Optical Fiber Cables Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, Segmented by Fiber Type (Single-Mode Fiber (SMF), Multi-Mode Fiber (MMF)), By Mode of Deployment (Underground, Aerial, Underwater), By End-User Industry (Healthcare, Automotive, Telecommunications, Military & Aerospace, Data Centers, Oil & Gas), By Region, By Competition 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 6.21 Billion
CAGR (2026-2031)	12.16%
Fastest Growing Segment	Aerial
Largest Market	North America
Market Size (2031)	USD 12.36 Billion

Market Overview

The Global Optical Fiber Cables Market will grow from USD 6.21 Billion in 2025 to USD 12.36 Billion by 2031 at a 12.16% CAGR. Optical fiber cables are telecommunications conduits consisting of glass or plastic strands that transmit data via light pulses, providing superior bandwidth and transmission speeds compared to traditional copper infrastructure. The global market is primarily driven by the escalating demand for high-speed internet connectivity to support digital services, coupled with the rapid expansion of data centers essential for cloud computing. Additionally, the extensive rollout of 5G networks necessitates robust fiber backhaul infrastructure to manage increased data traffic and ensure low latency, serving as a fundamental pillar for sustained industry growth.

However, a significant challenge impeding broader market expansion is the high capital expenditure required for network deployment, particularly in rural areas where civil engineering costs are substantial. This economic barrier is often compounded by a critical shortage of skilled labor needed for complex installation procedures. Providing evidence of regional growth despite these hurdles, according to the FTTH Council Europe, in 2025, the total number of homes passed with fiber in the EU39 region reached 269 million.

Key Market Drivers

Accelerated deployment of 5G infrastructure and small cell densification serves as a critical driver for the optical fiber cables market. 5G networks require a dense mesh of small cells to deliver low-latency performance, with each site demanding robust optical fiber backhaul to handle massive data throughput. This necessitates deep fiberization extending from core networks to the edge, replacing legacy connections with high-capacity optical links. Demonstrating this scale, according to 5G Americas, March 2024, in the 'Global 5G Commercial Networks' update, global wireless 5G connections reached 1.76 billion by the end of 2023. As operators densify networks to support these connections, the demand for high-fiber-count cables remains essential for sustaining network reliability.

Concurrently, the rising global penetration of Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) architectures significantly propels market volume. Providers are aggressively retiring copper networks for optical solutions to offer gigabit-speed services directly to premises, which requires extensive civil works and cabling. This rollout contributes substantially to the installed cable length worldwide. According to the Fiber Broadband Association, March 2024, in the '2023 Fiber Provider Survey', fiber broadband infrastructure passed 78 million homes in the US. Furthermore, highlighting the sheer scale of infrastructure growth, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China, January 2024, the total length of optical cable lines in the country reached 64.32 million kilometers in 2023. These figures underscore the continued material demand driven by network upgrades.

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Key Market Challenges

The substantial capital expenditure required for infrastructure deployment constitutes the most significant barrier impeding the Global Optical Fiber Cables Market. Laying fiber necessitates extensive civil engineering work, including trenching, boring, and duct installation, which creates an immense financial burden for telecommunication operators. This economic pressure is particularly acute in rural or geologically difficult terrains where the cost per home passed is drastically higher than in urban centers, making the return on investment slower and less attractive for private investors.

These capital constraints are further exacerbated by a severe shortage of skilled technicians capable of handling complex installation tasks such as precision splicing and optical testing. This scarcity drives up wage rates and leads to project bottlenecks, effectively stalling network expansion plans. According to the Fiber Broadband Association, in 2025, labor expenses accounted for 60% to 80% of total fiber deployment costs. This disproportionately high operational expense forces network operators to scale back ambitious rollout targets, directly restricting the market's physical growth and limiting the reach of high-speed connectivity services.

Key Market Trends

The Commercial Adoption of Hollow-Core Fiber Technology is emerging as a transformative trend, driven by the critical need for ultra-low latency in high-frequency trading and artificial intelligence networks. Unlike traditional silica glass fibers, hollow-core fiber (HCF) transmits light through an air-filled core, significantly increasing propagation speed and reducing signal latency, which is paramount for real-time data processing in hyperscale data centers. This technology is rapidly transitioning from experimental stages to scalable manufacturing, supported by major cloud providers seeking competitive advantages in network performance. Demonstrating this technical progression, according to Fierce Network, September 2025, in the article 'Microsoft preps cloud for AI with Corning, Heraeus hollow core fiber deal', Microsoft researchers designed a new hollow-core fiber achieving a signal loss of less than 0.1 decibels per kilometer.

