus was on the report series associated with the study The Role of Mobile Advertising in Customer Retention. In fact, it went into detail on customer receptivity and how mobile advertising by mobile service providers of their own services can help attract and keep customers. And, as a wrap-up of the series, this time focus is on the all important area of data plans and their usage and is titled Data allowance, voice and messaging.

Hackers Take Advantage of Pokemon Go Craze
8/1/2016 - Pokemon Go has taken the world by storm since its early July launch, but from privacy invasions to new malware detections, security concerns are rising.

The Role of Mobile Advertising in Customer Retention
7/27/2016 - Once again we are taking a deeper dive in the recently published Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study . The previous posting on the more granular report series associated with the study was on how mobile service providers could leverage service bundling and connected device offers to attract and keep subscribers. Next up in the series is the report on the impact of mobile advertising on customer decision making about who will get their business. As with the rest of this series, Mobile Advertising, is now available for download and review.

Dynamic Network Slicing: Getting the Most out of 5G Architectures
7/26/2016 - One of the more interesting aspects about the excitement surrounding the development and ultimately the deployment of 5G is that it represents a true generational change. In practice, it is being designed to meet the explosive traffic growth generated by both the need to connect everything and everyone and demand for the communication of increasing rich content on a massive scale. In short, it will mean big mobility pipes at higher speeds for "E"verything.

10 Questions Answered on the Value of a Full-service Connected Device Platform (CDP)
7/25/2016 - We all know that we live in what will be an always on and all ways connected world. We long ago passed the days when there were more people connected to devices. Now, thanks to the criticality in our personal and professional live of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its closely related machine-to-machine (M2M) devices, the information they generated and the useful services they enable, we are looking at billions of network connected devices in the very near future.

Facebook Could Put Lasers to Use to Bring Internet to Underserved Communities
7/25/2016 - Facebook engineers detail how breakthroughs in the use of lasers could be used for Internet access.

Calling All IoT Innovators: It is time to Enter the Nokia 2016 Innovation Challenge
7/20/2016 - Nokia Open Innovation Challenge 2016 focus is on finding great IoT innovators to work with.

Bundling Services and Connected Devices to Acquire and Retain Customers
7/19/2016 - Next up on the continuing more granular look from the series of reports associated with the recently published Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study is the report, Value-added, bundled services and connected devices. It is now available for download following our previous look at the criteria customers are using to choose a mobile operator.

Smart Network Planning and Optimization (NPO) as Path to Competitive Success
7/19/2016 - In the recently released report Choosing a Mobile Operator, part of the landmark Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study, "Best Network Quality" ranked right behind "Best Prices" as the reasons why customers choose one network service provider over another. This raises an interesting challenge as mobile operators and their solutions providers look to the fast-approaching 5G future, "How can mobile operators assure that the network quality is where it needs to be to in order to provide truly differentiated value-added and compelling services?"

Nokia, MTS Augment 4G Service in Moscow
7/18/2016 - FDD-TDD carrier aggregation enhances the commercial LTE network in Moscow to meet growing demand.

Nokia and Samsung Expand Intellectual Property Cross Licensing
7/13/2016 - As everyone in the information and communications technology (ICT) business is aware, the monetization of intellectual property (IP) is crucial to success. And, as recent headlines have proven time and again, what is at stake can run into the billions of dollars and has been the source of extensive contention and litigation. For this reason, when companies agree to cooperate rather than, as the famous phrase from the Godfather movie, "go to the mattresses," it is welcome news.

Customer Criteria for Choosing a Mobile Operator
7/12/2016 - As promised, we are continuing the more granular look from the series of reports associated with the recently published Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study. In the previous part of the series now being rolled out by Nokia, the focus was on Security as an influence on why customers decide to keep or switch their mobile service provider. This week the deeper dive in on the report, Choosing a Mobile Operator.

SmartRG Launches Solutions for vCPE Management
7/8/2016 - Managing a network is no easy task, and it becomes even more challenging when you have to take a variety of devices that are not even at your facilities into consideration. Throw in a new technology like virtualization, and that adds yet another factor into the mix.

