Research firm TrendForce says demand from AI data centers, cross‑data‑center interconnects and high‑capacity backbone builds will widen the global optical‑fiber supply gap to about 180 mln core‑km by 2026. The report warns supply tightness could push finished optical‑fiber spot prices up 2.8–5x or more YoY, and notes telecom vendors are shifting procurement from short‑term purchases to longer‑term contracts to lock in supply.

2026-10-19

Research firm TrendForce says demand from AI data centers, cross‑data‑center interconnects and high‑capacity backbone builds will widen the global optical‑fiber supply gap to about 180 mln core‑km by 2026. The report warns supply tightness could push finished optical‑fiber spot prices up 2.8–5x or more YoY, and notes telecom vendors are shifting procurement from short‑term purchases to longer‑term contracts to lock in supply.