Bringing the World the Latest in Optical Communications News
ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
AI INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH: OPTICAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS | p14
LIGHTING IT UP:
Tim Doiron | p20
PRE-TERMINATED VS. SPLICED CONNECTIONS: Thomas H. Ritz | p24
FTTH INVESTMENT: Vincent Garnier | p22
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CONTENTS
OPTICAL INNOVATION IN THE AI ERA The surge in AI adoption and the rapid growth of data centres is reshaping the global digital landscape, and optical technology sits firmly at the heart of that transformation. Optical connections have become the silent backbone of the AI era, delivering the bandwidth, latency performance, and scalability that modern intelligence systems demand. As AI models expand in size and complexity, they depend on advanced connectivity infrastructure to move large volumes of data between cloud platforms, hyperscale facilities, and emerging edge environments. In many ways, the future of AI innovation is inseparable from the evolution of optical technology. Without resilient, high performance optical foundations and efficient operational strategies, the promise of AI, real time analytics, and autonomous digital ecosystems would remain out of reach. The Spring 2026 edition of Optical Connections captures that transformation in full. In this issue, we examine whether operators should rethink their reliance on NEM optics for data centre builds, explore the power architecture shifts underpinning AI facilities, and investigate the role of ultra thin fibre as density demands intensify. We also look at the growing role of pre connectorized solutions in accelerating deployment and compare pre terminated versus spliced fibre approaches as operators race to keep pace with soaring capacity requirements. And with so much attention focused on AI and data centres, we also highlight why continued FTTH investment remains essential in delivering our future digital needs. We have two major optical connections events arriving in quick succession, with TOP Conference leading the way and OFC following soon after, with each exploring many of the pivotal themes shaping our industry’s next chapter.
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Industry News
Power, Compute, and Fibre. Lee Myall
10 Ultra-Thin Fibre
Amanda Springmann
14 AI Infrastructure Growth Nathan Tracy 16 Pre‑connectorized Solutions Paulo Campos 18 Reliance on NEM Optics George Ashwin 20 AI Data Centres Tim Doiron 22 Continued FTTH Investment Vincent Garnier 24 Pre-terminated vs. Spliced Thomas H. Ritz 26 The Power Architecture Shift Brad Hawkins 29 OFC2026 Preview 30 FTTH Conference 2026 33 Product News
Brian Dolby Editor, Optical Connections
READ ONLINE/SUBSCRIBE: www.opticalconnectionsnews.com FOLLOW US @opconsnews EDITORIAL : editor@opticalconnectionsnews.com ADVERTISING: sales@opticalconnectionsnews.com DESIGN: Antonio Manuel
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ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
INDUSTRY NEWS
Vodafone to boost internet in Greece with 180tbps subsea cable
A new 340-kilometre subsea optical fibre link is set to be built by Vodafone, providing enough capacity to let around 25 million people stream 4K video simultaneously as it connects Crete to mainland Greece. The cable system, called the Thetis Express, will be able to transmit up to 180 terabits of data per second, positing Greece as a key international connectivity hub and subsequently provide a boost to local economy. Vodafone is also building three new high-speed land- based cable systems which together with the subsea route will help position Greece as a major link in Europe’s digital
corridor to other continents. Work has started on the new subsea fibre cable, with the marine survey already underway. The entire system will comprise two marine segments of 129 and 163 kilometres, plus terrestrial connections across the island of Milos and the end points on Crete and in Athens. “Vodafone plays a central role in ensuring Internet traffic flows smoothly and securely worldwide,” said Fanan Henriques, Product and International Business Director, Vodafone Business. “We are now extending this capability to more places in Greece using a mix of new optical fibre terrestrial and subsea cables,
and in the future, emerging satellite services like space- based direct-to-device mobile broadband.” The Thetis Express, together with the complementary terrestrial wholesale routes, will offer third-party providers a wider range of wholesale interconnectivity services to and from Greece to the rest of Europe, as well as Southeast Asia. Wholesale and retail customers will benefit from the ability to quickly switch traffic in the event of a cable break or power failure, alongside quicker interconnection across wide areas – including at a local level – when accessing online services, transmitting data or joining video
conferencing calls. Plans involve linking
the Thetis Express to the expansive 2Africa cable network, which is already connected at Vodafone’s landing station in Crete and will ultimately connect 33 countries throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. Vodafone Greece already operates an extensive subsea and terrestrial network infrastructure in the Aegean
and Ionian Seas. These connect Attica with the
Cyclades islands (Syros, Tinos, Mykonos, Naxos, Paros and Santorini), the Dodecanese (Kos and Rhodes) and Crete, as well as linking Corfu with mainland Greece.