Nokia Real-Time Mobile Network Analytics Improves End-to-End Mobile Service Delivery
7/5/2016 - Mobile operators are always looking to improve the performance of their network in order to provide better services for their customers. This requires access to every piece of hardware and software that is responsible for delivering digital telecommunications in real-time. Nokia has launched such a solution with its Real-Time Mobile Network Analytics, which, according to the company, will give operators the access they need to improve services, mitigate security threats and identify problems before they cause system wide failures.

Nokia Dynamic Diameter Engine to Handle IoT and VoLTE Signaling Traffic Growth
7/1/2016 - However, when looking out over the near horizon, it is not just those apps that need to concern operators. The advent of massive IoT deployments and the urgency of putting in next generation signaling solutions to assure the ramping rollout of voice over LTE (VoLTE) and voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFI) only add to the challenges of accommodating the unabated surge in signaling traffic. It is why the market for next generation signaling solutions like Diameter Signaling, projected to be over a $2 billion market by 2020, to say the least has outstanding growth prospects.

Ovum Projects Numbers in the First Wave of 5G Subscribers
6/30/2016 - If the researchers at Ovum are correct 5G looks to be arriving on time, and projected numbers for adoption are impressive.

Session Border Controllers Rocket to the Cloud
6/30/2016 - Network Elements (NE) and Session Border Controllers (SBC) unchained from their native home ATCA Hardware are facilitating moves to the Cloud.

4G is Major Selling Point for Acquiring New Mobile Customers
6/24/2016 - Last week as part of the continuing look at the series of reports associated with the recently published Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study, we took a deeper dive into one of the granular parts of the series, Drivers of Customer Retention. As promised this week we look at another part of the series which is now available for download, Trends in New Sign-ups. This is obviously a very important topic for mobile service providers as churn remains a significant industry challenge, and thus obtaining new customers is truly "mission critical."

Nokia Steps Up Its TD-LTE Speeds to Bridge the Gap to 5G
6/22/2016 - At Mobile World Congress (MWC) Shanghai Nokia showcases series of solutions to bridge the gap between now and 5G.

First World Wi-Fi Day Reveals Interesting Facts on Global Broadband Penetration Levels
6/20/2016 - In conjunction with first World Wi-Fi Day a Wireless Broadband Alliance study reveals 57 percent of world's urban population has no access to broadband.

Customer Care is Fastest Growing Retention Category
6/17/2016 - Recently I posted an article on a subject that is near and dear to mobile operators, customer acquisition and retention. It related to the publication by Next Generation Community host Nokia of its 10th in a series of reports titled appropriately, Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study. It was noted that there were several categories that make the report a very useful resource. In fact, this week Nokia has published the details on the part of the series of this report dealing with "Drivers of Customer Retention." And once, again, there is a lot to evaluate in the findings.

Outdoor Small Cell and Mobile Backhaul Equipment Market Picking Up Momentum
6/17/2016 - For those who follow the mobile infrastructure business as an indicator of service provider interest in upgrading their networks, finding out what is going on in various sectors is important. This is particularly the case in regards to looking at the mobile backhaul equipment market as it relates to small cells.

Nokia Smart Home Solution Makes Smart Home Functions Easier to Use
6/15/2016 - Nokia's Smart Home solution allows users to set up a smart home-with a variety of different connected devices, plugs and sensors-to better operate from one platform.

Nokia and China Mobile Ink New Agreement Covering Several Fronts
6/14/2016 - Nokia and China Mobile expand relationship to address growing network expansion and transformation requirements.

Starman Taps Nokia for 10G EPON Deployment
6/9/2016 - The first nationwide 10-gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network in Europe is being deployed by Nokia and Starman.

Nokia Study Reveals Changes in Why Consumers Select and Stay with a Mobile Service Provider
6/8/2016 - Understanding why customers choose products and services over a competitor and stay or switch is to put it mildly, truly "mission critical." And, in the rough and tumble world of mobile services, where churn rates are historically high, having up-to-date insights into consumer attitudes that drive their behavior about who they want as a services provider is particularly crucial. It is why Nokia's Acquisition and Retention Study is always highly anticipated.

New Zealand CSP Chorus Extends Relationship with Nokia
5/31/2016 - Deal extension using Nokia's broadband access, IP routing, and optical transport solutions to increase broadband capacity for New Zealanders.

Nokia Ultra Compact Network Takes 4G Access Anywhere
5/31/2016 - Nokia's new Ultra Compact Network is a secure 4G network whose components can fit in an ordinary backpack.

