Andrew Dugan CTO, Lumen Through the Eyes of 3 Team Members

ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION

NOVEMBER 2020

Getting to Know Andrew Dugan CTO, Lumen Through the Eyes of 3 Team Members

ALSO INSIDE ISE EXPO 2020 Program Guide Tuning Into the Future 5G’s Surprising BFFs The Right Kind of Enablers

VOLUME 38, ISSUE 11 www.isemag.com Home Sweet Digital Home

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38 Winning the 5G Marathon Requires the FEATURES Right Strategies Don’t Let Powering or Optical Connectivity Slow You Down By Kevin Bourg 12 Telecom providers who want to win the 5G marathon must embrace new powering and optical connectivity strategies.

46 The Right Kind of Enablers Get to Know Eight 5G Enablers of Good By Nick Sampson, Javan Erfanian, and Nan Hu Learn about 8 enablers of good things for 5G’s future.

54 Connecting America’s At-Home Classrooms Collaborative Solutions Emerge By Jessica Denson Getting to Know Andrew Dugan, CTO, Lumen Learn creative ways to solve the digital obstacles that Through the Eyes of 3 Team Members vulnerable student populations face during COVID-19. By Sharon Vollman, ISE Learn what 3 team members say about Andrew Dugan, CTO, Lumen. 62 COVID-19 Cuts Into Smart Home Growth Spending Decreases Now, But Drives Future Change By Jonathan Collins Learn how COVID-19 is impacting consumer spending on smart home gear now and in the future. 68 ISE EXPO 2020 Program Guide Check out the network transformation experts, keynote presenters, content authorities and products/solutions, 64 Walking the Tightrope that will be yours to learn from during our highly interactive Balancing Bitrate Optimization and Video Quality virtual event. By Carlos Hernandez While many providers have been walking the video quality tight- Factoid Fun rope walk for a while, many are still looking for a safety net. Check out pages 5 and 7 for fun telecom facts and trends to help your teams be even smarter.

22 Tuning Into the Future Web-EXCLUSIVES Channeling TV White Space (TVWS) and Only available at www.isemag.com Spectrum Sharing By Martha Suárez and Hender Jimenez Big 5G Things Come in Small Packages Can that archaic thing called television and creative spectrum Worldwide Small Cell Forecasts 2019-2027 sharing bring HS broadband to the underserved? 5G success is all about the small things that make a BIG difference. Small cells, femtocells, picocells, and more. 30 5G’s Surprising BFFs IAB, HFC, PON, Radio-over-Ethernet, and WDM, Bill Me! Join the Backhaul Game Mobile Operators Could Win With $100B Direct By Chris Pearson Carrier Billing Learn some creative strategies to help with 5G backhaul. By Sam Barker

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in ISE magazine are those of the authors; they do not reflect the views of ISE magazine, the publisher, or its employees.

4 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION CONTENTS How to Maximize COLUMNISTS

5G Returns 6 PRESIDENT’S NOTE Janice Oliva ISE EXPO 2020: You ONLY Get What You INVEST

8 COPPER EXPERT Don McCarty More on Fault Location in the Copper Infrastructure

Source: https://www.analysysmason.com/

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NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 5 PRESIDENT’S NOTE You ONLY Get What You INVEST

This month, we offer a sneak peek into ISE EXPO 2020’s Virtual Experience. Without leaving your office (or home office, or home-you-wish-was-NOT-your-office), we invite you to efficiently LINK to the most relevant telecom/ICT: Learning, Inspiration, Networking and Knowledge. @JO_onthego What does that mean? A LOT! Our new virtual platform allows you to: @JaniceOliva • See, hear, and chat, with Andrew Dugan, CTO of Lumen [email protected] • Problem-solve with our Tech Talk speakers Follow Janice on Twitter and LinkedIn • Pick the brains of our COVID-19 Network Impact panelists from Verizon, BBT and for further conversation and insights. Consolidated Communications • Connect with industry experts who will teach you everything they know about Visit www.isemag.com/contribute for more information on submitting the hottest telecom/ICT topics an article to ISE magazine in print, digital, and online. But, wait! There’s more. (Yes, we’re intentionally sounding like an infomercial. This is a shameless plug for an event that is all about YOUR career trajectory. No expiring-soon, too-good-to-be-true, deals allowed.) Because ISE is all about education AND product solutions, our interactive exhibit floor brings together trusted business partners to help your company thrive, not just survive. You can see the latest products, chat in real time with SMEs to find solutions to your network pain points, and check out videos, brochures, and demos, that bring the products you need to life. Be sure to visit the lounge and Tech Zone. It’s a unique way to experience video demonstrations showcasing products and EXPO services to make your professional life easier. In the lounge, you can ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION also chat with fellow attendees and connect with industry peers who share similar goals and objectives. And who doesn’t like to win games that help you do your job better? NOVEMBER 10–11, 2020 By joining ISE’s exclusive scavenger hunt, you’ll earn points for watch- ing product demos, attending educational sessions, and taking in all REGISTER TODAY FOR the exhibit floor has to offer. More points = more opportunities to win THE LOW PRICE OF cool prizes from our Premier sponsors. By embracing this virtual way to stay on top of your game, you’ll discover the latest product solutions and education WHILE enjoying a new way to explore, learn, and connect. As the old saying goes: You only get what you invest. So, dive $75 in now and discover how ISE EXPO 2020 is YOUR invaluable link to Learning, Inspiration, Networking, and Knowledge. https://iseexpo.vfairs.com You can still register and attend! Visit: http://iseexpo.vfairs.com

SEE THE OFFICIAL PROGRAM GUIDE ON PAGE 68

Janice Oliva, President

6 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION Network Impact of ICT SOLUTIONS COVID-19 Online Shopping & EDUCATION Editorial Director Sharon Vollman [email protected]

Publisher Janice Oliva [email protected]

Executive Creative Director Danielle Spiewak [email protected]

Director, Sales – Events and Sponsorships The COVID-19 Pandemic Robin Queenan [email protected] and Online Shopping Senior Account Executive Mark Horn [email protected] WWW Managing Editor Karen Adolphson [email protected] 73.5% 88% shop online more now will continue shopping Contributing Editor because of COVID-19 online more post-pandemic Donald McCarty [email protected]

How have shopping habits Production Director changed because of COVID-19? Lisa Weimer [email protected] 67% 60% 56% ISE EXPO Show Director of respondents of respondents Laura Salomon [email protected] report buying online Clothing report buying onlin Household Items report buying online Groceries instead of in-store instead of in-store instead of in-store Director of Custom Events and Education 51% 49% Amy Mullally [email protected] of respondents of respondents reportbt buying online Electronics Cleaning Supplies report buyiing online instead of in-store instead of in-store Circulation/Consultant Manager Patricia McGuinness [email protected]

Practical Communications, Inc.

Get those networks ready for shoppers gone wild! President Janice Oliva [email protected] Nearly three quarters surveyed (73.5%) reported that they are shopping online more now than they Senior Vice President Sharon Vollman [email protected] did prior to the spread of COVID-19. Moreover, nearly 9 in 10 (88%) said they will continue to Vice President of Operations Carrie Naber [email protected] shop online more even after a cure or vaccine for COVID-19 is discovered. Controller and HR Director Diane Roberts [email protected] Source: https://topagency.com/

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 7 COPPER EXPERT

More on fault location in the copper infrastructure [email protected] I’ve received many queries about use of the open meter and TDR functions on For more information, email or visit multifunction test sets -- and I offer some tips and knowledge in this month’s column. www.mccartyinc.com. The Open Meter Function and the TDR Function Don McCarty is the Copper Expert columnist for ISE magazine, discussing The open meter function and the TDR function can quickly show the distance to an the issues around provisioning, testing, open cable pair. Both functions can be used for other purposes, such as finding water in and maintaining copper for all services a section of air core PIC cables, identifying and finding split cable pairs, unknown load from POTs to IPTV. Don is also President coils, and more. of and the Lead Trainer for McCarty Products, a technical training and Using the Open Meter products company training field Test the pair. Use a volt ohm meter (VOM) to test the conductors of the pair for technicians, cable maintenance, resistance faults, DC voltage, and induced AC voltage. When such troubles are excessive, installation repair, and Central an open meter may read long or provide invalid measurements. This may mean that both Office technicians and managers. the open meter and the cable section are not properly grounded. To test for a good ground, measure any open cable conductor (tip or ring) to ground. Remove the test set ground and remeasure the conductor to ground. The footage measurement should decrease by about one-third. If no change is noted, either the ground is bad or the ground cord on the test set is open. In reality, the open meter function is a capacitance meter. If you connect to a cable pair and measure the capacitance of the cable pair tip to ring (mutual), it measures the capacitance tip to ring in parallel with the tip to shield and ring to shield in series. • The test set measures tip and ring to the shield of the cable not to ground. • The shield should be tied to ground. • If the shield is not grounded, then the shield to ground capacitance is added to the capacitive measurement.

The test set converts all of that capacitance to feet or meters. Like resistance, capacitance is proportionate to cable length, and increases with distance. Thus, 1 mile of cable has an average mutual (tip to ring) capacitance of .083 microfarads (µF); .166 µF for 2 miles, and so on. Mutual capacitance, as tested at the manufacturing plant, can be as high as .090 µF/mile and as low as .076 µF/mile and still be acceptable for customer use. Measurements of an open in an .090 µF/mile cable with the meter set at the average .083 µF/mile are inaccurate. • An open at 1,050 feet in .090 µF/mile cable measures at 1,200 feet with the open meter set to .083 µF/mile. • Measuring in a .076 µF/mile cable, an open at 1,050 feet measures as 950 feet with meter set at .083 µF/mile.

8 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION What’s missing from your powering qualification testing?

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10 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION COPPER EXPERT

Because of this variance, when digging and/or opening sheath, Cable capacitance is adversely affected by water calibrate the set to the known length. intrusion (which increases it) and poor bonding (which Unlike resistance, capacitance is hardly affected by decreases it). Proper grounding increases the flow of current in gauge or temperature. Gauge capacitance is controlled by the the shielding circuit, improving the capacitive performance of the thickness of the insulation at manufacture and temperature has cable. Shield continuity is essential to control capacitive balance little effect. So, the tip to ring capacitance cannot be trusted as for both transmission characteristics and safety. indicator of loop length. A technician must have a working knowledge of capacitance in Also, other devices connected to the cable pair add order to efficiently find open and split cable pairs in the field. The capacitance, and therefore skew the footage readings. problem here is that experts do not agree on exactly how cable Among them are telephone ringers (electronic and capacitance is used in troubleshooting. mechanical). How much additional footage depends on the • Inward and outward movement in the cable causes most open ringer equivalency (RE) of each phone, and how many phones cable pairs. there are connected to the cable pair. Half ringers: They don’t ring, they are components in the • Distribution pairs are borrowed indiscriminately, adding to the NID that are meant to be detected to prove the loop goes all the problems. way to the NID. Generally, half ringers are no longer used but I • Mother Nature adds to the challenges by electrolysis and mention this because there are still some out there. They can add galvanic corrosion of cable pairs. as much as 1,000 feet to the footage reading. The capacitance • Bonds are left open and grounds are removed inadvertently. of inline filters can add as much as 3,000 feet to the footage readings. Because of these issues, it is best to trust the footage Open meter measurements include all laterals, conductor readings tip to ground and ring to ground. beyond the subscriber, the capacitance of load coils, build-out If the tip and ring measurements are different, the circuits, any dead wire crossed with the pair, water, purging shorter of the two readings is to the open. Because we are compound. When looking for an open cable pair, these measuring capacitance to ground, the length of ungrounded capacitive anomalies affect any measurement. They don’t conductor beyond the open changes the capacitance of the appear very often but when they do they must be identified, longer wire. Therefore, its total capacitance is affected, and any located using the open meter function along with the TDR, and measurement along it is inaccurate. the RFL functions in order to use the pair for bandwidth. n The capacitance per mile for tip and ring to ground is different than tip to ring capacitance of .083 µF/mile for all exchange cables and drop wires. Open meters are also Signing off programmed for 25-pair cables and bigger. They are programmed The copper cable technician has many tough challenges, and even for air-core and filled cable on tip or ring to ground measure- with excellent technology and training (which many don’t have), there ments. A good example for an open meter setting is .125 µF for aren’t easy fixes. I’ve been so honored to work with many excellent air-core cable and .134 µF for filled cable. The open meter setting technicians who keep plugging away regardless of how tough the for a 6-pair Beldon or Essex drop is .143 µF per mile. The test set job is and how underfunded their role and equipment and training manufacturer has provided tip and ring to ground settings for needs are. Thank you to those dedicated techs! Please send me your special cables and drop wires. thoughts about challenges on the job: [email protected], 831.818.3930. P.S. Let’s hope for a much better 2021!

REGISTER TODAY FOR THE LOW PRICE OF SEE THE OFFICIAL EXPO PROGRAM GUIDE ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ON PAGE 68 https://iseexpo.vfairs.com $75

NOVEMBER 10 –11, 2020 NO TRAVEL NEEDED EDUCATION SESSIONS LEARN & NETWORK

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 11 KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS Getting to Know Andrew Dugan CTO, Lumen Through the Eyes of 3 Team Members

By Sharon Vollman, ISE These traits are: 1. Candor 2. Consistent Reliable Fact-Based n today’s climate, organizations need the Communications right kind of leaders to help their teams 3. Empathy thrive. What qualities make “the right kind Iof leader”? Dana Brownlee, President of Professionalism 4. Managing Hybrid Teams Matters, Inc., suggests that leaders focus on 7 traits or 5. Flexibility and Adaptability behaviors that can help make a difference for teams and 6. Humility their companies during the COVID-19 pandemic. 7. Active Listening

12 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS

We’ll take it one step farther and say, if you really want to learn about a leader, ask his/her team members some pointed questions. That’s why we kindly asked 3 of Andrew’s team members to be candid with us about 5G, failing fast, and the future. Check out what they had to say about Andrew’s leadership style.

Sources: https://professionalismmatters.com, https://www.forbes.com/sites/danabrown- lee/2020/05/07/7-leadership-traits-for-the-post-covid-19-workplace/#6c834a3f2d4d

Glenn Garbelman, VP, Access Engineering Topic: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Team Adjustments Question: How is your team adapting to the many changes they face? Garbelman: I am very proud of the way our team has adapted to the changes as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been working from home, staying safe, and have not missed a beat! We had to be innovative and conduct more remote lab testing, but they delivered. Andrew communicated very clear priorities with us during this time: employee safety, customer service, and business priority. He has helped us stay aligned, work with our teams, and ensured that these priorities were being implemented.

Dana is adamant about the importance of these. In a recent Forbes article, she said, “Admittedly, Topic: Admiration these aren’t the only traits that matter for leaders during this pandemic, but these are 7 critical ones. Question: What do you admire or respect most Many of these traits are traditionally viewed as about Andrew? Why? tertiary, nice-to-have qualities, but in this unprece- Garbelman: I admire the breadth of Andrew’s dented time, they are absolutely necessary for technical knowledge. He invests a great deal of leaders to lead organizations through a time of time in understanding this industry’s technology, inconvenient uncertainty and collective trauma. and he provides strong guidance to the teams on Indeed, this type of leadership won’t just be how best to use it to drive business opportunities required at the top of the organization chart but for Lumen. at every level of human interaction.”

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 13 KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS Topic: 5G Topic: Inspiration Question: While Lumen doesn’t offer its own 5G In a large organization, there can be a tendency for the product, what important things is your team doing Institution to dampen the Inspiration. to help advance 5G? Please share an example of the Question: How does Andrew inspire, mentor, and most interesting/challenging 5G-related project your lead, others on your team now that virtual leader- team has experienced. ship is more important than ever? Garbelman: My team has been working on fixed Garbelman: Andrew does an amazing job com- wireless access technology to support our network municating with the teams, individually and as a infrastructure investments as a part of the FCC’s group. He knows the importance of bringing us all Connect America Fund program. Bringing in a new together for meetings that help keep us informed. wireless solution and working to get it adapted has I always appreciate how he personally reaches been very challenging. However, it’s also been a out to us by phone and email, even though he’s a very rewarding project to transform and expand a very busy man. I enjoy the personal interaction, technology that gives our customers in rural areas but honestly, I don’t know how he makes the time another service option. for it. When you see that level of effort, it inspires everyone to be a better leader. Topic: Failure Question: How does Andrew handle team failures? What have you learned most from him about how to Kathryn rebound from errors? Condello, Garbelman: At Lumen, we like to say Fail Fast. Senior We understand that sometimes, things just don’t happen the way we plan. So, we learn from those Director, mistakes and quickly move on. First, Andrew National gathers all the information. He works with the team to understand exactly what happened, and Security/ then determines what can be done differently the Emergency next time to avoid it. Preparedness Andrew’s approach to solving issues has taught me to ask questions, follow-up, and learn from the mistake. Communicating and being accountable Topic: Failure are key steps along the way. Question: How does Andrew handle team failures? What have you learned most from him about how to Topic: The Future rebound from errors? Condello: The Oxford dictionary definesFailure Question: What emerging or disruptive technology as “an absence or lack of success, the omission of excites you the most for the ICT industry? Why? expected or required action, or the action or state Garbelman: All things wireless. Fixed wireless of not functioning.” These definitions suggest a access, millimeter wave, and in-home wireless tech- binary, all-or-nothing outcome, and are wholly nologies. They all offer greater distance, increased opposite from the way I engage with Andrew. speeds, improved reliability, and reduced costs. Instead, our interactions focus on defining the Those benefits can be realized in our rural and goals desired, the many paths we might take to urban areas, as well as in customers’ homes. Using achieve those goals, and then talking though the re- these wireless alternatives allows us to provide sources, relationships, processes, and external factors those crucial broadband connections customers that might be required to understand those various need to connect to the things that matter most. scenarios. Since my work is heavily influenced by

14 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS external factors, having alternate paths allows me to move quickly to another approach, if required. integration across infrastructure sectors has never Ironically, while Failure is not a word used in my more fully been on display and showed how deep- interactions with Andrew, this approach is consistent ly interdependent the economy has become. The with Fail Fast strategies, albeit at a strategic level! disruption to domestic and global supply chains affected the ability to provide needed protective equipment and, at times, even basic commodities. Topic: Overlooked Issues Both issues highlight the need to deeply engage businesses large and small in planning the nation’s or The Hard Topics economic resilience and national security. Lumen Question: What should all of us in the Information has supported these efforts for years. and Communication Technology (ICT) industry be Andrew’s willingness to dedicate corporate resources on these hard and sometimes overlooked talking about that we are not? Or, what current topic issues, especially ones unlikely to provide short- is the most important that needs additional and term business opportunities, shows the importance different attention? Lumen places on our responsibility to provide for our customers in the hardest of times, and the seri- Condello: While Lumen leverages strong ousness with which we approach our stewardship risk-management approaches in all aspects of its over the communications backbone of the nation. business, we are unusual in that my team is focused exclusively on systemic risks that can be mitigated only in collaboration with our peers, other critical Topic: The Future infrastructure sectors, and the US government. Scenarios covered in these efforts include how the Question: What emerging or disruptive technology nation (and Lumen) would respond to wide-scale excites you the most for the ICT industry? Why? disasters, such as an earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone, a major electro-magnetic pulse event Condello: I’m excited to see software-defined associated with solar storms, or how we would networking (SDN) transforming how we operate ensure communications work during a pandemic. our networks, create products, manage our busi- To address these challenges, we plan regularly ness, and deliver our services. Globally, network with our government and industry partners, while infrastructure owners, including the fixed and leveraging Lumen’s response and recovery practic- wireless carriers, as well as owners of enterprise es. This structure contributed to the demonstrated infrastructure, recognize the prospect for enhanced resilience of Lumen’s and our partners’ networks performance, flexibility, adaptability, capabilities, during the COVID-19 response. resiliency, security, and cost advantages, of virtual-

“While Lumen leverages strong risk-management approaches in all aspects of its business, we are unusual in that my team is focused exclusively on systemic risks that can be mitigated only in collaboration with our peers, other critical infrastructure sectors, and the US government.” (Condello)

While Lumen’s ability to maintain connectivity ization. They are rapidly taking the steps to migrate for our customers throughout the significant de- quickly to an SDN-ready environment. mands to COVID-19 was a success, the experience Further, SDN simplifies the ability to migrate highlighted a few areas of concern. The level of toward or integrate networking with Cloud-based

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 15 KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS

