Optic Fiber

The core situation in August 2026 is as follows:

Multimode A1 fiber is experiencing a surge in demand driven by AI data centers, leading to supply shortages and rapid price increases; single-mode G.657.A1, as a cost-effective alternative, is seeing increased penetration in inter-cabinet connection scenarios, with prices exceeding 160 RMB/unit and trending upwards.

Core Definitions and Differentiation:

A1-class multimode fiber: Complies with national standard GB/T 12357.1-2024 (implemented in April 2025), including subclasses such as A1a (50/125μm) and A1b (62.5/125μm), primarily used for short-distance high-speed interconnection. Currently, the construction of AI computing centers is accelerating the replacement of traditional multimode solutions.

G.657.A1 Single-Mode Fiber: Defined by ITU-T as bend-insensitive single-mode fiber, with a minimum bending radius ≥10mm, it is positioned as a mainstream economical solution for data center rack/room connections, priced lower than G.657.A2. Market Status in August 2026 (Supply, Demand, and Price)

Demand Side: Driven by the construction of intelligent computing centers in North America and China, demand for A1 fiber (especially multimode and G.657.A1) is rapidly increasing, becoming the mainstream choice for data center DCI and rack connections, and replacing multimode fiber in some scenarios.

Supply Side: Capacity accounts for approximately 20%-30%, with overall supply tight. Leading manufacturers are facing production constraints, while small and medium-sized manufacturers rely on external purchases, resulting in a significant cost disadvantage.

Price Trend: Domestic prices have exceeded 160 RMB/unit (or approximately 11-13.4 USD/core-km) and are in a continuous upward trend.

Spot market prices in Europe and the US are rising simultaneously, and are expected to further exceed $15/core-kilometer by the end of the year.

Competitive Landscape: Due to the high price of A2 fiber, some demand is shifting to the more cost-effective A1; however, A2 remains irreplaceable in extremely confined spaces (such as drones, dense cabling within cabinets), while A1 mainly handles cabinet-to-cabinet and room-level connections.
Technology and Application Positioning

Application Scenarios: Primarily serves internal interconnection within AI data centers (cabinet-to-cabinet, room-to-room), with a long-term trend of gradually replacing traditional multimode fiber layouts.

Performance Characteristics: Compared to G.652.D, it has better bending resistance (radius ≥10mm), although slightly inferior to G.657.A2 (7.5mm), but its advantages are significant in cost-sensitive large-scale deployments.