Protocol upgrade ensures higher telecommunications security

“As our global wireless customers drive mobile infrastructure forward with LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) and 5G services, support for IPv6 and alternate GNSS constellations is rising in importance for deploying a robust, secure and future-proof synchronisation network,” said Barry Dropping, Senior Director of product line management for Microsemi. “The addition of GLONASS and Galileo support on the TimeProvider 5000 system greatly enhances the robustness and security of this widely adopted synchronisation platform for global carriers. We will continue to invest in this technology to ensure reliable long-term roadmap support is provided for telecommunications customers.”

An increasing number of global operators are now looking at solutions like Microsemi’s enhanced TimeProvider 5000, as the device offers multiple constellations in accordance with the directives in certain countries to remove their sole dependency on GPS. Having support for GLONASS and Galileo constellations also makes systems more robust and secure to certain GNSS vulnerabilities.

Microsemi’s TimeProvider family has been installed in more than 350 networks across the globe, enabling communications service providers to build stable, high performance and reliable network infrastructures. Along with new support for IPv6 and multi-GNSS constellations, the recently enhanced TimeProvider 5000 provides redundant hardware, user configurable PTP profiles and Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) support with optical small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules.

The TimeProvider 5000 is a carrier-grade IEEE 1588 PTP grandmaster clock with a Network Time Protocol (NTP) server option and expansion shelf capabilities that include SyncE and an advanced PTP profiles, making the timing and synchronisation system capable of supporting network needs today and in the future. Its flexible design is vital to enable circuit to packet network migration for high-speed data services and wireless backhaul, and to deliver 3G, 4G/LTE, LTE-A and 5G wireless services.

Microsemi’s TimeProvider family is a part of the carrier routing and switching equipment market which was approximately $43bn in 2016 according to market research firm IHS Infonetics. The firm also expects this market to see sales growth as more carriers start and expand their 4G services along with the introduction of 5G deployments toward the end of 2019.

In addition to its TimeProvider family, Microsemi also offers highly comprehensive and cost-effective IEEE 1588 and SyncE network synchronisation silicon solutions providing time stamping, ultralow jitter (for up to 100G PHYs), IEEE 1588 protocol support (including the ITU-T telecom profile for frequency and phase) and one of the industry’s most established Client servos used by numerous carriers worldwide. The solutions offered are used by all major equipment vendors across the globe in a variety of wireless and wireline applications and work seamlessly with Microsemi’s full range of TimeProvider equipment.