100G optical transceiver sales to double up over next two years says Infonetics

The next two years will see sales of 100-Gbps optical transceivers boom, doubling this year and next, according to Infonetics Research. Prospects for most other high-speed modules aren’t bad either, the market research firm reports in its newly released 10G/40G/100G Optical Transceivers report.

"100G optical transceivers arrived in force in 2012, with virtually every vendor fielding a solution. Though the market is nascent and the growth rate will slow, coherent 100G shipments are on track to more than double in 2013 and again in 2014," says Andrew Schmitt, principal analyst for optical at Infonetics Research.

"2012 likely was the peak year for 40G WDM, but QSFP-based enterprise applications are ramping nicely," Schmitt adds. The report predicts that shipments of 40G QSFP long- and short-reach devices will triple this year. Meanwhile, the overall market for 40G coherent modules is declining (except in Japan), as 100G coherent deployments accelerate in China and elsewhere.

The global optical transceiver market overall enjoyed a healthy 2012, growing 10% to $1.63 billion. In addition to 100G modules, tunable XFPs were big winners, with shipments more than doubling. Prices fell for these devices, the report notes. Nevertheless, Infonetics sees the market for tunable XFPs continuing to expand. Unit shipments should grow at a 36% CAGR from 2012 to 2017, driven by the continued strength of the 10G metro market, Infonetics predicts.

The report tracks 10-, 40-, and 100-Gigabit optical transceivers sold into the optical transport, enterprise, data center, broadband access, and carrier routing and switching markets. It provides analysis, worldwide market size, and forecasts through 2017 for revenue and units shipped for more than 50 categories of optical transceivers -- by module speed, reach, wavelength, and form factor.

For more information on transceivers and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.