Author: Mr. Lin Weizhi, Executive Vice President, Ji-Pu Industrial Trend Research Institute

<AI Optical Communication>

In 2026, AI infrastructure will face two structural gaps: one is HBM memory and the other is optical communication laser light source. The root of the problem is not so much the surge in demand for a single product, but the fact that the speed of AI network upgrades has completely outpaced the ability of the light source supply chain to scale. In the 400G and early 800G architectures, VCSELs have long dominated short-range (SR) optical connectivity by virtue of the maturity of the GaAs process, high yields, low cost, and packaging simplicity.