An Omdia report notes that pre-terminated fiber solutions are expanding from traditional FTTH scenarios into data centers, edge computing and smart cities. Its data show that cloud business is driving data center capacity growth of 25% per year, and AI development will further increase demand for fast, reliable fiber deployment. Pre-terminated solutions reduce field termination errors through improved connectors and plug-and-play designs, while Clearfield's vertically integrated manufacturing is used to respond to customer needs and reduce dependence on overseas logistics.
Why we recommend it: The deployment advantages of pre-terminated solutions and manufacturing integration cases complement each other, providing context for understanding how passive component suppliers expand from FTTH into data centers.
C114 Communications Network · Optical CommunicationsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6262
Ao Li, vice president of the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), said the optical communications industry is shifting from being driven by traditional telecom to being driven by AI computing, with next-generation communications networks and optical networks evolving in parallel. He noted that 1.6T is at the early commercialization stage globally, hollow-core fiber is already used for low-latency dedicated lines and cross-domain computing interconnects, and multi-core fiber is entering high-density data center cable scenarios. He expects optical circuit switching systems to form an optoelectronic hybrid architecture with electrical switching, while the relevant technology roadmaps continue to develop in parallel.
Why we recommend it: Comparing high-speed interconnects, hollow-core and multi-core fiber, and optical switching under AI computing demand provides context for understanding the engineering pace of each optical communications pathway.
C114 Communications Network · Optical CommunicationsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6868
Mao Qian noted that control over fiber demand has shifted from carriers to cloud providers, and preform expansion cycles make supply-demand gaps difficult to ease quickly through pricing. A report he released estimates that global optical fiber and cable demand will reach about 630 million fiber-km in 2026, while effective supply will be only 480 million to 520 million fiber-km, leaving a gap of about 110 million to 150 million fiber-km. Preform plant construction takes 18 to 24 months, and product mix shifts combined with supply constraints are pushing the industry from price competition toward value competition.
Why we recommend it: Linking cloud provider demand with preform capacity expansion cycles explains why structural shortages can persist even when nominal capacity is ample, providing a framework for comparing different fiber categories.
C114 Communications Network · Optical CommunicationsOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6868
Mao Qian released the 2026 Global Optical Fiber and Cable Industry Development Report, stating that the global market is forming two fragmented systems led by the US and China, while Chinese companies' overseas expansion is shifting from absorbing excess capacity to exporting value. APC data show that Chinese companies' combined global share exceeded 45% in 2026, with North American prices at two to three times the global benchmark. The report forecasts that Chinese companies' share will exceed 50% by 2030, and warns of risks from key raw material supply and a supply-demand reversal after new capacity comes online.
Why we recommend it: The report places trade barriers, overseas capacity and customer lock-in within a single competitive framework, providing context for understanding how Chinese fiber companies are shifting from scale expansion to value export.
C114 Communications Network · Optical CommunicationsOptics industryOptics and AIAI score4242
Lan Hai, chairman of FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies, said at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Global Optical Fiber and Cable Conference that the rapid development of artificial intelligence, the continued evolution of 6G technology and the accelerated deployment of computing networks are ushering in a new upward cycle for the optical fiber and cable industry. China accounts for about 60% of global optical fiber and cable output, and Optics Valley has become the world's largest optical fiber and cable production base. During the conference, new international standards related to novel optical fiber will be officially released, along with a number of authoritative reports and competitiveness rankings.
Jaime FlorCruz, the Philippine Ambassador to China, said in his opening remarks at the 2026 Global Optical Fiber and Cable Conference that he looks forward to deepening cooperation with Chinese companies in submarine cables, resilient networks and skills development. The Philippines is made up of more than 7,600 islands, making cross-sea connectivity, disaster-resilient communications and affordable broadband access especially important for economic and social development. He specifically noted that FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies has worked with local telecom operators to build and maintain fiber broadband networks, creating local jobs and transferring knowledge.
Speaking at the Global Optical Fiber and Cable Conference, Wen Ku said AI, computing power and data centers are reshaping fiber optic cable demand, and urged upstream and downstream players to establish long-term price negotiation mechanisms and expand capacity rationally. He noted that global fiber demand grew 4.1% in 2025, with data communications and data center-related demand up 76%, while expanding optical fiber preform capacity takes two years. Wen Ku warned that high prices could trigger a concentrated release of new capacity, recommending more long-term contracts and navigating price cycles through low-latency, low-loss, high-density technologies and diversified applications.
