GINC Technology
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies

Advanced Optical Communication & Photonics

The capacity to advance optical communication and photonics, fibre systems, free-space optics and the photonic components that set the speed and capacity of networks.

Capability group
Connectivity, Cyber & Trust Technologies
Domain
Critical Technology · Hard Power
Identifier
factbase.org/cap/RS01993T07
Reference
Optical communication Wikipedia

Papers

21.7k

2020–2024

Paper growth

+1%

2020–24 on 2015–19

Patent families

76.5k

2020–2024

Filed abroad

33%

families in more than one office

Framework

What it covers

What the capability covers and what it leaves to others, and the indicators it will be measured by.

Bounds

Covers the optical technology frontier; deployed fibre and subsea systems belong to Strategic Infrastructure, and photonic materials are shared with the materials group.

Lineage

Carried from v0.0 (formerly Advanced optical communication) with the same identifier; rewritten from a definition of optical communication to the capacity to advance and supply it, with photonics named.

Indicators

  • research publication share in optical communicationResearch
  • photonic component production sharePending
  • optical transmission records heldPending
Research

Who publishes it

Papers classified to the capability, by year and by the nation of their authors' institutions, 2020–2024. Read from the v0.0 research topic Advanced optical communication.

Papers by year

The five leading nations, papers by year

Share of papers, 2020–2024

Of papers with a known author nation; 23% have none and are left out.

  1. 1China23.4%4,997 papers
  2. 2India10.9%2,324 papers
  3. 3United States8.1%1,721 papers
  4. 4Japan4.8%1,032 papers
  5. 5United Kingdom4.8%1,014 papers
  6. 6Italy3.0%631 papers
  7. 7Germany2.6%547 papers
  8. 8Spain2.5%532 papers
  9. 9Canada2.3%497 papers
  10. 10France2.2%475 papers

Leading institutions, 2020–2024

By fractional count: each paper divided among its authors' institutions.

  1. 1Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications413fractional papers
  2. 2Tsinghua University166fractional papers
  3. 3Fudan University159fractional papers
  4. 4NTT (Japan)118fractional papers
  5. 5Indian Institute of Technology Delhi116fractional papers
  6. 6Xidian University107fractional papers
  7. 7University of Science and Technology of China97fractional papers
  8. 8Chandigarh University87fractional papers
  9. 9Chinese Academy of Sciences78fractional papers
  10. 10Soochow University70fractional papers
Patents

Who patents it

Patent families by the nation of origin of their applicants and their earliest priority year, from the CPC and IPC classes the capability is read from. 2025 onwards is incomplete: families are published 18 months after priority.

Families by priority year

The five leading origins, families by year

15,432 applicants filed here in 2015–2024; the five largest held 10% of families (HHI 35 of 10,000: unconcentrated).

Share of families by origin, 2020–2024

  1. 1China60.9%46,581 families
  2. 2Japan11.7%8,972 families
  3. 3United States11.7%8,949 families
  4. 4South Korea4.1%3,102 families
  5. 5Germany2.6%1,958 families
  6. 6Taiwan2.4%1,856 families
  7. 7France1.0%748 families
  8. 8United Kingdom0.8%586 families
  9. 9Netherlands0.5%410 families
  10. 10Israel0.5%392 families

Applicants filing most internationally, 2015–2024

Families filed in more than one office, by applicant as the offices name them.

  1. 1HUAWEI TECH CO LTD2,503international families
  2. 2NIPPON TELEGRAPH & TELEPHONE1,664international families
  3. 3SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES1,256international families
  4. 4ZTE CORP770international families
  5. 5NEC CORP723international families
  6. 6FUJIKURA LTD705international families
  7. 7MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORP704international families
  8. 8FUJITSU LTD657international families
  9. 9COMMSCOPE TECHNOLOGIES LLC588international families
  10. 10CORNING RES & DEV CORP494international families

Classification read

  • H04B10/00 Optical transmission systems: fibre and free-space · 499k documents
  • H04J14/00 Optical multiplexing, e.g. wavelength division · 174.4k documents
  • G02B6/00 Optical fibres, waveguides, couplers and photonic integrated circuits · 1.7m documents
  • H04Q11/0001 Optical switching · 163.2k documents
  • H01S5/00 Semiconductor lasers · 838.6k documents
  • H01S3/067 Fibre lasers and fibre amplifiers · 70k documents

Shares inventions with

Capabilities whose classes the same families also fall in, by overlap (Jaccard).

