Furukawa Electric to double its fiber optic manufacturing capacity, create 400-plus jobs

Furukawa Electric Company says it plans to nearly double its 2016 fiber-optic manufacturing capacity by 2019, as well as grow its fiber-optic cable manufacturing capacity over the next two years. The expansion will create more than 400 jobs, the company asserts.

After reaching a global fiber production capacity increase of 20% between 2014 and 2016, Furukawa Electric says it intends to increase capacity by another 20% by 2018.

"The proliferation of hyper-scale and edge data centers, 5G wireless, and fiber-to-the-home (FTTH), along with the greater digitization of communications in business, are creating the need for fiber in the network around the world," said Timothy F. Murray, Furukawa Electric's head of the global optical fiber and cable business of and OFS CEO. "Furukawa Electric is responding with greater capacity as we foresee this demand continuing into the next decade with communication traffic estimated to increase during this period. Furukawa Electric will continue to serve its global customer base and to contribute to growing communication solutions in the market through a company-wide effort."

The Furukawa Electric board approved $150 million in capital spending to increase production in the U.S. and Europe through wholly owned subsidiary OFS.

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