Analyzing Internet Traffic Flows--A Look Back
5/26/2016 - The cloud's scale and economics, combined with big data techniques, are changing the game when it comes to Internet traffic flows and analysis.

Nokia to Test Drones in Kansas City Mobile Signaling PoC
5/20/2016 - What makes Kansas City so up-to-date today is that Nokia will soon be putting on a proof of concept (POC) involving, of all things, drones.

Russian 5G Development Gets a Boost with Nokia / MTS Group Agreement
5/18/2016 - Nokia collaboration with Russian telecom firm MTS Group aims at early 5G test deployment by 2018.

Nokia Bell Labs Demonstrates 10Gbps Symmetrical Bandwidth on HFC Networks
5/16/2016 - Nokia Bell Labs says 10Gbps symmetrical bandwidth on cableco hybrid fiber/coax network infrastructure, called XG-CABLE, is now in prototype form.

Nokia Publishes Annual People and Planet Report on Sustainability Efforts
5/12/2016 - One of the nice synergies that came from Nokia's acquisition of Alcatel-Lucent was the focus of both organizations on eco-sustainability. Each company over the years has not just iterated but documented that part of their corporate DNA was and will be a commitment to connect the world in a responsible way.

Why CSPs Need Dynamic OSSs
5/10/2016 - Next generations operations and support systems (OSSs) are critical for creating differentiated value and operational excellence.

CSPs Are in a Unique Position to Deliver Digital Home Services
5/10/2016 - CSPs are uniquely positioned to deliver digital home services because of on-premise equipment and broadband connectivity.

Bell Labs Honors 100th Birthday of Claude Shannon the Father of Information Theory
5/5/2016 - For anyone in the information and communications technology (ICT) industries, if you were not aware and you really need to be, we all owe an enormous debt of gratitude to Claude Shannon. For those not familiar, Shannon is appropriately acknowledged as, "The Father of Information Theory." April 30, 2016 marked the 100th birthday of this truly remarkable man (see IEEE's excellent bio), whose groundbreaking work on computing, cryptography, and communications literally laid the theoretical foundation for modern communications, computing and cryptology by explaining how the world could be use binary coding to capture and communicate information.

Technical Guidance on Deploying and Making Operational a Community Ultra-broadband Network
5/5/2016 - In the first posting of this two-part series the focus was on a recent Nokia white paper, Gigabit Technical Playbook, a technical guide for communities looking to take matters into their own hands in accelerating broadband deployment and adoption, was on planning and getting ready for the build out. In this deeper dive we look at:

The Benefits of Cloud Interconnect
5/2/2016 - Gary Holland, ION Verticals Marketing, Nokia, explains the importance of cloud data center interconnect.

Nokia Technical Playbook - 'How-to' Guide on Building a Community Broadband Network
4/27/2016 - In fact, the Gigabit Technical Playbook, has so much practical information on "how-to" go about building a community broadband network that in this posting the concentration will be on getting started. Topics include

Unprecedented access with 5G
4/25/2016 - Making the case why future mobile operator business models will be determined by the availability of access to 5G networks.

Nokia Shows How Network Field Engineers Can Use Augmented Reality
4/25/2016 - Nokia OZO shows how augmented reality (AR) can help reduce field force errors significantly.

Nokia Playbook Highlights Keys to Successful Community Broadband Initiatives
4/20/2016 - There is an old saying that companies should be global but act local. Interestingly, when it comes to accelerating the deployment of fixed network ultra-broadband capabilities, while communication service providers like to think global, and country governments think national, the economic and social benefits of having universal high-speed access are so compelling that it is local municipalities that are looking to a means for expediting their citizens getting such access. And, one way in which they are doing so is through the initiation of "Community Broadband" efforts.

Bell Labs Fellow Authors Book 'Lean Computing for the Cloud'
4/18/2016 - Bell Labs Fellow, Eric Bauer, explains how lean manufacturing principles can to the cloud service delivery chain.

Tests Validate Benefits of ADC in Enabling Reliable IP-Based Teleprotection
4/18/2016 - Nokia completed a successful test of asymmetrical delay control (ADC) for IP-based teleprotection.

Study: Networks Can't Meet Digital 'Future Anywhere' Demand by 2020
4/13/2016 - There is no disputing the value of modeling in the ICT industries in general and the telecommunications industry specifically. The reasons are obvious.