Companies

Who makes it

The companies that research, design, make, supply and operate the technology, the global leaders and the leading firms of every region.

50 companies in this capability, from 26 nations across 7 regions. Sorted by how experts see each company's global relevance in the field, from very high to very low.

  1. Very high6 companies
  2. 1

    ChinaHuawei

    World's largest optical transport vendor (OptiX OSN/OTN, 800G/1.2T coherent) and the top international patent applicant in this capability (2,503 filings).

    Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · China, Shenzhen · founded 1987 · 208k staff

  3. 2

    United StatesCoherent Corp.

    Former II-VI/Finisar; one of the largest makers of datacom and telecom optical transceivers, lasers, InP and VCSEL chips, and wavelength-selective switches.

    Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, Saxonburg · founded 1971 · 26k staff

  4. 3

    United StatesCiena

    Leading coherent optical networking vendor outside China; its WaveLogic 6 modems were the first to reach 1.6 Tb/s per wavelength.

    Very high relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, Hanover, Maryland · founded 1992

  5. 4

    United StatesCorning

    Inventor of low-loss optical fibre and the largest optical fibre and cable producer outside China (SMF-28, Optical Communications segment).

    Very high relevance · Advanced materials · United States, Corning, New York · founded 1851

  6. 5

    ChinaZhongji Innolight

    Ranked the world's largest optical transceiver maker by revenue; it is a leading supplier of 800G and 1.6T modules to hyperscale AI clusters.

    Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Suzhou · founded 2008

  7. 6

    United StatesLumentum

    Leading supplier of EML and CW lasers, tunable lasers, ROADM WSS modules and transceivers; it also owns the former Oclaro and NeoPhotonics.

    Very high relevance · Components & subsystems · United States, San Jose, California · founded 2015

  8. High14 companies
  9. 7

    United StatesBroadcom

    Supplies VCSEL/EML lasers, PAM4 optical DSPs and co-packaged optics (Bailly/Tomahawk CPO) for AI data-centre interconnect.

    High relevance · Design · United States, Palo Alto · founded 1961 · 37k staff

  10. 8

    FinlandNokia

    Major optical transport vendor (PSE-6s coherent DSP) that absorbed Infinera and its InP photonic integrated circuit fabs in 2025.

    High relevance · Hardware & devices · Finland, Espoo · founded 1865 · 78k staff

  11. 9

    United StatesNVIDIA

    Through Mellanox it designs LinkX optical interconnects and Spectrum-X/Quantum-X silicon-photonics co-packaged-optics switches for AI networks.

    High relevance · Design · United States, Santa Clara · founded 1993 · 36k staff

  12. 10

    United StatesMarvell Technology

    Dominant supplier of PAM4 optical DSPs (ex-Inphi) and COLORZ coherent-lite DCI modules that sit inside most 800G transceivers.

    High relevance · Design · United States, Santa Clara · founded 1995

  13. 11

    JapanSumitomo Electric Industries

    Producer of ultra-low-loss and multicore fibres, InP laser and photodiode devices and transceiver components; third-largest international patent applicant here.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Osaka · founded 1897

  14. 12

    United StatesCisco Systems

    Owns Acacia Communications, a leader in silicon-photonics coherent pluggables (400ZR/800ZR) and DSPs for routed optical networks.

    High relevance · Hardware & devices · United States, San Jose · founded 1984 · 86k staff

  15. 13

    ChinaEoptolink Technology

    Fast-growing maker of 400G/800G/1.6T datacom transceivers, including linear-drive and silicon-photonics modules for AI data centres.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Chengdu · founded 2008

  16. 14

    ChinaZTE

    Second-largest Chinese optical transport and PON equipment vendor; it has field-trialled 1.2T and 1.6T single-wavelength transmission.

    High relevance · Hardware & devices · China, Shenzhen · founded 1985

  17. 15

    JapanFujikura

    Supplies high-density SpiderWeb Ribbon fibre cable for hyperscale data centres and is the global leader in fusion splicers.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1885

  18. 16

    JapanNTT

    Leads the IOWN all-photonics network programme, holds multiple optical transmission records, and develops photonics-electronics convergence devices (NTT Innovative Devices).

