en.Wedoany.com Reported - On July 8, Indian telecommunications equipment and optical fiber cable company HFCL launched the OptiQ AI brand, offering connectivity infrastructure products for AI service providers and hyperscale data center customers. The brand will focus on the demand for high-speed, low-latency, and high-density optical connectivity in AI data centers, covering businesses such as optical fiber cables, data center interconnect, and passive optical components.
The establishment of OptiQ AI directly addresses the growth in optical communication demand driven by AI data centers. Large model training and inference clusters require high-bandwidth data transmission between GPU servers, switches, cabinets, server rooms, and campuses. Optical fiber cables, data center interconnect components, and passive optical devices will become key connectivity layers in computing infrastructure. HFCL already has a data center-focused R&D center in Bangalore and manufactures data center interconnect products and passive components in Chennai; these products support high-speed data transmission within and between server rooms, as well as across cloud service provider networks. As traffic density in AI data centers increases, connectivity systems must consider not only cable scale but also link loss, cabling density, component reliability, flame retardancy and mechanical performance testing, as well as compatibility with switching equipment and optical module systems.
HFCL currently operates four manufacturing units, three of which are dedicated to optical fiber and optical fiber cable production. The company plans to file approximately 25 patents this year and expand its optical fiber cable production capacity to 45 million route kilometers by fiscal year 2027, with a focus on the data center market.
Production capacity and export capability form the foundation for HFCL's entry into the AI data center connectivity market. Approximately 70% of its domestic optical fiber cable output is exported to global markets, including some developed countries. Domestically in India, HFCL also supplies to the BharatNet 3 project, BSNL, Reliance Jio, and hyperscale customers. BharatNet 3 is a major broadband infrastructure project in India, and HFCL holds a significant supply share for this project, creating multiple demand sources across government networks, operator networks, and data center connectivity markets.
OptiQ AI is not a single product name but a dedicated business vertical brand established by HFCL for AI connectivity scenarios. The brand targets AI service providers, cloud vendors, data center operators, and hyperscale customers, combining optical fiber cables, data center interconnect, passive components, customized connectivity solutions, and R&D and manufacturing capabilities. For such customers, procurement needs typically go beyond standard optical cables to include connectivity systems configured according to server room architecture, transmission distance, bandwidth planning, and operational requirements.
HFCL has equipped its Chennai plant with in-house fire safety and mechanical testing capabilities to verify the reliability of optical fiber cables and related components in data center environments. AI server rooms feature high cabling density and concentrated heat generation from equipment, requiring optical fiber cable products to meet long-term operation, bend radius, tensile strength, flame retardancy, mechanical impact, and installation and maintenance requirements. The closer testing capabilities are to the manufacturing end, the easier it becomes to form a closed loop for product iteration and customized customer delivery.
With the launch of OptiQ AI, HFCL will further consolidate its existing optical fiber cable manufacturing, data center R&D, Chennai interconnect product production, patent portfolio, and global export operations into the AI data center connectivity scenario. Its business focus includes expanding optical fiber cable production, data center interconnect components, passive optical devices, customized connectivity solutions for hyperscale customers, and optical communication support for AI infrastructure in both Indian and overseas markets.
