Networking

A new subsea cable network spanning some 22,000 kilometres will soon begin construction linking Southeast Asia, Australasia, and North America. To be built by Hawaiki Submarine Cable, the submarine system is touted to have a design capacity of 240Tbps and provide connectivity between main hubs in Singapore, Sydney, and Los Angeles. Called Hawaiki Nui, the network system will begin construction next year and is expected to be ready for service in 2025, according to Hawaiki. The Auckland-based cable network operator said in a statement Friday it had roped in telco Mora Telematika Indonesia (Moratelindo) as a partner for the deployment. Describing Hawaiki Nui as the first and largest space division multiplexing (SDM) cable to link the three regions, Hawaiki said landings also were planned for Jakarta and Batam, giving Indonesia links to Singapore, Australia, and the US. SDM uses multiple spatial channels to deliver greater capacity and speed.

In addition, the subsea network would further support local connectivity within Australia, with links to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Darwin, as well as provide direct international access to Singapore and Los Angeles. Hawaiki Nui also would be the first international cable to be rolled out in New Zealand’s southern region, linking Christchurch, DunedIn, and Invercargill directly with Australia. Two additional branches would be erected to connect Oahu and Big Island in Hawaii.Hawaiki currently operates a cable network, launched in 2018, that links Australia, New Zealand, American Samoa, Hawaii, and the west coast of the US.Its founder and executive chairman Remi Galasso said the new subsea system would bolster connectivity and redundancy for customers operating in Asia-Pacific. “An all-in-one submarine cable infrastructure with multiple international and domestic routes embedded in the same system, Hawaiki Nui has been designed to deliver direct connectivity through new subsea paths and provide optimal diversity,” Galasso noted.

He added that Indonesia was a strategic market in Southeast Asia for the company and lauded the partnership with Moratelindo. Under the agreement, the Indonesian telco will assume the role of landing party for the country and acquire the necessary local permits and approvals for the project. Moratelindo also will be involve in the system design and deployment of Hawaiki Nui, including determining the optimal subsea route and landings in Indonesia. Moratelindo’s president director said: “This new submarine cable system will provide an alternative low latency route for international connectivity to and from Indonesia, and reduce the country’s dependence on existing connections going through Singapore.”Hawaiki in July was acquired by BW Digital, which is an affiliate of Singapore-based maritime conglomerate BW Group. Subject to the usual regulatory filings and approvals, the deal is expected to be completed by early next year. RELATED COVERAGE More

It seems that to quite a few of you, the idea of dumping Google Chrome for a browser — even if that browser is better — is like pulling wisdom teeth. Despite the fact that it’s a bottomless pit when it comes to eating system resources and has become the bloated browser it was initially meant to replace, people love it.

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Yes, you can make it a little less awful. But I’ve been beating this drum for years, only to realize that it was a battle I was losing. This was bought home to me when I loaded Google Chrome onto my M1 Pro-based MacBook Pro — a machine that’s an absolute beast when it comes to making things run fast. The experience showed me once again how kludgy Google Chrome is.The best way to improve your browsing experience is to dump Google Chrome and switch to a better browser. After all, there are plenty of options.See also: Ditching Google Chrome was the best thing I did this year (and you should too)What I do is use more than one browser; I don’t mind having two or three browsers running at once. Safari is nice on the Mac — and nothing can beat it when it comes to performance and power management — but it’s missing a lot of features that I liked about Google Chrome. Specifically, the Chrome ecosystem has far better support for extensions.

On Windows, Edge is great. It’s fast and lightweight, but there are question marks over privacy.I find Firefox and Opera to be great, too.But a lot of readers got in touch to ask me what my single favorite browser is. It seems that running multiple browsers isn’t for everyone.So, what’s my favorite browser?It’s Brave.There’s a lot to like about Brave. It’s fast and has an easy system of resources. It’s got a good track record in terms of privacy, and it runs all the Google Chrome extensions I need it to run. (You go to the Google Chrome web store, find the extension, and download it.)  Now, some readers are surprised by the fact that I hate Google Chrome but love Brave. After all, Brave is built on the Chromium engine that powers Google Chrome, as are Microsoft Edge and Opera.Yeah, that’s odd, right? But it’s clearly not the Chromium engine that’s the problem with Google Chrome — it’s everything else that Google has plastered on top.
It’s weird how browsing with Brave feels like browsing with Google Chrome, except I get far better performance (the speed with which pages load up has to be seen to be believed), better battery life (more than an extra hour on my laptop compared to running Google Chrome), and far better privacy protection.

