New data from Synergy Research Group shows that the total number of large data centers operated by hyperscale providers increased to 504 at the end of Q3 2019, having tripled since the beginning of 2013. The EMEA and Asia-Pac regions continue to have the highest growth rates, although the US still accounts for almost 40% of the top cloud and internet data centers. The next most popular locations are China, Japan, the UK, Germany, and Australia, which together account for another 32% of the total.

On the 14th, the second phase of the so-called second digital dividend begins, in which more than 1,400 municipalities in Madrid, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Catalonia and some municipalities in Aragon, the Valencian Community, Castilla-La Mancha and Castilla y León will have to move the DTT channels from the 700 MHz band to the 600 MHz band (from 470 MHz to 694 MHz), in order to free up about 100 MHz (from 694 MHz to 790 MHz) and be able to carry out the deployment of the 5G network.

Rohde & Schwarz, the Fraunhofer Institute for Telecommunications Heinrich Hertz HHI and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF are taking a further step with tests in the terahertz (THz) frequency band related to 6G wireless mobile communication.

Corning and Jelp have signed a collaboration agreement for the manufacture and installation of optical fiber for data centers. Thanks to this alliance, the two companies will begin working together on the development of optical fiber. This partnership will greatly benefit both companies and further strengthen their presence in the Spanish market.

A team of scientists, including a researcher from the Polytechnic University of Madrid, has developed a novel method based on neural networks to predict wind energy production, which will allow for optimization of its reliability.

The Dean-President of the Official College of Telecommunications Engineers, Marta Balenciaga, and the President of Aotec, Antonio García Vidal, have signed a collaboration agreement with the aim of promoting the development of the sector, as well as favoring the digital transformation of Spain, especially in rural areas.

Leviton has announced that its 100-watt PoE products have been verified by Intertek ETL to meet the IEC 60512-99-002 standard for support of IEEE 802.3bt Type 4 PoE (100 watt) applications.

Cisco has announced the appointment of Gabriel Maestroarena as the new Channel Director in Spain.

Advantech Co. Ltd. has announced a global distribution agreement with Acronis. Since a systems and software collaboration agreement in 2011, the two companies have developed integrated solutions for the industrial sector and have now agreed to expand their strategic partnership to include distribution, utilizing Acronis' full range of innovative cybersecurity solutions to meet growing market demand.

Keysight Technologies, Inc. has announced a broad collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated, to accelerate the commercialization of Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) technology, enabling mobile operators to quickly and cost-effectively deploy new 5G radio (NR) services.

HUBER + SUHNER signed the purchase agreement to acquire BKtel yesterday, September 30, 2019. BKtel has three locations in Germany and holds majority stakes in two companies in France and Japan. BKtel develops, manufactures, and deploys active and passive components for broadband networks and has extensive expertise in fiber to the home (FTTH), hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC), and distributed access architecture (DAA), as well as optical signal processing (optical converters, amplifiers, and fiber lasers).

BKtel was founded in 1997 as part of a management buyout by former employees of Alcatel Kabel Deutschland. In addition to the founders, who own the majority stake in BKtel, BWK Unternehmensbeteiligungsgesellschaft is also among the owners. Its headquarters are located in Hückelhoven-Baal, North Rhine-Westphalia.

The Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) at the University of Southampton, based at the Zepler Institute for Photonics and Nanoelectronics, has announced significant advances in hollow core fiber (HCF) technology.

Ikusi has acquired Aryse Comunicaciones, a company dedicated to telecommunications networks and IT infrastructure, and a key partner for Cisco Systems in the Spanish market.

Several industry players have announced the formation of a group adhering to the new Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) to advance the development of high-speed, double-density, small form-factor pluggable quad modules capable of supporting 800 Gbps connectivity (QSFP-DD800). The MSA group will help meet the growing global demand for bandwidth with its offering of ultra-high-bandwidth interfaces.

Cisco has successfully tested the operation of its Network Convergence System (NCS) 1004 platform on MAREA, the 6,600-kilometer submarine cable system that connects the United States with Southern Europe, from Virginia Beach (Virginia) to Bilbao (Sopelana beach, Spain).

Keysight Technologies, Inc. has announced that the company has joined the 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5G-ACIA) to collaborate and establish a testing and verification framework that will accelerate the development of new industrial 5G use cases.

Nokia, NTT DOCOMO, Inc., and OMRON Corporation have agreed to conduct joint field trials using 5G at their plants and other production sites. As part of the trial, Nokia will provide the 5G enabling technology and OMRON the factory automation equipment, while NTT DOCOMO will run the 5G trial.

Indra and Fundación Universia, which has the support of Banco Santander for the development of its activities, have launched the IV Call for aid to applied research projects for the creation of new accessible technologies, which for the first time invites undergraduate and postgraduate students from Spanish universities to submit their proposals to create a more inclusive society through technology.

Mobile operators have received further confirmation that Wi-Fi connectivity will play a critical role in the success of 5G, as illustrated in a new technical document developed by the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) and the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance.

“Today, if you look at Fibre Channel in relation to high-speed Ethernet, there’s no comparison. The future is Ethernet, and yet some media storage manufacturers continue to promote Fibre Channel, which presents real risks for their customers,” explained Oliver Gappa.