ChannelLife New Zealand - Industry insider news for technology resellers
New Zealand

Optical Networking Stories

Global Stories

Optical Networking stories

Ciena says AI services to drive telecoms revenue growth
Network Infrastructure

Ciena says AI services to drive telecoms revenue growth

Telecom operators face urgent network upgrades as most expect AI and managed fibre services to be major new revenue sources.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last week
Zayo expands Corning fibre deal as AI demand surges
Data centers

Zayo expands Corning fibre deal as AI demand surges

Network builders are racing to secure fibre as AI traffic drives a multiyear expansion, with Zayo locking in supply to cut shortage risk.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Last week
Semtech sets 200G LPO targets for data centre links
Data centers

Semtech sets 200G LPO targets for data centre links

Energy savings in dense AI clusters are driving stricter limits on 200G linear pluggable optics, as Semtech targets 10W modules and a 500-metre reach.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Last month
Enlightra uses Yokogawa analysers for AI data-centre links
Data centers

Enlightra uses Yokogawa analysers for AI data-centre links

Demand for denser AI data-centre links is pushing Enlightra to validate comb-based laser chips with high-resolution spectrum testing.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 4 min read • Last month
Semtech backs linear pluggable optics for AI data centres
Data centers

Semtech backs linear pluggable optics for AI data centres

Lower power draw in dense AI networks is driving interest in linear pluggable optics, though Semtech says the design is not a universal replacement.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Last month
NVIDIA ramps up Vera Rubin AI system for cloud giants
Private Cloud

NVIDIA ramps up Vera Rubin AI system for cloud giants

Early cloud deployments and benchmark gains signal NVIDIA's latest rack-scale AI platform is moving into commercial use as data centres chase efficiency.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Thu, 23rd Jul 2026
Lightmatter joins NVIDIA NVLink Fusion AI ecosystem
Hyperscale

Lightmatter joins NVIDIA NVLink Fusion AI ecosystem

The move could help hyperscalers cut cabling in dense AI clusters by half as optical links become central to NVIDIA's custom-chip strategy.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Thu, 4th Jun 2026
AWS makes flat network design default for new data centres
Software-defined Networking

AWS makes flat network design default for new data centres

It could cut router counts and power use as AWS rolls out a flatter design that keeps new data-centre builds simpler to wire.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Mon, 1st Jun 2026
Matrix NAP Info activates Ciena's 1 Tb/s subsea upgrade
Digital Transformation

Matrix NAP Info activates Ciena's 1 Tb/s subsea upgrade

The Batam-Jakarta route can now carry more cloud and internet traffic on existing fibre, after a live 1 Tb/s test proved the upgrade.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Thu, 21st May 2026
Transcelestial ranks among Fast Company's top innovators
Unified Communications

Transcelestial ranks among Fast Company's top innovators

Laser network pioneer Transcelestial lands in Fast Company's 2026 Asia-Pacific top four, joining the World's Most Innovative list.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Wed, 25th Mar 2026
AI shifts data centre focus from scale to connectivity
DataCentre infrastructure

AI shifts data centre focus from scale to connectivity

AI is redrawing the data centre map, shifting investment from hyperscale campuses to distributed, tightly connected regional clusters.

By Kaleah Salmon • 5 min read • Wed, 25th Mar 2026
Lightstorm lifts Japan-Guam-Australia cable to 400Gbps
Network Infrastructure

Lightstorm lifts Japan-Guam-Australia cable to 400Gbps

Lightstorm boosts Japan-Guam-Australia subsea cable to 400Gbps, targeting surging AI and cloud demand with higher-capacity, low-latency links.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Tue, 24th Mar 2026
HPE unveils AI Grid to power distributed edge inference
Firewalls

HPE unveils AI Grid to power distributed edge inference

HPE debuts AI Grid with Nvidia to link AI factories and edge sites, promising telcos unified, ultra-low-latency distributed inference.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Thu, 19th Mar 2026

Stories from Other Regions

Optical Networking stories

Oriole & AMD deploy pure photonic AI network in UK
Semiconductors

Oriole & AMD deploy pure photonic AI network in UK

The UK lab trial aims to slash AI power use and cut accelerator idle time as demand for inference strains data centre networks.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Wed, 10th Jun 2026
DE-CIX upgrades New York metro network across Hudson
Disaster Recovery

DE-CIX upgrades New York metro network across Hudson

The overhaul improves redundancy for customers linking New York and New Jersey as demand rises for higher-capacity, lower-latency traffic routes.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Tue, 5th May 2026
Nokia & KETS link up on quantum-safe telecoms demo
Firewalls

Nokia & KETS link up on quantum-safe telecoms demo

Telecoms operators could protect existing networks from future quantum attacks without a full redesign as Nokia adds KETS hardware to its demo kit.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Thu, 30th Apr 2026
TM Global deploys Ciena kit on ASEAN digital corridor
Hyperscale

TM Global deploys Ciena kit on ASEAN digital corridor

Rising AI and cloud traffic is pushing telecoms to add capacity across the Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand corridor, where data centre demand is surging.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Fri, 24th Apr 2026
Europe launches HiCONNECTS to cut AI data centre power
Unified Communications

Europe launches HiCONNECTS to cut AI data centre power

Researchers say light-based computing could curb rising electricity demand as AI and cloud services push data centres towards higher power use.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Thu, 23rd Apr 2026