The Thriving F5.5G All-Optical Network Industry: A New Growth Era in AI

In recent years, the F5.5G all-optical network sector has witnessed rapid commercial deployment, particularly marked by the recent F5.5G All-Optical Industry Summit held at the MWC Shanghai 2025. The event brought together key players including representatives from China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China Telecom, China Mobile, China Unicom, Malaysia's Maxis, and CTM to discuss the latest industry trends and developments.

This summit highlighted the swift rise of fully optical networks, with over 70 operators worldwide successfully launching 10 Gb/s optical access packages. This substantial commercial implementation has laid the groundwork for emerging AI-driven services, termed AItoH, optimizing both performance and user experience. Notably, more than 240 400G optical transmission networks have been deployed globally, pointing towards a trend of building metropolitan networks that ensure latency as low as 1 millisecond. Such capabilities will enable end users quick access to the computing power offered through the cloud, fostering AItoB applications.

The increasing relevance of AI as a driving force in the global digital economy has captured the global operator’s attention. Leaders in the field are rapidly transitioning from mere connectivity providers to comprehensive service providers that incorporate computing and application services. Li Peng, the Senior Vice President and President of Huawei's ICT Sales and Services, remarked on this transformation, emphasizing that