Grounded by his broad span of technical services, and towards new, or disruptive operation- knowledge, Andrew’s ability to quickly pivot al capabilities which are built upon SDN function- when required, and to provide informed advice on ality -- helping to accelerate the pace of change as the next possible step to take, is indeed inspiring. we go forward. This transformation will impact all layers in the ICT ecosystem, including end users who adopt the SDN-enabled applications to operate their business. Concerns about the security implications (both opportunities and threats) of SDN’s software base are being aggressively pursued at all levels of implementation. SDN facilitates the incorporation, Dave or addition of sophisticated security features that Cooper, can rapidly detect and actively mitigate unintend- VP, Global ed problems or malicious activities. To achieve the full security benefits that SDN promises, the Network industry needs to work towards open-standards Architecture for both software-based services and application programming interfaces (APIs), leading to robust security practices for all users of SDN, whether Cloud, applications developer, network provider, Topic: Admiration or enterprise. As experience with SDN grows, it has the potential to be more secure, resilient, adaptable, Question: What do you admire or respect most about and resistant to the ever-changing threat envi- Andrew? Why? ronment than the corresponding hardware-based Cooper: Andrew’s strong leadership, stewardship, instantiations it replaces. and thoughtfulness, are consistent traits I have When wireless carriers moved from 3G to 4G, admired for over 9 years at Lumen. Andrew is a there was an innovation explosion manifested in the leader of technologists. He surrounds himself with wireless application business. As carriers and enter- a strong, diverse team and allows them to flourish prises increasingly move their infrastructure towards in their responsibilities. He does this by support- an SDN-ready state, the opportunity for comparable ing an environment of inclusion and leading by innovation is not only possible, but probable, and I example. In his daily interactions with his team and look forward to seeing what develops. stakeholders, he demonstrates a genuine curiosity to understand different perspectives, and has a desire to learn and to be influenced by those around Topic: Inspiration him. This environment, fostered by Andrew’s lead- In a large organization, there can be a tendency for the ership, has been instrumental in producing positive Institution to dampen the Inspiration. business outcomes for Lumen and its shareholders. Question: How does Andrew inspire, mentor, and lead, others on your team now that virtual leadership is more important than ever? Topic: Edge Computing Condello: Andrew supports Inspiration by being Question: Share your team’s 2020 goals and prog- an engaged and thoughtful advisor in our efforts. ress in this area. What are the primary challenges He generally assists in providing guidance on the related to it for Lumen and other providers? initial direction of the effort (goal/approach), Cooper: Edge Compute represents a significant parameters (limits), and then acting as a resource opportunity for Lumen to take advantage of the for finding expertise to support our efforts. This industry trend of moving the Cloud and distribut- light-touch governance is particularly useful in ed compute closer to the enterprise and consumer. my work where external factors commonly create With the significant effort to digitally transform scenarios where we need to modify our approach. their businesses and the growing application

16 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS demands around latency, enterprises need more -- having completed hardware designs and placed options beyond their private data centers or public orders for servers and data center network infra- Cloud. Lumen is well positioned to accommodate structure, as well as demonstrated orchestration of this need and, by coupling its vast and automat- portal-based bare metal provisioning and operation ed network infrastructure, we believe we hold a of those servers. The first number of target cities unique value proposition for those enterprises. will be deployed with Lumen Edge Compute in To take advantage of this, Lumen has already the coming months, with service offerings reaching announced significant infrastructure investments market in that same time. in several locations through the US to ready its The primary challenges of delivering Lumen facilities for use by enterprises as market-local Edge Compute largely revolves around the soft- compute centers. This allows a breadth of services ware orchestration and accommodation of various ranging from colocation, bare-metal and virtualized Enterprise requirements for bare metal services multi-tenant/Cloud services to be consumed while -- including supported Operating Systems and sup- leveraging a highly dense fiber network that is port capabilities. We have spent some time refining able to interconnect those enterprises to their sites, these capabilities with what we think is the best private data centers, and public Cloud. market-introduction product, and will continue to To support the Lumen Edge Compute effort, our enhance support as we move forward. CTO organization is focused on delivering both Additionally, Lumen will leverage its Edge network infrastructure, Bare Metal as a Service Compute to offer managed capabilities that give (BMAAS) and private Cloud offerings, in 2020. This our customers the option to outsource some or requires a combination of hardware and software all of the capabilities offered -- as well as manage capabilities that provides a go-forward platform these deployments in multi-Cloud scenarios. The capable of handling the range of enterprise require- wide-ranging requirements from Enterprises pose ments. We have made much progress in this area one of the larger challenges in building a flexible

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 17 KEYNOTE PRESENTER INSIGHTS platform that can be automated to its fullest. mated scripting that allows workflows and tasks to This is where Lumen believes it can differentiate deal with pre-determined scenarios often encoun- itself across the market by taking a modularized tered -- in reactive context. By incorporating ML approach to deploying such services. and AI, with a larger and wider degree of telemetry data, we can potentially transition to an environ- Topic: You ment that is both predictive and self-learning. One example of where Lumen is pursuing this Question: What are you doing to ensure you technology is applying predictive analytics in order continue to grow and develop as a leader? to detect future failures in communications equip- Cooper: As a technology leader in the Information ment. By leveraging a ML framework, we incorpo- and Communication industry, the pace in which rated a wide range of data from our communica- change occurs continues to shrink. Throughout my tions equipment to predict failures within a certain own 20+ years journey, I’ve learned that the invest- confidence and interval (patent pending). While ment in learning new concepts, capabilities, and ap- there is still much work to do, our results have been proaches, must be a constant -- even when our time is promising. So much so, we have incorporated some under constant stress from our daily responsibilities. aspects of this framework into our production oper- As a leader of architects, engineers, and develop- ations as we continue to refine the technology. ers, that investment in learning is not only for the Lastly, as we look to the future, our ability to purpose of keeping skills up-to-date, but to provide harvest near real-time telemetry data from our valuable perspective that can improve your ability network will dramatically improve the applica- to build, manage, and operate teams. bility of this technology. Using this data, we may Mentoring, both within your company and out- not only enhance our automation capabilities, side it, has also been key to my own development but use that data to steer traffic based on as a leader. While related to investment in learning, Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements n seeking out advice from individuals who have and expected network behaviors. demonstrated a high degree of success in technology is a great way to apply learnings and uncover Andrew Dugan is CTO for Lumen. He is responsible for the develop- areas of improvement you may not necessarily see ment, integration, and deployment, of Lumen’s global network sup- in yourself. porting Consumer, Wholesale, Government, and Enterprise markets. Andrew is a veteran technology executive with more than 30 years of experience in building telecommunications networks, switching Topic: The Future platforms and services platforms. Prior to his CTO role, he served as Lumen SVP of technology planning, network architecture and security. Question: What emerging or disruptive technology Dugan is an innovator with more than 20 networking patents. excites you the most for the ICT industry? Why? Lumen is guided by our belief that humanity is at its best when Cooper: The tight coupling of machine learning technology advances the way we live and work. With approximately (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and automation, 450,000 route fiber miles and serving customers in more than 60 coun- holds a great deal of opportunity when addressing tries, we deliver the fastest, most secure platform for applications infrastructure availability. Legacy technologies tend and data to help businesses, government and communities deliver to be reactive in nature, and prohibitive in their amazing experiences. ability to prevent future service impacting events. With the introduction of techniques such as data Learn more about Lumen’s network, edge cloud, security, communi- acquisition, forecasting, learning/training, event cation and collaboration solutions and our purpose to further human correlation, and automation, various parts of the progress through technology at news.lumen.com, LinkedIn: lumen- network and compute operation can achieve technologies, Twitter: @lumentechco, Facebook: lumentechnologies, significant improvements in overall availability. Instagram: @lumentechnologies and YouTube: lumentechnologies. Automating the operation of the network and Lumen and Lumen Technologies are registered trademarks of Lumen Technologies, LLC in the United States. Lumen Technologies, LLC is a compute is not new. There has been significant wholly-owned affiliate of CenturyLink, Inc. progress made throughout the years to build auto-

18 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION

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Tuning Into the Future

Channeling TV White Space (TVWS) and Spectrum Sharing

22 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION TV WHITE SPACE

By Martha Suárez and Hender Jimenez

uring the COVID-19 currently unserved because the links they use in the pandemic, my 5 GHz band simply don´t reach those places. family and I moved to a beautiful coun- Questions About the try town in the northeast of Colombia where my Dfather has a small farm. It is a nice place to stay TVWS Ecosystem during the quarantine and we feel extremely lucky In this article, we cover the situation that we to be here. However, despite the lovely landscape, -- among millions -- are facing, as well as answer- the fresh air, and the calm, broadband Internet ing some of the most frequently asked questions access is a huge issue. among regulators regarding the TVWS ecosystem: Fiber optic networks and microwave links are not • How vast is it? an option here because the users in this region are • How popular is the technology? farmers and countryside households that require • What developments are being made? an affordable price and not a business-oriented solution. For now, mobile coverage using 2G and 3G technologies is the only alternative; which, at A Growing Lineup best, is enough to receive WhatsApp messages and TVWS works on the VHF and UHF television check some emails. But it cannot sustain video calls bands -- although most of the equipment is primar- or common telework platforms like GoToMeeting, ily developed for the UHF band (470 to 690 MHz). Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc., making working from These frequency bands are especially good for rural home a big challenge. areas with low to medium population densities as This has been an interesting experience, and I larger areas can be covered with less links (com- have learned a lot about local companies who are pared to other deployments on higher unlicensed trying to provide a better Internet service in rural bands like 3.x and 5.x GHz), which significantly regions like this one. Having spoken to multiple reduces the deployment costs. TVWS links are Internet Service Providers (ISPs), I have discovered usually optimal up to a 10km radius, but they can many small, but very active, companies working to reach larger distances when deployed in clean radio provide Internet to local households. frequency (RF) environments. However, when I asked these ISPs about the It’s hard to believe that just a couple of years ago, TV White Space (TVWS) technology, they had not the maximum throughput of a TVWS link was about heard about it -- despite TVWS regulations being in 30 Mbps; now, some TVWS radios can reach up to place in Colombia since 2017. 186 Mbps. This evolution is due to the dedication and Currently, most of these ISPs connect urban users effort that TVWS equipment manufacturers have put via a fiber node that spans throughout the town. into this technology, and it is driven by an ecosystem Beyond that, they use unlicensed frequencies in the 5 of customers and suppliers that keeps growing. GHz band to reach the surrounding farms and rural Currently, there are at least 10 TVWS equipment houses. Unfortunately, this band is limited to locations manufacturers who are fully committed to the with line of sight (LOS), which does not allow the technology. It is these equipment suppliers, along service to be offered to all potential users in the area. with the increasing number of countries adopting When I described the capabilities of the TVWS regulations for TVWS, that are causing the technology, it opened their eyes! Such technology ecosystem to grow at an accelerated pace. would finally allow them to reach people that are The evolution of TVWS has been made possible

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 23 TV WHITE SPACE by the implementation of technological enhance- Approach #1. Licensed usage requires every user ments that were initially envisioned for other to have a license for a particular frequency band technologies like Wi-Fi and LTE. Three of them or geographic area, including satellite and public are highlighted here: safety communications, as well as mobile operators The creation of bigger bandwidth channels through delivering cellular networks. channel bonding, which allows multiple contiguous Approach #2. Unlicensed usage where an TVWS channels to work as a single channel. Most entire frequency band is reserved exclusively for manufacturers allow four 6MHz channels to be unlicensed operations. For example, the 2.4 and bonded for a total of 24MHz bandwidth. Some man- 5 GHz bands where Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and other ufacturers are also working on channel aggregation unlicensed devices operate stand as an existing capabilities, which allow non-contiguous channels to example of unlicensed usage. operate also as a single larger bandwidth channel. Today, there are several approaches to spectrum The enhancement of these radios to work on management that include sharing between different higher modulation and coding schemes, with some types of services, blurring the line between the 2 of the newer radios reaching up to 256QAM. traditional methods. The implementation of MIMO While it is still desirable to capabilities using multiple trans- have bands dedicated to unli- mission and reception streams censed access, and some appli- has been another key factor to cations and use cases require increase capacity. Some of the exclusive or priority access to existing radios allow 2x2 MIMO, spectrum, it is difficult to find and future versions are expected sufficient spectrum to support to include 4x4 MIMO capabilities. this. This is due to the vast num- In the future, we expect other ber of users currently operating technological enhancements across all frequencies, and the like beamforming and massive complex and onerous process MIMO to be implemented on of clearing or relocating users. TVWS, which will result in even Spectrum sharing technology more robust radios with higher can be used to combat this throughputs. TVWS networks can connect the unconnected, challenge, enabling spectrum The FCC in the United States even in the most remote regions. to be shared efficiently among oversees the deployment, fair users while simultaneously use and maintenance of safe protecting incumbents. and reputable technology. The FCC certification is re- New spectrum access options must be considered quired before any TVWS device enters in circulation for Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) that in the US and is widely recognized in other countries are offering rural broadband connectivity. Such that have adopted TVWS regulations. Further afield, WISPs are dependent on having sufficient access to other governing bodies, such as ETSI, operate in spectrum, as well as to well-developed equipment different regions to continue the adoption of such ecosystems. standards and ensure the full-coverage protection of New LTE and 5G networks can also benefit from incumbents all over the world. The compliance with the use of spectrum sharing technology, which these regulations is best practice for all solutions helps to increase access to spectrum for existing providers to ensure the avoidance of electromagnetic Mobile Network Operators, and to support new interference between transmission signals. business cases that have previously had limited spectrum access options. Spectrum Challenges/ By building the right regulatory framework for spectrum sharing and creating good operating Solutions conditions for incumbents without interference, Traditionally, there have been only 2 approaches more users are able to benefit from spectrum access. to spectrum management: Applicable to both residential and enterprise use cases, this allows different providers and compa-

24 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION TV WHITE SPACE nies to contribute to the network, connecting more instruct new users to relocate to a different part of people in different environments, and facilitating the band on a temporary basis to avoid interference the expansion of a richer spectrum ecosystem. with incumbents. Our society is now so dependent on wireless New entrants can also benefit from dynamic shar- technology that we must act to adapt it to our ing of spectrum. At times and in locations where in- ever-evolving lifestyles. The DSA advocates for a cumbents are not using spectrum, spectrum sharing range of different options to do that very thing. systems can assign it to others. Thus, the dynamic aspect of spectrum sharing not only protects incumbents, but also allows new entrants access when A New Age of TV and where they need it, making far more efficient Today, dynamic spectrum sharing offers far more use of spectrum and eliminating waste. efficient options for providing opportunities to Unlicensed technologies, such as Wi-Fi and access frequency bands. In the CBRS framework, TVWS, are mature and continue to support vast the dynamic aspect refers to the nature of the incum- numbers of users on an affordable basis. Howev- bent use, which changes depending on time and er, there are other types of spectrum sharing that location, requiring new users to adapt to fluctuat- enable new opportunities. Regional context is ing conditions and to access the spectrum under an important for judging which is most appropriate opportunistic scheme. Dynamic users are harder for a particular country or frequency band. to protect than static users, requiring different For example, frequency bands which are heavily techniques to effectively protect them while still occupied in the US, such as the television broadcast allowing new users in the same band. bands, might host only a few national broadcasters One such technique involves the detection of in- in other countries. While many bands are being cumbents through the use of sensors. Once incum- used extensively in big cities, that same spectrum bent use is detected, spectrum sharing systems can might be readily available in rural or isolated

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 25 TV WHITE SPACE regions. So long as the incumbent users are protected, spectrum sharing technologies can open large amounts of spectrum to new users. Dr. Martha Suarez is President of the Regulatory frameworks that involve spectrum Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA). She sharing must be flexible and adaptable for future has more than 15 years of experience in the changes of both incumbent and new users. As the telecommunications industry, including more influx of data and cutting-edge devices is projected than 3 years as General Director of the National to boost traffic being carried by Wi-Fi from 50% Spectrum Agency in Colombia, where she was responsible for promoting the efficient use of spectrum, having originally joined the to 70%, we risk facing a shortage or bottleneck of ANE in 2013. For more information, please email dsa@proac- spectrum. At the same time, in order to achieve the tive-pr.com and [email protected], or visit low latency, high power capabilities that are being http://dynamicspectrumalliance.org/. imagined for the 5G era, access to spectrum in the entire 6 GHz band will be urgently needed. Shared @MarthaLSuarez @DynamicSpectrum spectrum solutions are available today that can help meet these challenges. Hender Jimenez has over 20 years of experience in wireless The DSA is thrilled to see the movement towards telecommunications, having held planning, design, research and project management positions at companies such as Ericsson, far-reaching deployment realized as more compa- T-Mobile, Sprint, and Claro. He is currently a Technical Program nies become recognized and dynamic spectrum ac- Manager at the Microsoft Airband Initiative where he researches cess technology is driven into the mainstream. We new technologies aimed to reduce the digital divide, and provides congratulate members and non-members alike for technical support to Internet service providers and regulators around contributing to this breakthrough journey, and we the world regarding hybrid wireless networks. His research efforts also focus on digital transformation and data analytics with an look forward to seeing spectrum made more acces- emphasis on business intelligence and geospatial applications. sible as regulations progress as a result of their help in facilitating its implementation and adoption. n

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www.gofoton.com 732-469-9650 www.gofoton.com 732-469-9650 www.gofoton.com 732-469-9650 5G BACKHAUL 5G’s Surprising BFFs IAB, HFC, PON, Radio-over-Ethernet, and WDM, Join the Backhaul Game

By Chris Pearson

here were approximately 82 5G networks How will wireless network operators be able to around the world as of summer 2020, a manage all of this data? number that’s expected to grow to 206 by One key ingredient is having enough licensed spec- the end of 2020. As 5G networks continue trum, but the other is network densification. Network Tto expand, so will the density of cell sites densification is the process of adding more cell sites needed to power them. Furthermore, the growth to increase the amount of coverage and capacity on of 5G by enterprise and consumer growth is robust a network. In order to do so, the network must have with 5G connections expected to grow to well over a data connection at the cell site that brings together 1 billion by the end of 2023. information that the radio access network (RAN) When it comes to building networks, there are receives over the air from mobile devices, run through many things to consider. Some of these include series of signal and data processing in the RAN, and power, capacity, and overall data throughput managed all the way back to the core network. demand. According to Ericsson, global total mobile To keep track of this data, network professionals data traffic will grow by a factor of 4 between the use the terms backhaul, midhaul and fronthaul to des- end of 2019 to 2025 -- from around 38 exabytes per ignate of which parts of the network the data are month in 2019 to 160 exabytes per month by the connected. These designations can get challenging end of 2025. because there are several ways in which the 3 key elements of a RAN may be placed geographically.

30 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION 5G BACKHAUL

These include: 1. the centralized unit (CU) housed at the central office or data center 2. the distributed unit (DU) located regionally 3. the remote unit (RU) at the cell site Sometimes, the CU might be located with the DU and the RU, or perhaps with the DU only. Sometimes the DU and RU are located together, but separately. But roughly speaking, backhaul Figure 1. Different combinations of backhaul, midhaul, and fronthaul according to is anything that connects data core and access network topology. between the core network and (Source: Innovations in 5G Backhaul Technologies: IAB HFC and Fiber, 5G Americas White Paper) the CU, midhaul is anything that connects data between the CU and the DU, and fronthaul is anything that connects the DU with the RU. (See Figure 1.) Today, there are innovative ways that Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB), Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC), and Fiber, can be used to improve the amount of data that can be passed between the 5G core network and the 5G centralized unit. One key thing in understanding how much backhaul is required is understanding that data transport requirements change depending Figure 2. Transport requirements for 5G NR functional splits. (Source: Nokia) on how much raw processing power is being utilized at each location in the RAN -- at the CU, ference in data rates, latency, and distance, that are required for each unit of DU, or RU. For instance, 5G allows the RAN, depending on how it is arranged according to the functional split. for the creation of functional splits in the RAN where specific processing tasks are handled by different Integrated Access and Backhaul units. The more processing that is One of the key innovations in wireless backhaul is Integrated Access done there, the bigger the “data and Backhaul (IAB), which allows for the use of a portion of radio access pipe” needed to support it. spectrum to be used for backhaul as well. Ultimately, the decision to de- Traditionally, cell sites have been connected via point-to-point dark termine the functional split of the fiber, that is, fiber optic cables which already exist in the ground or on RAN is based on the underlying utility poles. When that fiber isn’t available, it can be incredibly costly and future planned architecture of for network operators to deploy new fiber, which might involve complex the network. Figure 2 shows the dif- trenching and challenging in-building obstacles. In fact, studies show

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 31 5G BACKHAUL

Figure 3. Integrated Access and Backhaul

Fiber Sealed Drop Closure (FSDC) FSDC series closures are fully-sealed and may be that in the US alone at least $130 billion in fiber builds is required to strand, pole, pedestal or vault mounted. Built-in adapters support up to 16 connectorized drops, reach the full performance that 5G promises. with 2 internal splice trays for up to 48 splices IAB solves this problem by allotting some of the spectrum that would have been used by the RAN and using it to connect the CU to the core network. This technology has generated a lot of interest in the industry, since IAB is expected to provide a cost-efficient and fast time-to-market backhaul solution. IAB can use many of the great tools of spectrum management, including time, frequency, and spatial division multiplexing, to greatly enhance the efficiency of the spectrum for backhaul purposes. Additionally, network operators have many ways of using IAB, including network densification, filling coverage holes, providing on-demand coverage, and general capacity expansion. (See Figure 3.) However, care must be taken so that its use does not impact network Optical Hub Cabinets (OHC) quality due to interference or the reduction in capacity due to the complex Flexible ber distribution for up to 864 drops multiplexing mechanisms used between access and backhaul. from a compact groundmount cabinet (various Additional considerations must also be given to network topology, sizes available) with front and rear doors routing, quality of service (QoS), and emerging and future technologies that may reshape the way that IAB is deployed. (At the time of this writing, IAB is standardized in 3GPP Release 16, which was to be finalized at the end of June 2020; it aims to reuse the existing 5G radio air interface for backhaul purposes.)