Nokia IoT Leader Emphasizes the Importance of Value-Driven Solutions
4/11/2016 - Nokia says for IoT to reach its potential, vendors must shift focus from tech to more value-driven mindsets and business models.

The Power of the Virtual Network Function Management (VNFM)
4/4/2016 - Overcoming cumbersome and manually intensive challenges of VNFs using OpenStack tools with Nova commands or Heat templates.

When to Deploy VDSL2 vs. GPON? Bell Labs Study Provides Answers
3/30/2016 - One of the great things about statistical analysis is that the more accurate information you can use as parameters and metrics, the more precise a determination you can make about what typically could be considered a hypothetical construct

Four Keys for Assessing the Value of IP Transformation
3/28/2016 - Nokia paper highlights need for IP transformations based on portfolio management, network, operations and business readiness assessments.

Rolling Out the Telco Cloud is Easier Said Than Done
3/28/2016 - Virtualization of most aspects of telco infrastructure on the path to the telco cloud is not easy but worth the journey.

Where Data Center Interconnect (DCI) is, can and should be going
3/22/2016 - Data Center Integration (DCI) with existing IP/MPLS WAN networks can be a challenge and needs to be seamless.

Five Adjustments MSOs Need for Continued Growth
3/21/2016 - In order to keep evolving there are five things cable MSOs need to consider as outlined by Nokia.

Nokia Delivers Next Generation 100G Optical Solutions
3/17/2016 - There is little doubt that regardless of where or what part of the networking business one looks at, the "need for speed" is paramount.

The Benefits of TWDM-PON
3/15/2016 - Nokia explains the benefits of TWDM-PON unbundling for infrastructure sharing and use for wholesale services.

FastMile for the Last Mile of Rural Broadband
3/14/2016 - Almost since the invention of the telephone, telegraph and the use of radio a media for interactions, there has never been any doubt about the economic and social value of universal and affordable real-time communications. In fact, here in the U.S. it was one of the objectives outlined in the creation of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) way back in 1934.

Seven Ways to Cut Small Cell Deployment Costs
3/14/2016 - Second in two-part series looks at seven recommendations for smartly and cost-effectively deploying small cells.

Achieving Full Visibility with an Overlay Network
3/10/2016 - Hopefully frequent visitors to the Next Generation Communications Community have been following the series of articles on the site on the topic of overlay networks and their future as the preferred architecture for data center networks going forward. Indeed, thanks to a series of Nuage Networks blogs, readers have gotten valuable insights into not just the practicality of overlay networks.

How to Architect a Flexible Service Chaining Environment
3/7/2016 - Second in two-part series looks at the activities and network functions that make flexible chaining possible.

Three Keys for Connecting Small Cells to Wider Networks
3/7/2016 - Three recommendations for planning and effectively connecting small cell sites with the wider network.

Two Recent RAN Virtualization Tests Show the Technology's Strength
3/7/2016 - Virtualized RAN (also known as cloud RAN), is seen as a cornerstone of 5G and tests are proving its viability.

Nokia Malware Report Highlights Smartphones as Source of Mobile Network
3/1/2016 - Visitors to the Next Generation Communications Community are aware of the unique valuable insights Nokia provides using their network monitoring capabilities to look at security threats from a network-centric perspective. It is why their periodic reports on what they see have become a staple of valuable insights. And, with the annual RSA conference now underway in San Francisco, Nokia Security Center Berlin, powered by Nokia Threat Intelligence Lab, is taking advantage of this major gathering of industry security professionals to release its latest findings about malware on mobile networks covering the last half of 2105.

Communication Service Providers Positioned Well for Serving the Smart Home
2/29/2016 - Existing technology and relationships mean CSPs are well-positioned as smart home markets evolve.

Flexible Service Chaining: What it is and Why it is Important for Agile Networks
2/29/2016 - Flexible service chaining routes traffic only where it needs to go and aligns with SDN separation of the control and user planes for more dynamic and programmable networks.

Nuage Explains How SDN Can Help Address Cloud Security
2/29/2016 - How software-defined networking (SDN) can help address security in cloud environments.