Emtelle to boost fibre output by 5.5m kilometres with Indonesia deal
Perceptra secures €1.2 million to accelerate photonic sensing
Fibre optic manufacturer Emtelle has announced that it has concluded a strategic deal to produce its fibre optic core in Indonesia. According to the company, the initiative will strengthen Emtelle global manufacturing capacity and supply-chain resilience, allowing it to produce an additional 5.5 million fibre kilometres (FKM). This fibre will support the production of Emtelle’s fibre optic product portfolio and will also be supplied to select customers in the United States and Europe, supporting its growing demand across these key markets. The investment reinforces the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable fibre solutions such as IBR, Ribbon, Loose Tube Cables and pre-terminated product ranges at scale. The
Photonic sensing technology developer Perceptra has secured a €1.2 million investment from PhotonDelta to accelerate the development and commercialisation of its next-generation of photonic chip-based Raman sensors. The funding marks the next stage in the collaboration between Perceptra and PhotonDelta, following the company’s success in the 2025 Global Photonics Engineering Contest for its ultra-compact photonic chip-based Raman sensor for real-time molecular monitoring in biomanufacturing. Perceptra’s technology aims to replace bulky dispersive spectrometers with on- chip tuneable lasers. Having demonstrated proof-of- concept, Perceptra will use the funding to develop a first PIC- based version of the system. Launching its innovative solution at the PIC Summit
Indonesian initiative will play a critical role in ensuring continuity of supply, consistent quality, increasing available capacity and providing greater flexibility to satisfy key Global customer’s requirements. The UK-headquartered company, which employs around 800 people worldwide, has existing manufacturing facilities in UK, USA, Germany, UAE and Denmark. “The drawing of fibre in Indonesia is yet another milestone moment in the
Europe 2025 in October, Perceptra demonstrated a working prototype developed in collaboration with PhiX Photonics Assembly and LioniX International. The company is relocating its integrated photonic R&D to the Netherlands to join the vibrant PhotonDelta ecosystem. This will facilitate access to a world-leading infrastructure, research networks, and a large engineering talent pool, enabling Perceptra to advance its technology and scale its business in Europe. “Integrated photonics is redefining what’s possible in molecular sensing, and by joining the PhotonDelta ecosystem in the Netherlands, we will be able to accelerate development, access world- class fabrication, and bring our first photonic sensing products to market,” said Amir Atabaki, CEO and Co-founder of Perceptra.
story of Emtelle,” said Tony Rodgers, CEO of
Emtelle Group. “As global fibre demand continues to accelerate and supply tightens, Emtelle’s investment in fibre drawing capacity significantly strengthens its ability to stay ahead of anticipated market constraints.”
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INDUSTRY NEWS
‘Powering down’ idle CPE could free enough energy to run 70 data centres, says BBF
According to standards organisation The Broadband Forum, its new specification can help save enough energy to run 70 small data centres, by ‘powering down’ Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) when they are not in use. The estimate is based on a study conducted by Orange in 2023. The operator found that turning off the 5GHz radio for 10 hours per day across approximately eleven million of its Livebox subscribers in France would save 64 GWh annually, the equivalent of the annual consumption of a city with 40,000 inhabitants. The figure is based on turning off the Wi-Fi radio only, while the rest of the router (ONU, Ethernet switch, phone port, processor, and power supply) continues to run. Broadband equipment is
one of the ‘quiet constants’ of the connected home, with CPE such as home gateways, repeaters, and set-top boxes often forgotten about in the corner of the home and left to run 24/7. As a result, CPE accounts for around 70% of the energy consumed by fixed broadband networks. The latest extensions embedded in the Broadband
a defining design consideration for broadband equipment,” said SoftAtHome Chief HGW Standardization Architect David Cluytens. “This work from the Broadband Forum reflects a collective global industry effort to align broadband technologies with sustainability objectives, such as those outlined in the French Energy Transition Law for Green Growth”, he continued. The BBF’s TR-181 device data model, when used over a User Services Platform (USP/ TR-369)-enabled network, introduces standardised mechanisms for controlling and monitoring power consumption of embedded network technologies, such as Wi-Fi, Ethernet, USB, xPON, and Thread. The TR-181 device data model allows BSPs to manage
connected devices and ensures interoperability between devices and management software from different vendors. “The latest power saving efforts highlight how the Broadband Forum’s members continue to look for ways to improve economic and environmental sustainability for the industry,” said Broadband Forum CEO Craig Thomas. “The TR-181 update represents a huge step forward for hitting sustainability targets in the years ahead.” Significantly, remote power consumption monitoring for individual hardware components is enabled thanks to the update. The power management capability can be installed as a containerized solution in hardware from different vendors remotely.
Forum’s TR-181 Issue 2 Amendment 20 Data
Model will allow broadband service providers (BSPs) and manufacturers to design and introduce even smarter and more environmentally friendly products, while maintaining a high level of performance and service for customers. “As connected homes grow increasingly sophisticated, energy efficiency is becoming
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ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
INDUSTRY NEWS
Veeco and imec develop 300mm BTO integration on silicon photonics
FTTH Council Europe backs DNA’s copper switch off plan
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer Veeco and research hub imec have figured out a way to integrate barium titanate (BaTiO3 or BTO) onto standard silicon chips used for photonics, using the same large scale, 300mm manufacturing processes used in modern chip factories. BTO’s unique electro optical properties make it ideal for high speed, low power light modulation in emerging applications such as optical transceivers, quantum computing, LiDAR and AR/VR. Crucially, the ability to integrate barium titanate directly onto 300mm silicon photonics chips enables faster, more efficient optical components for data centres, sensors and advanced communications.
The FTTH Council Europe has endorsed the European Commission’s Digital Networks Act (DNA), notably supporting its proposal to phase out copper networks. The industry association stated that the copper-switch off process strikes the right balance between the need to incentivise the take-up of future-proof networks, the necessity to consider national specificities, and avoiding unintended consequences for consumers. It also stated that it is an important driver for investments and that it will positively contribute to the competitiveness of the EU, supporting the digital transition and the enhancement of the Single Market.