Additional Network Helpers Recent advances in the HFC network, passive optical network (PON), BDO Fiber Distribution Pedestals and Ethernet technology, make these solutions equally promising Non-metallic ber splice pedestals for both options for 5G transport. Leveraging existing HFC and PON deploy- greenneld and brownneld FTTP, with ments significantly reduces the time-to-market and cost of deploying 5G. a variety of sizes supporting 48 to 576 bers and ber-only or copper//ber splice points Both HFC and PON are already extensively deployed in areas where 5G will be in the most demand, specifically dense urban and urban environments. North America already has several multi-gigabit shared infrastructure solutions that are already deployed virtually down every street and to every building on the continent. The first such network is the HFC network that is owned and deployed by US cable companies and reaches 93% of American households.

32 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION 5G BACKHAUL

Figure 4. HFC / DOCSIS Network Architecture

Figure 5. Converged Ethernet xHaul Network

draw power “from the line” to power small cell One critical aspect of HFC networks is the use of deployments. the new data-over-cable service interface specification DOCSIS 4.0 specification, which will allow • Construction & Permitting -- Thanks to exist- HFC networks to deliver multi-gigabit per second ing strand infrastructure, cable operators can capabilities. (See Figure 4.) Under an HFC/DOCSIS very quickly connect small cells to their existing system the head end of a cable system is connected aerial plant. Deployment of a small cell can be by feeder fiber to an optical node, which is further accomplished in a matter of an hour, by tapping split by distribution coaxial cable by an RF splitter into the existing coaxial strand, and attaching to buildings. A new technology standard called a line-powered, strand-mounted small cell. low-latency xHaul (LLX) can also dramatically This eliminates the need for any permitting reduce latency issues involving HFC networks. and dramatically accelerates deployments. Overall, HFC offers several key advantages for backhaul: Similar to HFC networks, PONs have been • Ubiquity -- HFC cables already run down vir- extensively deployed throughout North America tually every street and to every home/business over the past couple of decades. PON is used to across North America. provide fiber-to-the-home and fiber-to-the-premises, and widely deployed over many urban areas. A • Ample Capacity -- The newly released DOCSIS recent analysis by Bell Labs showed that leveraging 4.0 specification, now promises downstream existing FTTH networks can decrease 5G transport speeds over 10 Gbps. This should provide ample costs by more than 50% compared to traditional capacity for most 5G transport use cases. solutions such as microwave and P2P dark fiber. • Power -- HFC networks are active, and able to Over the years, improvements to PON have been

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 33 5G BACKHAUL developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU-T), requirements become more which have evolved greater data rates with each iteration. Recently, the demanding, it will be necessary Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) has created even to continue to build the right more PON standards. kind of network to deliver the In addition to PON, advances in Ethernet-based transport such as new best customer experience. n radio encapsulation techniques, time-sensitive networking (TSN), and radio-over-Ethernet (RoE), are transforming 5G fronthaul networks. Resources and Notes While Ethernet has become the de facto standard for cell site backhaul • 5G Americas white paper Innovations because of its low cost, multi-vendor interoperability, service flexibility, in 5G Backhaul Technologies: IAB HFC and and ubiquity, using Ethernet in fronthaul networks, offers the prospect Fiber. https://www.5gamericas.org/innova- of significantly reducing the cost of C-RAN architectures. Such an tions-in-5g-backhaul-technologies/ architecture might look something like Figure 5. • A Bell Labs Consulting study. Quantifying Finally, wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) can be applied across the cost benefits of FTTH for 5G transport a broad range of technologies to meet critical 5G transport requirements. by Ana Pesovic, 16 Apr 2020. https://www. WDM is a technology that multiplexes a number of optical carrier signals nokia.com/blog/quantifying-cost-bene- onto a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths of light. This fits-ftth-5g-transport/ allows you to get more data through the same number of fiber strands -- • Ericsson Mobility Reports. https://www.er- a very effective way to boost the efficiency of existing fiber assets. icsson.com/en/mobility-report/reports#:~:tex- t=Key%20findings,of%20total%20mobile%20 data%20traffic. Conclusion • GT. Government Technology. Deploying 5G Today, 5G network operators are faced with an increasing array of Will Cost at Least $130 Billion in Fiber, Study new choices in designing, architecting, and managing, their networks. Says. By Giuseppe Macri, InsideSources.com, As consumer and business use cases become more specialized and data Washington, D.C. / July 10, 2017. https:// www.govtech.com/network/Deploying-5G- Will-Cost-at-Least-130-Billion-in-Fiber-Study- Says.html NISC allows us to cover every aspect of our business on Chris Pearson is one system. Whether it is an engineer President of 5G Americas. As or a service rep, they are all looking at President, he represents the the same system. NISC has made the organization’s Market Representation interests within the 3rd Generation Partnership Program whole process very smooth. (3GPP) organization. Chris came to the organization from the Universal Wireless Communications Consortium (UWCC) where he ~ Jeff Dykes served as EVP in charge of the strategic President & CEO BrightRidge executive management of the global TDMA wireless technology consortium. He has more than 32 years of experience in the telecommunications field. For more information, please email [email protected] or visit https://www.5gamericas.org/. your technology. your mission. your success. our promise. @5GAmericas

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Deploying a 5G The Balancing Act Conclusion Identifying the right fiber topology for deploying a 5G The optical infrastructure serving fronthaul, mid-haul and network is the key to making the business case pay 5G FRONTHAUL backhaul must be flexible, agile and futureproof to meet 5G network is complex off. A variety of fiber fronthaul network topologies and high bandwidth demands and significantly higher cell-site —it is not simply upgrading the RAN and the core, technologies can be planned and implemented based on TRANSPORT TESTS density. Topology of the fiber infrastructure chosen must be rather 5G deployment brings layers of complexity, correct understanding of the requirements and goals of considered to maximize return on investment from short-term the network and getting fronthaul right. What does that deployment to long-term network growth models. Managing each intertwined with the next. To overcome the mean? and maintaining fiber infrastructure will be a constant myriad challenges a successful 5G deployment S1/ Ethernet BBU operational expense that must be considered at the time of RRH 1. It must be cost efficient. Deploying fiber is expensive. /REC deployment. Having the right test solutions for maintaining encompasses, it is essential to understand the eCPRI If dark (unlit) fiber is available, it should be used initially & CPRI cause and effect implications of every decision. fiber networks will be key in delivering high quality of service and as capacity demand increases deployment of a WDM at low OPEX. Backhaul Fronthaul FTN FTN Each choice can impact the cost and the strength next level of multiplexing (WDM) system and future Fiber of a service provider’s business case. planning can increase network capacity. VIAVI Solutions is the industry leader in fiber test CU/ F1 DU/ RU 5G has three core use cases: enhanced Mobile Broadband 2. It must be flexible. Fronthaul must allow different eS1/ vCU Midhaul vDU and delivers the most comprehensive end-to-end Ethernet (eMBB), ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC), applications with different latency and jitter budgets network test solution. With a fully integrated and massive machine type communications (mMTC). to work on the same fiber infrastructure. portfolio of cloud-enabled instruments and systems, And, initially not all use cases will be implemented. For Verify proper QoS for eCPRI message types 3. It must be transparent. Fronthaul should allow software test automation, and services for network example, URLLC applications require certain network Measure bandwidth/delay/jitter for enhancements that early 5G deployments may not multiple services with varying quality of service (QoS) Tests each message type testing, performance optimization, and service to be implemented. be able to deliver, but from the service provider (SP) Verify connectivity to an RU assurance, VIAVI is positioned to assure operators perspective, planning for those requirements is essential 4. It must be agile. Agility will enable quick delivery Measure One Way Delay against an RU and their partners a smooth 5G network roll-out for a future-proof 5G network. Building the best network of new services, allowing for dynamic allocation and and sustainable network lifecycle. infrastructure to support 5G use cases is the top priority Verify PTP connectivity, and measure release of network resources required by different PTP Time Error for all major SPs and to achieve that goal upgrading the services. The ability to dynamically optimize network underlying fiber network that connects the radios to the Verify proper GPS installation connectivity also will be a key component of 5G core is the critical first step to success. fronthaul. While deploying fiber is costly, the benefits undeniably Technicians may see light at the other end but will have 5. It must have perfect timing and synchronization. FOR MORE outweigh the deployment challenges. Fiber offers higher no way to validate a specific wavelength path is correct. Latency and jitter cannot be present, especially for bandwidths (required for eMBB) with less attenuation, mobility and URLLC applications. resists electromagnetic interference, offers lower latency Further, in a WDM system, testing for correct power INFORMATION levels will require different set of instruments. Many (URLLC), and with improving multiplexing technologies, 6. It must be easy to manage and maintain. Network fibers will drive more MPO connector deployments, which can accommodate capacity growth on the same fiber failures in fiber fronthaul have to be quickly resolved will require an MPO light source and an MPO tester. infrastructure. and high reliability for time sensitive applications must Ultimately, fiber field installations will be more complex Visit www.viavisolutions.com/5g, be achieved. with significantly more MPO and xWDM deployments. and request your copy of the And, for SPs with multiple service offerings, a scalable This increase in the number of fibers and the types VIAVI Fronthaul Handbook. access fiber architecture that can easily support of connections will drive the need for SPs and their HOW MUCH FIBER residential, business, enterprise, and 5G midhaul/fronthaul contractors to have easy-to-use fiber test instruments on the same platform is essential. IS ENOUGH? with integrated test process automation to scale 5G Testing the 5G Network deployments.

Still, SPs grapple with fundamental questions: How much 5G’s massively larger bandwidth demands a much denser fiber is enough? How can fiber infrastructure investments fiber fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul network. This today be leveraged for success as 5G matures? and they means not only more fiber cables and end points, but face the reality that without high capacity backhaul, mid- also a higher order of multiplexing which in turn increases haul and fronthaul, their customers’ 5G experiences will the complexity and scale of fiber testing. Previously we not be any better than 4G. Moreover, unaddressed latency had a pair of fiber cable connected to a radio. Now, this By Kashif Hussain issues introduce the same risk to the 5G business case. has evolved to upwards of twelve or more fiber pairs Kashif is the Director of Solutions Marketing with VIAVI Solutions and has more than 20 years Applications including virtual reality and connected cars per radios. As a result, a visual fault location tool will not of experience in mobile networking and wireless technology. demand a delay-proof fronthaul. suffice to validate fiber signal integrity. THE 5G DEPLOYMENT BALANCING ACT Attaining Right-sized, Reliable Fiber Fronthaul

Still, SPs grapple with fundamental questions: How much 5G’s massively larger bandwidth demands a much denser fiber is enough? How can fiber infrastructure investments fiber fronthaul, midhaul and backhaul network. This today be leveraged for success as 5G matures? and they means not only more fiber cables and end points, but face the reality that without high capacity backhaul, mid- also a higher order of multiplexing which in turn increases haul and fronthaul, their customers’ 5G experiences will the complexity and scale of fiber testing. Previously we not be any better than 4G. Moreover, unaddressed latency had a pair of fiber cable connected to a radio. Now, this By Kashif Hussain issues introduce the same risk to the 5G business case. has evolved to upwards of twelve or more fiber pairs Kashif is the Director of Solutions Marketing with VIAVI Solutions and has more than 20 years Applications including virtual reality and connected cars per radios. As a result, a visual fault location tool will not of experience in mobile networking and wireless technology. demand a delay-proof fronthaul. suffice to validate fiber signal integrity. FIBER AND 5G Winning the 5G Marathon Requires the Right Strategies

Don’t Let Powering or Optical Connectivity Slow You Down

By Kevin Bourg

he race to 5G is well under way. Network opera- performance indicators (KPIs), tors throughout the US and the world have made while planning for power is critical commitments to the deployment of 5G wireless for a cost-effective and rapid de- technology. But the end is on the distant horizon. ployment. Operators will begin to TWe need to look at this race as a series of relays, with each stage taking on identify the broad 5G KPI catego- a different set of objectives, timelines, and investment. ries noted in Figure 1 to participate The first stage could be considered a sprint, in which today, many and plan for those architectures to operators are close to the handoff point as they are incrementally achieve the stated service levels. upgrading from 4G to 5G. The final stage is a marathon. As operators look to achieve the In many cases, each stage brings on new spectrum, opportunities for 5G KPI’s, new millimeter wave new services, and stricter service level requirements. spectrum options are deployed. Today, we are focusing on the last stage of deployment, the marathon These spectrum options require run. In this stage, a healthy fiber diet is essential for meeting the 5G key operators to densify their mobile

38 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION FIBER AND 5G

Fiber Diets Help The demand for broadband connectivity is no longer confined to the home or office. Consumers are looking to have a mobile-device experience similar to that of a wireline broadband connection. Examples are everywhere: • live-streaming sports, • 4k video upload and download, • and the mobile office connected to the cloud. Each of these applications place growing demand on the mobile network. As operators plan for this final marathon stage of their 5G deployment, they need to consider peak data rates of multigigabits and a user experience data rate of 100 Mbps to meet the 5G eMBB KPI. To achieve these data rates, operators have 2 “knobs” they can turn in an orchestrated manner: spectrum and radio density. Historically, operators have turned to the simple approach of adding more spectrum to a tower to address bandwidth demands. However, over the past 10 years, the demand for bandwidth has pushed operators to the higher wavelength spectrum known as millimeter wave (mmWave). mmWave spectrum has been less desirable due to the losses and the requirement for line-of-sight communications, but this is the only part of the spectrum where vast (many hundreds of MHz) of spectrum are available. Another challenge is that it is highly impacted by environmental factors such as rain, leaves, and fog. Therefore, to deploy mmWave spectrum, operators must densify their wireless network, bringing radios off the large towers and placing them along the street as small cells.

Hitting the Wall As small cells are deployed and network capacity is increased, the transport of the wireless networks from the radio to the xRAN must be capable of the peak end-user experience data rates noted earlier. In order to address data rates in the marathon stage, operators require Don’t Let Powering or Optical Connectivity Slow You Down additional fiber optic infrastructure. By our estimates, the amount of optical fiber required to connect the new densified small cell network is almost 100 times greater than what was necessary to connect 3G and 4G radios. In a typical marathon, this is akin to “hitting the wall”. This means that while there is fiber deployed today, the connectivity required for 5G is significantly more. network utilizing much lower Thus, providers must find ways to increase their wireless transport RF output power radios with capacity in order to support the growth in demand by consumers. inter-site distances less than 500 And while there is no power drink available to deliver immediate feet apart. By our estimates, US relief, providers can leverage the infrastructure they already have in operators need to increase capac- place. Recent advances in WDM technology include lower-cost tunable ity by 10x over the next 10 years. transceivers and Bi-Di technology. In addition, the IEEE 50Gbps To achieve these goals, the mara- symmetrical standard supports next-generation PON technologies and thon stages will drive new optical can help them see the 5G finish line. infrastructure much deeper in the Another option is to leverage optical cable infrastructure. A signifi- network and new challenges (such cant part of deployment that drives most of the costs is associated with as powering small cells) will be a the civil works to provide connectivity. Recent advances in optical fiber major obstacle for some. and cable technologies provide operators with much denser optical connectivity that can be deployed in smaller ducts, vaults, and cabinets/

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 39 FIBER AND 5G

transit stops. However, these access locations are not always aligned with the ideal location for providers’ small cell deployments. We conducted a series of anal- yses on 5G small cell powering and found that a typical deployment of 20 square miles required approximately 590 5G radio sites when spaced with an inter-site distance of 500 feet. Normally, that would require a total of 590 individual local power grid taps for a single carrier. (See Figure 2.) An alternative strategy opera- Figure 1. Each of the 5G Key Performance Indicators are grouped into categories tors can explore is using distrib- defining the use cases for 5G services. uted power to the small cells. This means utilizing a single access to the grid, which can be transported along the optical infrastructure, in order to reduce the number of local power taps. Distributed power is not a new technology, and is deployed by many operators around the world. However, the challenge presented for small cell deployment today is the amount of power required. Today’s small cell radios require, in many cases, up to 400W per radio. Assuming Figure 2. Operators have the choice of deploying local power for each small cell or a 2- or 3-sectored radio site, the distributed power which allows for one tap of the power grid distributed to several power required could be as high distributed small cells. as 1200W. How do you deliver these power levels efficiently over a closures. Cable manufacturers have adopted G.652 fibers with a distributed environment safely? 200 µm coating diameter. This innovation results in a 33% reduction in Look to guidance from the total cross-sectional area in the fiber. This allows for more optical fibers standards bodies. delivered in a cable for the same outer diameter or, for the same fiber The Alliance for Telecommu- count, the cable can be delivered with a lower outer diameter. nications Industry Solutions (ATIS) (https://www.atis.org/) organization has stepped up in Powering to the Finish the development of a new power Once operators have pushed through the wall, the finish line is standard for “remotely pow- on the horizon. However, electrical power is one of the remaining ering distributed devices that obstacles that must be addressed. consume more than the 100-Watt Historically, electric power was needed for each radio tower deployed constraints.” The development of every few miles. Fortunately, in cities across the US, small cells can access this standard enables operators to the electric grid via power sources along roads and sidewalks. That’s leverage higher voltages such as why small cells are often located on or near traffic lights, streetlamps, and 380V DC to deliver power levels

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Today’s cell site infrastructure is evolving to support emerging 5G architectures, including 5G-friendly radios requiring more power at the top of cell towers. To protect against voltage drops from the tower’s base and the radios at the top, Vertiv™ introduces the innovative eSure™ Power Extend Converter – a finalist in this year’s Fierce Innovation Awards – Telecom Edition! This hand-held device plugs directly into an existing DC distribution panel, conserving valuable space while delivering over 98% efficiency. Vertiv has the vision and expertise to help you rethink your energy use. Learn how to save cost with the arrival of 5G. Visit Vertiv.com/PowerExtendConverter. FIBER AND 5G

required to support a single 5G Kevin Bourg is Director of Commercial Technology -- 5G small cell location in a touch-safe Wireless within Corning Optical Communications. He has more manner. than 20 years of experience in FTTH and Wireless technologies. Bringing together new touch- Kevin has experience in commercial as well as technical roles safe power solutions with the where he obtained 3 issued patents and authored numerous conference optical infrastructure provides articles and papers. For more information, email [email protected], visit an opportunity for operators to https://www.corning.com/optical-communications/worldwide/en/home.html, or reduce their dependency on connect on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinbourg/). the power utility through the reduction of local power taps. @kevinlbourg @CorningOpComm Recently, Corning and EnerSys announced a partnership to help solve powering and deployment challenges operators face as they run the 5G marathon. Through our combined analysis, we have seen that a deployment using touch-safe power solutions can reduce local power taps by as much as 7.5 times -- lessening the dependency upon the power utility. A-Aerial has serviced the Communications Construction Winning the Industry since 1984. Products include Fiber Blowers, Fiber Marathon Pullers, Lashers, Pole Line and Underground materials. The deployment of 5G services Featuring products from GMP, Condux, Maclean, by operators moves through a OshKosh, Alumaform, Bashlin, Ripley, RKI Gas Testers, series of stages, with each stage Jameson Tools, Hubbell, Dura-Line, Allegro, Klein Tools, focused on a series of key objectives to meet 5G’s KPIs. The final Milwaukee Tools, and many more. stage drives radio technology from the tower level to the street Click or Call Today! level, requiring new architectures www.linemen-tools.com and deployment methodologies. Operators will look to new deployment methods to help mitigate the costs, speed up deployment and prepare for the AERIAL / UNDERGROUND TOOLS & MATERIALS next race heading toward 6G. Remember, this final stage is a TOOLS marathon. Network providers must prepare and pace them- selves, so when they come close to hitting the wall, they have the confidence to break through without a misstep. n

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NOVEMBER 2020 43

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44 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION FIBER AND 5G

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The Right Kind of Enablers

By Nick Sampson, Javan Erfanian, and Nan Hu Get to Know Eight 5G Enablers of Good s 5G evolves toward a highly agile and efficient Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), it pushes the performance envelope, including throughput and latency, to enable value in a cloud native architecture. AFurthermore, the 5G core is expected to be access-neutral, integrating fixed and/or mobile, terrestrial and/or non-terrestrial, unicast, broadcast and/or multicast, and local- or wide-area access networks. This article describes 8 prominent emerging enablers that will help 5G leverage different and flexible business and operational models for the many vertical industries it aims to serve.

