[Abstract]
MPO (Multi-fiber Push On) is a high-density multi-fiber optical connector based on MT ferrule technology, which has become a core physical layer component for high-speed optical interconnects in data centers during the AI computing era. This article systematically reviews the technical principles and specification systems of MPO, global and Chinese market trends, upstream and downstream industry chain structures, and the mainstream competitive landscape at home and abroad. It also focuses on analyzing its role and technological evolution direction in new architectures such as CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) / NPO (Near-Packaged Optics).
Research indicates that driven by the dual forces of the volume ramp-up of 800G/1.6T optical modules and the large-scale deployment of AI clusters, the MPO industry is currently in a high-prosperity cycle with both volume and price rising. Although the advancement of CPO/NPO brings diversification in technological routes, MPO, as the basic interface for multi-fiber parallel optical connections, is expected to see its value extend from traditional external interfaces to package-level precision coupling, presenting clear long-term growth space for the industry.
01. AI Computing Power Drives High-Density Optical Interconnects
Given the accelerated iteration of global AI large models and the large-scale deployment of supercomputing centers, the demand for network bandwidth in computing infrastructure is growing exponentially. The continuous deployment of 10,000-card AI clusters such as NVIDIA Blackwell and Google TPU is driving the rapid iteration of optical modules from 400G to 800G/1.6T, with a simultaneous surge in the number of optical channels and front-panel port density. Against this backdrop, the bottlenecks of traditional single-fiber LC/SC connectors in space utilization, cabling efficiency, and O&M complexity are becoming increasingly prominent, ushering in historic development opportunities for multi-fiber parallel optical connectors represented by MPO.
MPO is not an emerging device—its standard prototype can be traced back to the 1990s, but it has long been mainly applied in relatively mature scenarios such as data center backbone cabling. The arrival of the AI computing wave has reshaped the industrial value of MPO from three dimensions: First, rate upgrades have driven a multiplicative increase in the number of fiber channels per module, transforming MPO from an optional solution to the standard interface for 800G/1.6T parallel optical modules; Second, the Scale-up/Scale-out network architecture of AI clusters has upgraded in-rack fiber from a "connection issue" to a "routing, storage, mapping, and maintenance issue," driving new increments in fiber management components such as Shuffle Boxes; Third, new optical interconnect architectures like CPO/NPO have pushed optical connections further down from the front end of modules to the near-chip and package levels, spawning precision connection demands for FAU, dFAU, and polarization-maintaining coupling.
02. Technical Principles and Specification Systems of MPO
Definition and Standard Traceability
MPO, short for Multi-fiber Push On, is a high-density multi-fiber optical connector that complies with the international standards IEC 61754-7 and TIA-604-5 (FOCIS 5). Its core design concept is to integrate multiple fibers within a single rectangular interface, achieving simultaneous low-loss mating of multiple channels through precision mechanical alignment, thereby significantly increasing the optical connection density per unit space.
MPO technology was initially developed by NTT in Japan and later industrialized by manufacturers such as US Conec and SENKO. It needs to be specifically clarified that MTP (Multi-fiber Termination Push-on), frequently mentioned in the industry, is not an independent standard, but a high-performance MPO branded product launched by the US company US Conec. MTP has been optimized in terms of MT ferrule precision, elliptical guide pins, floating ferrule structure, and removable housing. It is fully compatible with the standard MPO physical interface and represents a high-end implementation within the MPO standard system.
Core Structure and Working Principle
The core components of an MPO connector include the MT ferrule, guide pins (male) / guide holes (female), housing, springs, and crimping components. Among them, the MT (Mechanical Transfer) ferrule is the most critical element determining performance.
● MT Ferrule: Precision molded using PPS (Polyphenylene Sulfide)-based thermoplastic composite materials, it features a built-in micropore array to accommodate multiple fibers. US Conec's MT ferrules can support up to 72 fiber holes (for 125μm fibers), with a fiber pitch of 0.25mm, and the dimensional/positional accuracy of the fiber holes and guide pin holes reaches the micrometer level. The polishing quality of the ferrule end face directly determines the insertion loss and return loss performance.
