News & Events

At Mobile World Congress (MWC) Barcelona 2026, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) unveiled its HollowBand® hollow-core fibre platform, reporting a record attenuation of 0.04 dB/km and demonstrating a significant advance in next-generation optical connectivity.

 

Hollow-core fibre, in which light propagates primarily through air rather than glass, offers major performance advantages for future networks. According to YOFC, the technology can deliver 31% lower latency, 47% faster transmission speeds, and near-zero optical nonlinearity compared with conventional solid-core fibre, making it particularly well suited to high-capacity networking environments.

 
The launch event was attended by Zhang Fei, Deputy Mayor of Wuhan; David Payne, Fellow of the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering and inventor of the erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA); John Hoffman, Chief Executive Officer of GSMA; Ma Jie, Chairman of YOFC; and Zhuang Dan, Executive Director and President of YOFC, together with representatives from industry and academia.

 

 

Industry Leaders Highlight the Potential of Hollow-Core Fibre

 

In his remarks, Ma Jie stated that as a global leader in optical communications, YOFC aims not only to manufacture fibre but also to enable next-generation optical infrastructure for the AI era. As artificial intelligence drives new requirements for bandwidth and latency, hollow-core fibre represents the company’s latest advance in addressing evolving industry demands.

 

 

Zhang Fei noted that the development of hollow-core fibre reflects Wuhan’s strong optoelectronics research and manufacturing capabilities and highlights the role of advanced manufacturing in supporting the next phase of global digital infrastructure.

 

Delivering a keynote address, Sir David Payne praised YOFC’s progress in hollow-core fibre technology. He highlighted the technology’s potential to surpass the physical limits of conventional solid-core fibre and described it as a promising platform for future high-capacity, low-latency communication networks. Payne expressed his expectation that continued innovation will accelerate the transition of hollow-core fibre from laboratory research to large-scale commercial deployment.  

 

HollowBand® Launch Signals a New Phase for Hollow-Core Fibre

 

 

Under the theme “HOLLOW IS INFINITE,” Zhuang Dan introduced YOFC’s anti-resonant hollow-core fibre and officially unveiled the HollowBand® brand. 

 

The presentation demonstrated how hollow-core fibre, which guides light through an air-filled core rather than glass, can significantly reduce latency and optical nonlinearity while enabling higher transmission speeds and improved signal integrity over long distances.

 

Technically, YOFC reported that its hollow-core fibre has achieved record attenuation of 0.04 dB/km, while delivering 31% lower latency, 47% faster transmission speeds, and near-zero nonlinearity compared with conventional fibre. These characteristics position the technology as a potential solution for ultra-long-haul backbone networks and next-generation optical transport systems.

 

Manufacturing Breakthrough Supports Commercial Deployment

 

In addition to advances in fibre performance, YOFC has established a fully integrated hollow-core fibre manufacturing chain covering preform fabrication, fibre drawing and coating, cabling, and testing.

 

The company has successfully produced a single continuous hollow-core fibre measuring 91.2 km, currently the longest reported length of its kind. This achievement is regarded as a key step toward scalable industrial production and large-scale commercial deployment.

 

Expanding Global Commercial Applications

 

YOFC has already deployed more than 10 commercial and pilot projects involving hollow-core fibre across Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

 

In 2025, the company worked with China’s three major telecom operators to launch their first commercial hollow-core fibre links. Among these projects is the 100-km Guangdong–Hong Kong connection, currently the longest commercial hollow-core fibre link reported worldwide.

 

INFINITE-2030 Initiative to Accelerate Industry Ecosystem

 

During the event, Zhuang Dan also announced the INFINITE-2030 initiative, through which YOFC plans to collaborate with global industry partners to accelerate the adoption of hollow-core fibre.

 

The initiative will focus on building an open ecosystem alliance, advancing international technical standards, and working with telecom operators and cloud service providers to implement more than 50 commercial and pilot hollow-core fibre projects worldwide.

 

Global Experts Discuss the Future of Hollow-Core Fibre

 

A roundtable forum held during the launch event brought together industry experts, researchers, and partners to discuss the technological evolution, standardization process, and commercialization pathways for hollow-core fibre.

 

Participants noted that the technology is entering a critical phase between research breakthrough and large-scale commercial adoption, emphasizing the importance of industry collaboration to accelerate deployment.

 

Toward the Next Generation of Optical Networks

 

The transition from glass-core to air-core transmission represents not only a new technical approach but also a significant step toward future communication architectures.

 

 

As demand for ultra-low-latency connectivity grows across AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and next-generation telecom networks, YOFC stated that it will continue working with global telecom operators, cloud providers, and industry partners to expand the adoption of hollow-core fibre and support the development of next-generation digital infrastructure.