Press Release

Adtran to showcase industry-leading open optical networking for the AI era at OFC 2026

News summary:




  • Adtran will show how intelligent optical networks can scale infrastructure while controlling power, complexity and security risks
  • Highlights include LiteWave800โ„ข, an ultraโ€‘lowโ€‘power 800G pluggable transceiver, which sets a new 1pJ/bit benchmark for intraโ€‘data center connectivity
  • Adtran will participate in OIF multiโ€‘vendor interoperability demos and present Europeanโ€‘led innovation through advanced research projects

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#5G–Adtran today announced that it will showcase its latest optical innovations at OFC 2026, taking place from March 15 to 19 in Los Angeles. The company will outline how intelligent, secure and powerโ€‘efficient optical networks are shaping the next phase of AI infrastructure.

At Adtranโ€™s booth (1001), visitors can explore solutions spanning ultraโ€‘lowโ€‘power intraโ€‘data center connectivity, automated open optical transport, access evolution and AIโ€‘enabled operations. Adtran experts will be available throughout the show for conversations and to guide visitors through hands-on demos, as well as leading a range of speaking sessions.

โ€œAs AI workloads scale, network operators and cloud providers need an optical foundation that can keep pace with unprecedented demand for capacity and efficiency,โ€ said Christoph Glingener, CTO of Adtran. โ€œOur technology is helping shape the AI era through open, powerโ€‘efficient optical architectures and intelligent automation that change the economics of scale. At OFC 2026, weโ€™re demonstrating how operators can boost performance without increasing energy consumption or operational complexity.โ€

Technology highlights at OFC 2026

At OFC 2026, Adtran will present a broad portfolio of optical networking technologies designed to support scalable, energyโ€‘efficient AI infrastructure across data center, transport and access networks.

  • Ultraโ€‘lowโ€‘power 800G connectivity

    LiteWave800โ„ข is a new class of 800Gbit/s pluggable optics for intraโ€‘data center links. Operating at just 1pJ/bit, it sets a new efficiency benchmark for 800Gbit/s connectivity, dramatically reducing power consumption and thermal constraints in dense AI data center fabrics.

  • AIโ€‘enabled operations

    REAL AI will be demonstrated, showing how explainable, AIโ€‘driven automation in network operations empowers operators to improve visibility, accelerate issue resolution and reduce operational complexity.
  • Quantumโ€‘safe networking for critical infrastructure

    The Adtran FSP 3000 Sโ€‘Flexโ„ข will be featured, highlighting quantumโ€‘safe optical transport for missionโ€‘critical networks, with ALM fiber assurance shown as a complementary layer for inโ€‘service monitoring, network integrity and detection of physical network intrusion.
  • Open optical transport and interoperability

    Support for open, multiโ€‘vendor optical networking will be highlighted through participation in OIFโ€™s interoperability demo. This will feature Adtranโ€™s 100Gbit/s, 400Gbit/s and 800Gbit/s ZR+ coherent pluggable optics, FSP 3000 open line system with Cโ€‘ and Lโ€‘band support and Mosaic Network Controller. Adtranโ€™s pluggable optics also feature in related OIF plugfest activities.
  • Access and edge evolution

    Access and aggregation solutions, including 50G PON and innovative edge routing technology, will be shown supporting ultra-scalable, AI-ready services, with automated serviceโ€‘activation platforms extending intelligence from the core through the door.

Sustainable research and dataโ€‘sovereign AI innovation

Beyond its commercial portfolio, Adtran will highlight its leadership in SUSTAINETโ€‘Advance, a European collaborative research initiative focused on building sustainable, resilient and sovereign optical infrastructure.

Adtran is also contributing to demonstrations of the Optical Testbed Data Space (OTDS) in the OFC Demo Zone, showcasing how governed, crossโ€‘domain data sharing can support AI development without exposing sensitive network information.

Together, these initiatives reflect Adtranโ€™s commitment to responsible, standardsโ€‘driven innovation and to enabling AIโ€‘ready networks while ensuring operational trust, data sovereignty and longโ€‘term sustainability.

Visit Adtran at OFC 2026

Attendees are invited to visit Booth 1001 to explore Adtranโ€™s technologies and engage with the companyโ€™s experts.

Multiโ€‘vendor interoperability demonstrations can also be seen at the OIF booth (2017).

Book a meeting at the show.

About Adtran

ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADTN and FSE: QH9) is the parent company of Adtran, Inc., a leading global provider of open, disaggregated networking and communications solutions that enable voice, data, video and internet communications across any network infrastructure. From the cloud edge to the subscriber edge, Adtran empowers communications service providers around the world to manage and scale services that connect people, places and things. Adtran solutions are used by service providers, private enterprises, government organizations and millions of individual users worldwide. ADTRAN Holdings, Inc. is also the majority shareholder of Adtran Networks SE, formerly ADVA Optical Networking SE. Find more at Adtran, LinkedIn and X.

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ADTRAN Holdings, Inc.

www.adtran.com

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