China Information and Communications Technology Unveils Domestic First 13,824-Core Optical Cable

On May 18, the 13,824-core ultra-large core optical cable, independently developed and mass-produced by China Information and Communications Technology (CICT), made its debut at the 21st "China Optics Valley" International Optoelectronic Expo. As China’s first 10,000-core class optical cable, it sets a new industry record for the largest number of cores in an optical cable, fully adapting to the construction needs of ultra-large-scale Artificial Intelligence Data Centers (AIDC) and meeting the interconnection scenarios of more than 100,000 card computing power clusters between buildings.

The 13,824-core ultra-large core optical cable adopts a modular precision structure design, with a fiber core density of up to 11 cores per square millimeter. Featuring a compact and simple structure, combined with a protective outer sheath, the final product has an outer diameter of only 40 millimeters, the same as that of the traditional 6,912-core ultra-large core optical cable and equivalent to the diameter of a standard table tennis ball.

This innovative design enables one single 13,824-core optical cable to replace 48 conventional 288-core optical cables with a diameter of 19 millimeters, saving more than 90% of pipeline resources. Such resource-saving advantages are particularly crucial in urban areas where underground pipeline resources are scarce, effectively reducing the cost and difficulty of urban optical cable network construction.

Facing the comprehensive upgrading of AI + optical connection and the high-speed interconnection of computing power, this product breaks foreign technological monopolies, fills the domestic gap in ultra-large core optical cable technology, and further improves the layout of China’s optical communication industry chain. As a core component of optical communication infrastructure, ultra-large core optical cables are essential for supporting the rapid development of digital economy, AI and big data industries.

Meanwhile, the product is compatible with the future ultra-large-scale AIDC scenarios with more than 100,000 card clusters, which can significantly improve the wiring efficiency of computing power centers and reduce operation and maintenance costs. It provides a high-efficiency, cost-effective and resource-saving solution for the interconnection of large-scale computing power clusters, laying a solid foundation for the high-quality development of the digital economy.

Moving forward, CICT will continue to deepen technological innovation in the field of optical communication, promote the wide application of 13,824-core ultra-large core optical cables in AIDC construction and other key fields, and further enhance the independent innovation capacity of China’s optical communication industry. This will help consolidate China’s leading position in the global optical communication field and support the accelerated development of emerging digital industries.