44 I ICT TODAY
Connector Market Capture
Figure 11 shows the fiber connector market and install base from 2018 projected to 2022. LC and MPO connectors
are the primary solutions that will be used to support the upcoming significant growth in hyperscale and cloud
connectivity. Remarkably, all these connector technologies were developed over 30 years ago!
CHALLENGES WITH CONNECTOR SOLUTIONS AND CONNECTIVITY
As optical fiber connectivity has become the leading media platform that supports the demands created by the massive
growth of both hyperscale and cloud, fiber connector technology developed over 30 years ago is causing significant
challenges. These challenges include the following:
ST/FC Connector
SC Connector
LC Connector
MPO Connector
Other
Fiber Optics Connector Market Capture 2018-2022
FIGURE 11: LC and MPO connectors are the primary solutions that will be used to support the extraordinary growth in connectivity.
As a reminder, all of these connectors were developed over 30 years ago. Source: Figure 11 is derived from information in Grand View
Research's Fiber Optic Connector Market Analysis.
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FIGURE 12: The limited fiber strand counts supported by connector solutions
today versus extreme capacity demands and physical space constraints are not
keeping up with many of the high-density needs of the data center.
High Capacity and Density: With the limited strand capacity offered
by connector solutions today, IT space environments are becoming
overwhelmed by the need to house the massive amount of cabling
infrastructure being deployed.