46 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION 5G

Enabler #1: Providers (HCPs), equipped with the capabilities of Network Telco Cloud seamlessly realizing compute, storage, and network resources required to scale effectively to meet the MNOs have continued to evolve and expand diversity, dynamism, and volume of services, in a telecommunication operations towards a diverse distributed and multi-access technology environment. assortment of services, beyond mobile connectivity, Furthermore, MNOs will define a common voice, and messaging services. This direction has platform architecture to aggregate individual continued with an adoption of virtualization, which platforms, allowing edge computing to be used on serves as a foundation for flexible and rapid time-to- a global scale and inspiring a global community market services, while simultaneously optimizing of developers. A common platform architecture the utilization of network resources. Virtualization is guarantees replication of business models, unifor- fundamental for satisfying the demands of flexibil- mity in the deployment of applications, uniformity ity and adaptability for MNOs and is being adopt- of available APIs, and service continuity models ed to meet the emerging demands of the service between different platforms. The global community paradigm. The introduction of Virtual Network of developers will benefit from a common opera- Functions (VNFs) within the Network Function tor platform architecture which complements the Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI) framework current HCP offerings of capabilities. GSMA2 and provides separation between the functions rendered NGMN3 have announced initiatives to deliver this in software and the generalized hardware platforms platform, and GSMA has published a White Paper over which the VNFs are executable. This introduces on the concept of an operator platform.4 an integration challenge, hence support for interoperability and onboarding of VNFs in a multi-vendor Enabler #2: environment is a critical benefit for MNOs. This is being addressed in the Cloud iNfrastructure Telco Edge Computing Task Force (CNTT)1, whose objective is to ensure The diversity and number of end-user services that the required VNFs are supported, in an and equipment that characterize the nature of a interoperable manner, with consistent behaviors forward-looking 5G ecosystem demand location of in an emerging multi-vendor environment. resources at the network edge, through decentral- Adoption of virtualization in the telecommunica- ized and distributed network architectures. tions industry is evolving towards a cloud-native Localized processing at the network edge, in coor- paradigm, where network functions are realized as dination with the user-equipment, facilitates new cloud-native VNFs hosted by cloud infrastructures, service-enabling capabilities that delivers a cus- which are amenable to distribution, decentraliza- tomized, contextual, and performance optimized tion, and localization, in terms of edge computing service experience for the end user. arrangements. Cloud native evolution is expected Edge computing and telco cloud also enable to provide several benefits such as a reduction in hosting of MNO and 3rd party applications at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), further reduced MNOs’ network edge nodes. Applications can be time-to-market, business agility, faster innovation hosted on dedicated platforms (owned by the MNO and flexibility to enable services more dynamically or by a 3rd party), and benefit from local breakout and on demand. of traffic and from network APIs exposed by the This approach of PaaS is being built on top of MNO.5 This allows applications to run closer to the Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) environments customer, with benefits such as ultra-low latency, already deployed in MNO data centers. The telco high reliability and off-loading processing from cloud spans all the layers of MNO networks, from end-user equipment, and provides opportunities for central data centers to the edge of the network in new partnerships and associated business models. order to support edge computing services. An au- Cryptographically strong encryption and privacy tonomic framework cooperates with the telco cloud controls, provide the tools to mitigate and mini- from a system wide perspective to facilitate optimize the risk for information compromise, which is mized system performance and end-user experience. complemented by decentralized and distributed ar- The telco cloud may involve hybrid clouds, with chitectural arrangements that are aligned with the public clouds offered by the Hyperscale Cloud concept of edge computing, where a compromised

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 47 5G segment of the system can be isolated without Enabler #4: affecting the system as a whole. Autonomic Management Precise positioning techniques6 are indispensable at the network edge for providing location and and Control context aware capabilities for a variety of use cases Realization of the full benefits of virtualization, such as for Industrial IoT (IIoT). The most challeng- cloud and edge computing requires the adoption of ing IIoT uses cases require accuracy of the order of an autonomic management and control framework. centimeters, with very-low latency and a position 5G networks can support more diverse service scenar- fix which is of a continuous nature. Several other ios and applications while also creating the challenge verticals’ use cases require precise positioning, of increasing complexity in network management, for example autonomous vehicles and relative which requires the adoption of autonomic manage- positioning between nearby user equipment, etc. ment functions, encompassing both autonomous and The network edge with flexible levels of distribu- automatic behaviors. An autonomic management tion requires an enabler for automating the service framework is an important enabler for innovative experience, such that the time-to-market is reduced; business models. It represents not only a benefit for and the overhead of intermediaries or brokers is MNOs but also enables customers to dynamically reduced; while trust, security, and privacy, are request and negotiate services and preferences for preserved. service customization and personalization. The telco cloud is expected to be programmable Enabler #3: end-to-end, where the customer service requirements are supported by an appropriate underlying Open and Disaggregated network slice with the necessary and sufficient Radio Access Network allocation of compute, storage, and network resources. Cognitive and programmable capabilities Conventionally, networks, in particular the enable zero-touch operation and maintenance of radio access network, have been realized mostly the network through automation for network and by single-vendor solutions, where equipment and service planning, deployment, maintenance, and software were provided by and restricted to a sin- optimization phases, delivering self-Configuration, gle vendor on an area-by-area basis. This imposes Healing, Optimization, and Protection (CHOP) limitations for MNOs in constructing their network, qualities in a forward-looking system. The network especially as deployment scenarios (e.g., macro and user equipment operate cooperatively within cells, outdoor small cells, indoor solutions, etc.) and the autonomic management and control framework frequency bands diversify. Furthermore, disaggre- for closed-loop automation and optimization of gated radio access networks are complementary for system performance and behaviors, while allowing multi-access edge computing. in-deployment flexibility. Isolation, facilitated by To improve the situation, MNOs are demanding underlying automated network slicing procedures, disaggregation of network platforms through open provides for improvements in security, privacy and interfaces and promoting multi-vendor interopera- fault tolerance, which are aligned with the self- bility efforts. Disaggregation and openness, togeth- CHOP characteristics of an end-to-end autonomic er with virtualization, provide flexibility, efficiency, management and control framework. agility, scalability, a broad ecosystem, and choice. The characteristics of a self-CHOP-enabled Open, interoperable interfaces and multi-vendor system reflect a fundamental shift from the rela- RAN allow innovative, best-of-breed solutions from tively cumbersome silos of manual operational and different vendors to be utilized. Furthermore, indi- configuration procedures, to agile, programmable, vidual vendors will not have to deliver all solutions and autonomic capabilities for automating system required by MNOs, leading to a competitive and operation for performance and service optimiza- vibrant vendor ecosystem, and more cost-effective tion, in real time or near real time. network construction. This is ever more important To gradually achieve the goal of an autonomic for the 5G era with further diversifying scenarios management framework, a hierarchical architecture and requirements. for the self-CHOP-enabled system needs to be ensured. A more upper-layer and centralized deploy-

48 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION

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EXCEPTIONALLY STRONG. composite body Duralite™ Lightweight covers Duralite™ oldcastleinfrastructure.com/brands/duralite Polymer concrete covers Lightweight ™ 6/29/20 3:50PM 5G ment location indicates a larger data volume, raises the 5G Core Network for “trusted non-3GPP access computing power requirements, and is more suit- network”, and “wireline 5G Access Network”, facil- able to perform cross-domain self-CHOP capability itating synergies with 3GPP access. which does not have real-time requirements, while Typically, for example, a customer wireless LAN at a lower-layer and closer to the network edge, the may re-use the same core infrastructure as the oper- domain-specific or entity-specific self-CHOP capa- ator’s 5G radio network. Beyond this, connectivity bility is suitable for meeting real-time performance provided by NTN access as part of the multi-access requirements. To ensure optimal performance and technology landscape is a valuable mode of connec- minimize the complexity of integration between tivity in 5G, where multiple types of access could layers, there must be a clear definition of the lay- be leveraged for higher system availability, as well ered self-CHOP framework, with standardized, as for coverage in remote underserved areas and in open interfaces between layers. emergency or disaster recovery situations. Beyond the initial phase of 5G specifications in Enabler #5: 3GPP, it is anticipated that future specifications will harness NTN access to enrich and enhance the ser- Artificial Intelligence (AI) vice experience, and enable optimizations, across and Machine Learning (ML) different categories of the 5G service paradigm. The integration of non-terrestrial networks in 5G will Cognitive capabilities embedded within an provide enhanced opportunities for network slice autonomic management and control subsystem are management, inter-technology access hand-over, realized in terms of the various modes of AI. AI and and dual connectivity across all access technolo- ML offer a variety of extensible methods to meet gies as well as connections to fixed or moving cells the connectivity, coverage, capacity, spectrum effi- using NTN-based integrated access and backhaul ciency, energy efficiency, and service demands, of a capabilities. virtualized, decentralized, distributed 5G system. A major advantage of NTN integration into the Deep Learning (DL) is an augmentation of ML 5G ecosystem is to broaden service delivery choic- rendered through the use of multilayer neural net- es, especially to unserved or underserved areas. work algorithms to flexibly handle a diverse array Direct access to handheld devices is expected to of complex use cases, associated with structured or complement and extend cellular networks for 5G unstructured data. eMBB and mMTC services with direct or indirect satellites line of sight use cases, where indirect Enabler #6: would imply the use of relays in the cases where it can further improve service to users. (Note that Access Network direct NTN access is likely to be unavailable Convergence for dense urban coverage, in the absence of an unimpeded line of sight access.) The expectation for ubiquitous service availabil- NTN access encompasses radio access provided ity from any geographic location is fundamental by different spaceborne and airborne vehicles such and underscores the support for convergence across as low earth orbiting satellites, high altitude plat- multiple access technologies. Examples of such form systems (HAPS), drones etc. Spaceborne and scenarios include mobile broadband, fixed broad- airborne access networks in 5G are vital for reliably band, non-terrestrial access, and proximity access. serving passengers on board moving platforms and The adoption of various methods of connectivity serving populations in rural areas; supporting flexi- in the 5G ecosystem promises a convergence of ble and fast network restoration, e.g., in the context different methods of connectivity through conver- of public protection, disaster relief or other emer- gent and access neutral architectural models. These gency situations; and in sustaining audience access complementary methods of connectivity consist of to content via efficient broadcast/multicast capa- a variety of access technologies that include terres- bilities, combined with edge-caching techniques trial network and Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) thereby optimizing core server and network loads. access for supporting a diverse variety of 5G ser- These and other technological advances in space- vices3. Initially, convergence will focus on re-using borne and airborne vehicles are likely to provide

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 51 5G significant yet cost effective performance enhance- While earlier generations of trust models in ments, in addition to improved capacity/coverage telecommunication systems were generally based flexibility. A complete convergence of terrestrial on centralized methods of authentication, autho- and NTN access within the 5G standards suite is rization, and accounting, the inclusion of decen- expected to enable MNO service provisioning and tralized trust models is pivotal for supporting a delivery to meet the customer requirements for widespread adoption of 5G systems. For example, experientially attractive services with high avail- in the case of a centralized trust model, the secu- ability, reliability, and system resiliency. rity credentials are typically already known, and verification established accordingly. On the other Enabler #7: hand, in the case of a decentralized trust model a dynamic verification scheme is suitable for trust Harmonization establishment. A decentralized trust model is The harmonization of capabilities associated expected to support and enable the virtualized, with technology enablement is vital for managing distributed, dynamic, and cloud-native nature of a complexity, scalability, performance optimiza- 5G service-based architecture. tion, and deployment flexibility. In particular, the Beyond these enablers, further focus needs to commercial availability of emerging 5G devices be given to significantly improving resource and on a global scale, hinging on technology advance- energy efficiency and sustainability. Some of the ments and standardization, requires the support aforementioned enablers, such as telco cloud, help for multi-mode (multiple access technologies) and optimize energy consumption, and can, togeth- multi-band (multiple frequency bands) 5G devices er with increased use of renewable energy and a for enabling the global roaming of these devices. reduction in the environmental impact of building With the growing global demand for spectrum networks, improve the environmental sustainability and higher bandwidths to meet demands of future of networks. services, there is a corresponding increase in the On top of this, it is important to acknowledge number of standardized radio frequency bands and that the mobile community will need to access new their combinations. The support for a large number spectrum bands to fulfill the 5G promise. MNOs of radio frequency bands and their correspondingly have extensive experience in deployment, opera- large number of combinations translate into increas- tion, and maintenance, of networks and services. ing levels of device implementation complexity. The 5G system capabilities such as network slicing and PaaS will assist MNOs using their public Enabler #8: networks to provide dynamically customized (and private/isolated) services for vertical markets in Sustainable Trust a cost-efficient way and by efficiently using spec- Trust represents a belief in the ability of a sys- trum. Spectrum regulators should continue to tem to act reliably and dependably with respect to give priority for public networks when allocating interactions among two or more entities and the spectrum to minimize spectrum fragmentation and system in a mutually congruent manner. In the associated complexity, and optimize its use over emerging virtualized, decentralized, and distrib- wide areas. uted ecosystem of networks, user equipment, and machine-type devices, the establishment of trust is foundational. The flexible and customizable Conclusion service paradigm of 5G demands adaptive mod- The NGMN 5G White Paper 2 describes the 5G els for trust that are secure-by-design and adopt objective of enabling and contributing to prosper- security best-practice. The types of relationships ity and productivity with significant energy between interacting entities provide the context for and resource efficiency, sustainability, social configuring an appropriate trust model for a given well-being, trust, and inclusion, and promotes use case scenario. The notion of sustainable trust the engagement with the wider ecosystem to includes both security and privacy to adaptively fully address the 5G outreach. It provides a and dynamically maintain the system performance guideline for the 5G evolution with new visions, and the user experience. new use cases, and new challenges. It is worthy

52 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION 5G

of being the reference for producing 5G An Energy & Infrastructure Contractor specifications and promoting the 5G ecosystem. n

Resources and Notes Keeping Your This article was excerpted and created from 5G White Paper 2 by Network Connected The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance, July 2020. https://www.ngmn.org/wp-content/uploads/NGMN-5G-White-Pa- per-2.pdf

1. https://cntt-n.github.io/CNTT/ 2. GSMA, “Telecom Operators Collaborate to Build the Telco Edge Cloud Platform with GSMA Support”. https://www.gsma.com/news- room/press-release/telecom-operators-collaborate-to-build-the-telco- edge-cloud-platform-with-gsma-support/. 3. NGMN, “NGMN Alliance Launches Initiative to Advance Cloud, Automation & Edge Computing”. https://www.ngmn.org/ngmn-news/ press-release/ngmn-alliance-launches-initiative-to-advance-cloud-automation-edge-computing.html 4. GSMA, “Operator Platform Concept Whitepaper”, January 2020. https://www.gsma.com/futurenetworks/resources/operator-platform-concept-whitepaper/. 5. Taleb, T., Samdanis, K., Mada, B., Flinck, H., Dutta, S., Sabella, www.Michels.us/NetworkSolutions D., “On Multi-Access Edge Computing: A Survey of the Emerging 5G Network Edge Cloud Architecture and Orchestration”. IEEE Communi- cations, 3Q2017. 6. Razavi, S.M, Gunnarsson, F., Ryden, H., Busin, A., Lin, X., Zhang, X., Dwivedi, S., Siomina, I., Shreevastav, R. “Positioning in Cellular R Networks: Past, Present, Future”. Ericsson Research, Sweden, 2018. PRO-MARK UTILITY SUPPLY INC.

Nick Sampson is Director, Wireless Access and Core Network Standardisa- tion, Orange. Javan Erfanian is Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Bell Canada. Nan Hu is Lead Researcher and Manager of 5G Standardisation, China Mobile Research Institute. The vision of the NGMN Alliance is to expand the communications experience by providing a truly integrated and cohesively managed delivery platform that brings affordable mobile broadband services to the end user with a particular focus on 5G while accelerating the development of LTE-Advanced and its ecosystem. For more information about Pro-Mark Utility Supply, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of Identification NGMN Alliance, please email [email protected] or visit Products that are made to perform, identify and prevent damage. Call or https://www.ngmn.org. visit our website for more information to mark and protect your utility lines.

@ngmn_alliance (877) 325-1525 www.promarksupply.com

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 53 DISTANCE LEARNING

Connecting America’s At-Home Classrooms

Collaborative Solutions Emerge

By Jessica Denson

KIPP University Prep High “Once we were told that the school would be closing because of COVID-19, laptops were distributed to students. School sits at the center of San Some parents picked them up, others needed them delivered,” Antonio, Texas -- a city of about said Danielle White, a special education teacher at the charter school. “It wasn’t long before we realized that there were 1.5 million people. Because it’s parents who did not have Internet access in their homes.” in an urban area, you’d expect KIPP UPREP, as it’s referred to, serves 800 students in to find Internet access in just grades 9-12, and is part of the KIPP Texas Public School System. Nearly 88% of the student population in the school about every nearby home but system is economically disadvantaged and 37% are English that’s simply not the case. Language learners -- which means some unique challenges when it comes to learning at home.

