The rapid expansion of AI is forcing a structural change in optical transport, moving planning away from administrative divisions toward layouts centered on AI Data Centers (AIDC). Gavin Gu, president of Huawei's Optical Transmission Network Domain, identified three primary waves of opportunity: hyperscaler interconnection, dedicated enterprise computing lines, and the integration of network and computing services.

To support this shift, Huawei’s Next Generation OTN solution introduces six core capabilities, including Tbps-level capacity, low latency, and intelligent operation. For Data Center Interconnection (DCI), the technology utilizes 800G to 2T ultra-high-speed capacity to accelerate time-to-market. In Data Center Access (DCA) scenarios, the architecture employs a meshed, one-hop direct design with end-to-end zero-outage reliability. These advancements allow operators to transition from selling simple bandwidth to offering multi-dimensional services that include latency guarantees, security, and reliability. Early implementations in Hubei, China, demonstrate this transition, where providers are bundling computing and network resources for the finance, education, and healthcare sectors.