● Guide Pin Alignment: The male ferrule is equipped with two precision metal guide pins, corresponding to guide holes in the female ferrule. During mating and unmating, the guide pins achieve micrometer-level axial/radial alignment, controlling the single-fiber offset error within ±0.5μm, ensuring simultaneous low-loss coupling of multiple fibers.
● Floating Ferrule Design (MTP Feature): The ferrule can achieve slight floating in the lateral and angular directions within the housing, maintaining good mating even when the cable is subjected to off-axis loads, thereby improving inter-mating reliability.
Specification System
The specification selection of MPO involves multiple dimensions, and an error in any dimension may lead to the issue of physical mating being possible but the link failing to be activated.
(1) By Fiber Count Specifications
(2) By Fiber Type
● Multimode MPO (OM3/OM4/OM5): Mainly used for short-reach interconnects in data centers (SR series optical modules), it is currently the category with the largest usage volume.
● Single-mode MPO (SM): Used for medium-to-long-reach transmission and telecom network scenarios, with higher requirements for end-face angles (APC).
● Polarization-Maintaining MPO (PM-MPO): Utilizes polarization-maintaining fibers and requires precise control of the polarization axis direction for each fiber. It is mainly applied in scenarios sensitive to polarization states, such as silicon photonics modules and CPO External Laser Sources (ELS). Its technical barriers and value are significantly higher than those of ordinary MPOs.
(3) By Performance Grade and Polarity
Insertion Loss (IL) is the core indicator for classifying MPO performance grades. The maximum insertion loss for standard single-mode MPO is typically ≤0.75dB, and for multimode ≤0.60dB; US Conec's MTP Elite (MT Elite) grade can reduce the maximum insertion loss to 0.35dB, making it suitable for multi-level cabling scenarios in AI clusters with tight link budgets.
Polarity is the most error-prone aspect in MPO cabling. TIA standards define three polarity types: Type A (Straight-through), Type B (Crossed/Reversed), and Type C (Pairwise Swap), which must strictly match the cabling architecture and the transceiver directions of the optical modules. Additionally, end-face polishing is divided into UPC (Ultra Physical Contact, mainly for multimode) and APC (Angled Physical Contact, mainly for single-mode with better return loss). The key direction determines the orientation of the connector when inserted into the adapter.
03. MPO Market Trends and Growth Drivers
Global Market Size
Multiple market research institutions have estimated the global market size for MPO fiber optic connectors. However, due to different statistical calibers (connector body only / including patch cord kits / including cabling systems), the data shows certain variations. Synthesizing data from various institutions, the following trend judgments can be drawn:
Note: The above data is sourced from public reports of various institutions, and statistical calibers vary; it is for trend reference only. Overall, the global MPO market size is expected to be in the range of 1 to 1.3 billion USD between 2025 and 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) projected at 13%-19% over the next decade, significantly higher than the growth rate of traditional single-fiber optical connectors.
Chinese Market Size
Regarding the Chinese market, the statistical calibers of different research institutions also vary. Some institutions estimate that the market size of MPO fiber optic connectors in China will be approximately 3.5 billion RMB in 2025, a year-on-year growth of about 18%; other institutions include MPO connector kits (including patch cords, patch panels, etc.) in their statistics, concluding that the market size of MPO connector kits for data centers in China will be about 7.83 billion RMB in 2026, with a year-on-year growth of 19%. Overall, the growth rate of the Chinese market is higher than the global average, primarily benefiting from the advancement of the domestic "East Data and West Computing" project and the construction of intelligent computing centers by internet companies.
Core Growth Drivers
(1) Volume Ramp-up of 800G/1.6T Optical Modules
800G SR8 optical modules adopt 16-fiber MPO interfaces, and 1.6T optical modules mostly adopt 24/32-fiber MPOs, with the number of fiber channels per module growing multiplicatively compared to the 400G era. As 800G optical modules enter a period of large-scale volume ramp-up in 2025-2026 and 1.6T accelerates its penetration in 2026-2027, the demand for MPO connectors presents a dual pull of "volume increase + fiber count increase."