Why we recommend it: Links AI-driven changes in fiber demand to the preform capacity expansion cycle and price mismatches, providing industry context for why the current boom carries risks of overcapacity.
Researchers have developed and demonstrated a GaP-on-diamond hybrid nanophotonic platform enabling controlled interaction between photons and silicon-vacancy (SiV) centers in diamond. Using stamp transfer, the team fabricated more than 600 nanophotonic cavities on a diamond substrate with a yield of 99.5%, achieving cooperativity above 1 and a spin relaxation time exceeding 0.4 milliseconds, enabling single-shot readout of SiV electron spins. Next steps include connecting multiple devices on the same chip and demonstrating entanglement.
Why we recommend it: A transfer process that avoids etching the diamond balances device yield with spin-photon coupling, offering a concrete example of how quantum network interfaces could move toward scalable manufacturing.
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Vuzix@VuzixOptics industryOptics and AIAI score3939
Researchers have observed strong coupling between light waves and traveling acoustic waves in optical fiber for the first time, opening a new platform for optoacoustic signal processing.
Lightwave broadband roundup: Wecom Fiber and partners including the Arizona Commerce Authority celebrated the fiber broadband build in the town of Parker, Arizona, while Pavlov Media is also expanding its gigabit fiber network in central Illinois.
Dongbai Group announced on October 12 that it planned to acquire a 52.6667% stake in Hangzhou Kuailing Photonics for RMB 316 million to enter the indium phosphide photodetector chip market. On October 15, it announced the termination of the deal because the parties failed to agree on key terms. Dongbai Group's share price fluctuated sharply over the three days.
Following Sha Shuli's withdrawal from the transaction, Advanced Fiber Resources will adjust the acquisition target to a 99.97% stake in Suzhou Anjiexun, with a transaction price of about RMB 1.6395 billion and an appraised value of about RMB 1.650 billion for all of Anjiexun's equity. Consideration will be paid through share issuance, convertible bonds and cash, with the cash portion at about RMB 492 million.
Why we recommend it: The source provides the valuation, pricing and payment structure, helping to understand M&A valuations in the passive optical components sector.
Henan Xinyu Guang Technology and its sponsor have disclosed responses to the first round of inquiries for its Beijing Stock Exchange IPO, covering 12 questions across 614 pages. Xinyu Technology focuses on passive optical communication components and precision structural parts and plans to raise CNY 550 million. Revenue in 2023, 2024, and 2025 was CNY 152 million, CNY 259 million, and CNY 508 million, respectively, with net profit of CNY 86.591 million in 2025.
Shanghai Xihe Technology has released the registration version of its STAR Market IPO prospectus, describing itself as one of the world's major suppliers of silicon photonic integrated chips. Its customers include leading optical module makers and cloud service providers, and its products are already shipping at scale into AI clusters and hyperscale data centers. According to estimates by optical module makers, at the same speed and distance, silicon photonic solutions can reduce total cost by nearly 20% and cut the volume of components within a module by nearly 30%.
Why we recommend it: The source provides cost and volume data for silicon photonics versus discrete components, helping to understand the domestic supply chain for AI data center optical interconnects.
Lightwave has launched a reader poll on the practice of carriers such as AT&T and Verizon converting traditional central office facilities into data centers after shutting down copper-based voice services. Verizon said on its second-quarter earnings call that it is converting central offices to support AI inference.
Salience Labs, a University of Oxford spinout developing photonic chips for AI data centers, announced GBP 95 million in funding to scale mass production of optical circuit switches and expand its presence in Silicon Valley.
Why we recommend it: The source article explains the positioning of optical circuit switching chips for AI data centers, helping understand where optical switching fits in compute networks
Photonics.comOptics industryOptics and AIPicksAI score6161
Salience Labs, which develops photonic chips for AI data center interconnects, has closed an oversubscribed USD 125 million Series B round. The company previously demonstrated a 64-port all-optical silicon photonic circuit switch at ECOC 2026.
Why we recommend it: The source article links the funding to the 64-port all-optical switch demonstration at ECOC, helping assess the commercial progress of silicon photonic optical switching
Photonics.comOptics industryOptics and AIAI score5959
Credo has launched the Short Reach Micro-emitter Optics (SRMO) working group within the Open Compute Project (OCP) to develop specifications for high-speed data center interconnects with industry partners.