Virtualized Service Platform and the Benefits of Leveraging Container Technology
2/24/2016 - Containers technology is gaining traction because containers, unlike more traditional hypervisor and virtual machine-based approaches, are designed so that each have their workload shared on a host OS, rather than each virtual machine (VM) which have their own host or guest OS image. A VM occupies more space in memory, and takes more time (minutes rather than fractions of seconds) to deploy and provision.

Nokia Says Carrier-Grade Virtualized Routers Are Ready for Prime Time
2/23/2016 - Nokia highlights the reasons why virtual routers are ready to provide CSPs with operating cost savings and revenue benefits.

How Indoor Cell Placement Benefits from 3D Modeling
2/22/2016 - Small cell placement is a challenge and 3D modeling tools can assure optimal placements.

What to Look for in a Good IP Video Systems Integrator
2/22/2016 - Nokia recommendations on using systems integrator for complexities of delivering IP video services successfully.

Containers and the Need to Contain Enhanced Security
2/17/2016 - In the world of physical security, for the most part, isolation is viewed as a good thing on two fronts. In fact, in the context of jails, the two benefits are teaching a bad actor a lesson, and keeping them away from others to prevent a contagion. The latter point is also true as to why the first thing healthcare officials do in the face of a possible epidemic is to isolate those already affected. Interestingly, when it comes to the all things relating to how we compute, store and move data, isolation takes on a different connotation. In fact, thanks to Docker isolation can be seen as a beautiful thing because its benefits are seen as having a positive connotation.

Nokia Illustrates What's Possible with LTE Broadcast
2/17/2016 - Nokia explains the opportunities and value of LTE Broadcast to operators and their customers.

Nokia Zone Applications make Event Venue Mobile Broadband Easier than Ever
2/16/2016 - Nokia Zone Applications create win/win/win scenario for mobile operators, event sites and customers.

Nokia Speeds Up Centralized RAN (C-RAN) Deployment with Expanded Mobile Fronthaul Solutions
2/10/2016 - An area that gets over-looked in the coverage of the multiple transformations mobile operators are undergoing is the movement toward Centralized-RAN (C-RAN). While not sexy, this part of mobile network plumbing is a critical part of how mobile operators can increase operational efficiencies and provide more compelling customer experiences. It is why the announcement from Nokia of significant additions to its mobile transport portfolio for fronthaul transformations commands attention.

The Value and Future of Network Virtualization Layering-Part Two
2/9/2016 - A previous posting on this site focused on the history of overlay networks and how they have been a foundational part of modern networking (fixed, mobile and Internet). Interestingly, however, whether overlay networks, i.e., layering, is the best path forward has been the subject of some debate. And, as pointed out, an insightful blog by Nuage Networks' Dimitri Stilliadis provided the reasons why that debate should come to an end with a definitive YES!

Network Virtualization-The Value and Future of Layering
2/2/2016 - Given that virtualization really is a paradigm shift for network architectures-how networks are developed and operated and the services we use are created, assured and billed-it is useful to remember that Software Defined Networking (SDN) has been around for a while.

Managing Change in IP Transformation: The Complexity of Managing Large Change Programs (Part 2)
2/2/2016 - Second of two-part article on managing large change programs. Part of Nokia's Steve Blackshaw IP Transformation series.

Digital Enterprises are just Getting Started with Network Transformations
2/1/2016 - Realities are we are still very much in the early stages of network transformation for many enterprises.

G.fast Helps Multiple Dwelling Units Reach Ultra-Broadband Speeds
1/25/2016 - G.fast is proving to be great way to provide Helps Multiple Dwelling Units Reach Ultra-Broadband Speeds

'New Guy' Season 2 Episodes 3, 4 and 5 Are Must-see EV (Enterprise Video)
1/25/2016 - As posted last week, I have been using the stormy weather to binge watch some of my favorite personal and professional video. And, thanks to the record-breaking snow storm here in the New York area over the weekend, I got caught up on Nokia's (produced by the former Alcatel-Lucent marketing folks) highly innovative "New Guy" series by watching episodes 3, 4 and 5.

LTE Small Cells Help VoLTE Indoor Call Quality Performance
1/25/2016 - LTE small cells when deployed properly greatly enhance the user calling experience indoors where most calls originate.

Managing Change in IP Transformation: The Complexity of Managing Large Change Programs
1/25/2016 - First of two-part article on managing large change programs. Third of four-part Steve Blackshaw IP Transformation series.

