Fiber Optic Preform Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented, By Process (OVD, VAD, PCVD, MCVD), By Product Type (Single-Mode, Multi-Mode, Plastic Optical Fiber), By End-user (Telecom, Oil and Gas, Automotive, Military and Aerospace, BFSI, Medical, Railway, Others), By Region & Competition, 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 8.74 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	18.76%
Fastest Growing Segment	Plastic Optical Fiber
Largest Market	Asia Pacific
Market Size (2031)	USD 24.52 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Fiber Optic Preform Market will grow from USD 8.74 Billion in 2025 to USD 24.52 Billion by 2031 at a 18.76% CAGR. Fiber optic preforms are high-purity glass rods used as the primary raw material for drawing optical fibers. Manufactured through precise chemical vapor deposition, they determine the optical characteristics and efficiency of the final fiber product. The market is supported by structural drivers such as the escalating global demand for high-speed internet and the extensive deployment of 5G infrastructure. These factors necessitate significant network upgrades, distinct from short-term consumer trends. Illustrating this robust demand, according to the Fiber Broadband Association, in 2024, fiber broadband deployments in the United States reached a record 10.3 million homes passed.

However, market expansion faces a significant challenge regarding the high cost and volatility of essential raw materials like ultra-pure silica and helium. The preform manufacturing process is capital-intensive and technically demanding, creating substantial barriers to entry for new competitors. Consequently, supply chain disruptions or price spikes in these critical inputs can severely constrain production capacity, impeding the ability of manufacturers to meet the growing global demand for optical fiber.

Key Market Drivers

Surging Demand for High-Speed Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Connectivity is a primary force accelerating the Global Fiber Optic Preform Market. As nations prioritize digital inclusion, telecommunications providers are aggressively replacing copper networks with deep fiber deployments, directly increasing the consumption of glass preforms required for optical fiber production. This trend extends to rural expansion projects supported by significant public and private investment. Demonstrating the scale of this infrastructure rollout, according to the FTTH Council Europe, March 2024, in the 'FTTH/B Market Panorama 2024', the total number of homes passed with Fiber to the Home and Fiber to the Building in the EU39 region reached 244 million in September 2023. Such extensive network densification ensures a sustained baseline of demand for the raw materials essential to manufacturing optical strands.

Simultaneously, the Global Expansion of Hyperscale and Edge Data Centers creates a distinct, high-volume revenue stream. The exponential growth of artificial intelligence necessitates ultra-high-density fiber interconnects to manage massive data throughput, prompting operators to invest heavily in specialized infrastructure. This shift toward AI-ready networks is generating substantial capital commitments; according to Lumen Technologies, August 2024, in the 'Lumen Secures $5 Billion in Business' press release, the company secured $5 billion in new business driven by major demand for fiber capacity to support artificial intelligence. The financial impact of these converging drivers is evident in the performance of key market players. According to Corning Incorporated, October 2024, in the 'Third-Quarter 2024 Financial Results', Optical Communications sales grew 36% year-over-year, reflecting the critical reliance on advanced fiber products for next-generation network architecture.

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Key Market Challenges

The high cost and volatility of essential raw materials, specifically ultra-pure silica and helium, significantly hampers the growth of the Global Fiber Optic Preform Market. These high-purity inputs are critical for the chemical vapor deposition process, and their unpredictable pricing creates substantial financial risks for manufacturers. Because preform production is capital-intensive and technically demanding, producers cannot easily absorb these fluctuating input costs, leading to supply chain bottlenecks and reduced operational stability. This volatility constrains the industry's capacity to scale up efficiently, making it difficult to meet the escalating global requirements for optical fiber.

Consequently, these upstream material challenges cascade down the value chain, inflating the final costs of network infrastructure and slowing expansion efforts. When the cost of producing preforms rises, it inevitably increases the expense of the resulting fiber optic cables and their installation. According to the Fiber Broadband Association, in 2024, the median cost of underground fiber deployment surged by 12% to reach $18.25 per foot, a significant increase driven by rising labor and material expenses. Such elevated costs deter rapid network upgrades and limit the addressable market for new installations, directly restricting the broader consumption of fiber optic preforms.

Key Market Trends

The Development of Preforms for Specialty and Multicore Fibers is reshaping the market as operators seek to maximize duct utilization and reduce latency beyond the capabilities of standard single-mode glass. As data centers and metropolitan networks face physical space constraints, manufacturers are engineering advanced preforms capable of producing reduced-cladding diameter fibers. These specialized glass rods allow for significantly higher fiber densities within existing conduits, eliminating the need for expensive new civil infrastructure while maintaining optical performance. Highlighting this technical evolution, according to Sterlite Technologies Ltd, January 2024, in the 'Q3 FY24 Financial Results', the company unveiled its 160-micron optical fiber, a breakthrough enabled by precise preform engineering that drastically reduces cable diameter compared to legacy 250-micron standards.

