AT&T Labs Research

For the Long Haul: Maximizing Transmission Distances for 400-Gb/s Signals over the Existing Grid

by: Xiang Zhou, Lynn Nelson, Pete Magill, May 13, 2013

As network traffic continues to increase exponentially, the IEEE is mulling a faster Ethernet standard (400 Gb/s) to send even more data over the network—good news for content providers. Network providers, responsible for delivering all this data, will need to increase capacity.

With spectrum well-utilized, finding more capacity will entail tradeoffs. To understand those tradeoffs, researchers tested a novel method that tunes spectral efficiency for each link, in the process setting a distance record (12000 km) for high spectral efficiency (4.125 b/s/Hz) over the existing 100-GHz grid. Read more.

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Anonymous Cellular Data for Urban Planning

Anonymous cellular data—ubiquitous, continuous, and inexpensive to collect—can help urban planners understand how people move within cities. Such information can be invaluable for easing congestion, improving mass transit, and managing security for large events. This online FierceWireless article summarizes the research being done at AT&T to learn how to use aggregated cellular data to understand city dynamics even while maintaining the privacy of individuals.

Kalmaneck Stresses Priority of Broadband

In a keynote speech at GENBAND's Perspectives13 conference, Chuck Kalmanek, vice president of research for AT&T Labs, cited broadband as AT&T's top priority in both the wireline and wireless domains. As described in this FierceTelecom online article, AT&T is relying on several technologies—small cell, Voice over LTE, WebRTC—as the company migrates toward a true all-IP network, with the goal of giving customers a holistic experience across wireline and wireless services and devices.

TowerScan Quantifies User Impact of Failed Towers

When cell towers fail, what happens to customers? In a resilient network where customers on a failed tower may move easily to a nearby tower, the answer is not always clear.

What’s needed is an in-depth analysis of network data. It’s why AT&T Researchers created TowerScan, which looks at the complex interactions among customers and cell towers to intelligently assess the customer experience across an entire impact area. Read more.

New Models Project Dramatically Greener Arctic

Arctic wooded areas may expand as much as 50% in the next decades say a team of scientists who used new machine-learning algorithms to model the redistribution of vegetation in the Arctic under future climate conditions. The models suggest warming is accelerating faster than expected. The team, led by Richard Pearson of the American Museum of Natural History, included AT&T researcher Steven Phillips and several university scientists. Results were published in Nature Climate Change.

U-verse® Easy Remote Wins Edison Awards Gold Medal

AT&T's U-verse^® Easy Remote app, which turns an iPhone or iPad into a voice-controlled remote, was the Gold Medal winner in the Entertainment Category at this year's Edison Awards™. For more information about the technology behind Easy Remote, see this article.

The Edison Awards are focused on innovators as much as innovations, and seek to reward "game changing" products, services and excellence in innovation.

Columbia University to Honor Alicia Abella

Columbia University will recognize Alicia Abella for professional and community accomplishments by awarding her its Medal for Excellence at commencement exercises May 22. This is the first time the award, given annually since 1929, is being conferred on an engineer. Abella is executive director of the Innovative Devices and Services Research Department at AT&T Research and is an advocate for encouraging minorities and women to pursue careers in science and engineering.