Managing Change in IP Transformation: The Universal Truth is that Change is Universal
1/19/2016 - In second of four-part series on managing IP transformations Steve Blackshaw looks at universality aspects of going all IP.

Service Provider Transformation: The Path to the Agile Network Future
1/18/2016 - White paper looks at the opportunities and challenges of getting to an agile networking future.

Managing Change in IP Transformation: Using Communications to Guide Program Success
1/12/2016 - Transformation programs are intended to improve customer experiences yet few engage customers in program governance?

How to Approach Communication Service Provider (CSP) Transformation
1/12/2016 - White paper by Alcatel-Lucent focuses on the big changes coming in the transformation of CSP network architectures.

Bell Labs President says there is a Digital Analog to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
1/5/2016 - Bell Labs President Marcus Weldon makes case for a digital and similar version of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Second Annual Bell Labs Prize Winners Announced
1/4/2016 - Bell Labs rings out 2015 with announcement of the winners of the second annual Bell Labs Prize contest.

Is a Full Packet Microwave System on Your 'To Do' List?
12/29/2015 - Hopefully, the question in the headline got your attention and you already have an answer. However, if you cannot answer the question in the affirmative, or if you are a provider of physical wireless networking services and are not thinking about this, now would be a great time to at least investigate why the answer should be yes.

Small Cell Network Optimization Begins with Careful Building Analysis and Testing
12/29/2015 - Alcatel-Lucent case study highlights utility of optimally deployed small cells for great indoor cellular coverage.

ICT Can Meet Traffic, Carbon Emission and Climate Change Demands: Part Two of Two
12/22/2015 - My previous posting on the subject of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industry challenges relating to eco-sustainability was the context as to why ICT companies in general and communications companies specifically currently have a large and growing carbon emissions footprint. It highlighted the recognition that in the face of the explosive growth of data storage, processing and transmission that lays ahead, this footprint could grow substantially.

Alcatel-Lucent Hackathon Addresses More IoT Connected Home Security Challenges
12/22/2015 - For frequent visitors to the Next Generation Communications Community you are probably now becoming aware of my obsession with hackathons. Recently, I did a review of the AT&T Mobility event from a few weeks ago in New York City. And back in August I looked the first hackathon held at community host Alcatel-Lucent's (ALU) Device IOT Excellence Center at Nozay, France during which university students exploited and secured Internet of Things (IoT) surveillance cameras.

The Importance of CDN Dimensioning
12/21/2015 - Alcatel-Lucent highlights the urgency properly dimension (scale and virtualize) CDNs to meet traffic crush.

ICT Can Meet Traffic, Carbon Emission and Climate Change Demands: Part One of Two
12/18/2015 - The recently concluded accord in Paris by countries from around the world committing to what are essentially non-binding reductions of carbon emissions to stem and hopefully reverse global warming was huge news. It only took 21 years of contentious debate. However, there is a deal. The goal is that countries take action domestically and internationally to cut their carbon emissions to contain the increase in the global average temperature to "well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels". The deal will come into effect in 2020.

Making the Case for PSTN Migration
12/15/2015 - Alcatel-Lucent makes the business case for accelerating PSTN migration.

AT&T Mobility Hackathon Highlights Call Management API Utility
12/14/2015 - As noted in a recent previous article on BT's recent hackathon done in conjunction with Alcatel-Lucent, hackathons are yielding impressive results in short periods of time. Case in point is the AT&T Mobile App Hackathon, which took place in New York City, November 6-7. The event featured participants competing to leverage the Alcatel-Lucent Rapport Call Management APIs and capabilities from co-sponsor Microsoft.

A Step-by-Step Review of a Successful Product Deployment
12/14/2015 - Follow the process a deployment team will take as it successfully takes ProductX from warehouse to deployment.

Delivering Customer Expectations through Dynamic Service Assurance
12/14/2015 - SDN and NFV are creating challenges that cannot be addressed with current OSSs. More dynamic OSSs are needed.