(2) High-Density Cabling for AI Clusters
The optical interconnect architecture for 10,000-card AI clusters is extremely complex. Taking the H100 cluster as an example, the ratio of MPO patch cords equipped per GPU server can reach 1:3, and a three-tier interconnect requires over 24,000 MPO cables alone. In Scale-up optical interconnect scenarios, the value of MPO connectors per rack is increased by about 10 times compared to traditional scenarios.
(3) Incremental Growth from CPO/NPO Architectures
CPO switches co-package optical engines with switching ASICs, eliminating traditional pluggable optical modules, but optical signals still need to be routed to the front panel via fibers. A single NVIDIA Quantum-X CPO switch requires hundreds of high-density MPO components, and the MPO usage for internal interconnects within the equipment is several times that of traditional switches. NPO (Near-Packaged Optics), as a transitional solution before CPO mass production, similarly drives the demand for near-board high-density connections and fiber harnesses.
Latest Industry Dynamics
● In January 2026, Meta signed a multi-year optical communication order for AI data centers with Corning, valued at up to 6 billion USD, covering optical fibers, optical cables, and connection solutions (including MPO).
● In May 2026, NVIDIA and Corning announced a multi-year commercial and technical collaboration, under which Corning will increase its US optical connection manufacturing capacity by 10 times and optical fiber production capacity by over 50%.
● In June 2026, ZTT (Zhongtian Technology) announced winning the bid for a centralized procurement project of MPO fiber optic patch cords and accessories for a data center of a domestic internet company, with a winning bid amount of approximately 1.518 billion RMB (tax inclusive) and an execution cycle of one year.
● In June 2026, Corning launched the Glass Bridge glass optical connector, targeting Fiber-to-PIC coupling in CPO scenarios.
● In March 2026, Ciena, Coherent, Marvell, Molex, Samtec, and TeraHop jointly launched the Open CPX MSA to promote the standardization of pluggable optical engine architectures, with an initial optical engine capacity of 6.4Tbps.
04. MPO Industry Chain Composition
The MPO industry chain can be divided into three segments: upstream materials and precision components, midstream connectors and cabling components, and downstream applications. The technical barriers and competitive landscapes vary significantly across these segments.
Upstream: Materials and Precision Components
The upstream segment has the highest technical barriers and the lowest localization rate in the industry chain. The core components include:
● Optical Fiber/Optical Cable: Basic materials for MPO patch cords. Representative manufacturers include Corning, YOFC, Hengtong Optic-Electric, and ZTT. Special fibers such as polarization-maintaining fibers have high technical barriers.
● MT Ferrule/Guide Pins: The most core precision components of MPO, long dominated by US and Japanese manufacturers such as US Conec, SENKO, Sumitomo Electric, and Fujikura. Domestically, Taclink Optic has achieved independent R&D and production of MT ferrules; Shijia Photons entered the field by acquiring Fuxikema; Kaihang Technology is a core ferrule OEM for SENKO; and Voke Technology is expanding through the acquisition of Jiuteng Communications.
● Ceramic Ferrules/Sleeves: Core components for traditional single-fiber connectors. Representative manufacturers include Sanhuan Group and Taclink Optic.
● PPS Resin: Basic material for MT ferrules. Representative manufacturers include NHU.
● Polishing Equipment and Consumables: End-face polishing is a critical process determining insertion loss. Representative manufacturers include 3M and Seikoh Giken.
Midstream: Connectors and Cabling Components
The midstream is the segment where MPO value is most concentrated. Product forms are upgrading from single connectors to pre-terminated, modular, customized, and system-level delivery:
● MPO/MTP Connectors and Patch Cords: The most basic product form. Representative manufacturers include Taclink Optic, US Conec, SENKO,EverProX (subsidiary Changxinsheng), Zhishang Technology (SENKO OEM), Shijia Photons, JPT, and Adtek.
● Trunk/Cassette (Trunk Cables/Cassettes): Pre-terminated cabling systems. Representative manufacturers include Corning, Amphenol (including former CommScope CCS), Molex, and AFL.
● Shuffle Box: A new increment for AI clusters, which completes cross-rearrangement of multiple fibers according to preset rules through built-in flexible fiber substrates. Representative manufacturers include Molex, Corning, and Hengdongguang.
