TrendForce: Optical fiber spot price multiples to climb in 2026; data center demand shortage may persist until 2028

Zhitong Finance APP has learned that according to the latest communications industry research by TrendForce, as the construction of AI data centers, cross-data center interconnection, and high-capacity backbone networks drives up fiber demand, the global fiber supply-demand gap is estimated to reach 180 million fiber-kilometers in 2026, and the supply tightening will drive spot prices of finished fiber products up by 2.8 to more than 5 times year-on-year. For this reason, telecom vendors have begun to gradually adjust their procurement models, shifting from short-term to long-term contract arrangements to lock in fiber resources in advance.