Alcatel-Lucent and BT Hackathon Demonstrates How Innovation is All About Teamwork
12/9/2015 - For frequent visitors to the Next Generation Communications Community hopefully you have been following host Alcatel-Lucent's (ALU's) involvement in accelerating innovation through hackathons. In the past several months details were provided on the company's June event in the Paris suburb of Nozay that gave students at the Sorbonne University the chance to test Internet of Things (IoT) security, and in July Gilles Duboue, Marketing Director, Communications and Collaboration, IP Platforms, Alcatel-Lucent, blogged about BT's three day internal hackathon that explored the possibilities of leveraging ALU's Rapport APIs to rapidly develop new services.

China Mobile Partners with Nuage Networks to Enable DevOps
12/8/2015 - China Mobile's use of Nuage Networks Virtualized Services Platform (VSP)expedites services development and delivery.

Achieving Lean NFV operations: Building the Right Open NFV Platform
12/8/2015 - Focusing on creating virtualization platform one of three key development areas for building right open NFV platform.

How LTE Small Cells Can Ensure Video Quality of Experience
12/1/2015 - Alcatel-Lucent details how and why LTE smalls cells can greatly improve the Quality of Experience (QoE).

IP Video Growth Requires a More Flexible Approach to CDN
11/23/2015 - We don't truly know how much video will need to be stored in content delivery networks (CDNs) in order to meet the ever-growing video needs of consumers. So far, all estimates have fallen short as IP video use keeps rising.

How Secure are Your Things?
11/16/2015 - Now and going forward with smart homes and IoT cyber security demands everything network-connected must be secured.

Why Faster Broadband Should Be the Next Utility
11/16/2015 - Broadband needs to become basic universal service in every community in the U.S.

Alcatel-Lucent Releases Last Two of Seven Opportunity Areas for Mobile Service Providers
11/11/2015 - Frequent readers of this space are aware (and have hopefully downloaded) the first five of Alcatel-Lucent's seven opportunity areas for mobile service providers that I have been detailing as they have become available. The good news is that the last two opportunities, based on extensive collaborative research from Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and research-based consultancy Penn Schoen Berland, are ready for everyone's review. Like their predecessor recommendations, they are certainly food for thought.

New RF Platform Responds to Mobile Demands Fast
11/5/2015 - Alcatel-Lucent LTE radio access network (RAN) portfolio including radio frequency (RF) platform meeting CSP needs.

Virtualized Residential Gateway is the Path to the Future
10/27/2015 - As outlined in an interesting financial white paper by Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs Consulting arm, we should be turning to vRGW solutions in the very near future.

Vplus Improves Upon VDSL2 Vectoring Technology
10/19/2015 - VDSL2 17a vectoring technology is optimized in terms of bit rate, density and cost, with loops in the range of 550m to 1000 meters, on the other hand, and offers a fast and cost effective upgrade path with more than 100 Mbps after vectoring.

First Book Ever from Bell Labs Provides Views on the Future of Communications
10/19/2015 - Bell Labs has released their first ever print book.

Alcatel-Lucent Releases Third, Fourth and Fifth of Seven Opportunity Areas for Mobile Service Providers
10/8/2015 - Several weeks ago I gave a preview on new extensive collaborative research from Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and research-based consultancy. Now the third, fourth and fifth opportunities are out, and like their predecessors they are illuminating.

A Duo of New Technologies Improve Upon Existing Traffic Engineering Options
10/5/2015 - Segment routing and path computation transforming how traffic can improve network infrastructure optimization.

NFV MANO (Management & Orchestration) Solutions Moving into Production
9/21/2015 - At times it is almost breathtaking to look at the speed at which Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is moving. In just a few short years since its conception there is now industry consensus that the virtualization of the communications infrastructure, using NFV and its closely associated Software-Defined Network (SDN) capabilities, will be the foundation of next generation networks.

Alcatel-Lucent LTE Release (LR14.3) is Most Comprehensive to Date
9/17/2015 - We live in what I call "The Age of Acceleration" where the only constants are change and the speed at which it is increasing. This happens to be true in almost every aspect of information and communications technology (ICT) where the innovations are coming fast and furious.

Mobile Network Malware Increasingly Coming from Windows Machines
9/16/2015 - Motive® Security Labs H1 2015 Malware Report finds unlikely cause of mobile network malware, desktops and laptops.

Signaling More Efficient and Less of Battery Drain on iPhones, Study Finds
9/15/2015 - Study by Alcatel-Lucent highlights iPhone advantage over Android when it comes to signaling and impact on battery life.

