Getting Reading for Optica’s Executive Forum and OFC 2025

By Sterling Perrin, Senior Principal Analyst, Optical Networks & Transport, Heavy Reading

Like many of my colleagues in the optical communications industry, I’m getting ready to attend OFC 2025 in San Francisco – the industry’s biggest annual get together, now celebrating its historic 50^th year. I’m particularly interested in Optica’s Executive Forum, which takes place on March 31^st, the day before OFC exhibits open. The Executive Forum always serves as a great barometer for the big trends that will define the rest of the week – and the rest of the year. 

This year’s Executive Forum focuses (not surprisingly, but rightly) on optical networks to support AI. There are several ways to segment the optics for AI opportunity. One of the main segmentations is: optics in the data center (i.e., intra-data center) and optics between data centers (i.e., data center interconnect, or DCI).

At OFC 2024, the focus was squarely on intra-data center optics. Within the data center power, capacity, and latency are the key metrics for hyperscalers operating AI clusters to train their models. GPUs are the workhorse of the AI datacenter. They are indispensable, they consume massive power, and they are prioritized for power budgets. Reducing power used for interconnection within the data center, frees power budget for more GPUs.

Power reduction is the key driver for linear pluggable optics (LPO) modules that eliminate the DSP inside the module, as well as the less-complex compromise option of half-retimed optics. Looking at AI bandwidth needs, hyperscalers are quickly moving beyond 400G within the data center. Omdia forecasts a strong year for 800G optics in datacom, with 1.6T optics on the horizon. And planning has begun in earnest for 3.2T. The afternoon panel session titled “Photonic Interconnects in AI Clusters,” which includes Arista founder Andy Bechtolsheim, is not to be missed.

Moving beyond the walls of the data center, the impacts of AI traffic on data center interconnection has gained increasing attention over the past 12 months. A year ago, questions about AI and DCI were largely met with shrugs and blank stares. This year, at the Executive Forum and at OFC, I expect meaningful discussions and debate about DCI to support AI. Lumen fired the starting gun last July when it announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft to supply fiber capacity to support the hyperscaler’s AI DC connectivity needs. By November, Lumen reported that it had secured more than $8 billion in custom fiber deals with hyperscalers including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta, as well as securing 10% of Corning’s global fiber capacity for each of the next two years.

Notably, Lumen’s SVP Product Segments James Feger, Microsoft’s General Manager of Cloud Network Engineering, Azure Fiber, Colin Wallace, and Corning’s VP Technology Development Aleksandra Boskovic will share a panel at the Executive Forum.

Lastly, and of particular interest to me this year, is the question: what are the roles in AI connectivity for others in the communications ecosystem including telecom operators, cloud service providers, content neutral/data center operators, and enterprises?

The early hypercaler focus has been on obtaining fiber, but managed optical fiber networks (MOFNs), high-capacity wavelength services, and IP routed capacity are all options for DCI connectivity in age of AI. The evolution from model training to inference moves AI to the edge and brings new requirements for connecting enterprises with their AI applications, including low latency. Who will be the winners in inference? And what new revenue models and partnerships will emerge? I expect  increased attention on the optical connectivity implications of AI inference.

In all, there will be a lot to discuss, debate, and learn.