Also, switching from Chrome to Brave was a snap. Everything worked, and because the two browsers share the Chromium heritage, everything felt familiar and easy to use.Brave is available for Windows 64-bit, Windows 32-bit, macOS Intel, macOS Apple Silicon, and Linux. It can be downloaded for both iOS and Android from the relevant app stores as well.Still not sold on Brave? In second place would be Firefox. It’s a fast, reliable browser that’s packed with modern features.Related Coverage More

Image: Amazon
Amazon has announced its first Project Kuiper satellite prototypes will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2022. The company said on Tuesday it had filed for an experimental licence with the US Federal Communications Commission to launch and operate a pair of satellites dubbed KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2. The prototypes will test the communications and networking that will be used in the final design, and will have Ka-band phased array and parabolic antennas, power and propulsion systems, and custom-designed modems. “We’ve invented lots of new technology to meet our cost and performance targets for Project Kuiper. All of the systems are testing well in simulated and lab settings, and we’ll soon be ready to see how they perform in space,” vice president of technology for Project Kuiper Rajeev Badyal said. “There is no substitute for on-orbit testing, and we expect to learn a lot given the complexity and risk of operating in such a challenging environment. We can’t wait to get started.” Once the prototypes are operational, Amazon will test its customer terminal, which it said in December can deliver up to 400Mbps. Instead of having the receiving and transmission antennas next to each other, Amazon is overlaying the antennas which results in a final diameter of 30 centimetres. Amazon said the prototypes will be actively deorbited once the mission is complete, and it was working with astronomers to reduce the visibility of the satellites that will make up the intended constellation of 3,236 low Earth orbit birds. “One of the two prototype satellites will include a sunshade to help us understand whether it is an effective way to reduce reflectivity and mitigate its impact on ground-based optical telescopes,” the company said.

“We will collect data to compare reflectivity between the two spacecraft, and share any learnings with the astronomy community following the mission.” The satellites will be launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station by ABL Space Systems, and not the Jeff Bezos-led Blue Origin.
Image: Amazon
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Image: Getty Images
Telstra has extended its arrangement with the Department of Defence, gaining a five-year AU$1 billion contract renewal. The telco said the deal was its largest ever for Telstra Enterprise. The contract has options for Defence to extend the contract multiple times for up to three years. The deal includes a Wi-Fi 6 rollout, 5G connectivity, SD-WAN, and other software-defined networking elements. “We are very pleased to extend and deepen our partnership with the Department of Defence and use our unique sovereign capabilities, decades of experience, and cutting-edge technology to co-design solutions for today and into the future,” Telstra CEO Andy Penn said. Telstra added it currently works with over 30 local suppliers to provide around AU$50 million of technology and services each year to Defence. In 2013, Telstra picked up an initial six-year contract with Defence worth AU$1.1 billion to build a new terrestrial communications network for the department. Last week, the telco announced it would acquire Digicel Pacific.

For a total cost of $1.6 billion, Telstra said it would be contributing $270 million, with the Commonwealth to stump up $1.33 billion via “combination of non-recourse debt facilities and equity-like securities”. Telstra said it would have 100% control of the entity and has preferred equity over the government. Telstra said the Commonwealth made the initial approach. Also on Wednesday, Telstra announced a AU$100 million deal with the Victorian government to provide 1,600 public schools with 1Mbps of connectivity per student. This would see the schools receive between 40Mbps and 3Gbps from an aggregated bandwidth pool of 870Gbps.Telstra said it would spend AU$40 million of that amount on capital works to improve connectivity, particularly in regional and remote areas, and has already completed work at 700 schools. “Telstra’s $40 million investment in high-speed broadband connectivity won’t just benefit Victorian schools, but the wider community, by laying the critical groundwork for flow on benefits to 4G and 5G mobile networks,” Telstra Enterprise group executive David Burns said.Updated at 11:44am AEDT, 3 November 2021: Added Victorian schools deal.Related Coverage More

It was about a year ago that I began my transition away from Google Chrome (spoilers, I still need to use it, but I now use it minimally).

I disentangled my data and passwords out of the browser. I tried a whole bunch of other browsers. I learned and relearned a whole bunch of new muscle memory movements. It was hard. But it was worth it. I knew that Google Chrome was one of the worst browsers I could be running in terms of performance and power/resource consumption, and yet I kept on using it for years.

