The demand for data center interconnect (DCI) bandwidth is set to surge sixfold over the next five years, as data centers ramp up capacity to support AI-driven workloads, according to a global survey commissioned by Ciena. The study, conducted by Censuswide, surveyed more than 1,300 data center decision makers across 13 countries. It found that 53% of respondents see AI workloads as the top driver of DCI demand over the next two to three years, ahead of cloud computing (51%) and big data analytics (44%).
To meet these growing AI requirements, 43% of new data center builds are expected to be primarily dedicated to AI processing. The shift is driving operators to rethink architectures and capacity plans. The survey also reveals that 87% of respondents expect to require fiber optic wavelengths of at least 800 Gbps to support AI-driven data movement. Experts anticipate that the distributed training of Large Language Models (LLMs) will further increase inter-data center traffic, with 81% expecting training to occur across geographically dispersed facilities.
The report highlights a move toward more sustainable networking solutions. Nearly all (98%) respondents said pluggable optics will be critical to reducing power consumption and minimizing space usage within their networks. Additionally, most operators (67%) plan to use Managed Optical Fiber Networks (MOFN) for long-haul DCI connections, instead of deploying their own dark fiber.
• 6X projected increase in DCI bandwidth demand over the next five years.
• 43% of new data centers expected to be AI-dedicated.
• 53% of respondents identify AI as the biggest driver of DCI demand, ahead of cloud computing and big data analytics.
• 87% foresee the need for 800 Gbps or higher per wavelength in DCI capacity.
• 98% see pluggable optics as essential for reducing power and space requirements.
• 81% expect distributed LLM training across multiple AI data centers.
• 67% plan to use Managed Optical Fiber Networks for long-haul connectivity.
“AI workloads are reshaping the entire data center landscape, from infrastructure builds to bandwidth demand,” said Jürgen Hatheier, Chief Technology Officer, International, Ciena.
