How far can high-speed copper cables go? In the AI era, the coexistence of optical and copper is the future
Published:
2026-04-24
On April 22nd, the "High-Frequency, High-Speed Era: Embracing the Future with Intelligent Computing" Technology Seminar Summit was grandly inaugurated! Numerous industry experts, scholars, and business representatives gathered together to explore the path forward for high-speed interconnect technology amidst the explosion of AI computing power. Liu Lifeng, the General Manager of C-Flink, was invited to attend and delivered an in-depth sharing on the theme of "How Far Can 'High-Speed Copper Cable' Go?" He provided a thorough analysis of the current development status and future trends of high-speed copper cables in the current technological landscape, sparking widespread interest and deep contemplation among the attendees.
At the GTC conference in the spring of 2026, Huang Renxun unveiled a plan to integrate over 1,000 GPUs, propelling the industry's discourse on the "fate of copper cables" to new heights. On one side, NVIDIA has made aggressive investments totaling over $6 billion in optical communication companies like Marvell and Coherent. On the other, the dense deployment of thousands of copper cables inside the GB200 NVL72 cabinet has ignited debate over whether copper cables have reached their peak. In fact, copper cables have not gone extinct, but have instead undergone a transformation in their role, shifting from being an "all-round mainstay" to a "layered core" within NVIDIA's "optical-copper parallel" strategy.
01 The "twin protagonists" of data interconnectivity: copper cables and optical cables
In high-speed communication and data center scenarios, cables are the core medium for data transmission. Based on the differences in transmission media, they can be categorized into two main types: electrical communication (copper cables) and optical communication (optical cable). They offer efficient and stable connection solutions for interconnecting devices across different scenarios.As two key carriers in the field of data interconnectivity, copper cables and optical cable have their respective focuses in terms of interface adaptability, environmental adaptability, cost, and power consumption, providing differentiated selection approaches for high-speed interconnectivity.
With the rapid development of AI and 5G, data traffic continues to surge, and high-speed cables have become the core support for cable interconnection applications in data centers. In practical applications, DAC are predominantly used for intra-cabinet connections, AOC are employed for inter-cabinet connections owing to distance limitations, and large data centers primarily utilize modules combined with fiber optic jumpers for inter-floor connections.
From the interconnection of internal circuit boards within devices to cross-device and cross-room deployment in data centers, electrical and optical signal carriers fully leverage their respective strengths. Copper cables cement their dominance in short-range applications with cost efficiency, low power consumption, and robust reliability, while optical fibers dominate medium- to long-distance scenarios through their extended reach and minimal signal loss. Together, they establish a high-performance, adaptable high-speed interconnection network, ensuring stable and reliable connectivity for computing centers, telecommunications facilities, and similar environments.
02 Driven by AI, the communication industry is experiencing a comprehensive boom
The demand for AI computing power has seen an exponential surge, fueling an order boom across the entire communications industry. IDC data validates this trend:Global server revenue reached $444 billion in 2025, a year-on-year spike of 80.4%; annual revenue of Ethernet switches hit $325 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 53.5%.AI-oriented switches and servers are witnessing explosive growth, among which 800G switches serve as the primary growth driver. The industry is accelerating the upgrade and migration to higher-speed networks.
Driven by large-scale AI computing power orders for NVIDIA GB200 and Google, full order backlogs across the industrial chain have become the norm. Core components including GPUs, optical modules and optical fibers remain in short supply, with leading optical communication vendors posting doubled revenue and net profit. Amid soaring demand for 1.6T products in 2026 and accelerated deployment of OCS all-optical switches, the high-speed interconnection sector is embracing historic development opportunities.
03 Optical-copper parallel development brings new technological opportunities for high-speed copper cables.
As early as two decades ago, the industry put forward the judgment of "fiber in, copper out". After years of evolution, copper cables still occupy a pivotal position in the market, fully proving that fiber and copper are never an either-or choice. Instead, they maintain long-term coexistence, layered adaptation and complementary coordination. NVIDIA clarified the "fiber-copper coordinated development" technical roadmap at the GTC Conference. It has broken the one-dimensional logic of "fiber in, copper out", and introduced a layered strategy that places equal emphasis on copper interconnection, optical interconnection and CPO capacity, redefining the application boundary of copper cables.
Among them, CPC (Copper Packaged Copper Interconnect) represents the core innovation direction of copper interconnection. By integrating connectors into the chip substrate, it enables direct connection between chips and copper cables, circumventing the loss bottleneck of traditional PCB routing. It gives full play to the strengths of copper cables including high bandwidth density, low cost and low latency, making it the preferred solution for Scale-Up interconnection within AI cluster racks.
CPO (Co-packaged Optics) is the core technology for optical interconnection. Through the co-packaging of optical engines and switching chips, it greatly improves connection density and power efficiency, and meets the long-distance transmission requirements for Scale-Out inter-rack networking. Jensen Huang clearly pointed out that copper cables will remain indispensable in future AI data center architectures and will never be fully phased out with the advancement of CPO technology.
In NVIDIA’s technical roadmap, copper cable solutions including NPC, CPC and Cabletray will be prioritized for intra-rack interconnection in AI clusters. By contrast, inter-rack transmission is covered by CPO/NPO and pluggable optical modules. Copper and optical cables serve their respective scenarios and complement one another, defining distinct application scenarios and technical routes for the long-term advancement of high-speed copper cables.
04 C-Flink unites efforts, "Light and Copper Synergy" leads the future
Liu Lifeng, General Manager of C-Flink, boasts nearly 30 years of experience in the cable industry and two decades of in-depth expertise in the high-speed transmission sector. He is one of China’s earliest professionals engaged in the R&D of high-speed copper cables. Founded in 2017, C-Flink has long adhered to the dual-strategy layout of electrical copper cables + optical communication, developing a full-scenario comprehensive transmission solution portfolio. In 2024, Jingzhaolian completed mass production of 800G products. In 2026, the company will expand production capacity for 1.6T products and fully commit to the R&D and breakthrough of 3.2T solutions.
From low-latency, high-reliability high-speed copper cables (DAC/AEC/ACC) for in-cabinet deployment, to anti-interference, lightweight AOC active optical cables and optical modules for cross-cabinet connection. From internal high-speed interconnect cables including PCIE and Mini SAS, to equipment wiring harnesses tailored for the industrial semiconductor sector. C-Flink’s comprehensive product portfolio precisely meets the differentiated demands of data centers, supercomputing centers, industrial automation and other application scenarios.
From the Sunway TaihuLight in Jiangsu to the National Supercomputing Center of Guangzhou, C-Flink links key nodes of China’s computing infrastructure with every single cable.Amid the explosive growth of AI computing power and surging data flows, C-Flink’s full-range products consolidate the underlying transmission foundation for the stable operation of the national computing network.
C-Flink consistently adheres to the technical route of"optical-copper parallel development, full-scenario coverage". Driven by continuous R&D innovation to advance product iteration, it delivers cost-effective, highly reliable high-speed interconnection solutions for data centers, cloud computing, smart manufacturing and other industrial sectors.
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