Approaches to integrate BTO have historically struggled to meet the desired cost targets to make it viable for high-volume manufacturing, according to the partnership. The new 300mm platform is designed for the epitaxy of BaTiO3 single crystalline thin films on silicon, available with both solid and hybrid Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) solutions. With the integration of these alternative growth techniques, the system will be capable of BTO-on-Si deposition with improved repeatability and at a lower cost than classical MBE methods. At present, there is no commercially available production-compatible solution for manufacturing these materials, said the partnership.
The council also showed support for the DNA maintaining the Significant Market Power (SMP) process, stating that it is critical to supporting investors and enabling the continued development of sustainable competition, for the benefit of consumers. While The FTTH Council Europe welcomed the idea of harmonised access products, stressed that any remedies must first be shaped around national and market specific realities, which differ widely across countries and segments. It argued that National Regulatory Authorities are best placed to set appropriate SMP obligations where needed, ensuring they reflect the particular conditions of each market.
European scientists achieve ultrafast optical switching using atomically thin materials
A team of physicists at the University of Oldenburg have discovered that nanostructure made of silver and an atomically thin semiconductor layer can be turned into an ultrafast switching mirror device that may function as an optical transistor. The advance could pave the way for optical components that operate up to 10,000 times faster than today’s electronic transistors, offering new possibilities for data processing, sensing, and quantum technologies, according to the research published in Nature Nanotechnology. The team’s goal was to find a material whose reflective properties could be manipulated, or “switched”, within a few femtoseconds using a highly focused laser
beam. One femtosecond is equal to one millionth of a billionth of a second. For their experiments the researchers, led by University of Oldenburg physicist Professor Dr. Christoph Lienau, used an ultra-thin silver “nano-slit array”, into the surface of which they milled a grid of parallel grooves of approximately 45 nanometres (or billionths of a metre) in width and depth. Members of the research team from the University of Cambridge (UK) then applied a monolayer of the semiconductor crystal tungsten disulphide just three atoms thick to the surface of this structure. With this combination, the nanostructure displayed an unusual reaction to light. “Taken separately, neither of
the two materials exhibits a switching effect,” said Lienau. However, when combined in a hybrid nanostructure they react very differently to light, turning into what is known as an “active metamaterial”. Light that hits the nanostructure’s surface can then be stored in a hybrid quantum state known as an exciton-plasmon polariton for around 70 femtoseconds before it is reflected. In this state, which exhibits properties of both light and matter, the light propagates across the surface of the semiconductor layer in the form of plasmon waves, producing a strong interaction with the bound electron-hole pairs of the semiconductor layer, the excitons. The researchers used an external laser pulse to modify
the strength of the interaction between the excitons and plasmon waves. They were already able to change the brightness of the reflected light by up to 10 percent in their first experiments – a surprisingly high value that could potentially be further boosted with optimised materials. Authors of the study, Dr. Daniel Timmer from the University of Oldenburg’s Institute of Physics and Dr. Moritz Gittinger investigated the effect using two- dimensional electronic spectroscopy (2DES). This complex technique makes it possible for scientists to observe quantum physical interactions with a time resolution of just a few femtoseconds, as if they were watching a film.
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LUNAR with HEC-QR connector: dynamic duo for fast, flexible fiber rollouts R&M’s pre-con LUNAR box is factory-assembled, fully tested, and shipped ready to install. Built around the IP68-rated HEC-QR Quick Release connector, it offers high packing density and a space-saving design versus standard boxes. LUNAR supports applications from FTTH expansion, small cell and aerial networks to industrial/production facilities and data centers. SC, LC, or MPO connectors are available in port-to-port or splitter configurations, with mounting and overlength management accessories for wall, tower, and aerial installations. Reliable, robust, cost-efficient, with true plug-and-play connectivity, LUNAR is part of R&M’s fully integrated system.
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ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
LEE MYALL POWER, COMPUTE, AND FIBRE
THE UK’S AI AMBITIONS DEPEND ON A TRIFECTA: POWER, COMPUTE, AND FIBRE. The UK’s AI ambitions are increasingly defined by the number of data centre announcements. Media headlines emphasise megawatts, land, and GPU counts, with significant levels of investment seemingly announced every day. The subtext is clear: those that win in the next phase of international competition will be those that can build the largest compute clusters the fastest, writes Neos Networks CEO Lee Myall . A nd there is truth in that. AI does demand unprecedented compute. But there is a growing disconnect between discussions about AI infrastructure readiness Inference is even more network- dependent than many realise. Today’s AI services do not work in single steps: they collate data, assess context, and personalise responses while connecting to multiple systems in real time. That generates increasing east-west traffic, not just user- to-server but between different services, platforms and sites.