54 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION DISTANCE LEARNING

months as a result of a reliance on online learning and the virus.1 For low-income kids, the anticipated loss is 12.4 months; for Afri- can American children the anticipated loss is 10.3 months, and for Hispanic students it’s 9.3 months. “This can have long lasting effects, such as increased school drop-out rates and economic challenges that will only widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots,” said Chris McGovern, Director of Research Develop- ment, Connected Nation. That sobering truth is why the 60 teachers at KIPP UPREP -- like many others across the country -- were scrambling this year to not only adjust their teaching for a virtual setting but also to find new ways to make sure each child actually had the access he or she needed to the online classroom. “As a school, we communicated with each other to make sure everyone knew who was waiting on Internet and laptops, but it was still a struggle,” said White. “I was working with my kids, making sure they could catch up, but having learning/emotional disabilities compounded the issue. In addition, many of our kids have to watch younger siblings or have to work during the day “We are in an area that has a large Hispanic population and high because many parents were laid levels of poverty. We directed many of our parents who did not have off during the quarantine.” Internet access to the Spectrum free Internet program,” explained It’s not just vulnerable popula- White. “But using the program meant parents had to do over-the- tions that are impacted. Children phone applications, and even with customer service speaking living in rural, urban, or suburban Spanish, many parents struggled to understand the process. They communities that do not have ac- also had long waits. All of this meant there were large numbers of cess to robust or adequate Internet kids who could not use their laptops in a timely manner and got service are also being left behind behind on their work.” -- and sometimes completely left Hispanics, African Americans, and low-income students, are out of the remote classroom. expected to be the hardest hit by the Digital Divide during pandem- “We live in a suburban area ic school closures. Models predict an overall loss of learning of 6.8 and are lucky to have access to

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 55 DISTANCE LEARNING the Internet,” said Hillary Brown, a mother of 3 in Charting a New Oregon. “However, we still struggled with slow Path Forward connectivity when the schools shut down, result- ing in my daughter, Haley, joining classes late or One of the things KIPP UPREP’s staff did right getting dropped from Zoom calls.” in the first few weeks of the pandemic was to Right now, 19% of students -- which is equivalent help parents get Internet access, and ensure every to about 10.6 million kids -- do not have the Internet student had a laptop. Digital Wish found that more connectivity they need at home “impacting their than 21% (11.8 million) of students do not have ability to adequately participate in remote learning access to a computing device. while schools are closed due to COVID-19.” That’s As an alternative approach, some schools asked according to research from Digital Wish, a national students to use their cell phones. “My daughter’s nonprofit that’s been teachers all assumed working since 2008 to the kids had cell phones close the technology gap of their own,” said in the classroom.2 Brown. “The curricu- The pandemic lum was built around revealed 2 major issues: them taking pictures of Issue #1. Many their tests and home- school districts were work. I don’t allow not prepared for the Haley to have a phone, sudden need to educate so she frequently had all students at home, in- to turn things in late or cluding ensuring every get special dispensation child could even access from the teacher until a remote classroom, and I could get home and Issue #2. Adminis- take and send pictures trators needed a rapid for her. Again, I feel response plan if there like we are lucky and was an outbreak in among the privileged their district for when “Right now, 19% of students -- which is ones. I can’t imagine students and teachers equivalent to about 10.6 million kids -- trying to do online eventually returned. do not have the Internet connectivity they classes with the access “Of course, this has we have even if it goes been an unprecedent- need at home “impacting their ability to in and out at times.” ed time. No one could adequately participate in remote learning Households having have anticipated that while schools are closed due to COVID-19.” smartphones as the only teachers and students means to access the would suddenly have Internet is problematic to take all learning to an as well. According to at-home classroom,” said Brent Legg, VP of Gov- the Pew Research Survey conducted in April (during ernment Affairs, Connected Nation. “Now, with so COVID-19 school shutdowns) low-income families many school districts having mixed classrooms or said their children would face digital obstacles in being completely virtual, we need to help admin- doing schoolwork -- with 43% stating their children istrators continue to navigate this new landscape. would have to do schoolwork on a cellphone. Part of that requires truly understanding which “Really think about that for a moment. Imagine a students do not have Internet access at home and, high school student trying to type a history paper when they don’t, knowing how to begin to connect on a phone,” said Heather Gate, Director of Digital those kids.” Inclusion, Connected Nation. “Clearly students

56 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION

NETWORK TRANSFORMATION

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58 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION DISTANCE LEARNING without a laptop or desktop computer at home, Meanwhile, Digital Wish worked this year to are at a significant disadvantage compared to their raise funds to purchase 100,000 hotspots with a connected peers. So, we have two issues we must year of 4G Internet service. The hotspots purchased confront. One, the need for connectivity in every went directly to schools to distribute to students in household with school-aged kids, and, two, the need of Internet. need for every student to have access to an Internet- “This is not a simple problem to solve. We must enabled computer in the household.” recognize that all kinds of partnerships are criti- COVID-19 has exposed the need for school dis- cal in overcoming student challenges which come tricts to better understand the state of home con- along with digital inequality such as homelessness, nectivity and what access students have to devices. poverty, family crisis, abuse, and more,” said Gate. That means both school administrators and state “For example, how do you deal with homeless leaders need assessments and data collection tools students, immigrant children with parents who to identify both the opportunities and challenges don’t speak English? It will be important to include for connectivity within their school districts. relevant partnerships that can handle challenges “Our team at Connected Nation is hyper-focused that are outside the school’s scope but are needed on helping communities connect to high-speed to ensure a student is connected and engaged. Internet and its related technologies. That has That includes those groups that understand how to included working with schools in places like Utah improve connectivity and Internet access.” n and Alaska to identify ways to improve technology access for students and teachers,” said Emily Jordan, Resources and Notes VP of Connect K-12, Connected Nation. “We part- 1. https://fresnostate.edu/kremen/about/centers-projects/weltycen- nered this year with Funds for Learning to continue ter/documents/COVID-19-and-student-learning-in-the-United-States- the mission of EducationSuperHighway to help FINAL.pdf school districts navigate options for providing better 2. https://www.digitalwish.com/dw/digitalwish/covid_stimulus connectivity directly to classrooms -- launching our 3. https://connectk12.org/ Connect K-12 Program just a short time ago.” 4. https://digitalbridgek12.org/toolkit/ Connect K-12 is a free Internet speed and pricing Connected Nation https://connectednation.org/. information tool that provides actionable intelli- EducationSuperHighway https://www.educationsuperhighway.org/ gence for America’s K-12 school districts. It was Pew Research Center https://www.pewresearch.org/ designed specifically as a resource for leaders in state government and for school district administrators, including superintendents and technology directors, who are helping school districts upgrade Jessica Denson is Communications their connectivity.3 Director, Connected Nation. She has In addition, EducationSuperHighway launched more than 25 years of experience in Digital Bridge K-12 in response to the amplified broadcast journalism and communications / need during COVID-19 closures. The toolkit is a public relations. For more information, collection of free tools and resources to help school please email [email protected] or jdenson@connect- districts identify which students lack a home In- ednation.org, and visit https://connectednation.org/. ternet connection and a dedicated learning device, then takes action to get kids connected.4 @Newsie2 @connectednation The organization also developed a free mapping tool that helps school district leaders visualize which students do not have access to the Internet at home. The mapping tool then overlays available Internet Service Provider (ISP) options and the location of hotspot solutions.

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 59 NETWORK TRANSFORMATION

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The LFP chemistry of this battery solution not only defines it as one of the safest technologies over other battery choices, but there are also endless application uses. While primarily used in the telecommunications area, there are other varying opportunities as well that originate with this new product. These IP65 products are a key to 5G network build-out reliability, CATV and rail applications along with a myriad of other outside plant (OSP) applications.

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60 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION RELIABLE BATTERY SOLUTIONS COMPACT OUTDOOR POWER The IP65 rated LFP battery provides multiple benefits anywhere outdoor power is needed.

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www.mpinarada.com | [email protected] | Newton, MA, USA 800-982-4339 SMART HOME COVID-19 Cuts Into Smart Home Growth

By Jonathan Collins

Spending Decreases Now, But Drives Future Change

espite the pandemic’s impact around the spending, but the study finds that the spending world, consumer smart home spending shortfall is temporary. will still grow in 2020. However, spend- The pandemic is a double-edged sword for the Ding will be well below of pre-COVID-19 smart home industry. While the immediate impact expectations. A new study from global tech market may be negative, many of the long-term and struc- advisory firm, ABI Research, finds that smart home tural changes to consumer lives initiated in 2020 will revenues will reach US$85 billion in 2020, just a 4% have a lasting positive impact that will help to drive increase over 2019. Pre-pandemic 2020 smart home adoption in many areas of the smart home space. revenue growth was forecasted to hit 21% over 2019 As restrictions and drags on smart home ship- -- a US$14.1 billion loss. ments recede, a greater momentum behind smart Economic uncertainty, consumer spend con- home support across a range of devices and sys- straint, restricted physical retail opportunities, tems will push annual smart home revenue higher. installation restrictions, disrupted manufacturing, By 2026, the smart home market will reach US$317 and distribution, all have curbed smart home billion, up 5% over pre-COVID-19 forecasts.

62 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION SMART HOME

Much of the revenue lost in 2020 will be deferred to the next and following years, especially as smart home has cemented its value to vendors and consumers alike. Smart home has an increasingly valuable role to play in consumers’ lives and spending habits. Amazon’s Alexa platform, for example, eases consumer spending through Amazon’s own stores by supporting the entire process from shopping list creation to delivery management. This highlights the trajectory for smart home to increasingly shape and drive consumer spending. However, as new players come into the smart home space, spending will differ from pre-COVID-19 investments in terms of the technologies supported. Lost 2020 shipments will impact the longevi- ty and appeal of some approaches, such as traditional motion and contact sensors. Instead, these capabilities will be adopted as features within video camera monitoring, or technologies such as Wi-Fi Motion sensing from companies like Cognitive Systems and made available through support in broadband routers. New and existing smart home vendors are set to use new ways to bring smart home functionality at lower price points COVID-19 may have impacted smart home revenues this year, or with less hardware. but in the long term, it will also help draw investment, drive greater Additional report highlights adoption, and disrupt smart home technology integration. n include: • The impact of COVID-19 will be uneven across smart home

device types. Jonathan Collins is Smart Home Research Director at ABI • Similarly, consumer smart Research. He has more than 20 years of experience in smart home engagement varies home and wireless technology market tracking. For more regionally and nationally. information, please visit https://www.abiresearch.com/. • COVID-19’s impact has particularly impacted smart appliances @ABI_JCollins over most smart home devices.

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 63 VIDEO QoE Walking the Tightrope

Balancing Bitrate Optimization and Video Quality

By Carlos Hernandez The video industry is in a continuous high-wire act that tends to span 2 difficult choices: reduce bitrates and risk delivering subpar video quality, or establish and meet quality thresholds without regard to budget. And even though they’ve been practicing the tightrope walk for a while, few are ready to do it without a safety net.

64 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION VIDEO QoE

A survey in June 2020 on the subject of bitrate op- to optimization of video delivery. Other uncertainty timization and video quality drew 300 respondents obstacles cited were: “the benefits of reducing the and revealed 2 things about how the video industry costs will be outnumbered by the resources to im- is coping with the issue: plement it” (15%); “do not know how it will impact viewers” (14%) and 9% are concerned with “chang- • First, there is no consensus in the methods used to ing the current process”. On the complexity side determine the viewer experience at the consumer they cite; “don’t have the proper tools to implement level; and it” (15%), “too time consuming” (14%), “sounds too • Second, even when companies understand the complicated” (7%) and “don’t have the resources optimization-viewer experience balance, they often to research a solution” or “don’t know a solution” run into roadblocks in implementing solutions. (combined 6%).

Among the findings: • There are wide variations in the methodologies used to understand optimization, and in how viewer metrics are collected. While more than 35% of respondents relied on technical approaches such as Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) (14%), Structural Similarity (SSIM) (11.3%) and Video Multimethod Assessment Fusion (VMAF) (10%), for example, 8.3% relied on viewer surveys, and 3.3% said that they had no plans to check the impact of bitrate optimization on the end viewer at all • The top methods used by the industry at large to measure the impact of optimization on the viewer experience are: PSNR (14%), third-party platforms (13%), providers’ internal video engineers’ methodologies (12.7%), and SSIM (11.3%). PSNR (18%) was the Measuring the impact on Viewer Experience is the number leading methodology used by multichannel video one concern as video services start to scale. providers, while third-party platforms (23%) was the leading broadcast option, and internal video engineers’ methodologies (27%) dominated within Over-The-Top (OTT) respondents. The complete SSIMWAVE survey is available (see Resources and Notes) but one more finding • 96% of respondents are looking for ways to reduce the deserves to be noted: more than a third of respon- overall bitrate: 46% are taking the short-term route dents -- 35% -- said that “measuring QoE success towards Content Delivery Network (CDN) cost with viewers” was the top issue they were experi- renegotiation, 25% are taking a longer-term, more encing as they scale the number of subscribers. precise approach by optimizing the Adaptive Everything else -- including increased delivery Bitrate (ABR) ladder, 15% are looking at an overall costs (21.2%) and inefficiencies across the video approach towards reducing the overall bitrate, and stack (20.7%) -- paled by comparison. 14% are building their own CDN. Peter Drucker, the 20th Century management consultant, said You can’t manage what you don’t • However, even though more than 85% of respondents are measure. What is clear from the survey answers is looking for ways to balance delivery costs with viewer that the bitrate optimization -- video quality equa- quality, respondents are hitting 2 major obstacles around tion -- is a real problem for the industry. We have uncertainty and complexity. Under uncertainty issues too complex a matrix of optimization initiatives they cite the inability to get management approval and an absolute lack of proper standard measure- as the single biggest obstacle (20% of respondents) ment approaches. As a result, video engineers who

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 65 VIDEO QoE

Optimizing too much can lead to a very bad Viewer Experience, frustrated subscribers and even churn.

would be quick to implement a single solution are due to the aforementioned modifications. paralyzed by the plethora of choices. In an environment in which choice is driving viewing, and consumers have little desire to engage Not All Bits Are with sub-par video quality, achieving the right balance between bitrate optimization and viewer Created Equal experience is crucial. Poorly executed bitrate What’s worse is the implication by many optimization can result in degradation of the respondents that too much optimization actually viewer experience that could have lasting results can backfire in the event that those efforts would for streaming providers. lead to a negative effect on the viewer experience, Published reports indicate that 1 in 2 streaming inciting subscriber dissatisfaction and potentially subscribers have cancelled a service because they contributing to churn. When seen in this light, the were unhappy with the video quality. In a report difficulty of securing management approval is earlier this year, Nielsen noted that 77% of respon- not surprising. Without the ability to demonstrate dents cited “Streaming/Playback Quality” as very conclusively the impact of optimization on the important. And with consumers spending more time viewer, it can be challenging to make a convincing streaming due to pandemic quarantines, an increasing argument that bitrate and cost savings will result in number of viewers may be sampling a service for the positive business impact despite the clear savings. first time. A single bad experience may send them in In too many situations, increases in bitrate are another direction and make them unlikely to return. equated with increases in quality, when the reality is that not all bits are created equal. There is no Possibilities include: value in treating an animated series geared to pre- • Implementation of a single, universal metric for mea- schoolers in the same way as a first-run premium suring the impact of bitrate optimization on the viewer film. Such a solution -- brute force bitrate reduction experience, so that the industry is not paralyzed across all content -- invariably results in dramati- by the variety of choices and outcome uncertainty cally uneven viewer experiences across channels, that currently face it. titles, geographies, video players, and viewing • Predictability that can show what can happen when devices. On top of that, such an approach does not bitrates are dialed up or down, perform to its maximum potential balancing the allowing technical cost-quality equation, by a long margin, due to lack teams to map strategies to desired results to of statistically significant, actionable, and accurate ensure optimal customer experiences and to data on the degradation of the viewer experience secure the needed management buy-in.

66 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION VIDEO QoE Looking for a

• Achievement of bitrate optimization savings by project partner? adjusting resources according to the required quality of the content. For example, resources consumed for delivery of high-quality content would be offset by the reduction of consumption and costs in lower-impact areas.

With more and more consumers engaging with streaming content this year, there has never been a Galloway’s experienced sales staff will more important time for the industry to put its best help you manage your OSP projects with foot forward in terms of experiences. Recognition an accurate bid and on-time delivery. that it must be done is a first step; what’s needed now are the tools that provide objective metrics Our stock mirrors the procured and the strategic vision to implement them so that products you need to complete your streaming providers can both reduce costs and project efficiently and on time. optimize viewer satisfaction. n Stocking locations in AZ, CO, DE, FL, Resources and Notes IN, MO and OH. 1. SSIMWAVE survey. “Webinar Overview: Best practices for optimizing bitrates, costs and viewer experiences”. By SSIMWAVE, July 20, 2020. Featured, News. https://www.ssimwave.com/news/webi- The Galloway Group nar-overview-best-practices-for-optimizing-bitrates-costs-and-view- www.TeamGalloway.com er-experiences/ [email protected] 800.481.7448 2. Conviva. “One in Five Viewers Will Abandon Poor Streaming Video Experiences Immediately”. November 18, 2015. https://www.conviva. com/press-releases/one-in-five-viewers-will-abandon-poor-streaming-video-experiences-immediately/ THE EXPERIENCED AND TRUSTED CHOICE FOR TELECOM POWER 3. Nielsen Media. ”Playback Time: Which Consumer Attitudes Will Shape the Streaming Wars?” Media 02-11-2020. https://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/article/2020/playback-time-which-consumer- Southwire Company, LLC’s telecom power products are among the premier LSZH central office DC & AC power cables in the attitudes-will-shape-the-streaming-wars/ industry. Our TelcoFlex® Cables are used to power all levels of telecom equipment and battery backup systems used in the central office, CATV head-end, data center, and cell tower equipment shelter environments.

For more information, contact your Southwire Sales Representative, email [email protected], or Carlos Hernandez is Chief Revenue visit southwire.com. Officer, SSIMWAVE Inc. During his dozen years with Sandvine, rising from senior director, Latin American Sales, to regional VP, Latin America, Hernandez built Sandvine’s Latin American market share to more than 70%. In addition, he led Sandvine’s relationship with Telefonica, closing an agreement that resulted in deployments in 16 countries across Europe and the LatAm market. For more information, please email [email protected] or visit https://www.ssimwave.com/. Follow Carlos on LinkedIn.

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 67 Two-Day VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE November 10 – 11, 2020

LINK to

LEARNING INSPIRATION NETWORKING KNOWLEDGE

https://iseexpo.vfairs.com EXPO ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION PROGRAM GUIDE

Register today for only $75 and experience leading-edge technologies, chat with vendors, and connect with network professionals and telecom thought leaders who are tackling challenges, exploring opportunities and developing innovative solutions for the industry’s continual transformation.

• Hear from and chat with Andrew Dugan, CTO of Lumen

• Problem-solve with our Tech Talk Speakers from Connexion, Pioneer Communications and Windstream

• Pick the Brains of our COVID-19 Network Impact Panelists from Verizon, Consolidated Communications and Big Bend Telephone (BBT)

• Connect with Industry Experts who will Teach you Everything They Know About the Hottest Telecom/ICT Topics

Now more than ever, telecom/ICT professionals need What Companies products and solutions to deliver reliable services for Should Attend? the fixed and mobile essential networks they provide. Attendees come from all sectors of the CSP industry, ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual showcases the equipment, including Internet, telephone, techniques and education to help transform, simplify cable and wireless service and automate network services across the wireless providers, sub-contractors, and wireline networks. engineers, as well as IT professionals from government, This two-day virtual experience will delve into regulatory, municipal, utility solutions and education from construction and and various related industries. engineering products to SDN and NFV technologies. Who Should Attend?

Wireline and wireless products/solutions Communications Service showcased in the ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual Exhibit Hall: Providers (CSPs) executives, • C&E Planning: NetDev Ops/Open Source Networks directors, managers, buyers, safety experts, operations man- • Core/Legacy agement, planners, strategists, • FTTX-FTTP-FTTA engineers, designers, inside • IoT/URLLC and outside plant technicians, • Mobile/Fixed Mobile Networks/5G-6G Evolution maintenance and construction staff, system testers, contractors, • Municipal Broadband IT personnel and educators. • Network Reliability/Monitoring/Cybersecurity/Safety • Network Transformation/Intelligence/Orchestration • Power/Sustainability • Professional Development/Leadership and More

REGISTER TODAY FOR ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual will THE LOW PRICE OF be available for replay and new registrants for 3 months after the live event! $75 https://iseexpo.vfairs.com

70 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

Lumen, Verizon, Connexion, Consolidated Communications, Pioneer Communications, Windstream and BBT presenters are investing in ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual.

Shouldn’t You?

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 71 ISE EXPO 2020 Keynotes

OPENING KEYNOTE November 10 | 9:00 AM CST

Andrew Dugan Chief Technology Officer Lumen

Join Andrew as he addresses how Lumen is approaching network transformation by leveraging Edge Compute, AI/ML and Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) to improve automation for customers, carrier partners and employees.

Andrew Dugan is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Lumen. He is responsible for the development, integration, and deployment, of Lumen’s global network supporting Consumer, Wholesale, Government, and Enterprise markets. Andrew is a veteran technology executive with more than 30 years of experience in building telecommunications networks, switching platforms and services platforms. Prior to his CTO role, he served as Lumen SVP of technology planning, network architecture and security. Dugan is an innovator with more than 20 networking patents.

How often do you get to chat with industry executive leaders like ISE EXPO 2020 Keynote and Tech Talk presenters?

72 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

TECH TALKS November 11 | 9:00 AM CST Talks Be Inspired by Network Visionaries’ Tech Talks Tech Talk presenters offer ISE EXPO attendees short and to the point network evolution insights that are engaging and topical. These 3 respected network visionaries will share their passion and problem-solving strategies for the pain points YOU face across the wireless and wireline networks. Plan to be in the front row to be inspired on Wednesday, November 11, 2020.

