Latest Fiber Optic Cable Price Trend

Recently, there have been significant fluctuations in the capital market related to fiber optic cables, with some US stock related targets trading at around $19.20, a daily decline of 8.44%. On the physical product side, in 2026, the prices of core materials for optical cables have experienced an independent surge, with some special fiber optic prices even rising by more than 650%. ‌‌‌

How much did the price increase in 2026
The price of special fiber optic has doubled: G.657.A2 fiber optic used for high-density cabling in AI data centers has skyrocketed from around 32 yuan per core kilometer at the beginning of 2025 to 240 yuan per core kilometer by mid-2026, an increase of up to 650%.
The price of mainstream G.652. D single-mode fiber has also increased from less than 20 yuan/core kilometer at the beginning of 2025 to 83.4 yuan/core kilometer in March 2026, with a cumulative increase of over 400%.
Overseas prices are rising synchronously: In the international market, the price of G.657.A2 fiber optic will reach about $35/kilometer in March 2026, which is a significant increase compared to before, and the global supply tightening trend is obvious. ‌‌‌

Why is it rising so sharply
The explosion of demand for AI and computing power: The wave of artificial intelligence data center construction has brought about a huge demand for optical fiber. The global data center optical fiber demand is expected to increase by 32% year-on-year in 2026, directly driving high-end optical fiber consumption.
Military and drone applications: The demand for military applications such as fiber optic guided drones will surge between 2025 and 2026, competing with civilian projects for production capacity, leading to a widening supply-demand gap.
Capacity expansion cannot keep up: As the upstream core material, fiber optic prefabricated rods have an expansion cycle of 18 to 24 months, and production capacity cannot be quickly released in the short term, resulting in a nearly 550% increase in rod prices, which is transmitted to downstream optical cables. ‌‌‌

What do you think of the future market trend
Short term high maintenance: Due to the production of existing orders scheduled until the first quarter of 2027 and the high utilization rate of production capacity, it is expected that fiber optic cable prices will remain in the high range in the second half of 2026.
Raw material cost support: Japanese fiber optic leader Fujikura has announced a price increase of about 30% for interconnecting optical cables, and the rise in upstream raw material costs will continue to support finished product prices.
Pay attention to the turning point of supply and demand: Although both quantity and price are currently rising, attention should be paid to the possible changes in supply and demand balance caused by the release of new production capacity after 2027. Long term prices may gradually decline with the landing of production capacity