What’s up with... AWS, NVIDIA and Arm, 6G

• AWS launches a Cloud WAN service
• NVIDIA gets strong-armed by the FTC
• FCC to set up a 6G Task Force

The latest blurring of the lines between the hyperscalers and the telco world, a kick in the chips for NVIDIA and some 6G action in the US top today’s news agenda.  

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has launched AWS Cloud WAN, a “managed wide area network service that makes it faster and easier for enterprises to build, manage, and monitor a unified global network that seamlessly connects cloud and on-premises environments.” The hyperscaler adds, “AWS Cloud WAN provides a central dashboard that enterprises can use to connect their on-premises branch offices, data centers, and Amazon Virtual Private Clouds (Amazon VPCs) across the AWS global network in just a few clicks.” While this looks like a concerning development for the international wholesale operator community, it is already being embraced by some telcos wanting to extend their enterprise service reach using the AWS offer, with Swisscom and Verizon amongst the early users. “We are always looking for innovations that help us deliver the network of the future to our customers, innovating ahead of their needs,” said Christoph Aeschlimann, CTIO at Swisscom. “We look to services like AWS Cloud WAN as a powerful way to help our customers take their business to the next level in agility, scalability, and competitiveness.” Read more.  

NVIDIA’s plan to acquire Arm for $40 billion has been dealt a hefty blow by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has taken legal steps to block the merger. Read more. 

6G plans are taking shape in the US as the House of Representatives has “passed a bill requiring the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a 6G Task Force and investigate how to design and deploy 6G technologies in the country,” reports 6G World. 

Orders for Wi-Fi 6 products were “through the roof” during the third quarter of this year, but US-based vendors were “out of stock” because current component supply chain constraints have doubled lead times to six months, according to research house Dell’Oro Group.  Wireless LAN access point shipments of Wi-Fi 6 were mixed during the quarter, with half the manufacturers reporting levels below the prior quarter, “when in normal times shipments of the new technology would be shooting up quarter-to-quarter,” said Tam Dell’Oro, Founder, CEO and Wireless LAN Analyst. “Huawei is taking advantage of this situation by launching a ‘Fast Track’ two-week delivery promotion in Europe for Wi-Fi 6 and Ethernet switches. It will be interesting to see what level of share it might grab,” he added. Read more.
 
New driver and pedestrian safety technology allowing near-real-time notification of roadway hazards through 5G-enabled edge networks has been trialled in Turin, Italy, by the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) and eight of its member companies, including TIM (Telecom Italia), BT and Telefónica. “As TIM, we are honored to be hosting in Turin such a challenging trial by leveraging our Innovation Lab competencies and our pre-commercial instances of Edge Cloud,” says Daniele Franceschini TIM VP Innovation, Standard and Portfolio. “The federation model implemented with our partners enables a ‘continuum’ between Edge Cloud instances allowing players from the automotive industry and beyond to benefit from a seamless cloud experience across country boundaries.” Read more. 

Verizon Business says it has enhanced its Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) portfolio with the addition of Cisco managed SD-WAN services that also include options for 4G and 5G connectivity. Read more. 

Indonesian operator XL Axiata has turned to VIAVI for the test specialist’s ONMSi Optical Network Management System to “increase visibility” into its fibre network, a vital move as it heads towards a 5G deployment that needs a stable transport network. Read more. 

Japanese operator KDDI has selected Nokia’s 5G Core and Converged Charging software to support its transition to “a fully automated, cloud-native 5G Core architecture.” Read more.