Art Nichols Colman Keane Catherine Moyer Vice President of Broadband Executive Director General Manager and CEO, Architecture and Technology City of Fort Collins Pioneer Communications Windstream Fort Collins Connexion Moyer currently serves on the CoBank Art Nichols is the Vice President of Archi- Colman brings 25+ years of experience in board of directors. She is the vice-chair tecture and Technology at Windstream. Finance, IT, business planning and project of the Federal Communications Com- Art is responsible for network evolution, management to his role as Broadband mission’s Precision Ag Connectivity Task hardware and software certification, and Executive Director for the City of Fort Force, the chairman of the Kansas Lottery technical product development for all Collins. His expertise in Fiber Optics net- Commission, and the chairman of Telcom business units within Windstream. He has works -- from the initial business planning Insurance Group. Catherine is active in been instrumental in developing numer- and technical architecture to software the telecommunications industry at both ous products including video, Cloud Secu- implementation -- has been instrumental the state and federal level. Catherine rity and SD-WAN, as well as advancing in the success of the municipally-owned holds a bachelor’s degree from Middle- the evolution of the company’s broadband, utility, EPB. Colman received a degree bury College in Vermont and a law degree optical, and SDN-enabled networks. Art in Business Administration from East from Washburn University. She resides in is a graduate of Clemson University and Tennessee State University, was a Ulysses, Kansas, with her husband, Kevin, considers himself a forward-leaning tech- Certified Public Accountant, and has and their two dogs, a Great Dane and a nologist who takes pride in helping others earned numerous certifications including rescue Husky/Lab mix. understand and develop a well-informed a 6 Sigma Black Belt Certification. and technology-centered vision.

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 73 ISE EXPO 2020

NOVEMBER 10 –11, 2020 NO TRAVEL NEEDED EDUCATION SESSIONS LEARN & NETWORK

BENEFITS TO ISE EXPO 2020 VIRTUAL EVENT • Enjoy a Two-Day Live Educational Experience • Click and Meet! Networking has never been this easy! • Be Inspired by Leading ICT Thought Leaders • Scroll Through Over 100 Solution-Based Booths • Connect With Experts in a 1-1 or Collaborative Environment • Downloadable Resources and Watch Training Videos • Earn Points Based on Your Activites to Win Fantastic Prizes

Tech Zone

Be sure to visit the ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual Lounge to experience the Tech Zone where you can see firsthand the latest and greatest innovations from these leading ICT companies: AFL, Preformed Line Products, Render Networks, and Viavi Solutions.

74 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020 Agenda

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Virtual Exhibit Floor Open 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Opening Keynote: Andrew Dugan, Chief Technology Officer, Lumen 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Session 1: The Power of Dashboards in OSP Projects 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM Session 2: Joint Fiber Backhaul and Wireless Access Network Planning for 5G Small Cell Deployments 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers. 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Session 3: Service Provider Panel: COVID-19 Network Impact / Innovation and Solutions That Benefit Field Teams and Customers 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM Session 4: FTTX in the Gigabit Era 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers. 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM Session 5: 5G Pole Deployment and Fronthaul Fiber 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers.

Wednesday, November 11, 2020 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Virtual Exhibit Floor Open 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Keynote Tech Talks: Art Nichols, Vice President of Architecture and Technology, Windstream; Colman Keane, Broadband Executive Director, City of Fort Collins, Fort Collins Connexion; Catherine Moyer, General Manager and CEO, Pioneer Communications 10:15 AM - 11:00 AM Session 6: In the End There’s Only One Network – Implications of Wireline and Wireless Convergence 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM Session 7: Assuring 5G Security 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers. 1:00 PM - 1:45 PM Session 8: Is the Market Prepared to go From Millions to Billions More Endpoints With Wireless-to-Wireline Convergence? 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM Session 9: Looking Beyond Growth and Capacity to Build a Multi-Year Network Transformation Strategy 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers. 3:30 PM - 4:15 PM Session 10: Making the Case for Fixed Wireless Access Broadband 4:15 PM - 5:00 PM Break: Use this opportunity to visit sponsors and exhibitor booths, participate in gamification and utilize the chat feature to network with industry leaders and peers.

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COVID-19 Network Impact: Innovations Seminars and Solutions That Benefit Field Teams and Customers Tuesday, November 10 | 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM ISE EXPO 2020 delivers targeted education you need to do your job better and grow your career. Learn best practices, chat with presenters, and connect with thought Panel Discussion with: leaders on the topics that matter most • Lauren Sanders, Chief Financial Officer, BBT to wireline and wireless network • Gabe Waggoner, Executive Vice President – transformation. Operations, Consolidated Communications • Lee Hicks, Vice President – Network and Field Operations, Verizon Communications Communications Service Providers’ field teams continue to connect the underserved, troubleshoot the wireline and wireless networks and increase bandwidth for the WFH and learning-from- home world we all live in today. While they face many challeng- The Power of Dashboards in OSP Projects es, there are opportunities for innovative solutions to help them Track 4: Network Reliability/Power/GIS/Cybersecurity do the job better. Join Verizon, Consolidated Communications and Tuesday, November 10 | 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM BBT leaders as they share insider updates and best practices to Seminar Level: Intermediate help YOUR company thrive in the COVID-19 era.

Presented by Kevin Maes, FTTX in the Gigabit Era Vice President of Engineering, Track 2: Access Network Advances Millennium Geospatial Tuesday, November 10 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM Dashboards are a powerful tool that can be used Seminar Level: Intermediate to track scheduling, production, current build status, permits, invoicing, as-built records and damages in real time Presented by Erik Gronvall, and in one location, allowing companies to operate in a proactive VP Service Provider Strategy & vs. reactive way. This presentation explores what dashboards are in Business Development, CommScope our industry, what it takes to create a dashboard, and examples of Today, more than 60 million American consumers successful dashboards currently being used in the field. have access to Gigabit broadband service, and operators are aggressively transitioning their FTTX networks to deliver this speed in other areas. Attendees will learn about different types of Gigabit Joint Fiber Backhaul and Wireless access networks and how to choose one that’s right for each application. Access Network Planning for 5G Small Cell Deployments Track 1: Construction & Engineering / Network Transformation 5G Pole Deployment and Fronthaul Fiber Tuesday, November 10 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Track 3: 5G Infrastructure Preparedness Seminar Level: Basic Tuesday, November 10 | 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM Seminar Level: Advanced Presented by Kevin Wynne, Head of Comsof Americas, Comsof Presented by Joshua Broder, CEO, Attendees will learn how the densification Tilson Technology Management, Inc. of 5G requires a cross-departmental planning This session will provide an overview and spe- approach. They will also learn how to leverage cific examples, along with photos, of emerging a unified wireless and wireline planning and design approach for co-location use case and challenges on utility 5G networks. pole, street furniture, and dense fronthaul fiber in the right of way.

76 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

In the End There’s Only One Network – Looking Beyond Growth and Capacity Implications of Wireline and Wireless to Build a Multi-Year Network Convergence Transformation Strategy Track 3: 5G Infrastructure Preparedness Track 1: Construction & Engineering / Network Transformation Wednesday, November 11 | 10:15 AM – 11:00 AM Wednesday, November 11 | 2:00 PM – 2:45 PM Seminar Level: Intermediate Seminar Level: Intermediate

Presented by Robert Whitman, VP, Presented by Luc Absillis, COO, Global Carrier Networks Market First Principles Innovations, LLC Development, Corning The attendee will gain insights into parameters Attendees will learn how infrastructure require- that need to be considered when building ments will drive the necessity of either sharing access network transformation plans that among service providers or multiuse service capability; how knowl- support the multiple stakeholders in the company. In addition, the edge of spectrum availability, service requirements, and geography attendee will understand how the sensitivity of these parameters will drive network architectures; and how that innovation in network can vary significantly between transformation plans. infrastructure solutions can accelerate installations and reduce total cost of ownership Making the Case for Fixed Wireless Access Broadband Assuring 5G Security Track 2: Access Network Advances Track 4: Network Reliability/Power/GIS/Cybersecurity Wednesday, November 11 | 3:30 PM – 4:15 PM Wednesday, November 11 | 11:15 AM – 12:00 PM Seminar Level: Basic Seminar Level: Intermediate Presented by Kurt Raaflaub, Presented by Jim Smith, Head of Product Marketing, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Broadband Access, ADTRAN, Inc. Tempest Telecom Solutions In this session, ADTRAN will present an over- There are solid strategies being formed to help view of FWA deployment scenarios and discuss assure your 5G deployment will be secure. Learn technical factors and cost-efficiencies tied to reliability, capacity, what’s needed to deliver on a robust security strategy that incorpo- reach, and ease of operation. We will also examine several use cases rates continuous testing to preemptively identify vulnerabilities and and related considerations around residential broadband, enterprise prioritize risk mitigation. Both operators and equipment manufacturers access, mobile backhaul (5G and 4G), and other backhaul applications. need comprehensive security plans. Attendees will come away with an excellent understanding of FWA solutions and how they can provide a complementary role to fiber access for operators everywhere. Is the Market Prepared to go From Millions to Billions More Endpoints With Wireless-to-Wireline Convergence? REGISTER TODAY FOR Track 3: 5G Infrastructure Preparedness THE LOW PRICE OF Wednesday, November 11 | 1:00 PM – 1:45 PM Seminar Level: Basic

Presented by Tom Warren, Application Engineer, and Scot Bohaychyk, Market $75 Manager, Clearfield, Inc. ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual will be available In this session, Clearfield will discuss the challenges and requirements needed to bring 5G to the fiber world by discussing for replay and new registrants for their mission to provide infrastructure and fiber connections built 3 months after the live event! to ensure seamless connectivity. https://iseexpo.vfairs.com

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 77 ISE EXPO 2020 Exhibitors America Ilsintech, LLC 4230 LBJ Freeway, Suite 149 Dallas, TX 75244 3-GIS Web: americailsintech.com Armorcast Products Company 350 Market Street, Suite C America Ilsintech, LLC’s patented All-In-One 9140 Lurline Avenue Decatur, AL 35601 technology is changing the fiber connectivity Chatsworth, CA 91311 Web: 3-gis.com landscape. Service providers are leveraging our Web: armorcastprod.com Since 2006, 3-GIS has been helping the technology to increase the productivity of their Armorcast continues to be the sought-after telecom industry achieve better results. The fiber technicians. One of only a few companies source for Composite Enclosures for the Tele- company’s network management system worldwide who makes every component of our communications industry. Durable, functional combines a full-editing GIS with prescriptive fusion splicers and splice on connectors. Visit and effective finished products made of Poly- design automation, single click constructible us to see how we can increase your companies mer Concrete, Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic work packets, strand-level asset status, and efficiencies. Innovation is us! and a variety of other materials are engineered mobile and browser access in one seamless CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, I&M to end-user specifications and available system, delivering value at every stage in the when and where they are needed. life-of-network. Innovation-Quality-Variety-Service CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, WIRELESS/5G MISCELLANEOUS American Products, LLC 597 Evergreen Road Strafford, MO 65757 Web: amprod.us A-Aerial Service Company, Inc. American Products specializes in offering high Batavia Services, Inc. 3462 Webster Avenue quality, competitive enclosure and shelter 1425 Atlantis Drive, Suite A Perris, CA 92571 solutions for protecting sensitive equipment Webster, TX 77598 Web: linemen-tools.com in the field. The enclosures are designed and Web: laddermatters.com A-Aerial Service Company, Inc. is your best produced in their factory centrally located in Batavia provides nationwide on-site ladder choice for the provider of tools, materials and the United States. They provide solutions for inspection and repair service that adheres to supplies, specializing in Aerial and Under- environmentally controlled cabinets, cell sites, the industry safety standards and guidelines ground. With over 30 years experience in the wireless backhaul, fiber optics, and cable TV. for ladder equipment. Our service is focused communications industry, our friendly staff are CATEGORIES: FTTX, WIRELESS/5G, on enhancing the safety of climbing equip- always available to assist you with product se- MISCELLANEOUS ment, decreasing premature ladder failure, lection. A-Aerial also offers nationwide rentals reducing liability, and saving companies money of Bucket Trucks, Fiber Blowers, Reel Trailers, by increasing the lifespan of ladders. and Aerial and Underground Equipment. CATEGORIES: SAFETY, TESTING, CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, MISCELLANEOUS SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS Amphenol Network Solutions 22425 E Appleway Avenue, Suite 11 AFL Liberty Lake, WA 99019 170 Ridgeview Center Drive Web: amphenol-ns.com Duncan, SC 29334 Headquartered in Liberty Lake, Washington for Biarri Networks Web: aflglobal.com over 36 years, Amphenol Network Solutions has 5500 Greenwood Plaza Boulevard At AFL, we offer a true end-to-end solution. been leading the industry with a high-quality, Suite 130 From network design, engineering, construc- seamless product portfolio of fiber distribution, Greenwood Village, CO 80111 tion and maintenance to hardware, connectiv- cable management, power, racks, passives, and Web: biarrinetworks.com ity products, fiber optic cable, fusion splicers, enclosures. As a division of Amphenol, Amphe- Biarri Networks is a technology company and test and inspection equipment, AFL has it nol Network Solutions offers scalability with that delivers an innovative digital network all. You can rely on AFL as your single source global manufacturing and high-volume sourcing engineering approach across the deployment for a custom, cost-effective fiber network. with the world’s best brands. of fiber-fed access networks. Organizations CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, continue to choose Biarri Networks for their WIRELESS/5G

78 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020 network planning, design, OSP engineering, Border States Electric and complete E&C deployment requirements. 2400 38th Street S CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, MAPPING/ Fargo, ND 58104 GIS, WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS Web: borderstates.com Border States has helped customers build Cable Connection BICSI Fiber-to-the-Home networks for over a decade, & Supply Co., Inc. 8610 Hidden River Parkway partnering with the best manufacturers in 1505 30th Street NW Tampa, FL 33637 the industry. These manufacturers, combined Faribault, MN 55021 Web: bicsi.org with our teams and nearly 100 locations, Web: cableconnectionsupply.com BICSI is a global professional association make us the best addition to your project! CCS specializes in Outside Plant material, supporting the advancement of the ICT Employee-owned, customer driven. Central Office as well as apparel for all job profession. We are headquartered in Tampa, CATEGORIES: FTTX, SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G functions. We have in-house embroidery and Florida, USA, but our membership spans nearly can help you with all your marketing needs. 100 countries. BICSI leads the information Buckingham CATEGORIES: LEGACY/COPPER, SAFETY, and communications technology industry with Manufacturing Co., Inc. MISCELLANEOUS excellence in publications, education and 1-11 Travis Avenue knowledge assessment. Binghamton, NY 13902 CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, IOT/M2M Web: buckinghammfg.com For over 120 years, Buckingham has been Black & Veatch the world’s most trusted safety equipment Calix 6800 W 115th Street, Suite 2292 manufacturer for linemen, arborists, & telecom 2777 Orchard Parkway Overland Park, KS 66211 professionals. Our customers work both above San Jose, CA 95134 Web: bv.com and below ground and Buckingham has numer- Web: calix.com Black & Veatch plans, designs, and builds the ous products for work positioning, retrieval, Calix is the leading provider of the cloud, network; IT and transportation infrastructure fall restraint, fall restriction, fall arrest and software platforms, systems and services essential to realizing our sustainable, resilient suspension. For more information, please visit required to deliver the unified access network and connected future. Our end-to-end solu- BuckinghamMFG.com. and smart premises of tomorrow. Calix enables tions, experience and expertise in advancing CATEGORIES: SAFETY winning Communication Service Providers to digital infrastructure helps carriers, utilities, turn relentless subscriber demand into new cities, fleet managers, and private enterprises revenue streams by deploying software- accelerate deployment. defined access networks and smart premises CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G platforms to connect everyone and everything. Byers Engineering Company CATEGORIES: FTTX 6285 Barfield Road, Suite 400 Atlanta, GA 30328 Web: byers.com Blue Diamond Industries, LLC Byers Engineering Company provides 4040 Finn Way, Suite 240 high-quality engineering, data services and Charles Industries, LLC Lexington, KY 40517 technology solutions to telecoms, utilities and 1450 American Lane, 20th Floor Web: bdiky.com government organizations nationwide. Through Schaumburg, IL 60173 Blue Diamond Industries, LLC is a premier the application of our design services and Web: charlesindustries.com manufacturer of HDPE pipe. Applications in- innovative SpatialWorx and NexusWorx Charles Industries (an Amphenol Company) clude communication, power (Wind and Solar technologies, we deliver value for clients in supplies Innovative Enclosed Solutions™ for Energy, Highway and Street Lighting), FTTH terms of increased efficiencies, improved fiber, wireless, copper, broadband cable and (Fiber-to-the-Home), ITS (Intelligent Transpor- business processes, higher accuracy, and utility applications. Charles’ above-grade, tation Systems) and CATV systems. BDI is ultimately lower cost. buried and aerial solutions include pedestals, ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality. BDI CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, cabinets, concealment shrouds, building ter- manufactures to UL, ASTM, NEMA, and PPI. WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS minals, splice closures and optical passives/ CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, WDM. These solutions are designed for maxi- MISCELLANEOUS mum flexibility, performance and cost-effective deployments. Made in U.S.A. CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, I&M, IOT/M2M, LEGACY/COPPER, WIRELESS/5G

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 79 ISE EXPO 2020

construction of networks across the country. innovator of high quality cable markers, tags, With a nationwide footprint, our goal is to decals and signs. Craftmark is the “snap on make building networks easier, faster and experts” specializing in snap on cable markers more productive. Congruex is changing the for extended outdoor use. Clearfield, Inc. way networks are built. CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, IOT/M2M, LEGACY/ 7050 Winnetka Avenue N CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G COPPER, SAFETY, MISCELLANEOUS Minneapolis, MN 55428 Web: seeclearfield.com CyberPower Systems, Inc. Whether delivering fiber-to-the-home, ® 4241 12th Avenue E, Suite 400 MDU, cell tower or business, Clearfield’s Shakopee, MN 55379 FieldSmart™ fiber management platform, CraftSmart® OSP fiber enclosures and Field- Copperhead Industries Web: cyberpowersystems.com Shield® terminals, microduct, pushable fiber 9530 Fallon Avenue NE Founded in 1997, CyberPower Systems and drop cable platform, set the standard for Monticello, MN 55362 designs, manufactures and sells a feature a scalable fiber optic network and unmatched Web: copperheadwire.com rich line of affordable high-quality power fiber performance while lowering the cost of Copperhead Industries provides end-to-end protection solutions (UPS/PDU/Surge). As a broadband deployment. tracer wire solutions for precise location of true manufacturer, we control all aspects of CATEGORIES: FTTX, WIRELESS/5G underground utilities. Every component in Cop- our business, assuring innovation/leadership, perhead’s Complete Utility Locating System™ quality/reliability, customer service/support is manufactured in the USA and engineered for and a value proposition second to none. quality. Locating expertise and superior service CyberPower owns 70% of the battery backup make Copperhead the supplier of choice FTTx marketplace. among utilities, municipalities and engineers CATEGORIES: FTTX CommScope specifying tracer wire systems. 1100 CommScope Place SE CATEGORIES: LEGACY/COPPER, MAPPING/GIS, Hickory, NC 28603 SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS Web: commscope.com CommScope pushes the boundaries of Cyient, Inc. communications technology with game-chang- 99 East River Drive, 5th Floor ing ideas and ground-breaking discoveries East Hartford, CT 06108 that spark profound human achievement. CommScope collaborates with customers and Corning Optical Communications Web: cyient.com partners to design, create and build the world’s 800 17th Street NW Cyient is a global engineering and technology most advanced networks. It is CommScope’s Hickory, NC 28601 solutions company. We engage with Commu- passion and commitment to identify the next Web: corning.com nications Service Providers (CSPs) to provide opportunity and realize a better tomorrow. Corning is one of the world’s leading innova- ‘intelligent infrastructure rollout and smart CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, tors in materials science. For more than 160 operations’ services to help them build robust WIRELESS/5G years, we have applied our unparalleled exper- networks of the future. Cyient also leverages tise in specialty glass, ceramics, and optical next-generation technologies and tools to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives. Comsof Americas physics to develop products that have created CATEGORIES: FTTX, IOT/M2M, MAPPING/GIS, 1 University Avenue, Floor 3 new industries and transformed people’s lives. TESTING, VIRTUALIZATION, WIRELESS/5G Toronto, ON M5J 2P1 Our Optical Communications division delivers Web: comsof.com connectivity to every edge of the network. Visit us at www.corning.com/opcomm. Comsof Fiber is a GIS-base software that em- CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, LEGACY/ powers its users to automate and optimize the COPPER, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G, planning and design of their fiber networks. MISCELLANEOUS Save time and money with Comsof Fiber. Damage Prevention Solutions, LLC CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, MAPPING/GIS 660 Hunters Place, Suite 202 CRAFTMARK Charlottesville, VA 22911 Congruex, LLC SINCE 1959 • The SNAP ON Marker Experts Web: damageprevention.com 2595 Canyon Blvd, Suite 400 Damage Prevention Solutions, LLC is an inno- Boulder, CO 80302 Craftmark Cable Markers vative manufacturer of damage prevention sys- Web: congruex.com 3212 S Cravens Road tems for underground utilities. We manufacture our patent-pending product, Signaltape. Signal- Congruex is a unified set of best-in-class Fort Worth, TX 76119 tape is a proprietary, low-cost underground companies with a strong heritage in the Web: craftmarkid.com warning tape developed to prevent excavation engineering, design, project management and Craftmark Cable Markers is a world leader and

80 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION Keep your motors healthy…

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with Proper Grounding. DET14C

Our clamp-on ground tester is the right tool to have on hand when trying to increase DSL throughput and range. Our advanced clamp-on ground resistance tester sets new standards pertaining to access, performance, features, simple operation and safety. Some of the features include:

n Smooth mating surface on clamp head means no interlocking teeth n CATIV 600 V operation is the highest level of user safety available n Built-in filter function for electrically noisy environments

So make sure you’re properly grounded with the Megger DET14C for increased throughput.