● FAU/dFAU/PM-FAU (Fiber Array Unit): Precision coupling components for Fiber-to-PIC in CPO scenarios. Representative manufacturers include TFC Optical Communication, AFR, EverProX, Sumitomo Electric, JPT, and Tengjing Technology.
● VSFF Connectors (MMC, SN-MT, etc.): Ultra-small form factor high-density connectors. Representative manufacturers include US Conec (MMC) and SENKO (SN-MT). Domestic manufacturers require authorization for production.
Downstream: Application End
● Optical Module Manufacturers: Innolight, Eoptolink, HGTECH, EverProX, etc., where MPO serves as the standard physical interface for high-speed optical modules.
● Switch/System Equipment Vendors: Arista Networks, Unisplendour, Ruijie Networks, NVIDIA (CPO switches), etc.
● Cloud Providers/Data Centers: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Meta, Tencent, Alibaba, etc. They are the ultimate source of MPO demand, with strong bargaining power and long certification cycles, but once entering the supply chain, order elasticity and stickiness are relatively high.
Industry Chain Panorama
05. Overview of Mainstream Players
The global MPO market presents an oligopolistic competitive landscape. According to industry research, the three giants—US Conec, SENKO, and Taclink Optic—collectively hold approximately 36%-40% of the market share. The high-end market (especially the supply chain for North American cloud providers) has long been dominated by US and Japanese manufacturers. Domestic manufacturers have achieved scale breakthroughs in the mid-to-low-end market and are gradually extending to high-end polarization-maintaining MPOs and CPO supporting components.
Overseas Core Manufacturers
(1) US Conec (USA)
A core manufacturer in the global high-density optical interconnect field (unlisted), with shareholders including Corning, Fujikura, and NTT-AT. The company is the owner of the MTP brand and a core supplier of MT/TMT ferrules. Its products cover MT/MT Elite ferrules, MTP connectors, VSFF connectors such as MDC/MMC, PRIZM expanded beam connection solutions, and cleaning tools. Its core barriers lie not in a single connector model, but in the precision manufacturing capability of MT/TMT ferrules, the MTP brand and patent structure, the VSFF multi-source ecosystem, and the synergy with industry chain partners such as Corning, Fujikura, and Sumitomo. In 2024, it reached a settlement with SENKO regarding the VSFF/MPO patent dispute, allowing both parties to continue providing their respective products.
(2) SENKO (Japan)
An important global manufacturer of fiber optic connections and passive optical components, founded in 1983 and headquartered in Mie Prefecture, Japan. The company is represented by high-density connectors such as SN, CS, SN-MT, and MPO-PLUS, and is deeply involved in the evolution of VSFF and multi-fiber high-density connections. In terms of CPO layout, SENKO acquired CudoForm in 2022 to gain metallic micro-optics platform capabilities, forming the MPC (Metallic PIC Coupler) detachable Fiber-to-PIC coupling solution, which has been explicitly applied in Marvell's CPO/XPU architecture. According to some industry research, SENKO holds approximately 40%-45% of the global MT ferrule market share and is a leader in the polarization-maintaining MT ferrule (PM-MT) field.
(3) Corning (USA)
A global leader in optical fibers, inventing the first low-loss commercial optical fiber in 1970. Corning has achieved full industry chain coverage in the MPO field, from optical fiber materials and cable structures to connection cabling. Its core products include the EDGE series high-density cabling, MTP/MPO components, and MDC/MMC. It signed an order of up to 6 billion USD with Meta in January 2026 and reached a multi-year collaboration with NVIDIA in May. In the CPO field, Corning launched the Glass Bridge glass optical connector in June 2026, adopting wafer-level ion exchange (IOX) waveguide technology to build mode field conversion and alignment into the glass, representing another technological route besides FAU/dFAU.
(4) Amphenol (USA)
One of the world's largest connector/interconnect system manufacturers. In 2026, it acquired CommScope's CCS division (including the SYSTIMAX structured cabling brand) for 10.5 billion USD in cash. The merger formed full-link delivery capabilities for copper and optical connections within racks, between racks, and across computer rooms, making it one of the data center interconnect system manufacturers with the broadest industry chain coverage.