    High relevance · Operations & infrastructure · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1952

  19. 17

    ChinaYangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC)

    World's largest producer of optical fibre preform, fibre and cable; it also owns YOA Cable, Africa's largest fibre-cable plant in Durban.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Wuhan · founded 1988

  20. 18

    ItalyPrysmian

    World's largest cable maker, with an optical fibre and telecom cable business that includes Draka bend-insensitive fibre and high-fibre-count cable.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · Italy, Milan · founded 1879

  21. 19

    ChinaHengtong Optic-Electric

    One of the top global producers of fibre preform, fibre and optical/submarine cable, with plants abroad including AM Hengtong in South Africa.

    High relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Suzhou · founded 1991

  22. 20

    ThailandFabrinet

    Leading contract manufacturer of precision optical transceivers and modules (for NVIDIA, Ciena, Cisco and others) from large campuses in Thailand.

    High relevance · Contract manufacturing · Thailand, Pathum Thani · founded 2000

  23. Moderate14 companies
  24. 21

    JapanFurukawa Electric (SuperPower)

    Owns OFS (US) and Furukawa Electric LatAm; makes specialty fibre, rollable-ribbon cable and pump and tunable lasers.

    Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1884

  25. 22

    ChinaAccelink Technologies

    State-backed (CICT) maker of optical chips, amplifiers, passive components and transceivers; China's most vertically integrated optical device firm.

    Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · China, Wuhan · founded 2001

  26. 23

    TaiwanTSMC

    Develops COUPE (Compact Universal Photonic Engine) silicon-photonics integration for co-packaged optics used by NVIDIA and Broadcom.

    Moderate relevance · Contract manufacturing · Taiwan, Hsinchu · founded 1987 · 84k staff

  27. 24

    ChinaFiberHome Telecommunication Technologies

    CICT-controlled vendor of optical transmission systems, fibre and cable; it grew out of the Wuhan Research Institute of Posts and Telecommunications, which pioneered fibre in China.

    Moderate relevance · Hardware & devices · China, Wuhan · founded 1999

  28. 25

    United StatesGlobalFoundries

    Largest pure-play silicon-photonics foundry (Fotonix platform), enlarged in 2025 by acquiring Singapore's Advanced Micro Foundry.

    Moderate relevance · Contract manufacturing · United States, Malta, New York · founded 2009

  29. 26

    JapanNEC

    One of the three global submarine-cable system suppliers and a developer of optical transmission; fifth-largest international patent applicant here.

    Moderate relevance · Professional & data services · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1899 · 105k staff

  30. 27

    JapanFujitsu

    Its network spin-off 1FINITY supplies 1FINITY/FLASHWAVE open optical transport and coherent transponders, including to North American carriers.

    Moderate relevance · Professional & data services · Japan, Tokyo · founded 1935 · 113k staff

  31. 28

    IsraelTower Semiconductor

    Major silicon-photonics (PH18) and SiGe foundry producing photonic ICs for 800G/1.6T transceivers.

    Moderate relevance · Contract manufacturing · Israel, Migdal HaEmek · founded 1993

  32. 29

    United StatesVIAVI Solutions

    Leading supplier of optical network test equipment (OTDR, 1.6T test) and optical coatings, descended from JDS Uniphase.

    Moderate relevance · Equipment & machinery · United States, Chandler · founded 2015

  33. 30

    United StatesAyar Labs

    Develops TeraPHY optical I/O chiplets and SuperNova multi-wavelength lasers for chip-to-chip photonic interconnect; backed by NVIDIA, Intel and AMD.

    Moderate relevance · Design · United States, San Jose, California · founded 2015

  34. 31

    IndiaSterlite Technologies (STL)

    India's largest optical fibre and cable maker (preform to cable), supplying telcos and US hyperscale AI data centres.

    Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · India, Pune · founded 1988

  35. 32

    TaiwanLandMark Optoelectronics

    Leading merchant supplier of InP epitaxial wafers for laser and photodiode chips used in high-speed optical transceivers.

    Moderate relevance · Advanced materials · Taiwan, Tainan · founded 1997

  36. 33

    FranceNexans

    Major European fibre-optic and data-centre cabling producer with a large Moroccan manufacturing base (Nexans Maroc).

    Moderate relevance · Components & subsystems · France, Paris (Courbevoie) · founded 1897

  37. 34

    United KingdomIQE

    World's largest outsourced compound-semiconductor epiwafer supplier, including InP and GaAs wafers for lasers, VCSELs and photodetectors.