I was sure it would get better. But sure enough, it kept getting worse. I know that I’m partly to blame. Having dozens of tabs open in a browser doesn’t come free, and it’s not how browsers were designed to operate (remember bookmarks?). But what can I say? I have a tab problem. And until someone comes up with a redesigned way to handle bookmarks, that problem’s not going away anytime soon. I tried a lot of browsers. Safari, Brave, Firefox, Opera. Here’s the thing, I like them all. I even like Edge on Windows. They are all far better, far superior compared to Google Chrome. Sometimes you don’t notice how bad something is until you look at it in hindsight. Google Chrome has cornered the web browser market and has become the defacto browser for many millions of users.  On Windows, Google Chrome started out as an alternative to the bloated, buggy competition.  And then, over time, it became the thing it set out to destroy. So, what’s my favorite browser now? Here’s my secret –I don’t have one. I’m partial to Safari on Mac because it’s energy and resource efficient, but I’ll also happily use anything else —
Brave

is good, Firefox is great,
Opera

is still a solid browser. And there’s Edge on Windows. I think the trick is not to have a favorite.  If you have to use Google Chrome, I have some ideas on how to make it less awful. But at the end of the day, it’s still awful. It’s even awful on the new
MacBook Pro running the M1 Pro chip

. And that chip makes
Adobe Premiere Pro

look good. I don’t say this lightly, but my advice to everyone is to dump Google Chrome. I know not everyone can get rid of it completely (I’m one of those people), but do yourself a favor and go try some other browsers. And then you’ll see for yourself just how bad Google Chrome actually is.

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AI and the Future of Business

Machine learning, task automation and robotics are already widely used in business. These and other AI technologies are about to multiply, and we look at how organizations can best take advantage of them.

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The chief reason IT teams would move to a network-as-a-service (NaaS) model would be to enable the latest networking technologies, according to a new survey from Cisco. The emerging networking consumption model promises to help organizations deploy technologies such as Wi-Fi 6, software-defined WAN (SD-WAN), secure access service edge (SASE), 5G, AI and more.At the same time, IT leaders and professionals are somewhat skeptical that NaaS with help them keep up with changing business demands, the Cisco report shows. While there’s still uncertainty and varying opinions on the value of NaaS, organizations are embracing it at a fast rate. NaaS adoption is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 40.7% from 2021 through 2027. For that reason, Cisco focused its 2021 Global Networking Trends Report on NaaS adoption. The report is based on a survey of 20 IT leaders and 1,534 IT professionals in 13 countries.Network resiliency is top of mind for IT teams, the report shows: 45% say responding to disruptions is the top network challenge of 2021, while 40% cited accommodating new business needs.To some extent, NaaS is perceived as a way to accommodate new business needs: A plurality of respondents, 35%, said their top reason for embracing NaaS would be the requirement to continually deploy the latest networking technologies. 
Cisco
In line with their concerns about business resiliency, 30% cited the ability to defend against security threats, and 29% cited the need for greater network agility. However, when asked to name their main concerns with deploying a NaaS model, the top answer was whether it would offer the ability to support unexpected demands. As many as 30% of respondents questioned whether they will be able to meet future demands if they adopt NaaS.
Cisco

Meanwhile, 28% of respondents said the cost and disruption associated with changing their existing infrastructure and operations were concerns. Additionally, 26% cited losing control over security. When considering the services that come with NaaS, nearly half of respondents (48%) said it was most important for providers to deliver network lifecycle management. That was followed by network resiliency (42%), and monitoring and troubleshooting to meet SLAs (38%).

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Over the past few years, we’ve all come to realize just how important it is to have the best possible home Wi-Fi system. There’s nothing like signal drops of dead spots to bring the best Zoom of Teams meeting to a grinding halt.But what if your internet connection sucks? Well, if you’re living where there’s 5G coverage, this might be the solution that you need.Today sees Netgear unveil an industry-first — a 5G tri-band Wi-Fi 6 mesh system.The Netgear Orbi NBK752 mesh system combines 5G and mesh Wi-Fi into a single product that can blankets an entire home (up to 5,000 sq. ft.) in WiFi, no matter whether you live in a brick townhouse or a sprawling rural ranch.The tri-band WiFi is set up in a way to deliver a dedicated WiFi connection between the router and satellites, so that no matter how many devices are connected at the same time, you still get the best possible performance. The Netgear Orbi NBK752 works with most major mobile service providers, including T-Mobile and AT&T.Netgear Orbi NBK752, the first 5G Tri-band WiFi 6 mesh systemNetgear Orbi NBK752 highlights5G speeds in your home: 5G offers up to 10x the speed and capacity of 4G, with latency rates as low as 1ms.Next-generation WiFi: WiFi 6 allows multiple devices to connect simultaneously without impacting speed or reliability.Tri-band technology: Tri-band WiFi with a dedicated WiFi connection between the router and satellite delivers maximum speed and performance to all devices.Wireless network coverage: 5G is completely wireless, making it the perfect high-speed solution in areas that have access to strong mobile network coverage but lack a decent cable or DSL.Cellular network flexibility: The router accesses the LTE network in areas without 5G, so you can use it as a backup if your service fails. And when 5G does expand to your area, you’ll be ready to take advantage of it.Whole-home coverage: This mesh system includes a router plus a satellite unit, ensuring your home (up to 5,000 sq. ft) gets reliable WiFi coverage throughout. Need more coverage? You can purchase additional satellites to expand coverage.Easy setup and management: The Orbi App makes it easy to set up the router, manage your network remotely, pause the Internet on any device, track your Internet data usage, and more.”As the leader in the networking space, we continue to bring exciting new solutions to market that leverage state-of-the-art technology to meet the changing needs of our customers. And the Orbi 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System is no exception,” said David Henry, President & GM of Connected Home Products and Services at NETGEAR. “In a time when having reliable home WiFi is critical to not only work and learning, but to just about everything else we do, consumers can access the best Internet connection with this latest addition to our Orbi portfolio.”