(5) AFL/Fujikura (Japan)
AFL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fujikura and a leading data center cabling solution provider in North America. Fujikura's core barrier technologies include SWR (SpiderWeb Ribbon) flexible ribbon cables and WTC (Wrapping Tube Cable) high-fiber-count cables, launching SWR/WTC cables with up to 13,824 fibers in 2025. In May 2026, Fujikura announced a new medium-term plan to invest up to 530 billion JPY over three years, focusing on expanding optical fiber and cable production capacity for AI data centers.
(6) Other Overseas Manufacturers
● Sumitomo Electric: A Japanese comprehensive cable giant, covering optical fibers and cables, optical connectors, compound semiconductors, EML/CW light sources, etc. In March 2026, it established a PRIZM TMT expanded beam ferrule multi-source framework with US Conec, Corning, and Fujikura.
● Molex: With over 80 years of history, privatized by Koch Industries, covering all categories of optoelectronic interconnects. It leads in Shuffle Box products and collaborates with Teramount on the TeraVERSE detachable optical interface to layout CPO.
● Prysmian: A global cable giant, expanding its communication cable territory through continuous acquisitions (Draka, General Cable, Warren & Brown, Channell, Xtera).
Domestic Core Manufacturers
(1) Taclink Optic (300570.SZ)
The absolute leader in domestic MPO and the world's second-largest MPO supplier, as well as one of the few enterprises in the industry to achieve independent R&D and production of MT ferrules. The company is deeply engaged in the field of optical communication components, with products covering MT ferrules, MPO/MTP high-density fiber optic connectors, flexible optical fiber boards, and optical modules/AOC. In 2025, its revenue was 1.547 billion RMB (YoY +12.26%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 299 million RMB (YoY +14.43%). Optical component products accounted for about 98% of revenue, with a gross margin of about 38%. The company is deeply bound to the overseas major customer system (in 2025, the top customer accounted for about 68% of revenue, mainly Corning), indirectly supplying NVIDIA, Meta, etc. Both MMC and MDC connectors have been authorized by US Conec and entered mass production. In the 2026 interim report, revenue was 1.001 billion RMB (YoY +20.81%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 176 million RMB (YoY +1.71%), with a significant quarter-on-quarter improvement in Q2 performance.
(2) EverProX (300548.SZ)
A comprehensive optoelectronic interconnect solution provider, it gained controlling interest in Changxinsheng (holding 60.45%) through step-by-step acquisitions in early 2025. The MPO connector business formed a billion-level revenue scale in 2025. The company's products cover optoelectronic chips, optical modules, AOC, DAC/ACC/AEC, and comprehensive cabling. In 2025, revenue was 2.533 billion RMB (YoY +44.93%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 335 million RMB (YoY +364.62%). The new ultra-high-density optical connector SN-MT has achieved mass production, and MMC/EBO has entered the development and validation stage. The Indonesia base is the core overseas production capacity for MPO, serving customers such as Google, with high-density 48/72/96-fiber computing MPO production lines operating at full capacity. The 2026 interim report forecasts a net profit of 280-345 million RMB, a year-on-year growth of 66.45%-105.09%.
(3) Shijia Photons (688313.SH)
An enterprise driven by the dual engines of "active optical chips + passive optical components." It has shipped small batches of CW DFB light sources (70-100mW products) for data center silicon photonics, and EML prototype samples are under development. In 2025, revenue was 2.129 billion RMB (YoY +98.15%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 372 million RMB (YoY +473.25%); in the 2026 interim report, revenue was 1.495 billion RMB (YoY +50.66%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 315 million RMB (YoY +45.30%), with overseas revenue growing by over 300% year-on-year.
(4) TFC Optical Communication (300394.SZ)
An optical interconnect platform manufacturer and a leading FAU enterprise. The company provides one-stop solutions from passive components and active components to integrated co-development, with products covering precision micro-optical components, WDM solutions, multi-channel high-speed optical engine packaging, high-density optical interconnects, and ELS. It has currently completed the mass production of 1.6T optical engines and the R&D of CPO supporting optical components, deeply deploying high-end FAUs, and also has related products for Shuffle Boxes. In 2025, revenue was 5.163 billion RMB (YoY +58.79%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 2.017 billion RMB (YoY +50.15%), of which active optical component (mainly optical engine) revenue was 3 billion RMB (YoY +81%), and passive optical component revenue was 2.1 billion RMB (YoY +32%).