    Moderate relevance · Advanced materials · United Kingdom, Cardiff · founded 1988

  38. Low9 companies
  39. 35

    IndiaTejas Networks

    Tata-controlled Indian designer of DWDM/OTN, packet-optical and GPON systems, deployed by BSNL and operators in 75+ countries.

    Low relevance · Hardware & devices · India, Bengaluru · founded 2000

  40. 36

    South KoreaOE Solutions

    South Korea's leading optical transceiver maker, notably tunable and smart SFP modules for 5G fronthaul.

    Low relevance · Components & subsystems · South Korea, Gwangju · founded 2003

  41. 37

    CanadaPOET Technologies

    Develops the POET Optical Interposer wafer-level hybrid-integration platform for 800G/1.6T optical engines and light sources.

    Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Canada, Toronto

  42. 38

    NetherlandsSmart Photonics

    Pure-play indium-phosphide photonic integrated circuit foundry at the centre of the Dutch PhotonDelta photonics ecosystem.

    Low relevance · Contract manufacturing · Netherlands, Eindhoven · founded 2012

  43. 39

    EgyptElsewedy Electric

    Africa's leading cable group; it opened a 4 million fibre-km/year optical cable plant in Tenth of Ramadan City in 2025 and plans a subsea cable factory at Damietta.

    Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Egypt, Cairo · founded 1938

  44. 40

    BrazilPadtec

    Latin America's only native DWDM vendor, a CPqD spin-off that makes LightPad transponders and optical transport in Campinas; it re-entered submarine systems in 2025.

    Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Brazil, Campinas · founded 2001 · 500 staff

  45. 41

    RussiaT8

    Russia's leading domestic DWDM equipment maker (Volga platform, 400G single-carrier modules) supplying Rostelecom and TransTeleCom.

    Low relevance · Hardware & devices · Russia, Moscow · founded 2003

  46. 42

    PolandFIBRAIN

    Poland's largest fibre-optics and photonics company and one of the few European firms drawing its own optical fibre, as well as making cables and components.

    Low relevance · Components & subsystems · Poland, Głogów Małopolski

  47. 43

    MexicoGrupo Carso (Condumex)

    Its Condumex industrial arm is Mexico's main domestic producer of fibre-optic telecom cable, alongside copper and coaxial lines.

    Low relevance · Systems integration · Mexico, Mexico City · founded 1980

  48. Very low7 companies
  49. 44

    Saudi ArabiaMiddle East Fiber Cable Manufacturing Co. (MEFC)

    The Gulf's main optical fibre cable producer (Saudi joint venture linked to Fujikura), holding a large share of MENA telecom fibre-cable supply.

    Very low relevance · Components & subsystems · Saudi Arabia, Riyadh · founded 1995

  50. 45

    MalaysiaSilTerra Malaysia

    Malaysian CMOS foundry with a silicon-photonics process (PDKs with Luceda, Lightwave Logic polymer modulators, and IIT Madras programmable photonic chips).

    Very low relevance · Contract manufacturing · Malaysia, Kulim · founded 1995

  51. 46

    IndonesiaPT Communication Cable Systems Indonesia

    Indonesian maker of terrestrial and submarine fibre-optic cable (Cilegon plant, about 1 million fibre-km/year), supplying the 3,400 km Varuna subsea system.

    Very low relevance · Components & subsystems · Indonesia, Jakarta · founded 1995

  52. 47

    VietnamVNPT (Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group)

    State group whose units VINA-OFC and POSTEF make and export optical fibre and cable, including Vietnam's first glass-fibre draw plant.

    Very low relevance · Operations & infrastructure · Vietnam, Hanoi · founded 1995

  53. 48

    SingaporeCompoundTek

    Singapore silicon-photonics foundry-services firm with 106G PAM4 modulator PDKs and Southeast Asia's first foundry-agnostic SiPh wafer test hub.

    Very low relevance · Contract manufacturing · Singapore, Singapore · founded 2017

  54. 49

    CzechiaOPTOKON

    Czech maker of fibre-optic connectivity, tactical fibre-optic systems and optical test equipment for telecom and defence networks.

    Very low relevance · Components & subsystems · Czechia, Jihlava · founded 1991

  55. 50

    TürkiyeSAMM Teknoloji

    Turkish maker of fibre-optic cable assemblies and MTP/MPO data-centre components and a major supplier to Türk Telekom's FTTH build-out.

    Very low relevance · Components & subsystems · Türkiye, Ankara

These companies in the Companies table →