AI data centers require 36 times more fiber than designs with standard servers — severe glass shortages push cable lead times out to a full year

AI data center buildouts are triggering a global optical-fiber shortage, with makers running at full capacity and orders already booked into 2027.

Demand for networking fiber is far higher than in traditional servers, driving prices up about 70% since 2021 and stretching lead times from weeks to months or even a year.

Chinese and global suppliers such as Hengtong, FiberHome, Corning, and STL are struggling to ramp up because fiber production depends on constrained inputs like glass preforms.

The shortage could delay data center projects, raise infrastructure costs, and tighten supply for conventional telecom networks as AI spending continues to surge.