(5) Zhishang Technology (301486.SZ)
With precision manufacturing as its core, it is the largest OEM for SENKO's fiber optic connector business, indirectly entering the supply chains of NVIDIA and Google through this channel. The company has long provided MPO/MTP fiber optic patch cord products for SENKO. The MPC metallic PIC coupler developed to support the CPO architecture has completed customer certification, entered the NPI stage, and is expected to officially enter production in the second half of 2026. In 2025, revenue was 998 million RMB, with optical communication product revenue of 561 million RMB (accounting for 56.17%). From January to June 2026, it continuously received procurement orders from PH, a US fiber optic connection solution provider, totaling about 460 million RMB. The company's target output value for optical communication in 2026 is 1 billion RMB.
(6) Hengdongguang
A high-growth enterprise in MPO/cabling/internal connection components, deeply bound to AFL (a Fujikura subsidiary). In 2025, revenue was 2.216 billion RMB (YoY +68.50%), and net profit attributable to shareholders was 305 million RMB (YoY +106.47%), of which passive optical component revenue was 1.963 billion RMB (YoY +61.5%). Fiber optic connectors are the largest business (contributing 57% of revenue in H1 2025), with AFL as the core downstream customer, and end customers pointing to leading North American data centers. With the increase in shipments of 800G/1.6T optical modules, the FAU business is expected to become the second growth curve.
(7) Adtek
A leading global enterprise in fiber optic connectors and high-density optical connections. According to the company's prospectus, its global market share in fiber optic connectors/high-density fiber optic connectors in 2025 was 9.7%/12.6% respectively, both ranking first globally. In 2025, revenue was 2.105 billion RMB (YoY +136.6%), and annual profit was 624 million RMB (YoY +133.1%), with fiber optic connector revenue accounting for 93.7%. Products cover MTP/MPO, VSFF, high-density cabling systems, MT-FA, FAU, and MPO-Prizm, extending towards CPO optical engines and higher-density optical interconnect scenarios.
(8) Other Domestic Manufacturers
● JPT (688025.SH): A leading laser enterprise entering optical connections, deploying "FAU+MPO" by holding controlling interest in Shenzhen Matrix Optoelectronics. MPO products have passed SENKO system certification, and MMC has passed US Conec certification, with capacity rapidly ramping up. In 2025, revenue was 2.074 billion RMB (YoY +42.66%).
● AFR (300620.SZ): Advancing in polarization-maintaining components and thin-film lithium niobate modulators, planning to acquire Anjiexun to strengthen FAU/MPO capabilities, and acquiring Wuhan Jiepu to enhance manufacturing and packaging. In 2025, revenue was 1.474 billion RMB (YoY +47.56%).
● SDGI (000070.SZ): An optical communication platform under the Shenzhen SASAC, with a high-end MPO optical connector market share ranking among the top in the industry. It is promoting the R&D of high-density ultra-thin multi-fiber MPO ferrules for CPO, possesses frontier layout in hollow-core fibers, and mass-produces high-end connectors at its Vietnam base.
● ZTT (600522.SH): An integrated "preform-fiber-cable" enterprise, winning a 1.518 billion RMB MPO patch cord project in June 2026. It has achieved stable mass production of multi-fiber optical fibers and is deploying polarization-maintaining/special optical fibers and 400G optical modules.
● Voke Technology (301196.SZ): Planning to acquire a 51% equity stake in Jiuteng Technology in April 2026 to enter the MT ferrule field. It has successfully developed a 16-fiber MPO ferrule and passed CommScope testing, with 24-fiber products under development.
● Tengjing Technology (688195.SH): Extending its precision optical platform towards FAU/CPO/OCS, mastering capabilities such as silicon/glass V-groove substrates, microlens arrays, and polarization-maintaining fiber coupled FAUs.