Concurrently, the market is witnessing a decisive Transition Toward Sustainable and Recyclable Cable Materials as manufacturers align with global circular economy goals to mitigate environmental impact. Industry leaders are increasingly replacing virgin plastics with recycled polyethylene for cable jacketing and implementing reusable packaging solutions to lower Scope 3 emissions. This shift is not merely regulatory but a strategic differentiator in securing contracts with environmentally conscious telecommunication operators. Highlighting this operational pivot, according to Prysmian, April 2025, in the '2024 Sustainability Highlights' report, the company successfully reused 53% of its cable drums during 2024 as part of its resource efficiency initiatives.

Segmental Insights

The Aerial segment is currently identified as the fastest-growing category within the Global Optical Fiber Cables Market, primarily driven by the urgent requirement for cost-effective and rapid network deployment. Telecommunication operators increasingly favor this installation method to accelerate Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) and 5G infrastructure rollouts, particularly in rural or rugged terrains where underground trenching is logically impractical and expensive. By utilizing existing utility poles, service providers significantly reduce civil engineering costs and installation time. This strategic advantage allows for efficient broadband expansion into underserved areas, ensuring economic viability for large-scale connectivity projects.

Regional Insights

North America maintains a leading position in the global optical fiber cables market, driven by the extensive expansion of telecommunications infrastructure and the increasing demand for high-speed data transmission. The dominance of the region is supported by substantial investments in 5G network deployments and the proliferation of hyperscale data centers requiring dense fiber connectivity. Furthermore, regulatory support accelerates market growth. For instance, the Federal Communications Commission actively implements programs to enhance broadband access in rural areas, thereby fostering consistent demand for fiber optic deployments across both commercial and residential sectors.

Recent Developments

• In August 2024, Corning Incorporated entered into a supply agreement with Lumen Technologies to provide a substantial quantity of next-generation optical fiber cables. This collaboration was formed to support the increasing bandwidth requirements driven by artificial intelligence applications in data centers. The agreement reserved 10% of the manufacturer's global fiber capacity for the next two years to facilitate the interconnection of AI-enabled facilities. The new fiber-dense cable solution was designed to more than double the intercity fiber miles for the telecommunications provider, offering the high capacity and low latency essential for processing massive amounts of data.
• In July 2024, STL unveiled its new high-density 864F Micro Cables during the Fiber Connect event, targeting the demand for fast connectivity in dense network environments. The product featured a compact design that packed 864 fibers into a diameter of 11.4 millimeters, utilizing bend-insensitive 200-micron fiber technology. This launch aimed to provide service providers with a solution that increased fiber density by approximately 50 percent compared to standard micro cables. The innovation was intended to optimize duct space utilization and reduce civil costs, thereby supporting the rapid expansion of broadband infrastructure across the United States.
• In March 2024, Sumitomo Electric Industries presented a significant advancement in optical fiber technology at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference. The company announced the development of a new silica glass optical fiber that achieved a record-low transmission loss of 0.1397 dB/km at a wavelength of 1566 nm. This research breakthrough surpassed previous industry benchmarks for signal loss reduction in long-distance transmissions. The ultra-low loss fiber was designed to meet the escalating demand for higher communication capacity in submarine cables and terrestrial backbone networks, effectively reducing the need for optical repeaters and enhancing overall system performance.
• In February 2024, Prysmian Group announced a strategic collaboration with Telstra to expand its optical cable manufacturing capabilities in Australia. The initiative involved a significant investment to upgrade the facility for producing industry-leading fiber optic cables required for a major intercity network project. This expansion was designed to manufacture locally made, state-of-the-art cables capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions while supporting high-capacity, low-latency digital networks. The partnership aimed to secure the supply chain for critical telecommunications infrastructure and reduce the environmental impact of the deployment by utilizing advanced, domestic manufacturing technologies.

Key Market Players

• Prysmian S.p.A
• Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd
• Corning Incorporated
• CommScope Holding Company, Inc.
• Nexans S.A.
• ZTT International Limited
• NKT A/S
• Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd
• Fujikura Ltd.
• Sterlite Technologies Limited

By Mode of Deployment	By End-User Industry	By Region
Underground Aerial Underwater	Healthcare Automotive Telecommunications Military & Aerospace Data Centers Oil & Gas	North America Europe Asia Pacific South America Middle East & Africa

Report Scope:

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

• Optical Fiber Cables Market, By Mode of Deployment:

• Underground
• Aerial
• Underwater

• Optical Fiber Cables Market, By End-User Industry:

• Healthcare
• Automotive
• Telecommunications
• Military & Aerospace
• Data Centers
• Oil & Gas

• Optical Fiber Cables 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