Advancing Global Digital Infrastructure Through Fiber Technology at MWC25
On March 6, 2025, the Tower and Fibre Summit took place at the Barcelona International Convention Centre, organized by Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC). During the summit, Jan Bongaerts, the Senior Vice President of YOFC, delivered a keynote address titled “Leading a New Future with Fibre.” In his speech, he outlined YOFC's commitment to harness cutting-edge technologies and extensive industry expertise in order to bolster global digital infrastructure in the age of artificial intelligence (AI).
Bongaerts emphasized the exponential growth of global data traffic driven by the deep integration of AI technologies across various sectors. He pointed out that applications like generative AI, ultra-high-definition video streaming, autonomous driving, and the industrial internet are creating increased demand for higher network transmission rates, greater capacity, and lower latency. To meet these challenges, YOFC has introduced next-generation fiber optic cable solutions focused on ultra-high speed, minimal latency, and high density, which play a crucial role in advancing and expanding the global digital infrastructure.
One of the significant innovations highlighted was the G.654.E optical fiber, designed to enhance performance and range for 400G/800G ultra-high-speed transmission systems with its extremely low loss and large effective area. YOFC is among the few global companies that have mastered mass production technology for this fiber, enabling the company to gain full control over its entire supply chain and establish itself as a leader in both production capacity and market share. These state-of-the-art fiber cables are now integral to infrastructure projects for major carriers like China Mobile, China Telecom, China Unicom, and State Grid, also seeing deployment in several countries including the Philippines and Brazil.
Addressing the growing demand for high-speed connections over short distances in AI data centers, YOFC has launched its OM4/OM5 high-end multimode fiber. This advanced fiber supports a wider wavelength range and higher bandwidth, meeting the escalating requirements for transmission upgrades in data centers to 400G/800G and even 1.6T. Leveraging its intelligent digital production platform, YOFC can manufacture these high-quality multimode fibers at scale, further cementing its leadership in the global market.
In this new era of AI, the connectivity of massive devices has amplified the demand for maximizing fiber efficiency. To address this, YOFC has developed proprietary multicore fibers that integrate multiple independent cores into a single fiber. This innovation significantly enhances the transmission capacity of single-fiber communication systems and can increase capacity up to a dozen times. This presents a promising solution to the capacity bottlenecks that future optical communication systems may face.
Moreover, hollow core fibers that approach light-speed transmission and feature nearly-zero latency emerge as ideal candidates for future ultra-high-speed and low-latency communications. YOFC’s capabilities in mass-producing extended, ultra-low-loss hollow core fibers are unparalleled in the industry, positioning the company favorably to deliver high-quality products suitable for large-scale commercial applications.
Amid the rapid advancements in AI and digital technologies, YOFC continues to be at the forefront of innovation, which remains a cornerstone of its operations. The company is dedicated to collaborating with leading firms globally to develop a more efficient, sustainable, and inclusive optical communication network. In doing so, YOFC aims to build a new foundation for AI and significantly advance global digital transformation.