C114 News, April 1 - (Shuiyi) Over the past year, with the rapid growth in AI computing power demand and the continuous increase in network capacity, there is a call for ultra-large bandwidth and ultra-low latency transmission capabilities. Hollow-core optical fibers have attracted close attention in the industry due to their unique advantages of low latency, wide spectrum, low loss, and low non-linear effects. Both domestic and international players are accelerating their layouts and promoting pilot projects and commercialization in existing networks.
On March 26, the CIOE China Optical Expo, in collaboration with C114, held the &#34;2026 China Optical Communication High-Quality Development Forum - Hollow-Core Optical Fiber Seminar,&#34; which delved into the technological maturity and application scenario adaptability of hollow-core optical fibers, analyzing the domestic breakthrough paths across the entire chain from materials, fibers, devices to systems, and promoting leapfrog development in the field of next-generation optical transmission infrastructure in China.
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Hollow-Core Optical Fibers Have Broad Prospects
Li Chunsheng, General Manager of Beijing Beiyou Technology Park Co., Ltd. and Director of Beiyou Huafei Research Institute, stated that the performance of solid optical fibers approaches the Shannon limit, with significant non-linear effects, making it difficult to meet the stringent demands of AI and computing networks for ultra-high speed, large capacity, and low latency. Hollow-core optical fibers can reduce network latency, possess ultra-wide transmission spectrum, reduce non-linear effects by 3-4 orders of magnitude, and lower transmission loss, making them an ideal choice for constructing future optical networks.
Tang Xiongyan, Vice President and Chief Scientist of China Unicom Research Institute, introduced that given the characteristics of hollow-core optical fibers, they can significantly enhance AI training efficiency in ultra-low latency and ultra-large capacity AI computing networks. In the financial industry applications where milliseconds and microseconds are critical, hollow-core optical fibers can provide stable low-loss transmission channels for quantum key distribution. 6G requires ultra-low latency, ultra-large bandwidth, and ultra-large scale connections, and hollow-core optical fibers have the potential to become a key transmission medium.
Wang Dong, Technical Manager and Chief Researcher at China Mobile Research Institute, also added that hollow-core optical fibers can be applied in submarine cable systems with transmission distances ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of kilometers. However, submarine cable systems are also space-constrained scenarios, and the size of hollow-core optical fibers currently cannot be compatible with existing submarine cable configurations, requiring further improvement and optimization.
Feng Lipeng, Senior Engineer at China Telecom Research Institute, stated that if the price of hollow-core optical fibers is low enough, their ultra-low loss characteristics can achieve higher power input in PON networks, significantly improving the splitting ratio. Additionally, in 5G/6G front-haul, hollow-core optical fibers can simultaneously transmit signals and energy, achieving signal-energy co-transmission.
It is understood that with the joint efforts of the industry, hollow-core optical fiber technology has made continuous progress, achieving rapid advancements in attenuation, IMI, gas absorption peak intensity reduction, and increased low-loss bandwidth. Currently, the attenuation coefficient has reached 0.04dB/km, with mode interference maintained at -65dB/km, and the drawing length of a single preform rod exceeding 91.2 kilometers. Furthermore, the cost of hollow-core optical fibers has also seen a significant decrease, with production yield improving by more than 10 times
However, hollow-core optical fibers face challenges from impurity gas absorption peaks in WDM systems. Additionally, in terms of industrialization, the verification period is currently less than 10 years, while deployment in existing networks generally requires a service life of 20-25 years, so the lifespan issue needs further research, and there is currently no long-term experimental verification or reliable lifespan model. More critically, the commercialization and widespread use of hollow-core optical fibers require addressing operational and maintenance issues.
The industrial chain ecosystem is gradually improving
Li Chunsheng from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications stated that opportunities and challenges coexist. Hollow-core optical fibers have already shown good application prospects, and despite numerous challenges, the industrial chain will overcome them one by one. On one hand, it is necessary to tackle core technologies; on the other hand, it is essential to build an industrial ecosystem, jointly formulate unified standards, and explore application scenarios.
Chen Yong, Chief Engineer of OTN Product Planning at ZTE Corporation, introduced that as a global leader in optical network solutions, ZTE started the research and development of hollow-core optical fiber optical network systems as early as 2022, accurately measuring the ultra-low non-linear indicators of hollow-core optical fibers for the first time, laying a solid practical foundation for the subsequent application of high power and high-order modulation technology in hollow-core optical fiber systems. In 2024, ZTE was the first in the industry to identify multiple gas absorption challenges, a key discovery that provides important support for promoting the commercialization process of hollow-core optical fibers.
At the same time, relying on the HI-OTN intelligent optical network architecture, ZTE continues to deepen the research and development of hollow-core optical fiber system integration and intelligent technology. In December 2024, it assisted China Mobile and other industrial partners to achieve S+C+L ultra-wideband same-wavelength single-fiber bidirectional transmission of 377.6Tb/s over 100 kilometers in the laboratory based on hollow-core optical fibers, setting a new high for technical verification; in June 2025, it again assisted China Mobile to achieve ultra-long-distance transmission of a single-wave 1T optical signal over 10,714 kilometers based on hollow-core optical fibers, breaking the world record.
