OFC 2026 makes performance a key priority

Having covered the optical industry for nearly 30 years, I have seen multiple technology generations, from 1G to 10G, and now 800G and 1.6T. 

What’s different now is the ongoing demand for AI from cloud and hyperscaler data center providers, who face an accelerated need and must respond with solutions in near-real time.

Cathy Liu, board chair of OIF, notes that “customer demand for the next generation that requires double the existing bandwidth and speed, not even today, but yesterday.”

To fulfill these needs, there are five key trends we’re likely to see shaped up during this year’s OFC show:

· DCI drives IPoDWDM demand: The need for data centers to scale across will, according to Dell’Oro Group, drive a sharp increase in 800 ZR+ optical module shipments in 2026. Over one-third of IPoDWDM ZR/ZR+ revenue is expected to be from 800 ZR/ZR+ module shipments in the year.

· Co-packaged optics: Led by Marvell and others, which purchased Celestial AI, co-packaged optics will offer greater efficiencies by integrating optical transceivers directly onto the same substrate as a switch ASIC or compute processor (e.g., GPU, CPU).

· Driving interoperability: As seen at previous OFC shows, OIF and the Ethernet Alliance will be on hand to show the importance of interoperability and collaboration. OIF member experts will present panels on CEI-448Gbps signaling, next-generation ZR optics, and optical interconnect specs for AI, alongside the interoperability showcase, while the Ethernet Alliance will highlight its 2026 Ethernet Roadmap.

· Optical transceivers: Driven by growing investments in AI clusters and cloud data center expansion, optical transceiver suppliers will be showing how they can meet the demand for high-speed (800G and 1.6T) platforms to support AI training and machine learning.

· Hollow Core Fiber (HCF): Hollow-core fiber, an emerging fiber technology that guides light through an air- or vacuum-filled central core, surrounded by a microstructured cladding, is offering data center providers another solution to address the ever-growing need for capacity, but also low latency.

And while speeds will continue to grab headlines, performance will be a priority.

Ian Redpath, Research Director at Omdia, a global technology research and advisory leader to OFC, notes that the real test of how effectively network elements perform is important, not just speed and feeds.  

“As the industry moves from 800G toward 1.6T, the challenge is no longer just peak throughput — it’s performance per watt, interoperability and deployment readiness,” he said.  

With that as the backdrop, the success of OFC 2026 will be centered on fulfilling the performance dream.