Simultaneously, the Implementation of Sustainable and Green Manufacturing Practices is becoming a critical operational priority to mitigate the extreme energy intensity inherent in chemical vapor deposition processes. Manufacturers are aggressively decarbonizing the preform fabrication stage by integrating renewable energy sources and optimizing furnace efficiency to meet the stringent Scope 1 and 2 emission targets required by global telecommunications clients. This transition not only addresses regulatory compliance but also serves as a differentiator in contract negotiations with environmentally conscious carriers. Demonstrating this industry-wide shift, according to Prysmian S.p.A., February 2024, in the '2023 Integrated Annual Report', the company reported a 33% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions compared to its 2019 baseline, driven by strategic investments in low-carbon technologies across its optical fiber value chain.

Segmental Insights

The Plastic Optical Fiber segment currently represents the fastest-growing category within the global fiber optic preform market. This expansion is primarily driven by the material's superior flexibility and cost-efficiency compared to glass alternatives, particularly in short-range data transmission applications. Increasing adoption within the automotive industry for onboard networks and infotainment systems significantly fuels this demand, as manufacturers seek durable solutions that withstand vibration and bending. Additionally, the industrial sector increasingly utilizes plastic fibers for robust automation connectivity, ensuring consistent growth for these preforms in challenging operational environments.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific maintains a dominant position in the global fiber optic preform market, primarily due to extensive infrastructure development in the telecommunications sector. This leadership is sustained by the aggressive deployment of 5G networks and Fiber-to-the-Home connectivity across major economies like China and India. The region benefits from a robust manufacturing ecosystem that supports high-volume production for domestic use and international export. Additionally, government mandates promoting digital inclusion and smart city projects continue to accelerate the demand for optical fiber components, cementing the region's status as a key industrial hub.

Recent Developments

• In April 2025, Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC) unveiled significant advancements in hollow-core fiber technology at the OFC Conference in San Francisco. The company showcased its latest research and product capabilities designed to overcome the physical limits of conventional silica-based fibers. These innovations were targeted at next-generation optical networks requiring ultra-low latency and high-speed data transmission for the intelligent era. The presentation highlighted the organization's progress in independently mastering key preform and fiber manufacturing technologies, further reinforcing its position in the development of cutting-edge optical infrastructure solutions.
• In March 2025, Prysmian Group finalized a long-term partnership agreement with Relativity Networks to industrialize hollow-core optical fiber technology. This collaboration was established to manufacture high-performance cables where light travels through an air core rather than solid glass, a method that significantly reduces signal latency and dispersion. The initiative focused on scaling production to meet the rigorous demands of high-frequency trading, quantum networking, and artificial intelligence acceleration in data centers. By leveraging its manufacturing expertise, the company aimed to bring this disruptive technology to the mass market, creating new requirements for specialized preform manufacturing processes.
• In August 2024, Corning Incorporated entered into a strategic supply agreement with Lumen Technologies to provide next-generation optical cable capable of supporting data center interconnections. This collaboration marked the first outside-plant deployment of the company's new generative AI fiber and cable system, which was designed to fit significantly more fiber strands into existing conduits without expanding the physical footprint. The partnership aimed to support the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence workloads by reserving a substantial portion of the manufacturer's global fiber capacity. This development highlighted the critical role of advanced fiber preform designs in meeting the high-bandwidth requirements of major cloud operators.
• In March 2024, Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. presented a significant breakthrough in optical fiber technology at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference. The company unveiled a new silica glass optical fiber that achieved a record ultra-low transmission loss of 0.1397 dB/km. This development surpassed the organization's previous technical benchmarks and was specifically engineered to enhance the performance of long-distance communication systems, such as submarine cables and terrestrial backbone networks. The reduction in transmission loss allows for fewer optical repeaters and extended transmission distances, directly addressing the growing global demand for high-efficiency optical infrastructure derived from advanced glass preforms.

Key Market Players

• Corning Incorporated
• Fujikura Ltd.
• Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
• Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company
• Hengtong Group Co., Ltd.
• Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
• Prysmian Group
• OFS Fitel, LLC
• Sterlite Technologies Limited
• Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd.

By Process	By Product Type	By End-user	By Region
OVD VAD PCVD MCVD	Single-Mode Multi-Mode Plastic Optical Fiber	Telecom Oil and Gas Automotive Military and Aerospace BFSI Medical Railway Others	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

In this report, the Global Fiber Optic Preform Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• Fiber Optic Preform Market, By Process:

• OVD
• VAD
• PCVD
• MCVD

• Fiber Optic Preform Market, By Product Type:

• Single-Mode
• Multi-Mode
• Plastic Optical Fiber

• Fiber Optic Preform Market, By End-user:

• Telecom
• Oil and Gas
• Automotive
• Military and Aerospace
• BFSI
• Medical
• Railway
• Others

• Fiber Optic Preform Market, By Region:

• North America
• United States
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• France
• United Kingdom
• Italy
• Germany
• Spain
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• Australia
• South Korea
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Colombia
• Middle East & Africa
• South Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE