POET Technologies has signed a development partnership with NTT Innovative Devices to co-design a 100G Bidirectional Optical Engine for next-generation mobile front-haul networks. The collaboration combines POET’s Optical Interposer platform with NTT’s optical components to deliver higher bandwidth and energy-efficient connectivity aimed at supporting artificial intelligence applications on mobile devices.
The 100G Bidirectional Optical Engine promises four times the bandwidth efficiency of existing devices, targeting deployment in mobile networks where low latency and high throughput are essential for AI-driven services. According to industry forecasts, the mobile front-haul segment is expected to grow at a 14.2% CAGR through 2032, reaching US$5.9 billion, while the bidirectional transceiver market could expand from US$1.2 billion in 2024 to US$2.5 billion by 2033. POET expects to complete prototypes in 2026 with high-volume production planned for 2027.
POET’s Optical Interposer platform integrates photonic and electronic devices at wafer scale, offering cost, size, and power consumption advantages. The new collaboration marks POET’s expansion into the mobile networking segment, complementing its existing portfolio of high-speed optical engines and modules for hyperscale data centers and AI clusters.
- Partnership with NTT Innovative Devices centers on 100G Bidirectional Optical Engine development.
- Optical Interposer platform enables integration of optics and electronics for scalable, cost-effective production.
- Target market includes AI-driven mobile front-haul networks with growing demand for low-latency bandwidth.
- Prototypes expected in 2026; high-volume production planned for 2027.
- Mobile front-haul and bidirectional transceiver markets forecasted to nearly double by early 2030s.
“We are pleased to collaborate with POET Technologies on the development of this innovative optical engine,” said Dr. Akimasa Kaneko, Executive Vice President of the Photonic Components Business Group at NTT Innovative Devices.
🌐 Analysis: This deal underscores the growing convergence of AI, telecom, and photonics. By partnering with NTT Innovative Devices, POET gains direct access to the mobile networking ecosystem at a time when telecom providers are rearchitecting front-haul networks to handle AI workloads at the edge. The move extends POET’s reach beyond hyperscale and AI server interconnects into mobile infrastructure, positioning the Optical Interposer as a versatile integration platform. Competitors such as Coherent and Lumentum are also targeting 100G+ bidirectional optics, but POET’s passive-assembly model could provide cost and scalability advantages as operators push toward AI-ready mobile networks.
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