environments and is strategic for national resilience. But for the core requirements of AI-driven data centres (high-capacity long- haul transport, metro aggregation, and data centre interconnect (DCI)), fibre remains irreplaceable. Networks between data centres are not just dumb pipes, supporting AI workloads, datasets, and services to move smoothly across sites. As organisations spread AI across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, fast and reliable DCI becomes a real advantage and needs to be designed much earlier than it is today. A single fibre path into a site can easily become a bottleneck or a single point of failure. For AI workloads, resilience needs to be built in from the outset, with route diversity and proper capacity planning. THE INVESTMENT MISMATCH: FIBRE MATTERS MOST WHEN IT IS INVISIBLE Despite the evidence, fibre is still often seen as supporting infrastructure, not a gating factor that determines whether a data centre can go live at all. This is likely because data centre investment is more visible, whether it is land acquired, megawatts planned or jobs created. Fibre is less flashy and more operationally complex, which makes it harder to communicate. As a result, there is not enough awareness that fibre is the layer that turns AI ambition into deployable, scalable infrastructure. The UK is already suffering from timelines being out of sync. As data centre developers accelerate expansion plans, fibre availability (and importantly, fibre readiness in the right corridors) is not always being planned with the same urgency. Recent research from
and actual AI workloads. Despite compute being the engine, AI is ultimately a network workload. It relies on distributed datasets, distributed compute, and constant east-west traffic between systems and sites. All in all, the foundation of AI-led growth is not just power and silicon; it is a trifecta that includes high-capacity fibre connectivity. The risk for the UK is not that it underinvests in data centres. It is that it invests out of sequence, eagerly building large-scale capacity without the optical fibre networks necessary to connect, scale and operate them reliably. AI IS A NETWORK WORKLOAD To see why fibre matters so much, a clearer understanding of how AI actually works is required. Traditional workloads could tolerate a degree of network variability, largely because they were contained within a single environment, such as an office, a regional data centre, or a single cloud region. But AI changes that pattern. AI workloads are inherently distributed. Training LLMs requires moving vast datasets between storage and compute, coordinating work across clusters, and keeping hundreds (or thousands) of machines in lockstep. While compute sits in one location, the data it depends on often does not. Datasets and model checkpoints travel between enterprise environments, clouds and specialist AI infrastructure providers.
In short, AI has three important consequences for connectivity: 1. Network performance directly shapes application performance. When a network is slow or inconsistent, the AI application is too, and customers feel it immediately. 2. Resilience is no longer optional. AI services rely on multiple systems and locations combined. If any link fails, performance suffers. 3. Scaling needs to be fast and flexible. Demand can spike overnight, so connectivity needs to be easy to add, reroute and upgrade. That said, AI is creating a different kind of traffic, with far less tolerance for delay or instability. It is resetting the standard for good connectivity.
FIBRE IS THE CONNECTIVITY WORKHORSE OF AI INFRASTRUCTURE
But not all connectivity is created equal, and fibre is the only medium that offers the combination of scale, predictability and resilience that AI demands. Of course, other connectivity options also play a part. Fixed wireless access and 5G can be valuable for specific last-mile use cases and for rapid deployment, and satellite is increasingly important for remote
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LEE MYALL POWER, COMPUTE, AND FIBRE
Neos Networks found that 82% of UK data centre operators have delayed site builds or expansions due to fibre availability. The result is a growing risk of mis-sequencing. Data centres may look ready on the surface but experience delays, constrained go-live capacity, or costly retrofits because the optical foundations are not in place early enough. The industry desperately needs to shift the conversation from coverage to readiness. National fibre availability tells us very little about whether AI infrastructure can really scale in practice. What is crucial is whether the right corridors and clusters have the capacity, diversity, and provisioning speed to bring new sites online without friction. WHY THIS IS NOT ANOTHER RECKLESS FIBRE BOOM There is the argument that if fibre is so critical, the solution is simply to build more of it. However, the market has learned hard lessons from previous infrastructure cycles, and that experience is shaping today’s investment behaviour. In the early 2000s, the industry underwent a fibre overbuild cycle driven by speculative optimism. Networks were hastily deployed ahead of real utilisation. The result was stranded assets, collapsing returns, and a painful correction. Today’s environment is fundamentally different. Capital is more expensive, investors are less tolerant of speculative build, and both operators and infrastructure providers are under pressure to prove demand-led deployment rather than footprint for footprint’s sake. And AI itself is reinforcing that discipline. Rather than being distributed evenly, AI demand concentrates in specific corridors, including hyperscale data centre clusters, cloud on-ramps, interconnect hubs, and emerging AI Growth Zones. Recent research once again proved this trend, with 96% of UK data centre operators saying that AI Growth Zones are influencing expansion and site selection. There is also strong signals for geographical diversification, with more operators pointing to the North of England and the Midlands (39%) for new investment (greater than the 23% of operators expecting growth in established hubs in Greater London). That means the smartest investment is not about building the broadest footprint, but targeting optical fibre readiness – capacity, diversity and scalability – in the places AI workloads will actually land. A CASE STUDY IN STRATEGIC BUILD: PROJECT REACH An example of this disciplined approach is Neos Network’s partnership with Network Rail on Project Reach, which leverages the mainland UK railway network to deploy new
high-count fibre along critical corridors. Project Reach enables faster and less disruptive builds, avoiding the complexity of wayleaves, road closures and local authority coordination that can delay traditional deployments in the highway. It also improves predictability, with structured build windows supporting more accurate delivery timelines, increasingly valuable when data centre energisation schedules depend on connectivity infrastructure being ready on time too. And by focusing investment on backbone routes that connect key regions and interconnect points, Project Reach aligns fibre delivery with real market demand, helping ensure high performance fibre infrastructure is built where AI infrastructure growth is being realised. The principle is broadly applicable: reduce friction, build where demand is forming, and prioritise readiness over raw route kilometres. HOW THE INDUSTRY CAN IMPROVE OPTICAL READINESS None of this can be solved by fibre builders alone. The optical ecosystem, which includes vendors, operators, data centre providers, standards bodies, and policymakers, all have a significant role in making optical infrastructure more scalable, interoperable and faster to deploy. Several themes are becoming increasingly important as AI data centre demand grows: 1. Interoperability and standards as foundations AI data centres must communicate across diverse environments and provider networks. Using standardised protocols ensures these links remain stable and manageable as capacity increases. For example, open optical standards such as Open ROADM, standardised pluggables and common management interfaces allow data centre operators to light capacity across different vendors’ equipment and multiple networks without complex bespoke integration. This makes it far easier to scale interconnect capacity, introduce new hardware generations, or reroute traffic as AI clusters expand. Following industry standards simplifies the integration of different hardware and software, making hardware refreshes faster and allowing for more flexible routing. In a shifting market, this prevents vendor lock- in and ensures the infrastructure can be reconfigured as needs change. 2. Automation and faster provisioning The AI era demands an operational model that enables connectivity to be provisioned and scaled more quickly than traditional telecoms processes allow. Optical provisioning and service activation increasingly need to move closer to a cloud-like experience: fast, predictable, and controllable.
