When does copper run out? At OFC 2026, Meta answered with 90 million device-hours of field data: CPO cuts link power by 65% and, excluding one fixable component issue, is more than 10x more reliable than pluggable modules.

As AI training outgrows a single site, Scale Across is the new normal. How Meta defines the next generation of interconnect, why Google says "fiber is the new wavelength," and the strategy behind Lumen's push to add 41 million fiber miles.

AI compute demand is forcing Ethernet to evolve faster than ever, and OFC 2026 marked the official start of 400G-per-lane work. Experts from Meta, Cisco, Synopsys and Dell'Oro explain how 1.6T and 3.2T networks will scale under hard power and space limits.

Corning is no longer just a glass leader. Riding AI-driven optical demand and a surging solar business, it raised its Springboard growth plan through 2030 for the second time, as more hyperscalers sign on beyond Meta.

Meta, Broadcom and AMD jointly define the OCI 200G line interface spec, betting scale-up optical interconnect on micro-ring DWDM, bidirectional single fiber, external lasers and NRZ. It is a buyer-supplier alliance taking on NVIDIA's vertical integration, and its external laser clause draws a clear spec for CW DFB and ELSFP suppliers.

As AI models head toward Yottascale, optical interconnect architecture faces an unprecedented shift. From soldered to socketed, from external lasers to optical backplanes, how are Meta, AMD, Microsoft and other giants defining the next AI interconnect standard?