For your FREE copy of A Guide to Clamp-on Ground Testing, Visit www.megger.com/getbook Reference code ISE-AUG ISE EXPO 2020 damage to buried utilities by providing a visible CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, I&M, IOT/M2M, alert to the presence of a buried utility directly POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, WIRELESS/5G to the equipment operator. CATEGORIES: SAFETY, MISCELLANEOUS ESPi NA, Inc. 630 Lincoln Avenue Clay Center, KS 67432 East Penn Manufacturing Co., Inc. Web: espicorp.com PO Box 147 ESPi understands the problems of Telcos; remote Danella Companies Lyon Station, PA 19536 48V needs where no AC exists, powering 12V 581 Washburn Road Web: dekabatteries.com ONTs in single units or multiple units, switching Melbourne, FL 32934 Since 1946, East Penn Manufacturing Co. power supplies or backup power. ESPi units are Web: danella.com has developed an enviable reputation for fast and easy to install, reduces truck rolls, and Danella’s communications solutions are world-class quality products. East Penn is a make you look good in operating costs, installa- perfectly crafted for the infrastructure needs leading manufacturer of Deka valve-regulated tion costs and reliability with customers. of our clients. We are on the forefront of a lead (VRLA) batteries and battery systems CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, POWER/ dynamic industry in which technology moves for telecommunications, UPS systems, solar SUSTAINABILITY at the speed of innovation. At Danella, we applications, emergency lighting and other continue to meet or exceed industry standards stationary and stand-by applications. ETA International with the most inventive, reliable, and cost- CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, 5 Depot Street effective solutions. WIRELESS/5G Greencastle, IN 46135 CATEGORIES: C&E , FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, Web: eta-i.org POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, TESTING, Emtelle ETA® International is a not-for-profit certifi- WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS Haughhead cation provider with accredited vendor-neutral Hawick TD9 8LF certifications in over 90 technical areas includ- DPS Telecom Scotland ing: Cabling and FTTX, Smart Home/Buildings, 4955 E Yale Avenue Web: emtelle.com Wireless Communications, IT, Electronics, Fresno, CA 93727 Emtelle, the global manufacturer of pre- Renewable Energy, Workforce Readiness, Web: dpstele.com connectorised, blown fiber cable, and ducted and more. Developed by industry experts, ETA Is your service unreliable? Do you waste wag- network solutions is at the forefront of the certifications verify both industry-approved es and fuel driving out to remote sites? Deploy fiber-to-the-X industry, having assisted all the technical knowledge and hands-on skills. our quality monitoring and control systems key players with quality & reliable fiber & duct CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, used by major telco’s worldwide. ROI after solutions for deployments worldwide. WIRELESS/5G preventing one outage is common, priceless CATEGORIES: FTTX during natural disasters. 30-day money-back FiberFox America, Inc. guarantee for all solutions. Call for free 2115 Linwood Avenue monitoring needs analysis. Suite 500 CATEGORIES: IOT/M2M, LEGACY/COPPER Fort Lee, NJ 07024 EnerSys Energy Systems Web: fiberfoxamerica.com 7700 Riverfront Gate FiberFox is a manufacturer of core alignment Burnaby, BC V5J 5M4 splicers and fiber connectors. Our mission Web: enersys.com is to provide the most rugged splicers in the Dura-Line EnerSys® has the expertise to help you man- marketplace to our clients which we support 11400 Parkside Drive, Suite 300 age your project. AC/DC power systems, out- with a full service three year warranty. We are Knoxville, TN 37934 door cabinets, batteries and remote line power based in New Jersey. Web: duraline.com (RLP) systems are all part of our toolbox. Plus, CATEGORY: FTTX Dura-Line is a leading international manufac- our services teams provide site engineering, turer and distributor of infrastructure solutions installation & commissioning, preventative including conduit, cable-in-conduit, and maintenance-a full suite of services to help accessories. Dura-Line’s products are designed you meet your deadlines. to provide protection, and fast, safe installa- CATEGORIES: LEGACY/COPPER, POWER/ Finley Engineering Company, Inc. tion of communication networks and power SUSTAINABILITY, WIRELESS/5G 104 E 11th Street cables for a wide variety of markets, including Lamar, MO 64759 telecommunications, enterprise networking, Web: finleyusa.com energy, and transportation. Finley is a full-service engineering consultancy

82 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION Microduct and Multiduct

Featuring

Flexible Ducts for a Clean and Secure Pathway Teel Plastics micro and multiducts provide continuous, low-friction fiber and telecom cable delivery. Featuring JetGlide lubricant for easier installation and inside ribbing for increased fiber cable blowing distance.

Learn more about our capabilities at www.teelpipe.com. Follow us:

Teel Plastics l 1060 Teel Court l Baraboo, WI 53913 l Phone (608) 355-3080 l www.teel.com

ISE Magazine Full Page Ad_20200723.indd 1 7/27/2020 8:40:14 AM ISE EXPO 2020 with a successful history of providing expertise management and logistics services. Through in communications technology for a wide its network of more than 290 North American variety of clients such as independent telecom distribution facilities, it stocks and sells providers, electric cooperatives, municipali- products from thousands of manufacturers. IkeGPS, Inc. ties, competitive providers, large carriers and CATEGORIES: FTTX, IOT/M2M, LEGACY/ 350 Interlocken Boulevard, Suite 390 government entities. COPPER, SAFETY, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G Broomfield, CO 80021 CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G Web: ikegps.com Hexatronic North America IKE: I Know Everything- Everything about Fujitsu Network Communications 4040 Finn Way, Suite 240 what is on my poles and that it is on there 2801 Telecom Parkway Lexington, KY 40517 safely and accuractely. With IKE - collect/ Richardson, TX 75082 Web: hexatronic.com analyze faster with the greatest accuracy in Web: fujitsu.com Hexatronic develops, manufactures, markets the industry. Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. and provides solutions within the fiber optic CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, SAFETY, customizes digital transformation solutions cable infrastructure, for residential, MDUs and WIRELESS/5G for network operators, service providers and corporation installations. Hexatronic manu- content providers. We combine best-in-class factures fiber optic cable, duct, aerial copper INNO Instrument America, Inc. hardware, software and services to enable cost cable and network accessories. The company 2010 Valley View Lane, Suite 140 savings, faster services delivery and improved is a part of Hexatronic Group and operates in a Dallas, TX 75234 network performance. Working closely with our global market. Web: innoinstrument.com ecosystem partners, we design, build, operate CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, INNO Instrument, Inc. is a worldwide key and maintain better network performance. MISCELLANEOUS market participant in the ideation, production, CATEGORIES: C&E, I&M, WIRELESS/5G and distribution of reliable, robust products Hitachi Cable America and services wherever optical communi- 900 Holt Avenue cation is used. Product range includes the Manchester, NH 03109 popular VIEW Series of Fusion Splicers, Fiber Web: hca.hitachi-cable.com Cleaver’s, OTDR testing solutions, CAA and Go!Foton The facility manufactures a complete line of other accessories which help to accelerate the 28 Worlds Fair Drive high-performance copper and fiber optic cables deployment of all-fiber access networks. Somerset, NJ 08873 for the communication industry and related CATEGORIES: FTTX, WIRELESS/5G Web: gofoton.com markets. Products include category copper Go!Foton is a leading provider of fiber con- communication cables, fiber optic cables, nectivity solutions for telecom and broadband industrial Ethernet cables, wireless cables, access applications. Their high-density aerospace cables as well as round and flat electronic cables. PEACOC fiber platform offers flexible support IQGeo CATEGORIES: C&E, IOT/M2M, WIRELESS/5G for traditional patching, equipment tie-in, 1670 Broadway, Suite 2215 monitor taps, and passive components. With Denver, CO, 80202 over 1,000 employees, Go!Foton has a global Web: iqgeo.com sales presence with manufacturing and R&D IQGeo’s end-to-end geospatial software centers located in the U.S., Japan, China and improves productivity and collaboration across the Philippines. Hubbell Power Systems enterprise planning, design, construction, CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, IOT/M2M, 200 Center Point Circle, Suite 200 maintenance and sales processes for telecoms WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS Columbia, SC 29210 and utility network operators. Our mobile-first Web: hubbell.com enterprise solutions create and maintain, an Hubbell Power Systems, Burndy Utility and accurate view of complex network assets that Aclara are now Hubbell Utility Solutions. One is easily accessible by anyone, wherever and company with distinct divisions that reflect whenever needed. Graybar the depth and breadth of our industry-leading CATEGORIES: C&E, I&M, MAPPING/GIS 34 N Meramec Avenue offering for electric, water, gas and telecom St. Louis, MO 63105 utilities ranging from components to full-scale Web: graybar.com smart infrastructure solutions. Graybar is a leader in the distribution of elec- CATEGORIES: FTTX, I&M, LEGACY/COPPER trical, communications, security and networking products, and specializes in supply chain

84 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION INTRODUCING THE OPTICAL POWER METERS & STABILIZED LIGHT SOURCES

OPTICAL POWER METERS MICRO OPTICAL POWER METER STABILIZED LIGHT SOURCES (Models OPM510/520) (Models OPM210/220) (Models SLS520/525/530/535/536)

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KGPCo Light Brigade materials, we stock over 1,000 items in our 10 3305 Highway 60 West 8039 South 192nd Street, Suite 100 Distribution locations to meet your needs and Faribault, MN 55021 Kent, WA 98032 keep your projects on-time and on-budget. We Web: kgpco.com Web: learn.lightbrigade.com help you manage the details from materials KGPCo combines technical strategy, implemen- Light Brigade has trained over 60,000 management, leasing and financing options for tation services and logistics, with a rich port- technicians, installers, engineers, designers, capital equipment needs, to stocking what you folio of technology partnerships to provide a and other support staff worldwide in a variety need, when you need it. single source solution in telecommunications. of industries. Light Brigade’s instructor-led, CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, TESTING Capabilities include Advanced Supply Chain online, and custom classes focus on fiber optic Management, Distribution, Cloud Solutions, installation, testing, and troubleshooting as Inside/Outside Plant and Wireless Services. well as engineering design. Courses include KGPCo’s one touch solution delivers a fully specialty applications like FTTx, utilities, integrated and unique suite of services. wireless backbone, industrial, and more. Milliken & Company CATEGORIES: FTTX, VIRTUALIZATION, CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, SAFETY 920 Milliken Road WIRELESS/5G Spartanburg, SC 29303 Web: visisthefuture.com Vis™ Divide increases the efficiency of cable deployment, saving time and money. This MaxCell innovative HDPE conduit features a fabric Knet Co., Ltd. 600 Plum Creek Drive divider that creates multiple channels allowing 157 Columbus Avenue, 4th Floor Wadsworth, OH 44281 for placement of multiple cables in a single New York, NY 10023 Web: maxcell.us conduit without the risk of cable-over-cable Web: e-knet.com Greenfield or congested conduits, curb damage. Vis™ Tape with Mprint™ technology KNET Co., Ltd. manufactures HDPE microduct to building or ISP, MaxCell flexible fabric improves productivity and reduces scrap. and offers a broad range of products of con- innerduct excels in all applications. Available CATEGORIES: FTTX, IOT/M2M, WIRELESS/5G nectivity to meet the many different deploy- in sizes to fit all conduits, MaxCell adds path- ment scenarios. KNET is ISO 9001/TL9000 ways quickly and is installed easily and cost certified and has UL riser, Plenum listed and effectively. MaxCell helps you expand capacity Telcordia GR 3155 Certified products. today, preserves space for future bandwidth CATEGORIES: FTTX, WIRELESS/5G, requirements, and reduces total project costs. Milwaukee Tool MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, IOT/M2M, 13135 West Lisbon Road WIRELESS/5G Brookfield, WI 53005-2550 Web: milwaukeetool.com Megger Milwaukee Tool is a global leader in delivering 2621 Van Buren Avenue innovative solutions to the trades, offering Norristown, PA 19403 increased productivity and durability. Through LEOCH® Battery Corporation Web: us.megger.com their world-leading M12™, M18™, and MX 19751 Descartes, Unit A Precision test equipment for communications FUEL™ cordless systems, ground-breaking Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 testing applications is essential to a profes- performance of M12 and M18 FUEL™, jobsite Web: leoch.us sional test and installation engineer’s job. lighting, accessories, or hand tools and LEOCH® Battery Corporation is one of the Megger has been there from the start to help storage, Milwaukee is dedicated to delivering fastest growing global battery manufacturers you and your industry customers with connec- trade-specific solutions. in the world. They offer NEBS III Certified tivity, reliability and maintenance. The range CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, battery solutions for both outside plant and of test instruments includes TDRs, ground SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G central office battery systems. LEOCH® testers, insulation and continuity testers, and Battery Corporation’s patented designs include battery testers. Pure Lead, Tubular GEL, Tubular Flooded, CATEGORIES: TESTING, MISCELLANEOUS Hybrid GEL, Lithium and much more! Whether your requirement demands long life or unique Millennium MP Nexlevel, LLC footprints – LEOCH® has the right battery to 120 S Wright Street 500 County Road 37 E fit your needs! Delavan, WI 53115 Maple Lake, MN 55358 CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, Web: mymillennium.us Web: mpnexlevel.com MISCELLANEOUS Millennium is your materials distributor for For over 45 years, MP Nexlevel has offered telecommunications products. From OSP to ISP expertise in planning, installation and main-

86 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020 tenance of aerial and underground infrastruc- OFS is a world-leading designer, manufacturer ture work. Our comprehensive construction and provider of optical fiber, fiber optic cable, services, FTTH, directional boring, splicing, connectivity, fiber-to-the-subscriber (FTTx and plowing, trenching and more cover the entire specialty photonics products). OFS provides Netcon Americas | spectrum of overhead and underground reliable, cost-effective solutions for a broad Connect Master infrastructure installation. range of applications including telecommu- 601 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 901 CATEGORIES: FTTX, I&M, MISCELLANEOUS nications, medicine, industrial, government, Miami, FL 33134 aerospace and defense. These products help Web: netconamericas.com OFS customers meet their needs today and in We provide a software ConnectMaster that the future. maximizes savings with enhanced GIS technol- CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G ogy: Planning: technical choices, target areas Multitel, Inc. and cost estimation. Design: faster design and 2500 Jean-Perrin Street better BOM accuracy. Construction: mitigation Quebec, QC G2C 1X1 of errors, work orders and project commission- Web: multitel.com ing. Operation: faster viability studies, field Multitel has over four decades of expertise support, capacity management, geo-marketing. Oldcastle Infrastructure and a long-standing, proven track record Maintenance: faster response to failures. 7000 Central Parkway, Suite 800 in providing robust remote monitoring and CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS Atlanta, GA 30328 management solutions for North American Web: oldcastleinfrastructure.com telecom, power utilities, railways and CATV Oldcastle Infrastructure is the leading provider operators that need real-time visibility of their of products, services, and building materials critical sites. for infrastructure projects to several market CATEGORIES: IOT/M2M, POWER/ sectors nationwide, including: Communica- OFS SUSTAINABILITY, WIRELESS/5G tions, Energy, Transportation and Water. 2000 NE Expressway CATEGORIES: C&E, WIRELESS/5G, MISC. Norcross, GA 30071 Web: ofsoptics.com

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 87 ISE EXPO 2020

Petroflex N.A., Ltd. indoor shelter and outdoor cabinet options. PO Box 1356 CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, Gainesville, TX 76241 WIRELESS/5G Web: petroflexna.com Preformed Line Products Petroflex N.A., Ltd is an American manufac- 660 Beta Drive turer of continuous High Density Polyethylene Cleveland, OH 44141 conduit and accessories, Cable-in-Conduit, Web: preformed.com Lubricant, Coupling Systems, Take-apart Metal Plumettaz America Corporation Preformed Line Products is a worldwide Reels, and Marking Systems. Our sister com- 225 Thrasher Pike designer, manufacturer and supplier of pany manufactures above-ground secondary Soddy Daisy, TN 37379 high-quality cable anchoring and control hard- electrical pedestals and custom injection/ Web: plumettaz.com ware systems, fiber optic and copper splice rotational molded plastic products. Plumettaz America Corporation is the sole closures and high-speed cross-connect devic- CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, POWER/ supplier of CableJet™ Systems in the USA. es. PLP offers innovative product solutions, SUSTAINABILITY Featured products are MiniJet™, SuperJet™ such as the COYOTE® family of fiber optic and Ultimaz™ for FTTX, ISP and Enterprise splice closures, organizers and trays, and the Phoenix Contact installations. Also featured are the all NEW ARMADILLO® family of copper splice closures 586 Fulling Mill Road IntelliJet™ Systems allowing for real-time and accessories. Middletown, PA 17057 monitoring and data recording of cable CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, POWER/ Web: phoenixcontact.com installations for quality assurance and project SUSTAINABILITY, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G, Phoenix Contact provides power quality, connec- documentation and verification. MISCELLANEOUS tion technology, and automation control solutions CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, I&M to the ICT and telecommunications industry. Primex Phoenix Contact’s wide range of products can 20160 92A Avenue optimize power and fiber distribution, so you can Langley, BC V1M 3A4 improve management of virtually every critical Web: primex.com function of network reliability, including protec- Power & Tel Primex has been providing premium custom tion, connection, monitoring and communica- 2673 Yale Avenue industrial plastic enclosures to leading service tions. Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG Memphis, TN 38112 providers for years. We’re the partner of CATEGORIES: SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G, Web: ptsupply.com choice for OSP and Install & Repair teams MISCELLANEOUS Power & Tel, specializing in the procurement, across North America. Our ability to design sales and material management of the and deliver a top quality, North American Platinum Tools products you need to build and maintain the manufactured product, in collaboration with 2450 Turquoise Circle networks that serve us all. our customers, to meet every one of their Newbury Park, CA 91320 CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, enclosure needs, is what sets us apart. Web: platinumtools.com TESTING, WIRELESS/5G CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, Since 1997 we have provided the finest wire MISCELLANEOUS & cable installation tools, connectors, and testers, including accessories. Our ezEXRJ45 & Pro-Line Safety Products EXRJ45 termination systems for Cat 5,6, small 1099 Atlantic Drive 6A & large 6A connectors are the industry West Chicago, IL 60185 PPC Broadband, Inc., standard. Today we are the first choice for a Belden Brand Web: prolinesafety.com professional low-voltage network installers 6176 E Molloy Road Pro-Line Safety is a global leader in R&D, who Cut Strip Terminate & Test. engineering, and manufacturing of utility mark- East Syracuse, NY 13057 CATEGORIES: LEGACY/COPPER, TESTING, ing and locating systems. We offer complete Web: ppc-online.com MISCELLANEOUS solutions for above and underground utility PPC is an award-winning global leader in structures, from tracer wire and marking tape connective technology, providing customers Plug Power to stake flags and marking posts and more. with innovative, simple solutions to complex 968 Albany Shaker Road Ask us about Tracer-Lock, our new revolution- delivery needs. Offering a comprehensive Latham, New York 12110 ary, all-in-one connector system. range of fiber, category, and coaxial products, Web: plugpower.com CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, SAFETY PPC is a true provider of xTTx® solutions to Plug Power’s GenSure fuel cell power solutions support all types of networks for its many provide scalable, clean, cost-effective backup customers located around the world. power, while offering an unparalleled degree of CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, flexibility in addressing the space and runtime WIRELESS/5G constraints of customer locations, with both

