Telcos Rave About Optical AI Opportunities, But Will It Last?
Fierce Network, Monday, April 28th, 2025
The age of AI is upon us, and telcos want to get in on the action by expanding their optical networks for hyperscalers. Demand for data center interconnect (DCI) is indeed massive, but it could also be a short-lived opportunity, said research firm STL Partners.
> Telcos race to expand optical networks for AI, but analyst warns of short-term opportunities
> AI workloads are poised to go beyond data centers, with the edge as the next frontier
> Enterprises may be reluctant to enlist telcos for AI edge tasks
The age of AI is upon us, and telcos want to get in on the action by expanding their optical networks for hyperscalers. Demand for data center interconnect (DCI) is indeed massive, but it could also be a short-lived opportunity, said research firm STL Partners.
This may come as a shocker, as operators like Lumen, Logix, Zayo and others double down on building more long-haul fiber routes specifically catered for data centers and their AI needs.