Automation is a key lever here. Not just to improve efficiency, but to enable a completely different consumption model for fibre connectivity. 3. Visibility and observability As dependencies grow, assurance becomes critical. AI workloads require predictable performance, and operators need deeper optical visibility to maintain it. Observability, including richer telemetry and proactive monitoring, is becoming a central part of meeting resilience expectations. In practice, this means having real-time insight into optical signal quality, latency, packet loss and utilisation across routes and interconnects, rather than relying solely on fault alarms after something breaks. With this level of visibility, operators can detect degradation early and reroute traffic or add capacity before AI workloads are impacted. 4. Resilience by design Finally, resilience is not an add-on feature. Data centre connectivity architectures must be designed for diversity from the outset: multiple routes, multiple interconnect options, and clear failover capability. AI won’t tolerate fragile connectivity. WHAT THE UK CAN LEARN, AND WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE Other regions that have succeeded in scaling data centre capacity at pace have tended to tightly align infrastructure planning. Fibre, power, planning permissions and interconnect ecosystems are treated as connected parts of a single readiness strategy. The choice is not between data centres and fibre. We need to stop running them as two separate workstreams on separate timelines. Because AI infrastructure only works when the fundamentals move together – power, planning and optical connectivity – and when readiness is designed in from the start, not bolted on after the build. Now is the time to turn ambition into execution. If we focus on the corridors where demand is actually forming, build in resilience and route diversity, and ensure common standards and interoperability from the outset, we can scale capacity quickly as demand evolves. We can build an AI powerhouse. Lee Myall, CEO, Neos Networks Lee Myall joined Neos Networks in September 2023 as CEO. His goal is to drive continued growth and value for Neos Networks, ensuring it continues to be a leading telecoms and digital infrastructure provider for UK businesses. Lee has spent nearly 25 years in privately funded technology businesses. Prior to joining Neos Networks, Lee held many senior roles including CEO of leading data centre operator, Kao Data, CCO of Epsilon and various senior roles at Interoute.
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AMANDA SPRINGMANN ULTRA-THIN FIBRE
ULTRA-THIN FIBRE: WHY IT MATTERS FOR DUCTS,
DATA CENTRES, AND SUSTAINABILITY Network build teams are being squeezed from all sides. There’s a growing demand for fibre, to keep up with FTTH expansion and AI-driven data-centre growth. However, they also need to consider the physical limits of ducts, risers, trays, manholes and patching space to consider – as well as environmental factors. Ultra-thin fibres, currently available as slim as 160µm, can provide a solution, writes Prysmian Datacenter Business Development Director Amanda Springmann . E xactly what is an ‘ultra-thin’ fibre? In almost all modern single-mode fibre, the glass diameter remains 125µm. What changes is the diameter of the polymer coating - are not optimised. Extending the optical field width at higher wavelengths makes the fibre more sensitive to bending. This ended up in the ITU-T Recommendations and IEC standards with the current requirement of a maximum added loss of 0.1 dB at 1625 nm for 100 turns with a 30 mm radius. But fibre optic networks are a long- term investment, and solutions must be considered carefully. When selecting a solution, it is essential that it is fully compliant with G.652 and G.657.A2, compatible with legacy single- mode fibre, and capable of supporting
the protective layer. That introduces a significant geometry benefit: the cross- sectional area is reduced by more than half compared to traditional 250µm fibres, enabling smaller, higher-count cable designs. These are ideal for constrained spaces such as underground ducts, POPs, edge facilities, buildings, and data centres. New cabling systems with a high degree of fibre density offer a rapidly deployable, more reliable, more cost-effective solution. However, there is an engineering catch: shrinking the fibre can increase the risk of microbend issues. As cable cores become denser and diameters shrink, fibres experience tighter routing and higher local pressures. These conditions increase macro- and micro-bending losses if the fibre and coating system
tight bends and mechanical reliability. Fibres as slim as 160µm only become useful at scale if bend performance remains robust. Otherwise, density gains will be offset by tighter loss budgets, extra handling constraints, or operational variability. SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS Reducing cabling diameter can cut plastic and carbon. There is a direct materials reduction. A thinner coating uses less polymer per fibre-km. With 125µm glass: • 200µm coating, with polymer cross- section area proportional to π (100² − 62.5²) • 160µm coating, with polymer cross- section area proportional to π (80² − 62.5²) That works out to ~59% less coating polymer area going from 200µm to 160µm. The glass stays constant and only the polymer is reduced. At the “total fibre” cross-section level, 160 vs 200 is 36% less area (160/200)² = 0.64 ). Reduced coating diameter can reduce plastic demand—especially meaningful when multiplied across hundreds to thousands
Therefore, correctly specified bend- insensitive fibre cables are crucial for the shift towards flexible and reliable connectivity. With their extreme fibre count and reduced diameter, they also make installation faster and more cost effective. Bend resistance allows the use of smaller loop guides upon installation and reduces the bend radius of splice trays: connectivity devices become smaller, saving even more space. In dynamic network environments, bend resistance can also extend the expected network lifetime by improving repair resilience. Next-generation WDM-PON drives the need for bend-insensitive fibres as part of FTTx and 5G mobile networks.