● Converge Technology (1729.HK): A Luxshare-affiliated data center connection component and server manufacturing platform. In 2025, revenue was 12.41 billion HKD (YoY +68%), and server business revenue was 7.4 billion HKD (YoY +132%).
06. The Role and Technological Evolution of MPO in the CPO/NPO Era
New Demands for Optical Connections from CPO/NPO Architectures
CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) co-packages optical engines and switching ASICs on the same substrate, reducing power consumption and improving integration by shortening the electrical signal path. NPO (Near-Packaged Optics) is a transitional solution before CPO mass production, placing the optical engine near the switching chip without co-packaging, achieving a balance among cost, performance, and maintainability. According to forecasts from institutions such as SemiAnalysis, CPO will enter a small-batch validation period (approximately 60,000 to 100,000 units) in 2026-2027 and gradually commercialize after 2028.
CPO/NPO architectures bring entirely new challenges to optical connections: First, how to route optical signals from the optical engine inside the package to the front panel; Second, how to ensure system maintainability when the optical engine is non-pluggable; Third, how to achieve stable polarization-maintaining optical coupling since silicon photonics solutions mostly adopt External Laser Sources (ELS); Fourth, how traditional connectors can adapt to further increased channel density.
Core Role of MPO in CPO Systems
● Standard Physical Interface for Internal and External Optical Interconnects: MPO undertakes the role of "optical signal routing," connecting the fiber array (FA) inside the package at one end and the external fiber link on the switch front panel at the other end, serving as the core bridge from the on-board optical engine to the external network.
● Buffer Layer for Maintainability: CPO optical engines and switching chips are co-soldered on the substrate, making direct replacement of the entire machine extremely costly in case of failure. As a pluggable buffer layer, MPO can isolate failures at the connector/patch cord level, significantly reducing O&M costs.
● Core Connection Carrier for External Laser Sources (ELS): The mainstream silicon photonics CPO solution adopts external lasers. Polarization-maintaining MPO (PM-MPO) is the core connection solution between the external laser source and the optical engine, requiring strict alignment of the polarization axes for all fiber channels.
● High-Density Internal Interconnects at Board and Box Levels: Short-reach array connections between multiple optical engines and between optical engines and cabling units inside CPO switches. The MPO usage per device can reach hundreds, several times that of traditional switches.
Technological Evolution Directions
(1) High Fiber Count
With the upgrade of single-channel rates from 112G to 224G, MPO is evolving from the standard 12-fiber to 16-fiber, 24-fiber, 32-fiber, and even 72-fiber. US Conec has launched MT ferrules with up to 72 fibers, and SENKO's SN-MT 32F can achieve approximately 2.7 times the fiber density of 16F MPO while maintaining the SN connector footprint.
(2) Low Loss
Tightening link budgets are driving the continuous reduction of MPO insertion loss. The insertion loss for standard single-mode MPO is ≤0.75dB, MTP Elite has reduced it to ≤0.35dB, and the TMT Elite grade for MMC can achieve ≤0.25dB insertion loss for 97% random inter-mating. CPO scenarios have even more stringent requirements for insertion loss.
(3) Polarization Maintaining
Silicon photonic devices are highly sensitive to the polarization state of light, making polarization-maintaining MPOs and PM-FAUs key components for CPO external laser source solutions. PM products require precise rotational alignment of the slow/fast axis direction of each PM fiber in the V-groove, and must be verified through PER (Polarization Extinction Ratio) testing. The technical barriers and yield challenges are significantly higher than those of ordinary products.
(4) VSFF Miniaturization
In the 800G/1.6T era, switch front-panel space has become a bottleneck, making VSFF (Very Small Form Factor) ultra-small connectors an important supplement. The port density of MMC (US Conec) is about 3 times that of MPO, and the 16F density of SN-MT (SENKO) is about 2.7 times that of 16F MPO. VSFF and MPO are more about scenario complementarity rather than substitution—MPO remains suitable for high-density backbone pre-terminated cabling, while VSFF targets the front end of optical modules and ultra-high-density panels.
