During the trading session, it surged over 6%! Optical communication company Applied Optoelectronics announced that it has received its first 1.6T transceiver order from a hyperscale customer

American optical communication technology company Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) announced that it has received the first mass production order for 1.6T data center optical transceivers from a long-term major hyperscale customer, amounting to over $200 million, marking the official entry of the new generation of high-speed optical interconnection products into the stage of large-scale commercial use. On March 9, according to AOI's announcement, this order is expected to allow the customer to re-enter the ranks of important customers contributing over 10% to AOI's revenue. According to the plan, after the product completes qualification certification, the shipping plan is expected to start in early Q3 2026 and be completed within Q4. The company's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Stefan Murry stated that as GPU performance improves and AI cluster scales continue to expand, network bandwidth must be expanded in parallel, “1.6T will become the next logical choice for hyperscale customers.” AOI founder, chairman, and CEO Dr. Thompson Lin stated that the company is observing a clear trend of the market accelerating its migration to higher-speed optical modules, “Our optical transceiver product portfolio allows customers to simultaneously procure 400G, 800G, or 1.6T products from us.” Boosted by this news, AOI's stock price surged, rising over 6% as of the time of writing. Year-to-date, the company's stock price has increased by over 157%. Accelerating Capacity Expansion, Accelerating Domestic Manufacturing Layout in the U.S. In terms of capacity construction, AOI is simultaneously advancing the expansion of its Taiwan factory and the construction of new production facilities at its headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas. Founder and CEO Dr. Thompson Lin stated that the company expects to soon have the largest capacity for 800G and 1.6T optical transceivers in the U.S., and combined with overseas capacity, aims to achieve a total monthly production capacity of over 500,000 units for 800G and 1.6T products by the end of this year. AOI has engineering and manufacturing bases in the U.S., Taiwan, and Ningbo, China, with its R&D center located in Atlanta, Georgia. The construction of the new Sugar Land plant further strengthens the company's manufacturing capability layout in the U.S. AI-Driven Upgrade in Demand for High-Speed Optical Modules, Accelerating the Commercialization Process of 1.6T This order confirms the ongoing pull effect of AI workloads on data center network bandwidth. AOI's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer Stefan Murry pointed out that as the scale of AI clusters continues to expand, the demand for network-side expansion will continue to be released, and 1.6T optical modules are expected to become the mainstream choice for hyperscale data center operators. AOI stated that its product portfolio covers multiple speed levels of 400G, 800G, and 1.6T, capable of meeting the network upgrade needs of hyperscale customers at different stages. This bulk order from a long-term major customer marks the official transition of the 1.6T product from the qualification certification stage to the large-scale shipping stage