1728 FlexRibbon
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AMANDA SPRINGMANN ULTRA-THIN FIBRE
THE CASE FOR 160µm FIBRE FOR SUSTAINABILITY, ROLLOUTS AND DATA CENTRES In short, 160µm bend-insensitive fibre opens the door to record-setting cable density and further miniaturisation for constrained environments, bringing advantages in several key areas. • Sustainability: smaller designs reduce polymer usage and can reduce transport/logistics footprint; Prysmian’s published “smaller + recycled materials” concepts show quantified plastic and CO₂ benefits. • Access network rollouts: duct congestion makes reduced-diameter cables a practical rollout lever, not a theoretical nice-to-have. • Data centres: ribbon and rollable- ribbon demand is accelerating; high-density indoor systems (and pre- terminated assemblies) are becoming a deployment strategy, but they also stress supply chains across regions.
Prysmian Group Sirocco-HD Cable
of fibres per cable. There are also system- level sustainability gains. Sustainability performance for smaller-diameter fibre network solutions has been quantified, and found the following can be realised: • ~50% reduction in plastic volume • ~31% CO₂ savings for transport • Up to ~70% reduction in reels/drums usage Of course, one of the biggest carbon savings comes from avoiding civil works. For access networks, the dominant footprint frequently comes from construction and rework (blocked ducts, new trenches, extra chambers). Miniaturised, high-density cables help by increasing the likelihood of reusing existing pathways and by enabling microduct or overblow strategies that reduce heavy civils. In this way, microduct cables are a way to unlock network efficiency and help deployments in space- limited environments. DUCT CONGESTION MAKES ‘ULTRA-THIN’ A REAL ADVANTAGE The UK continues to see growth in full- fibre coverage and rollout momentum. In practice, that rollout regularly hits brownfield constraints such as congested ducts, blocked routes, limited chamber space, and the realities of sharing infrastructure. Congestion is a tangible deployment bottleneck, making smaller- diameter or higher-density approaches a lever to increase utilisation of existing pathways. When duct capacity - not fibre count - is the constraint, reducing cable diameter becomes a direct enabler of rollout velocity. This is where 160µm-enabled cable miniaturisation brings considerable benefits: by shrinking the cable footprint, operators can pack more fibres into a given duct size—or keep the same fibre count while gaining headroom to
accommodate bends, pulling forces, and easier routing. The smaller form factor enables more viable microduct bundle configurations when working with tight or congested ducts. Most importantly, it improves the likelihood that new capacity will easily “fit” through legacy duct routes, reducing the risk of surprises on site and helping avoid costly civil works escalation. DESIGNING FOR HIGHER SPEEDS IN A CONSTRAINED, CAPACITY- DRIVEN WORLD AI-driven architectures are pushing higher port speeds and denser optical interconnect. At the same time, there are space restrictions (such as legacy raceways, ducts, and manholes), rising fibre volumes, and the move toward smaller, denser cables and connectors. For indoor or data centre builds, the value proposition is not only density - installation time and risk reduction are also key. As a result, ribbon fibre is an attractive option at the cabling layer because it combines high fibre counts with fast mass fusion splicing. With a rollable-ribbon approach, intermittent bonding can help pack more fibre into a smaller cable footprint. Market analyst CRU Group forecasts data centre optical cable demand as a growing slice of total global optical cable demand for the foreseeable future. There is a shortage in fibre cable markets and the knock-on effects on pricing and delivery schedules, with Europe cited among the regions impacted in prior shortage cycles. As hyperscale data-centre builds and rural broadband programmes pull on the same high- density cable capacity, lead times can tighten globally, and availability can be affected even when local demand has not peaked. It is important to plan ahead right now.
Amanda Springmann, Prysmian Datacenter Business Development Director
www.opticalconnectionsnews.com
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SPONSORED FEATURE ZTE
Full-Band OTN Leader, Ushering in a New Chapter for Optical Networks
T he digital wave is surging forward, with digital network traffic, and in turn, drives optical networks – the ‘invisible artery’ of digital civilization – to exhibit three major development trends. Firstly, ultra-high bandwidth transport demands, such as those for cross-regional computing power collaboration, are accelerating the transition of optical networks from 400G towards a new Tbit-level era. Secondly, the deep integration of AI large model technology with optical networks is speeding up the evolution of optical networks towards higher- order autonomous capabilities. Thirdly, to overcome the transport performance bottleneck of traditional silica optical fibers, the industry is actively exploring novel hollow-core fiber transport systems to enable ultra-high bandwidth, ultra-long distance, and ultra-low latency transport. In this technological transformation, the most critical aspect is the enhancement of system capacity. To achieve accelerated speeds without technologies like AI, big data, and intelligent manufacturing rapidly developing. This leads to an explosive growth in reducing the number of wavelengths, the optical network’s operational spectrum has expanded to include both C and L bands. Current C/L segregated systems still have room for improvement in aspects such as wavelength scheduling, integration, and low-carbon operation. Facing these challenges, ZTE has continuously innovated, taking the lead in launching the full-band OTN solution. This solution integrates numerous advantages including ultra-large
capacity, full-band scheduling, and a minimalist architecture, enabling it to provide customers with an even more superior value experience. Regarding ultra-large capacity, by combining 12THz integration with flexible shaping algorithms, the solution achieves a single-fiber hundred-terabit
Over the past year, ZTE, in collaboration with operators, has conducted a series of C+L full-band OTN lab and live network tests, setting multiple records and providing crucial references for future network deployment and optimization. In the future, ZTE will continue to sail
transport system, boosting capacity by 25%. This provides robust bandwidth assurance for massive data transport. In terms of full-band scheduling, the solution adopts a tunable spectral width twice that of the industry standard, enabling C+L full-band non-blocking scheduling. This improves resource utilization by 100%, truly achieving zero wavelength waste and significantly enhancing network O&M convenience. Concerning the minimalist architecture, the full-band integrated architecture reduces the number of optical boards by 20% and compresses the variety of spare parts by 50%. This saves space and lowers CapEx, building a leaner and greener operational model for operators.
