More than half of data center switch ports to be 100G+ by 2024: Dell’Oro
More than half of the data center switch ports shipped in 2024 will operate at data rates of 100 Gbps or greater, predicts Dell’Oro Group in a new report. The high-speed port shipments will occur within the context of an overall market in 2024 of more than 60 million ports shipped, the market research firm states in its new Ethernet Switch – Data Center Five Year Forecast Report.
While 100-Gbps ports have shipped for some time, Dell’Oro analysts expect deliveries of 400-Gbps ports will begin to ramp by the end of this year and into early 2021. These 400-Gbps ports will be followed at some point during the forecast period by 800-Gbps ports. Ports at 400 Gbps and greater will compose more than 25% of shipments by 2024, Dell’Oro predicts.
“800 Gbps, 400 Gbps, as well as new waves of 100 Gbps will be enabled by faster SerDes technologies and higher -speed optics,” said Sameh Boujelbene, senior director at Dell’Oro. “Optics will continue to play a vital role in the data center switch market. The availability of high-volume, low-cost optics is crucial in driving any speed transition.
“Additionally, as network speed increases beyond 800 Gbps, pluggable optics will hit density and power issues. Hence it will become imminent for the industry to adopt alternative options such as co-packaged optics (CPO). We expect such transition to bring major disruptions to the supply chain as it requires new business and serviceability models,” Boujelbene added.
The Ethernet Switch – Data Center Five Year Forecast Report describes market trends and includes tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, port shipments, and average selling price forecasts for various technologies: Modular and Fixed by Port Speed; Fixed Managed and Unmanaged by Port Speed. Port speed demand assessed in the forecast include 1 Gbps, 10 Gbps, 25 Gbps, 40 Gbps, 50 Gbps, 100 Gbps, 200 Gbps, and 400 Gbps.
For related articles, visit the Business Topic Center.
For more information on optical modules and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.
To stay abreast of data center network advances, subscribe to Lightwave’s Datacom/Data Center Newsletter.
About the Author
Stephen Hardy
Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
You can connect with Stephen on LinkedIn as well as Twitter.