The system comes with a free 30-day trial of the NETGEAR Armor, a service designed to protect the connected home from online threats.The Netgear Orbi NBK752 5G WiFi 6 Mesh System is not cheap — the two-pack comes in at $1,099.99 — and is available for pre-order starting today. More

LikeSimple setupGood Wi-Fi 6 performance

Don’t LikeBulky nodesSome controls lack depth

Mesh wi-fi has become the go-to option for extending wi-fi range in many small office and home office environments, and also has a strong following among consumers. Linksys has been in the game for a while, and has a new Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) version of its Velop Whole Home Intelligent Mesh WiFi 6 (AX4200) System. The two-node kit I was sent costs £375, while a single node costs £226 and a three-node kit costs £579. Linksys says each node will cover 2,700 square feet (2,508 sq m). In the US, a single AX4200 node costs $249.99.Setup is simplicity itself. Download the mobile app, configure a login, connect whatever you designate as the ‘primary node’ to your internet router via the Gigabit WAN port and to mains power, and then return to the app to walk through the few stages that complete setup. The whole process was easy, and my two-node system was up and running in under 15 minutes.  The Velop Mesh Wi-Fi 6 (AX4200) nodes measure 114.3mm (4.5in.) square by 243.8mm (9.6in.) tall and weigh 943.5g (2.08lbs).
Image: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet
The nodes themselves are large, measuring 24.4cm high and 11.4cm square. They shouldn’t be hemmed in — behind cupboards, for example — as this will interfere with their ability to work optimally. Instead, these white plastic monoliths will likely create a bit of visual clutter.  The tri-band system delivers a top speed of 4.2Gbps, which was plenty to meet my household needs, including powering working from home, family video calling and delivering streaming entertainment services. If wired connections are preferred, then every node has three Gigabit Ethernet ports at its disposal.  Ports and connectors on the Velop Mesh Wi-Fi 6 (AX4200) nodes: USB 3.0; 3x Gigabit Ethernet; Gigabit WAN; power.
Image: Sandra Vogel / ZDNet  
There is also a USB-A port on each node, and this can be used to attach external storage so that content can be shared and streamed by anyone on the network. I tested this with an external hard drive and sharing worked perfectly. There are even some instructions on how to access shared devices via different operating systems in the Linksys app.  The app is neat and accessible. It is easy to set up guest access on the hoof, with a private password that provides internet access but no visibility of computers or connected devices, so that guest accounts can be switched on and off as needed. However, some controls are less expansive than they could be. Parental controls include blocking internet access from specific devices on a schedule or on demand, but website blocking is managed by manually adding URLs, which is a hassle.  Video calling can be given priority over all other types of activity, and it’s also possible to prioritise up to three devices for bandwidth use, with the remainder sharing whatever is left. So, those work calls happening while others are using the smart TV may no longer stutter.  

Performance during testing was very impressive. Everything seemed to work a little bit faster, and the reach was excellent. My existing system doesn’t stretch into the kitchen or to the far end of the garden, but the Velop WiFi 6 (AX4200) managed both, and speeds in these locations seemed as good as those in my home office right by the router.  With home office working much more prevalent for many people nowadays, a solid mesh wi-fi system might be a wise investment. The Linksys Velop WiFi 6 (AX4200) is easy to set up, even for newcomers to the concept, and while the detailed controls could do with a bit more depth, these may well come as Linksys develops the system further. RECENT AND RELATED CONTENT Netgear Orbi Quad-Band Mesh WiFi 6E System (RBKE963): Fast but expensive wireless mesh networking Fortinet, Linksys joint venture aims to bring enterprise security to home offices Best Wi-Fi router 2021: Expert reviews of top brands Mesh networking vs. traditional Wi-Fi routers: What is best for your home office? Best mesh Wi-Fi system 2021: Top routers compared Read more reviews More