The rise of AI data centers is fueling demand for co-packaged optics (CPO) and silicon photonics (SiPh), compelling optical communications firm Browave to fast-track its CPO development. The company expects to complete CPO validation by late 2025, with initial shipments to follow. Several customer projects are already in progress, and full-scale production is set for 2026. While broader market adoption remains uncertain, Browave anticipates strong growth opportunities.

The number of submarine cables is increasing rapidly as global data demands grow. Cloud service providers (CSPs) are accelerating investments, with the three major US CSPs expected to add 21 new cables between 2025 and 2027, accounting for over 10% of all new deployments during this period.

In today's evolving global digital economy, submarine cables have emerged as crucial assets for tech giants seeking to dominate internet infrastructure through strategic investments and direct ownership.

Submarine cables are crucial for global internet traffic, handling over 95% of data transmission. They enhance intercontinental connectivity, lower latency, and extend internet access, especially in regions with weaker infrastructure. TeleGeography reports over 600 submarine cable systems worldwide, including the 2Africa cable by companies like Meta and Vodafone, spanning 45,000 kilometers across three continents.

Chunghwa Telecom is making significant strides in Southeast Asia's rapidly growing smart city market, showcasing innovative smart pole technology that integrates lighting, surveillance, communication, and data collection functions. The company's vision is clear: to position itself as a key player in the infrastructure of tomorrow's urban landscapes.

Huawei hosted the Huawei China Partner Conference 2025 at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, bringing together industry leaders and business partners under the theme "Born out of aggregation, wisdom at work." During his keynote speech, Tao Wang, Huawei's Executive Director, and Chairman of the ICT Infrastructure Managing Board, highlighted the company's solid 2024 performance.

Japanese telecom giant NTT intends to invest US$1.5 billion in India from 2025 to 2027, aiming to expand its data center capacity by about 2.4 times. This investment will also facilitate the rollout of NTT's Innovative Optical and Wireless Network (IOWN) to meet the rising demand for digitalization and AI driven by India's economic growth.

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) is transforming data center construction through its all-optical network technology, establishing itself as a leader in distributed AI data centers. This advancement enables the company to offer innovative services like AI and GPU compute leasing to fulfill various user needs.

The 2025 Smart City Expo in Taipei is taking place from March 18 to 21 at the Nangang Exhibition Center, where Chunghwa Telecom's 5G Accelerator will join forces with 12 startups to showcase cutting-edge smart city solutions. These innovations leverage 5G and AI technologies to support government and corporate efforts in urban transformation and net-zero applications.

As MWC 2025 concluded, industry observers are focusing on the evolution of next-generation communication technologies. This year's conference highlighted Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), with major telecom operators actively positioning themselves as related technologies continue to mature.

Generative AI applications are quickly spreading across sectors. New wearables like smart glasses and AR devices using neural hand control are predicted to gain mainstream acceptance, following smartphones. Chunghwa Telecom CTO Chih-Hsiung Huang highlighted the rapid growth of generative AI, which is extending usability beyond text and images to include tactile interactions.

The 2025 Mobile World Congress (MWC) officially concluded in Barcelona, Spain. As the most significant annual event in the telecommunications industry, it serves as a key indicator of the sector's development trends. From the showcased end-user products and technologies, it is clear that the rollout of 5G-Advanced (5G-A) is accelerating, while AI continues to dominate, having carried over from CES earlier in the year to MWC. Almost every technology and product at the event revolves around AI.

Taiwan's leading telecom operator, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT), is developing a legal-specific large language model (LLM) called Tlibra to support 6G and AI integration by accurately processing Taiwan's legal documents. Simultaneously, CHT is advancing a multi-orbit satellite network to expand satellite services and enhance Taiwan's overall communication resilience, according to chairman Alex Chien.

The chief prosecutor investigating allegations of bribery involving Huawei has ordered two offices in the European Parliament belonging to assistants to be sealed off.

As MWC 2025 concluded, Far EasTone's EVP of Network Technologies & Operations, Jason Kuo, outlined key telecom trends, emphasizing that 6G is taking clearer shape, with AI emerging as a core pillar of next-generation networks. Kuo, who has been with Far EasTone since 2009, underscored the growing convergence of AI and network infrastructure.

On March 12, ChungHwa Telecom (CHT) held its 2025 Tech Day, showcasing six forward-looking research and development outcomes focused on AI, smart networking, the metaverse, and digital trust. CHT's Chairman, Alex C.C Chien, expressed hope that the company could leverage ICT technology to open up new blue oceans, emphasizing four key differentiators in comparison to its telecom competitors.

MWC 2025 took place once again in Barcelona, Spain, drawing large crowds of visitors as in previous years. However, this year's event showed some unusual trends that deserve attention.

Following a significant meeting between Narendra Modi and Elon Musk in the US, SpaceX's Starlink has partnered with India's top two telecom companies to introduce satellite communication services, aiming to strengthen India's wireless infrastructure and enhance enterprise applications.

Elon Musk's Starlink has partnered with Airtel, India's second-largest telecom company, to expand its internet services in India, intensifying competition with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio. The agreement allows Starlink to use Airtel's retail network to distribute devices, pending government approval for operations.

The rapid adoption of AI is driving a surge in global data demand. Yet, 5G deployment has fallen short of industry expectations, pushing telecom operators to seek new revenue streams. At MWC 2025, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) underscored that "Complete 5G" will be pivotal for mobile operators looking to redefine the market and increase revenue. However, the adoption of 5G standalone (5G SA) remains the decisive factor.

As MWC 2025 concludes, Taiwan Mobile has articulated that artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as the primary theme of this year's exhibition. The integration of AI with 5G technology is poised to create new business and revenue models for telecommunications operators.

Open RAN (O-RAN) is breaking the monopoly of traditional telecom equipment suppliers by attracting more players through open interfaces and decoupled software and hardware. Since the US government began seeking alternatives for 5G, the O-RAN ecosystem has gradually expanded, with industry experts believing that software will become the core driving force behind O-RAN's development.

Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) has outlined its 2025 operational strategy, focusing on three core pillars to drive growth: deepening AI-driven operations, maximizing synergies from mergers, and expanding its digital services ecosystem.

At MWC 2025, Lite-On enters its third consecutive year, unveiling new collaborations with eight global tech leaders across telecom, software, testing, and academia. The showcase highlights innovations in 5G O-RAN, AI, and smart surveillance, including: