The 2026 Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) in Los Angeles brought together researchers and industry players. Folks showcased the next wave of optical technologies powering quantum networking, AI workloads, and hyperscale data-center connectivity.
This post highlights the most impactful announcements, from high-capacity coherent links to silicon photonics manufacturing and all-optical switching. Let’s dig into what these mean for the broader telecommunications and data center ecosystems.
Key themes and major announcements at OFC 2026
Coherent technologies kept pushing capacity, reach, and integration. Testing, packaging, and interoperability stayed central to scaling next‑gen networks.
A recurring thread: companies kept pushing to commercialize advanced photonics alongside traditional fiber-optic systems. That’s helping with faster deployment and more reliable operation in fiber-constrained environments.
Coherent unveils a dual-laser QSFP28-DCO for bidirectional 100G over a single fiber
Coherent introduced a dual-laser QSFP28-DCO module that enables bidirectional 100G coherent transmission over just one fiber. This design extends reach up to 300 km and offers up to a 10x capacity upgrade compared to legacy 10G bidirectional links.
The module should be generally available from March 2026. It’s a practical step toward denser, longer-reach data paths in data centers and metro networks.
Viavi demonstrates an AI fabric‑aware test portfolio and advanced measurement tools
Viavi highlighted a broad test portfolio for AI-driven networks, including 1.6T Ethernet, silicon photonics measurement, and PCIe-over-optics. Their automated network test platforms stood out.
They showed off a hollow-core fiber test solution and new INX 700 connector probes for high-density, high-bandwidth validation. An edge AI-enabled distributed acoustic sensing product and a high-density OSFP test platform for 1.6T testing really put the spotlight on scalable verification as networks approach tera-scale performance.
AIM Photonics presents manufacturing capabilities and a roadmap for scalable U.S.-based integrated photonics
AIM Photonics used OFC to show its ongoing U.S.-based manufacturing capabilities and a roadmap for scalable photonics production. They focused on PICs (photonic integrated circuits), co-packaged optics, packaging and heterogeneous integration, and design automation.
These are critical for bringing complex photonics to volume manufacturing and domestic supply chains.
Advances in materials, photonic platforms, and all‑optical switching
Caltech researchers reported a CMOS‑compatible germanium‑doped silica photonic platform. It maintains fiber-like efficiency across wavelengths from visible to telecom bands.
This approach enables lower loss, large mode areas, and improved laser coherence. That’s a big deal for photonic quantum systems and other applications that need robust, scalable photonics on a chip-to-fiber path.
Salience Labs unveils an all‑optical 32‑port circuit switch
Salience Labs introduced an all‑optical 32‑port circuit switch. They’ve got plans for 64- and 128-port variants down the line.
The tech targets lower latency, reduced power, and fewer bottlenecks in AI data centers. It enables large‑scale GPU interconnects without electronics getting in the way.
3M expands Expanded Beam Optical interconnect manufacturing
3M announced a big expansion of U.S. manufacturing capacity for its Expanded Beam Optical interconnect technology. The move responds to the growing demands of high‑density AI data centers.
It aims to boost connection reliability and dust resistance in dense deployment scenarios.
Interoperability, collaboration, and industry momentum
Several exhibitors stressed interoperability and industry collaboration. They demonstrated alongside partners like the Ethernet Alliance, Amphenol, and Celestica.
These partnerships highlight a shared focus on standards, test methods, and scalable supply chains. It’s what lets diverse components and systems work together as networks move toward coherent, silicon‑photonic, and all‑optical switching paradigms.
What this means for the future of fiber networks and data centers
The OFC 2026 lineup hints at a near-term surge in big changes for fiber infrastructure. Coherent, silicon photonic, and all‑optical switching technologies are inching closer to commercialization as the industry tries to tackle bandwidth, reach, and operational headaches in hyperscale settings.
Domestic manufacturing is on the rise. We’re seeing stronger test ecosystems and a real focus on standardized interoperability.
All these moves are laying the groundwork for quantum networking, AI-powered data-center fabrics, and fiber networks that are just more reliable and scalable—finally.
- Higher capacity and longer reach through bidirectional 100G coherent links and advanced transceivers
- Scale-up of silicon photonics and PIC manufacturing in the U.S.
- All-optical switching for AI workloads to cut latency and lower energy per bit
- Stronger emphasis on testing and interoperability to speed up deployment and boost reliability
Here is the source article for this story: OFC 2026: new launches round-up, part II