Chasing every option would force optical module makers to develop more than 50 SKUs. And at 1,024 lanes, OSFP beachfront density is just 0.07 T/mm versus a 0.3 T/mm target — a gap of over 4x. Huawei argues NPO means redesigning the whole switch, from sockets and thermals to PI/SI.

More than half of an AI training cluster's compute sits waiting on the network, and beyond 448G copper only reaches 25 cm. CPO's technical risk has been retired; the real fight is now over who writes the interface spec. 19 companies, a 300-page white paper, a spec due in Q4 2026 — Taiwan's supply chain is on the list, but in which seat?

Fourteen speakers argued for three hours without ever defining "slow" — the same OCI spec got four different answers under six definitions. Reported pJ/bit ranged from 0.369 to 20, and most of that 54x gap is measurement boundary. The real takeaway isn't who won: every timeline converges on 2027–2028.

At OFC 2026, Amphenol showed its vision for AI data center interconnect: the XPO module packs 8x the density of OSFP with built-in liquid cooling, challenging CPO's lead as the industry moves from 224G to 448G.