Yu Hongkang, Technical Support Manager at VIAVI Solutions, introduced that compared to traditional solid optical fibers, hollow-core optical fibers exhibit superior performance, but also bring new challenges for testing. For example, connection testing between traditional solid optical fibers and hollow-core optical fibers; high splice loss in hollow-core optical fibers makes it difficult to define attenuation values; the new structure brings impacts from bending and stress; multiple wavelength transmission windows make testing more complex, and so on. VIAVI is the first testing manufacturer in the industry to launch a long-distance bidirectional testing certification solution for hollow-core optical fibers. Regarding OTDR testing, Yu Hongkang proposed five suggestions, providing the industry with a standard process guide for hollow-core optical fiber testing.
Sun Wei, R&amp;D Director/Senior Engineer at Jiangsu Hengtong Optic-Electric Co., Ltd., introduced that Hengtong has achieved comprehensive optimization in loss control, limiting loss, surface scattering loss, and micro-bending loss, with theoretical attenuation as low as 0.02dB/km, completely breaking the quartz limitation of solid optical fibers. By early 2026, Hengtong had laid out nearly twenty patents in the field of hollow-core optical fibers, covering core processes such as preform rod assembly, drawing pressure, sealing and gas pressure, and Raman amplification systems.
Pilot projects continue, with significant results
It is understood that over the past year, the three major domestic operators have all launched pilot projects for hollow-core optical fibers in the existing network, issuing a total of 6 bids and deploying over 1,500 fiber kilometers.
Tang Xiongyan from China Unicom introduced that in October 2025, China Unicom completed the first pilot verification of hollow-core optical fiber in Nanjing, Jiangsu, with a total length of 4.2 km; in the same month, it completed the interconnection of over 30 kilometers of commercial hollow-core optical fiber between the Zhiyun Data Center in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; in January 2026, China Unicom completed the interconnection verification of 7.5 km of hollow-core optical fiber in the core data center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang.
Wang Dong from China Mobile introduced that since 2021, China Mobile has been conducting continuous research and breakthroughs with partners on anti-resonant hollow-core optical fibers and transmission systems. In 2025, a record transmission distance of 10,714 km with a single wave of 1T was achieved in the China Mobile laboratory based on hollow-core optical fibers, and further collaboration with partners such as Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company, Huawei, and ZTE led to the launch of the first commercial hollow-core optical fiber line in Guangdong, providing services for cross-border financial business between Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
Feng Lipeng from China Telecom introduced that China Telecom has laid out three existing network projects to develop the application potential of hollow-core optical fibers from multiple dimensions. The deployment in Hangzhou is mainly planned for dual-active verification of data centers within the same city; the deployment in Guangzhou is used for interconnection of financial center lines, with the current link achieving a delay of 0.93 ms between Shenzhen and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange; the deployment in Sichuan is planned for integration with quantum technology, verifying the performance of quantum entanglement and QKD in hollow-core optical fibers.
CITIC Securities analyst Ding Qi believes that hollow-core optical fibers will first be used for data center interconnection over dozens of kilometers (which can later be expanded to hundreds of kilometers), and after cost reduction, can achieve large-scale replacement of G.654E. The unit price in 2025 is about 40 million yuan, and costs will gradually decrease after large-scale application. &#34;We believe that in 2026, it may still be at a scale of 5 billion, and then gradually reach a scale of 10 billion or even hundreds of billions by 2027/2028.&#34;
The &#34;2026 China Optical Communication High-Quality Development Forum&#34; is a large series of seminars jointly launched by the CIOE China Optical Expo and C114 Communication Network. The next seminar will go live on April 23, with the theme &#34;AI+FTTR: Optical Intelligence Integration for New Access,&#34; focusing on the innovative integration of &#34;AI+FTTR,&#34; aiming to explore how to drive the access network from a &#34;connection pipeline&#34; to an &#34;intelligent service enabling platform&#34; through AI, promoting all-optical access towards higher-level intelligence, and providing a more agile, reliable, and personalized network experience for digital homes, smart parks, industrial optical networks, and other scenarios. <img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.c114.com.cn/news/images/t21.gif?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" alt="" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://www.c114.com.cn/news/images/t21.gif"/>

Hollow-core optical fibers are gaining industry attention due to their advantages such as low latency, wide spectrum, and low loss, and are accelerating towards commercialization. The optical communication forum on March 26 discussed the technological maturity and application scenarios of hollow-core optical fibers, emphasizing their potential in AI computing networks and the financial industry. Experts pointed out that hollow-core optical fibers can significantly enhance AI training efficiency and provide stable transmission channels for quantum key distribution. Although there are size compatibility issues in submarine cable systems, their application prospects in 5G/6G front-haul are broad

From laboratory to live network, hollow-core optical fibers accelerate towards commercialization