with “open cooperation” and paddle with “continuous innovation,” working hand-in-hand with industry partners to jointly promote standard formulation and scenario innovation. This will build a more efficient, flexible, and reliable optical network ecosystem, laying a solid “optical foundation” for the sustainable development of the global digital economy.
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| ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
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Enables slimmer, lighter, high-count cables that install faster and travel further More fibres thanks to a >50% cross-sectional area reduction vs 250 µm fibres
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ISSUE 43 | Q1 2026
NATHAN TRACY OPTICAL STANDARDS
THE BACKBONE OF AI INFRASTRUCTURE GROWTH OPTICAL INDUSTRY STANDARDS AI’s rapid rise has placed unprecedented demands on data centre networks, interconnect fabrics, and compute systems. With AI workloads defined by massive data movement, compute-intensive training, and latency-sensitive inference, the challenge goes far beyond faster compute chips and accelerators. What is needed is an efficient, standardised infrastructure to move data quickly and reliably between components, says OIF President Nathan Tracy . A t the heart of this infrastructure are industry standards, technical specifications and interfaces that ensure devices from different Reliability standards set expectations for performance margins, error rates, signal integrity, and diagnostics. This ensures systems behave predictably under strain. Standard interfaces allow commodity supply chains, volume manufacturing, and broader vendor competition to drive down system-level costs. optics, where optical components are placed in close thermal and mechanical proximity to switching silicon. This blurs the line between networking and compute, complicating traditional modular approaches.
vendors can communicate seamlessly, reliably, and cost-effectively. Without standards, innovation would be siloed within proprietary systems, leading to fragmentation, vendor lock-in, higher costs, and slower developing or incomplete ecosystems. WHY DO STANDARDS MATTER? AI infrastructure is not just about faster processors. The real performance gains depend on how data moves between accelerators (e.g., GPUs, TPUs, AI ASICs), memory and storage, networking fabric, and remote data centres. This data movement involves optical and electrical interfaces, transceivers, backplanes, cables, and integrated modules. A single AI workload may cascade across dozens of servers, hundreds of switches, and thousands of optical links. Performance also relies on software tools and platforms that create, process, manage, and automate workloads and network operations. Standards matter because they ensure interoperability, enable scalability, guarantee reliability, and lower system-level cost. Interoperability ensures components like pluggable modules and chips from different vendors work together seamlessly. This reduces investment risk and accelerates the deployment of AI infrastructure. Scalability is not just about adding more compute. It is about supporting higher raw bandwidth links, increased bandwidth density and more complex topologies without redesigning systems from scratch.
Fragmented ecosystem without standards
THE CHALLENGES However, establishing standards that meet the dynamic needs of AI is non-trivial. The AI infrastructure has unique demands, which presents several challenges in standardising AI interconnect. Exploding bandwidth needs As AI models balloon in size and distributed training workloads proliferate, networks must handle Terabits per second (Tbps) of data across nodes. Traditional Ethernet or InfiniBand approaches strain under such loads without advancements in physical layer technologies. Power and thermal constraints Higher performance links consume more power and generate heat. Standards must create pathways for efficient, low-power signalling and advanced cooling, especially as devices pack more capability in smaller footprints. Signal integrity at high speeds At data rates beyond 112 and 224 Gbps per lane, maintaining clean signals over copper and optical media is challenging. Electrical noise, crosstalk, and loss become significant hurdles. Co-Packaging and integration trends To reduce latency and increase bandwidth, there is growing emphasis on co-packaged
Without industry-level coordination, proprietary interfaces could proliferate, slowing adoption and limiting multi-vendor ecosystems. Addressing these challenges requires standards that evolve with technology, and that is where organisations like the OIF play a pivotal role. The OIF is an industry body focused on defining implementation agreements (IA) and interoperability specifications for optical, electrical and related management interfaces. COHERENT OPTICS FOR LONG- HAUL AND HIGH-CAPACITY CONNECTIVITY Coherent optical technology uses advanced modulation and digital signal processing (DSP) to push hundreds of gigabits of data per wavelength across long distances. While coherent optics originated in carrier networks, AI data centres, cloud providers, and hyperscalers increasingly leverage coherent links for inter-data centre connectivity, high-capacity aggregation, efficient scaling to 400Gbps, 800Gbps and beyond. OIF has driven the evolution of coherent optics, transforming it from specialised, high-cost, long-haul technology into standardised, pluggable, and interoperable solutions for campus, metro, and data centre interconnect. OIF IAs have facilitated the migration from 100G to 400G and
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NATHAN TRACY OPTICAL STANDARDS