(5) From Connectors to Precision Coupling Components
In the CPO era, the value of optical connections is extending from traditional external connectors to package-level precision coupling components. The main technological routes include:
● FAU (Fiber Array Unit): Utilizes V-grooves to position and fix multiple fibers at the sub-micron level, achieving low-loss coupling with the PIC. It is currently the most mature Fiber-to-PIC solution.
● dFAU (Detachable FAU): Targeting CPO maintainability requirements, represented by SENKO's MPC, it combines fiber arrays with metallic optical benches and micromirror arrays, supporting detachability, testability, and reworkability.
● Glass Bridge: A solution launched by Corning in 2026, adopting wafer-level ion exchange waveguide technology to build mode field conversion into the glass, achieving passive alignment and detachability. Its potential advantages are higher batch consistency and automation levels, but the current IOX waveguide yield and loss control remain bottlenecks.
It should be pointed out that the technological routes for CPO optical connections have not fully converged. Solutions such as FAU, dFAU/MPC, and Glass Bridge are still being validated in parallel, and the ultimately benefiting segments still require continuous tracking of the convergence process of these technological routes.
07. Industry Challenges and Future Outlook
Main Current Challenges
● End-face Cleaning and O&M Difficulty: Contamination on the multi-fiber end-faces of MPO significantly affects loss. On-site O&M has high requirements for cleaning tools and operational specifications. End-face contamination is one of the main causes of link failures.
● Yield Bottlenecks under High Density: With the increase in fiber count, the yield of ferrule micropore processing, fiber array assembly, and end-face polishing decreases. Batch consistency for high-end products remains a challenge.
● High Technical Barriers for PM Products: High precision requirements for polarization axis alignment. The production capacity of high-end PM MPO/FAU is mainly concentrated in overseas manufacturers such as SENKO, and domestic substitution is still in the process of breaking through.
● Uncertainty in CPO Technological Routes: Mass production yield and maintenance challenges for CPO lead to uncertainty in the large-scale deployment timetable. NPO may become the mainstream transitional solution in 2026-2027, and the demand rhythm for related connection components needs to be dynamically tracked.
● Supply Chain Access Barriers: The supply chain certification cycle for North American cloud providers is long, and the access threshold is high. It still takes time for domestic manufacturers to accumulate and enter the supply chains of high-end customers.
Future Outlook
In the short term (2026-2027), 800G/1.6T pluggable optical modules remain the most certain main line for volume ramp-up, and products such as MPO/MTP, VSFF, and Shuffle Box will benefit first. The core of industry competition will shift from low-cost supply to low insertion loss, high consistency, batch yield, and major customer certification.
In the medium term (2028-2030), CPO/NPO will gradually enter the commercialization period. The value of optical connections will extend from external interfaces to package-level precision coupling. The technological routes of solutions such as FAU, dFAU, PM coupling, and Glass Bridge will gradually converge, and manufacturers with precision manufacturing and major customer certification capabilities will obtain excess returns.
In the long run, as the basic interface standard for multi-fiber parallel optical connections, MPO will not disappear due to the emergence of the CPO architecture. Instead, its application scenarios will expand from traditional data center cabling to multiple dimensions such as the front end of optical modules, switch internals, and package-level coupling, with continuously increasing value. Against the backdrop of long-term growth in AI computing demand, MPO and related optical connection components are expected to become a highly certain growth track in the optical communication industry chain.
[Conclusion]
Although named a "small interface," the MPO connector carries "large increments" in the AI computing era. From the backbone cabling of traditional data centers, to the standard interface for 800G/1.6T optical modules, and then to the package-level precision coupling in CPO/NPO architectures, MPO and its derivative product forms are undergoing a value upgrade from "standard interface components" to "high-density precision components."
In terms of the industrial landscape, US and Japanese manufacturers still dominate the high-end market relying on first-mover advantages and patent accumulation. However, domestic enterprises have achieved substantial breakthroughs in independent R&D of MT ferrules, mass production of MPO, and precision coupling of FAU, and are gradually entering the supply chains of global top customers. With the continuous expansion of AI computing infrastructure and the continuous evolution of optical interconnect technologies, the MPO industry chain is expected to usher in long-term, certain growth opportunities.