88 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

Prysmian Group energy and communications industries. We CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, 4 Tesseneer Drive self-perform more than 85% of our work, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, TESTING, Highland Heights, KY 41076 collaborating with our customers to provide WIRELESS/5G Web: na.prysmiangroup.com cost certainty and safety. A world leader in the design, manufacture CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, Render Networks and sale of wire and cable products, Prysmian SAFETY, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G, 104/1 Crescent Road Group North America serves its customers MISCELLANEOUS Glen Iris, VIC, 3146 through its 23 plants and four R&D centers. Web: rendernetworks.com Prysmian Group produces a range of high-qual- Utilizing innovative GIS, mobile and automa- ity optical fibers, optical cables and connectivi- tion technology, Render’s digital construction ty for video, data and voice transmission. management platform enables network oper- CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, Quest Controls ators and construction teams to deliver quality WIRELESS/5G 208 9th Street Drive West networks with schedule and cost efficiencies Palmetto, FL 34221 of up to 50%. Real-time, geospatial data pro- Web: questcontrols.com vides new levels of control and visibility from Quest Controls’ unparalleled hardware and the field to the office, significantly improving software solutions are designed for today’s tele- collaboration and project outcomes. Quanta Telecom Services com providers. Our remote monitoring presents CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G 2800 Post Oak Boulevard, Suite 2600 alarms and monitored data, predicts savings Houston, TX 77056 opportunities, pending failures and anomalies Web: quantaservices.com that are otherwise impossible to observe on Quanta Services is the leading specialty a site-by-site basis. Catastrophic events are contractor with the largest skilled labor force effectively mitigated through Quest’s ability to in North America - providing fully integrated remotely manage customer facilities. infrastructure solutions for the utility, pipeline,

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Geospatial solutions to utilities and communication providers to plan, design, and operate infrastructure. CATEGORIES: MAPPING/GIS Rep Com International STEGO, Inc. 1521 N Cooper Street, Suite 890 95 Chastain Road NW, Suite 200 Senko Advanced Components, Inc. Arlington, TX 76011 Marietta, GA 30144 450 Donald Lynch Boulevard Web: repcom.com Web: stego-usa.com Rep Com International (RCI) is a professional Marlboro, MA 01752 Constant changes in daily temperatures, as telecommunications manufacturer’s rep organi- Web: senko.com well as extreme climatic conditions in particu- zation that was established in 1983. Based in Senko Advanced Components develops, man- larly warm or cold regions are a challenge for Arlington TX, Rep Com began as a regional ufactures, markets and distributes hundreds your electronic components. We develop inno- rep agency in the Southwest. After 36 years, of fiber optic products, providing solutions vative products that heat, cool, ventilate, illu- RCI now supports our customers with 26 sales across the spectrum of fiber optic applications minate, and control temperature and humidity. engineers nationwide supporting all 50 states. from FTTx, telecom and Datacom applications STEGO offers Thermal Management solutions CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, POWER/ to broadcast and medical. We aim to be rec- to protect sensitive parts in enclosures. SUSTAINABILITY ognized as the global leader for interconnect CATEGORIES: IOT/M2M, WIRELESS/5G, solutions by providing our customers with the MISCELLANEOUS highest quality optical connectivity. Rhino Marking & CATEGORIES: FTTX, TESTING Protection Systems Sumitomo Electric USA, Inc. 4200 W Old Shakopee Road, Suite 103 5212 Hartfelt Dr. Suite-B Bloomington, MN 55437 Garner, NC 27529 Web: rhinomarkers.com Web: sumitomoelectricusa.com Celebrating 30 years in business, Rhino contin- Since its reorganization in 2001, Sumitomo ues as the leading source for all your Damage Sitetracker Electric U.S.A. has been a sales and marketing Prevention marking product needs. From 150 Grant Avenue company serving various industries and markets above-ground markers to surface markers, Palo Alto, CA 94306 in North America, and responsible for new Rhino has a wide variety of unique products Web: sitetracker.com products of SEI group companies as well as for virtually all applications. Visit the booth to Sitetracker powers the successful deployment of the following products already in the market: see their new digitally manufactured signs. critical infrastructure. As the global standard for Heatsink Products, Tungsten & Molybdenum CATEGORIES: FTTX, I&M, MISCELLANEOUS managing high-volume projects, the Sitetracker Products, Fiber Optic Products, Flexible Printed Platform enables growth-focused innovators to Circuits, Electronic Wire Products, Power Cables Rosenberger Site Solutions, LLC optimize the entire asset lifecycle. From the field and Accessories, High Temperature Supercon- 102 Dupont Drive to the C-suite, Sitetracker enables stakeholders ductors, Air Springs for Railcars, Fiber Optic Lake Charles, LA 70607 to optimize how they plan, deploy, maintain, and Distributed Temperature Sensing Systems Web: rosenbergeronline.us grow their capital asset portfolios. CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, WIRELESS/5G Superior Essex Rosenberger Site Solutions, LLC offers a fully developed system solution based on high-qual- 5770 Powers Ferry Road NW, Suite 300 ity cables, connectors and assembly accesso- Atlanta, GA 30327 ries for connection from the antenna down to Web: superioressexcommunications.com the base station. Products Include: FTTA, The Superior Essex has 90 years of experience Qube - Multiple Radio Shroud, Hybrid Cables, Southwire Company, LLC as the respected, industry-leading innovator Coaxial Cables, Connectors, Jumper Assem- 1 Southwire Drive of optical fiber, copper, and hybrid communi- blies, Installation Accessories, PIM Analyzers, Carrollton, GA 30119 cations cable design and manufacturing. We Antennas and mounts. Web: southwire.com have the honed expertise and future-forward CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, TESTING Southwire Company, LLC’s telecom power products to meet any Premises, Outside Plant products are among the premier LSZH central (OSP) and Wireless cabling need to serve Schneider Electric office DC & AC power cables in the industry. and sustainably connect the communications 2620 E Prospect Road Our TelcoFlex® cables are used to power industry worldwide. Suite 130 all levels of telecom equipment and battery CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, WIRELESS/5G Fort Collins, CO 80525 backup systems used in the central office, Web: se.com CATV head-end, data center, and cell tower Schneider Electric is the specialist in energy equipment shelter environments. management and automation. They provide CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, LEGACY/COPPER, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY

90 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

Surveying & Mapping, LLC (SAM) Tempo Communications, Inc. global organization combined with quick 4801 Southwest Parkway 1390 Aspen Way turnaround manufacturing allows Tii to offer Building Two, Suite 100 Vista, CA 92081 a wide range of solutions ensuring quality Austin, TX 78735 Web: tempocom.com performance, safety and reliability. Web: sam.biz Tempo offers a complete line of innovative and CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, SAM is the leading geospatial and construc- industry-leading test & measurement solutions WIRELESS/5G tion services firm in the AEC industry. We for the communication service provider in- are known for using the most innovative dustry. Our expertise and innovative solutions technology and advanced processes to deliver address all stages of network deployment the highest quality field data and insights to enabling the development, installation and infrastructure projects across the country. maintenance of xDSL, Fiber, Cable & Wireless TRC Companies, Inc. CATEGORIES: MAPPING/GIS, POWER/ networks. Tempo has innovative, job specific 2301 McGee Street, Suite 100 SUSTAINABILITY, WIRELESS/5G tools at the right price for every technician. Kansas City, MO 64108 CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER, TESTING Web: trccompanies.com Tellabs, Inc. TRC Engineering team offers a full range of 18583 North Dallas Parkway, Suite 200 solutions and engineering design capabilities Dallas, TX 75287 to support all types of communication projects. Web: tellabs.com TRC is adept at providing planning, design and Tellabs is leading the future of networking Tii Technologies, Inc. project management for fiber optic, microwave with access solutions for today, poised to 141 Rodeo Drive and wireless communication networks. TRC deliver services for the future. Tellabs’ sole Edgewood, NY 11758 is committed to solving client challenges that focus is to deliver secure, scalable, sustain- Web: tiitech.com make the earth a better place to live – commu- able access solutions to optimize network Tii Technologies, Inc. delivers innovative fiber nity by community and project by project. performance for enterprise, government and and copper solutions to meet the demanding CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, telecom service providers. requirements and changing needs of the com- WIRELESS/5G CATEGORIES: FTTX, LEGACY/COPPER munications industry. Our vertically integrated Summer Budget Saver $2,495 *

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NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 91 ISE EXPO 2020

VeEX, Inc., develops test and monitoring solu- wireless networks. As pioneers in fiber testing, tions for next-generation telecommunication inspection, and characterization, VIAVI has a networks and services. Designed using vast long history of successful collaboration with Trimble, Inc. technical expertise and employing the latest communication companies. 10368 Westmoor Drive technologies, VeEX products address all stages CATEGORIES: FTTX, TESTING Westminster, CO 80021 of network deployment, maintenance, and field service verification across DSL, fiber optics, Web: geospatial.trimble.com Vitruvi™ Software RF/DOCSIS, Ethernet transport and associated Trimble applies technology to make field and 700-140 10th Avenue SE, Suite 700 synchronization applications. mobile workers in businesses and government Calgary, AB T2G 0R1 CATEGORIES: FTTX, TESTING, WIRELESS/5G significantly more productive. Solutions focus Web: vitruvi.cc on applications requiring position or location -- Vitruvi™ is a construction management Vertiv including surveying, construction, agriculture, software platform that effortlessly connects fleet and asset management, public safety 1050 Dearborn Drive your teams, provides real-time geospatial data and mapping. Columbus, OH 43085 and streamlines your workflows. Designed for CATEGORIES: C&E, I&M, IOT/M2M, MAPPING/ Web: vertiv.com telecom construction professionals by telecom GIS, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, VIRTUALIZATION Vertiv brings together hardware, software, construction professionals, Vitruvi™ brings analytics and services to ensure its customers’ greater control, accountability and predictabili- United Poly Systems vital applications run continuously and perform ty to your multi-site construction projects. 4707 E Kearney Street optimally. Vertiv solves the challenges facing CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, Springfield, MO 65803 today’s data centers, communication networks WIRELESS/5G and industrial facilities with a portfolio of Web: unitedpolysystems.com power, cooling and IT solutions and services VoltAire Systems We manufacture custom High Density Poly- that extends from the cloud to the edge of ethylene Pipe for the Communications, Power 2900 West Orange Avenue, Suite 100 the network. Utility, Municipal & Industrial, and Oil & Gas Apooka, FL 32703 CATEGORIES: POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, gathering markets. Materials are manufac- Web: VoltAiresys.com WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS tured at both Springfield, Missouri and Albu- We proudly design and manufacture thermal querque, New Mexico facilities. Size ranges solutions in Florida, USA. We offer a full VETRO FiberMap from 3/4” to 26”″IPS and 4”″to 24”″DIPS. family offering of fractional tonnage Air Con- CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, POWER/ 480 Congress Street, Third Floor ditioners and Heat Exchangers ranging in all SUSTAINABILITY Portland, ME 04101 sizes and voltages. Our focus is on thermally Web: vetrofibermap.com managing enclosure applications in telecom, Building fiber requires great mapping soft- industrial, controls, data centers, oil & gas and ware. VETRO FiberMap is the first fiber man- many more. agement platform to pair the functions that CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, fiber operators truly need with workflows that WIRELESS/5G Varasset make GIS easy, in one affordable subscription. 7710 NE Greenwood Drive, Suite 210 Our customers see dramatic increases in pro- Vancouver, WA 98662 ductivity immediately, with reduced overhead, Web: varasset.com enhanced communication, and time saved Overwhelmed with large build-out and small across the organization. Walker and Associates, Inc. cell projects? Whether it’s routine preventive CATEGORIES: FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, 7129 Old Hwy 52 maintenance or a custom project, Varasset is WIRELESS/5G designed to adapt to your changing world. Welcome, NC 27374 Completely extensible, Superior integration Web: walkerfirst.com Fully configurable workflows, Customer man- Walker and Associates, Inc. is the premier aged, Unlimited seat licenses, Work and asset distributor of telecommunications products management software for modern power and for network operators, simplifying network VIAVI Solutions communications companies. deployments with expert installation, systems CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, MAPPING/GIS, 6001 America Center Drive, 6th Floor integration, and managed services. The prod- SAFETY, WIRELESS/5G, MISCELLANEOUS San Jose, CA 95002 ucts support technologies such as Switching, Web: viavisolutions.com Routing, Wireless, NFV, Carrier Ethernet, VoIP, VeEX, Inc. With the deep expertise necessary to deliver WDM, ROADM, Packet Optical Networking, 2827 Lakeview Court unparalleled physical and virtual network SDN, Access Technologies, Active Ethernet, Fremont, CA 94538 intelligence, VIAVI Solutions helps Service DSL, and more. Providers, and their ecosystems, to deploy, CATEGORIES: FTTX, IOT/M2M, TESTING, Web: veexinc.com maintain, optimize, and evolve complex VIRTUALIZATION, WIRELESS/5G

92 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION ISE EXPO 2020

WernerCo. CATEGORIES: FTTX, POWER/SUSTAINABILITY, 555 Pierce Road WIRELESS/5G Itasca, IL 60143 Web: wernerco.com Zyxel Communications, Inc. WernerCo is a global manufacturer of Werner 1130 N Miller Street ladders, Werner fall protection, Weather Anaheim, CA 92806 Guard truck and van products and Knaack WL Plastics, Inc. Web: zyxel.com jobsite storage equipment. 3575 Lone Star Circle Zyxel, a pioneer in IP technology for over 30 CATEGORIES: SAFETY, MISCELLANEOUS Suite 300 years, provides a complete portfolio of end-to- Fort Worth, TX 76177 end business networking solutions. The first Web: wlplastics.com choice of many tier-one service providers and WL Plastics is the largest High Density small and medium-sized businesses, Zyxel of- Polyethylene (HDPE) pipe manufacturer in fers its partners service-rich solutions backed Westell Technologies, Inc. North America. With 8 state-of-the-art man- by domestic logistical, sales, and technical 750 N Commons Drive ufacturing facilities, experienced production support teams based in Anaheim, CA. Aurora, IL 60504 personnel, and dedicated customer service, CATEGORIES: EDUCATION, FTTX, IOT/M2M, Web: westell.com we are your ideal conduit pipe supplier for WIRELESS/5G Westell Technologies, Inc., headquartered in Power & Communications applications. Aurora, Illinois, is a leading provider of high- CATEGORIES: C&E, FTTX, performance network infrastructure solutions POWER/SUSTAINABILITY focused on innovation and differentiation at the edge of communication networks where end users connect. We enable service providers and network operators to improve performance and reduce operating expenses via a comprehensive set of products and solutions.

NOVEMBER 2020 | WWW.ISEMAG.COM 93 AD INDEX

DISPLAY PG URL DISPLAY PG URL A-Aerial Service Company, Inc. 43 linemen-tools.com Platinum Tools 27 platinumtools.com Black & Veatch 41 bv.com/onedigitalworld Power & Tel 44,45 ptsupply.com & http://bit.ly/Fujitsu-1FINITY Charles Industries, LLC 32 charlesindustries.com Preformed Line Products 19 preformed.com Chase Corporation 89 ChaseCorp.com/TraceSafe Pro-Mark Utility Supply, Inc. 53 promarksupply.com Clearfield, Inc. 100 SeeClearfield.com Quest Controls, Inc. 10 questcontrols.com/ospreyfms Corning 2 corning.com/community-broadband Safeguard Equipment 35 safeguardequipment.com Craftmark 10 craftmarkid.com Southwire Company, LLC 67 southwire.com Dantherm Cooling 17 DanthermCooling.com/Dan Team Fenex 87 teamfenex.com ESPi NA, Inc. 3,26,94 espicorp.com Teel Plastics, Inc. 83 teelpipe.com Global Excavation Safety Conference 95 GlobalExcavationSafetyConference.com Tempo Communications, Inc. 85 TempoCom.com Go!Foton, Inc. 28,29 gofoton.com Terahertz Technologies, Inc. 91 teratec.us GS Yuasa 58 GSYuasa-ES.com The Galloway Group 67 TeamGalloway.com ISE EXPO 2020 Virtual Event 99 https://iseexpo.vfairs.com Vertiv 42 vertiv.com/PowerExtendConverter ISE Product Showcase 10 isemag.com/advertise VIAVI Solutions 36,37 viavisolutions.com/5G Laser Technology, Inc. 25 Go2.LaserTech.com/ISE200h Zyxel Communications 49 zyxel.us/10gpon MasTec 93 mastec.com MaxCell 57 MaxCell.us TOOLS PG URL Megger 9 megger.com MPI Narada 97 mpinarada.com Megger 81 megger.com/getbook OFS 97 www.ofsoptics.com/s124m12 Michels 53 Michels.us/NetworkSolutions OFS 97 https://bit.ly/2AjLCyA MPI Narada 60,61 mpinarada.com NISC 34 nisc.coop CLASSIFIED PG URL OFS 20,21 ofsoptics.com ICT Spotlight 96 isemag.com/2018/03/subscribe-free Oldcastle Infrastructure 50 oldcastleinfrastructure.com/brands/duralite ICT White Papers 96 isemag.com/white-papers Petroflex N.A., Ltd. 10 petroflexna.com

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94 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION

Protect Your Assets Learn how to improve system reliability, protect your fiber and reduce damages.

Global ESC VIRTUAL includes education from our LIVE event, and also offers its own diverse selection of education, access to the important product and service providers you need to connect with, and unique networking opportunities not found anywhere else. We deliver all the important elements YOU need in a virtual event.

For 16 years we have been dedicated to building 40+ the educational content the industry needs for the Education sessions across Global Excavation Safety Conference LIVE. NOW, we are pleased to offer a VIRTUAL option for: all stakeholder groups • Stakeholders who need this valuable education but do not have the budget to travel to conferences. Register by November 30 $550 • Stakeholders restricted from travel by company health-related travel bans. Register by December 31 650 • People who want to broaden their global network Register after December 31 750 and learn from others.

There [are] just so many things to see, so many people to visit, and so many great sessions. I would totally recommend this conference to anybody. - Andrea Stainback, CenturyLink (LIVE delegate) April 6-8, 2021 | GlobalESCVirtual.com March 23-25, 2021 | GlobalExcavationSafetyConference.com STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP / CLASSIFIED

United States Postal Service STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, and CIRCULATION PS Form 3526-R Read ICT 1. Publication Title: ISE White Papers 2. Publication Number: 2470-0517 3. Filing Date: September 21, 2020 4. Issue Frequency: Monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 6. Annual Subscription Price: Free to Qualified @ 7. Complete mailing address of Known Office of Publication (Not Printer): Practical Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County) 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher (Not Printer): Practical Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County) 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor - Publisher: Janice Oliva, Practical Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County); Editor: Sharon Vollman, Practical Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County); Managing Editor: Karen Adolphson, Practical www.isemag.com Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County) 10. Owner - Full Name: Janice Oliva, Practical Communications Inc., 1900 E. Golf Rd, #950, Schaumburg, IL 60173 (Cook County) 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None Get a Full Serving 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months of the Latest Industry Info! 13. Publication Title: ISE 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2020 Average No. No. Copies ICT Copies Each of Single Issue SPOTLIGHT Issue During Published Preceding Nearest 12 Months to Filing Date 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) 18,751 18,851 Sign up for our enewsletter here. b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (1) Outside County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 13,194 13,100 Stated on PS Form 3541 (2) In-County Paid/Requested Mail Subscriptions 0 0 Stated on PS Form 3541 (3) Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, 0 0 Counter Sales, and Other Paid or Requested Distribution Outside USPS® (4) Requested Copies Distributed by Other Mail Classes 0 0 Through the USPS® c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation 13,194 13,100 (Sum of 15b 1, 2, 3, and 4) d. Nonrequested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1) Outside County Nonrequested Copies Stated 5,043 5,342 on PS Form 3541 (2) In-County Nonrequested Copies Stated on 0 0 PS Form 3541 (3) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Through the 0 0 USPS by Other Classes of Mail (4) Nonrequested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail 40 0 e. Total Nonrequested Distribution (Sum of 15d, 1, 2, 3, and 4) 5,083 5,342 f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c and 15e) 18,277 18,442 g. Copies not Distributed 475 409 h. Total (Sum of 15f and 15g) 18,751 18,851 i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation 72% 71% (15c divided by 15f times 100) 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the November 2020 issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Patricia McGuinness, Circulation Manager, 9/21/2020

I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).

96 ISE: ICT SOLUTIONS & EDUCATION TOOLS

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