100G Ethernet switch ports to peak in 2020 as 400G ramps: Dell’Oro Group
Dell’Oro Group says in a new report that demand for 100-Gbps Ethernet switch ports will peak next year. While demand for such ports will continue to be strong, composing more than 30% of the market over the next five years, the same timeframe will see the rise of 400-Gbps ports. Shipments of 400G switch ports will exceed 15 million, the market research firm predicts in its most recent “Ethernet Switch – Data Center Five Year Forecast Report.”
“The first wave of 400-Gbps switch systems based on 12.8-Tbps chips were introduced in the market in 2H 2018,” said Sameh Boujelbene, a senior director at Dell’Oro Group. “However, we do not expect material adoption of 400 Gbps until 2020 due to the lack of high-volume, low-cost 400 Gbps optics. The only cloud service provider [SP] that started deploying 400 Gbps was Google, which opted for special 400-Gbps optics with an earlier time-to-market.
“Meanwhile, we expect other cloud SPs, for instance Amazon, Facebook, or Microsoft, to keep deploying 100 Gbps and to probably consume the 12.8-Tbps chips in the form of high–density 100-Gbps switch systems to reduce cost,” Boujelbene added.
Dell’Oro’s “Ethernet Switch – Data Center Five Year Forecast Report” offers details about the timing of 100/200/400/800 Gbps and how the use cases may vary depending on the SERDES lane and market segment driving the speed. The report also provides an overview of market trends and includes tables covering manufacturers’ revenue, port shipments, and average selling price forecasts for various technologies: modular and fixed by port speed and fixed managed and unmanaged by port speed.
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Stephen Hardy | Editorial Director and Associate Publisher, Lightwave
Stephen Hardy is editorial director and associate publisher of Lightwave and Broadband Technology Report, part of the Lighting & Technology Group at Endeavor Business Media. Stephen is responsible for establishing and executing editorial strategy across the both brands’ websites, email newsletters, events, and other information products. He has covered the fiber-optics space for more than 20 years, and communications and technology for more than 35 years. During his tenure, Lightwave has received awards from Folio: and the American Society of Business Press Editors (ASBPE) for editorial excellence. Prior to joining Lightwave in 1997, Stephen worked for Telecommunications magazine and the Journal of Electronic Defense.
Stephen has moderated panels at numerous events, including the Optica Executive Forum, ECOC, and SCTE Cable-Tec Expo. He also is program director for the Lightwave Innovation Reviews and the Diamond Technology Reviews.
He has written numerous articles in all aspects of optical communications and fiber-optic networks, including fiber to the home (FTTH), PON, optical components, DWDM, fiber cables, packet optical transport, optical transceivers, lasers, fiber optic testing, and more.
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