News
Furukawa Electric begins mass production of 13,824-fiber ultra-high-density optical cables for hyperscale data centers
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Furukawa Electric has commenced mass production of an ultra-high-density optical fiber cable containing 13,824 fibers, specifically designed for hyperscale data centers to improve bandwidth density and infrastructure efficiency.
Context
On March 12, 2026, Furukawa Electric announced the commencement of mass production for its 13,824-fiber ultra-high-density optical cables, designed specifically for hyperscale data centers. This production is being spearheaded by its unified global brand, Lightera, which was formed in 2025 to streamline the company’s fiber optic units. To support this rollout, the company has opened the No. 2 plant at its Mie Works in Japan, a facility specialized for ultra-high-count, multi-core cable manufacturing.
This development is critical for the semiconductor and AI supply chain as generative AI workloads drive exponential growth in data center traffic. The new cable provides twice the transmission capacity of existing solutions while maintaining a thin diameter of less than 40 mm, allowing operators to maximize fiber density within restricted duct spaces. By achieving one of the world’s highest fiber counts, Furukawa Electric is positioning itself as a primary infrastructure partner for hyperscalers scaling GPU clusters that require massive, low-latency back-end networks.
Sources (10)
MWC 2026 | Hengtong Unveils 'Fiber Lane + AI Brain' to ...Start of mass production of 13824 count multi-core optical fiber cable featuring one of the world’s highest fiber densities｜2026｜News Release｜Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.FURUKAWA ELECTRIC GROUP INTEGRATED REPORTThe world's highest-count Fiber Optic Cable "13824-fiber SWR<sup>®</sup>/WTC<sup>®</sup>," wins the "2025 Nikkei Superior Products & Services Awards Grand Prize" | Press Release | News | Fujikura Ltd.OM1-OM5 vs Singlemode Fiber: Best for 2025 Data Centers | Vitex – Vitex LLCOutdoor WTC™ 144 – 13824FHow AI Is Driving Ultra-High Fiber Count (UHFC) Cable Adoption in Data Center White Space - AFL - Hyperscale solutions Top 15 Fiber Optic Manufacturers - TTI Fiber
Related Companies
5
Furukawa Electric
5801