The Need for Next Generation OSS when Transforming Networks via NFV
9/8/2015 - CSP network functions virtualization (NFV)transformation means looking at upgrading operation support systems (OSS.

Alcatel-Lucent Releases Two of Seven Opportunity Areas for Mobile Service Providers
9/1/2015 - Several weeks ago I gave a bit of a preview on new extensive collaborative research from Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and research-based consultancy, Penn Schoen Berland, called 5,504 Smartphone Consumers Can't be Wrong - 7 New Mobile Service Opportunities. At that time I noted that the seven opportunities details gleaned from the research would be rolling out gradually, and that we would be looking at some of the details as they became available. The first two have been released and there is plenty of food for thought.

What to Expect with 5G Mobile Networks
8/31/2015 - Development work on 5G has intensified as the need for moving beyond 4G LTE is becoming more apparent.

Making the End-to-End Video User Experience Seamless and Compelling
8/25/2015 - There is little doubt that when it comes to the creation, delivery and management of streamed video, whether TV or IPTV or services provided to enable OTT services, the video ecosystem is becoming ever more complex. Customers don't care about technology but they do care about having great, frictionless experiences.

Small Cells Innovation: Keeping Up with Network Capacity Demands
8/25/2015 - Small cells are critical for meeting network capacity needs and Bell Labs is rapidly evolving new capabilities.

Sub-Brands and International Roaming Can Spur Prepaid Mobile Expansion
8/17/2015 - Mobile services providers have two great opportunities to monetize prepaid calling.

LTE Greatly Boosts Mobile Device Data Use, New Research Finds
8/17/2015 - Recent Alcatel-Lucent research sheds light on the impact of mobile devices on LTE networks.

Network Group Encryption Emerges as Powerful IP-Network Security Solution
8/11/2015 - With the daily headlines about data breaches in the commercial, government and private spheres, concerns about all aspects of data storage, processing and transmission-data at rest or on the move anywhere-have never been more top of mind. And, what we typically see from the data security experts when bad things happen is that those compromised did not employ a long and growing list of best practices which, not surprisingly, always includes a requirement for stronger and more comprehensive use of encryption.

Alcatel-Lucent Hackathon on Securing the Internet of Things (IoT)
8/4/2015 - It is always nice to be able to share a secret. And, while the Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) Device IOT Excellence Center at Nozay, France in suburban Paris is not precisely a secret, it is certainly low profile and deserves a bit of visibility. In fact, an example as to why is its recent first Hackathon that was dedicated to the critically important area of looking at how to secure surveillance cameras from being compromised by those with malicious intent.

Virtual Residential Gateways Offer a Lot to Operators
8/4/2015 - Virtualized residential gateways can give service providers a host of operational and customer experience benefits.

What is New with Voice-over-Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi)
8/4/2015 - What is new, and what's the value to operators and customers of Voice-over-Wi-Fi.

Bell Labs Vision 2020 Looms Larger in the Window
7/28/2015 - In the classic 1995 movie Apollo 13, mission head Captain James Lovell, as his crippled spacecraft hurtles toward splashdown without a solution as to how to land successfully tells the NASA command center in Houston, "The world's getting awfully big in the window."

Alcatel-Lucent Provides Insights on Consumer Views of New Mobile Services and IoT Impacts
7/21/2015 - You can file this under "views you can use." In fact, as part of new extensive collaborative research from Alcatel-Lucent (ALU) and research-based consultancy, Penn Schoen Berland, "5,504 Smartphone Consumers Can't be Wrong - 7 New Mobile Service Opportunities", you may wish to bookmark a few links in this article for handy reference as the research are being presented in a seven-part series that will be rolling out in the next several weeks.

Prepaid Mobile Growth Poses Challenges and Opportunities for U.S. Mobile Operators
7/14/2015 - Prepaid mobile is popular in most parts of the world and has potential in U.S. when thoughtfully marketed.

Passive Optical is Way to Address the 'Need for Speed' on the LAN
7/13/2015 - Given all of the bit hunger services and applications and things like the cloud, mobility, video (streamed and real-time), interactive gaming, etc., it would be hard to argue that will live in an era where "The Need for Speed" is insatiable. We see it "E"verywhere. From the core to the edge in service provider networks, from the edge to our businesses and homes, and inside those homes and particularly businesses as well, the appetite/requirement to go faster is not just insatiable, but is growing over time.