Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1219491
42 I ICT TODAY Mass Growth In Interconnects Considering the projected connected infrastructure market growth of 9 percent, annual network bandwidth growth rate of 50 percent, and the push toward cloud and hyperscale network topologies where data center growth is being moved to separate and remote edge facilities, physical interconnects are experiencing hyper growth. A recent report by Technavio reveals a global data center connector compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 12 percent from 2019 to 2023 (Figure 6). 3 FIGURE 6: Mass growth in interconnects. Experts predict a global data center connector growth rate of more than 12 percent from 2019 to 2023. Source: Image used with permission by Technavio media team. ©2020 Technavio. All rights reserved. CURRENT STATE OF THE CONNECTOR The Optical Fiber Connector Trends show that companies will rely heavily on optical fiber cabling to support the extraordinary demand for cabling infrastructure. Presented is an overview of opti- cal fiber connectors in use today, including the history, capabilities, advantages and disadvantages of each. FIGURE 7: Shown are ST and FC connectors, originally introduced in 1980. ST AND FC CONNECTORS: ST (straight tip) and FC (ferrule) connectors connect a single strand of fiber. These were originally introduced in 1980 (Figure 7). PROS: Small form factor, gender-neutral mating, and high performance with low-loss characteristics. CONS: Low fiber strand capacity and requires specific cross polarity and key alignment for mating; therefore, they may be susceptible to performance issues.