Today’s telecom news includes announcements on Arista Networks, Ericsson, FCC, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, among others.
Arista Unveils Rack-Scale Ethernet Architecture for AI Infrastructure
Arista Networks has introduced an open Ethernet rack-scale portfolio designed to support high-density AI infrastructure across scale-up and scale-out environments. Developed with AMD, Arm, Broadcom, d-Matrix, Meta, Microsoft and Qualcomm, the architecture can support up to 144 accelerators in a single rack and scale to 1,024 accelerators through cross-rack configurations. The portfolio includes liquid-cooled rack designs, Ethernet-based scale-up networking, high-capacity switches, advanced optics and operational controls. Arista said next-generation optics can increase rack capacity from 1.6 Pb/s to 6.5 Pb/s, while the higher-density architecture can reduce overall data-center footprint by nearly 50 percent.
FCC Advances Plan for Spectrum Auction to Support Direct-to-Device Services
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission plans to vote on October 29 on advancing a new spectrum auction aimed at expanding direct-to-device satellite connectivity. The proposed framework would auction 25 MHz of spectrum while making another 482 MHz available for satellite coverage, supporting services that allow smartphones to connect directly with satellites in areas lacking conventional mobile coverage. The initiative could intensify competition between satellite providers and traditional telecom operators. SpaceX has already acquired 65 MHz of spectrum from EchoStar for $19.6 billion to expand mobile services, while AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have formed a joint venture focused on satellite-enabled connectivity. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said future spectrum auctions could generate more than $100 billion.
DoT Terminates Reliance Communications’ Spectrum Rights
India’s Department of Telecommunications has terminated the spectrum usage rights of Reliance Communications and Reliance Telecom with immediate effect, covering spectrum acquired through auctions between 2010 and 2016. The action follows failures to meet deferred payment and network rollout obligations and comes after the Supreme Court rejected RCom and RTL’s review petitions concerning spectrum ownership and insolvency. The DoT also invoked and encashed bank guarantees worth ₹801.91 crore related to outstanding spectrum obligations. RCom’s debt under its insolvency process is nearly ₹49,054 crore. The termination requires the companies to cease using wireless networks based on the affected spectrum and significantly reduces the value of spectrum previously considered central to potential resolution plans.