800G (with 1.6Tb in process) in transceivers enabling the direct integration of coherent optics into switches and routers. These interfaces help AI providers interconnect distributed compute clusters and storage resources with predictable performance. CEI - HIGH-SPEED ELECTRICAL INTERFACES FOR AI SYSTEMS Electrical interfaces remain foundational inside AI systems — connecting switching ASICs, accelerators, retimers, and optical modules across boards, packages, and short-reach interconnects. As AI workloads push aggregate bandwidth into the multi- terabit range, the performance of these electrical links becomes a determining factor for system scalability, power efficiency, and reliability. The Common Electrical Interface (CEI) specifications developed by OIF define standardised, high-speed electrical signalling parameters that enable interoperable communication between components, independent of vendor implementation. CEI IA’s have been the cornerstone of high-speed networking, enabling the evolution of data rates from 6Gbps to 224Gbps, and now laying the groundwork for 448Gbps standards. To enable 448G electrical specifications, IAs will consider new higher performance twinax media and interconnects such as cabled host co-packaged copper (CPC) interconnects mating directly onto switch and accelerator packages. For AI infrastructure, where switches and accelerators must exchange massive volumes of data with higher density and extremely low latency, CEI plays a crucial role. High-speed SerDes links built to CEI specifications allow designers to scale bandwidth predictably while maintaining acceptable bit error rates and thermal envelopes. CEI ensures that the electrical foundation of AI systems can keep pace with the rapid expansion of compute and networking demands. EEI - ENERGY EFFICIENT INTERFACES FOR SUSTAINABLE AI GROWTH As AI infrastructure scales, power consumption has emerged as one of the most significant constraints on system growth. Training large models and operating hyperscale AI clusters require enormous energy resources, making efficiency at every layer of the infrastructure critical. Recognising this challenge, OIF has focused on Energy Efficient Interfaces (EEI) to address the growing need for reduced power per bit without sacrificing performance. EEI refers to interface approaches and specifications that prioritise energy efficiency as a first-class design objective,
particularly for short-reach and high-density interconnects used in AI systems. Rather than focusing solely on raw bandwidth. In AI environments, where thousands of links operate simultaneously, even small efficiency improvements at the interface level can translate into substantial reductions in total power draw and cooling requirements. OIF’s work around EEI helps the industry converge on common expectations for how energy efficiency is measured, achieved, and balanced against performance. This shared framework enables vendors to innovate while still maintaining interoperability and predictable system behaviour. Key OIF EEI project milestones include establishing a framework to define user- driven, energy-efficient requirements for AI. The 112G Retimed Transmitter Linear Receiver (RTLR) IA balances the power benefits of Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) with better signal integrity. By addressing energy efficiency at the interface level, EEI supports the long-term viability of AI infrastructure, ensuring that performance gains remain economically and environmentally sustainable. CO-PACKAGING - BRINGING OPTICS CLOSE TO SILICON Co-packaged optics is emerging as a key innovation to overcome bandwidth and power limitations of traditional modular pluggable optics. Instead of having optical modules connected via cables or pluggable cages on switch boards, optical transceivers are tightly integrated with the switching ASIC’s die or package. This drastically shortens electrical paths, reducing power, improving latency, and enabling higher aggregate bandwidth. OIF has been at the forefront of defining test criteria, architectural options, and interface points for co-packaged optics. This work helps vendors avoid reinventing basic interconnect layers and enables industry alignment on how such systems should communicate. OIF’s initial Co- Packaging framework established the need for interoperability, defined key application spaces, and identified a need for External Laser Sources (ELS) to address thermal issues. Subsequent work resulted in IA’s for 3.2Tbps CPO and CPC optical and electrical co-packaged modules and External Laser Small Form Factor Pluggable (ELSFP). By creating a shared foundation for co-packaged optics, OIF accelerates ecosystem readiness and broader adoption in AI data centres. CMIS - MANAGING COMPLEX, HIGH- SPEED OPTICAL MODULES As optical modules become more sophisticated — supporting advanced diagnostics, multi-mode operation, and tunable parameters — there is a growing
need for a standardised management interface that systems can use to configure and monitor devices. The Common Management Interface Specification (CMIS) defines a common language for managing complex, high- speed optical modules, enabling greater interoperability, diagnostics, and firmware updates. OIF has evolved CMIS into a family of specs for diverse applications, including Coherent-CMIS (C-CMIS). Without CMIS, each vendor might expose its own management interface, leading to complexity in management software, higher integration costs, and operational risk. CMIS, together with physical interface standards, ensures AI infrastructure maintains high uptime with predictable performance. STANDARDS ARE THE BACKBONE OF THE AI INFRASTRUCTURE As AI reshapes industries and society, the infrastructure that supports it must be reliable, scalable, and interoperable. Industry standards are pivotal to achieving this vision. From coherent optics that deliver high- capacity links, to CEI and EEI interfaces that enable high-speed signalling, to co-packaged optics that blur the lines between compute and networking, and CMIS that brings consistent management across devices, standards ensure that the AI ecosystem functions as a cohesive whole. Without these shared specifications, the AI revolution could devolve into a patchwork of proprietary approaches, stifling innovation and elevating cost. Instead, by leaning into industry collaboration, open specifications, and interoperability-focused engineering, the AI infrastructure stack can continue its rapid growth, driven not by silos, but by shared standards that benefit the entire ecosystem.
Nathan Tracy, Technologist, System Architecture Team at TE Connectivity; OIF President
www.opticalconnectionsnews.com
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