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The global dark fiber market size was USD 5.88 Billion in 2022 and is expected to register a rapid revenue CAGR of 12.5% during the forecast period. Rising demand for high bandwidth and cloud computing is the primary factor driving market revenue growth.
Dark fiber bandwidth is potentially limitless, depending on the technology used by the company, which gives an organization flexibility and control, and allows to handle nearly unlimited bandwidth growth at its own pace. Businesses can future-proof themselves against the need for higher bandwidth owing to dark fiber’s near-limitless capacity.
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), in 2022, an estimated 5.3 billion of the world's 8 billion people are utilizing Internet, accounting for nearly 66% of the global population. These cloud-based apps and telehealth systems aid in the sharing of healthcare data, provision of patient health insurance during treatment, prevention, and recuperation, and improvement of availability. A cloud-based healthcare system lowers operational costs while providing more individualized care and more efficient workflows, resulting in improved health services.
The increasing need for Fifth Generation (5G) technology as this provides higher speeds and reduce latency is another key factor driving revenue growth of the market. Numerous base stations are being connected to fiber optics for the expansion of 5G, so that data can be transmitted at the speed of light. For instance, in October 2022, STL, one of the industry's top digital network integrators, launched India's first Multicore fiber and cable. This game-changing innovation alter India's optical communication environment.
STL's Multiverse uses Space Division Multiplexing to achieve 4X transmission capacity per fiber while remaining within the same width. Similarly, in October 2020, Corning Optical Communications LLC, a subsidiary of Corning Incorporated collaborated with CommScope Technologies LLC, a subsidiary of CommScope Holding Company, Inc. to provide a wide range of optical connectivity solutions for high-density data center and central office applications. This collaboration creates broader availability of innovative optical connectivity solutions designed to accommodate both density and accessibility for system operators worldwide.
The rising strategic initiatives taken by major companies is also expected to drive market revenue growth during the forecast period. For instance, in June 2022, Bandwidth Infrastructure Group (Bandwidth IG), one of the fastest growing pure-play metro dark fiber providers in the U.S., announced the availability of its dark fiber connectivity solutions in the Greater Portland, Oregon, area. Bandwidth IG's high-quality fiber, which was already available throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Greater Atlanta, is now available in a third region, delivering best-in-class network performance to data centers, hyperscalers, and companies in the fast-rising Portland area.
Similarly, on 7 March 2023, Semtech Corporation, a leading provider of high-performance semiconductors, IoT systems, and Cloud connectivity services, announced the addition of several new products to its Signal Integrity portfolio, extending the company's leadership in optical fiber integrated circuit solutions for data centers, wireless networks, and Passive Optical Networks (PON). Furthermore, customers benefited from the new products' low power, low cost, and low latency solutions for hyperscale data center applications, wireless infrastructure, and access and corporate networking, hence driving market revenue growth.
The high costs of cables and labor, risks associated with deciding the number and type of fiber, and poor execution of the installation process are major factors, which could restrain market revenue growth. A dark fiber installation project can have many loose ends, such as documentation issues and requirement, to store unused fibers. In addition, lack of trained professionals for design of active network elements, need for frequent advancements and upgrades, and lack of awareness among consumers are other factors, which could restrain market revenue growth.
Based on fiber type, the global dark fiber market is segmented into single mode fiber and multimode fiber.
The single mode fiber segment accounted for largest revenue share in the global dark fiber market in 2022. This is due to rising demand for single-mode fiber since these are is widely used in telecommunications over 1 km and is most commonly utilized at the 1,300 nm and 1,550 nm wavelengths where attenuation is low and sources and detectors are available.
Single-core cables also utilized as ornamental lighting sources because these can project light in unique patterns. In addition, use of SMF reduces the need for signal regeneration or amplification, leading to cost savings and improved network efficiency, which is also expected to drive revenue growth of this segment during the forecast period. Moreover, efficient utilization of light for data transmission ensures reliable and high-performance connectivity, making it an essential component of modern telecommunications networks and data infrastructure.
For instance, on 28 November 2023, Prysmian Group, a global leader in the energy and telecom cable industries, announced the availability of new 16-fiber single-mode and multi-mode FlexRibbon 2.0 mm cables in North America. Prysmian Group designed a 16-fiber single-mode and multi-mode FlexRibbon, 2.0 mm cable that aligns with all TIA-EIA colors for each fiber, eliminating the need to utilize multiple unaligned fiber counts to build those assemblies and trunks. Prysmian's 16-fiber FlexRibbon cable is engineered for hyperscale data center speeds of 800Gbps, 1.6Tbps, and beyond.
Based on network type, the global dark fiber market is segmented into metro and long haul.
The metro segment is expected to register steadily fast revenue growth rate in the global dark fiber market during the forecast period. This is due to rising demand for metro dark fiber, as these are leased or sold to organizations, service providers, or enterprises for their private use. The level of control enhances network security because data does not traverse through shared or public networks, as a result reduces the risk of interception or data breaches. In addition, organizations can add or upgrade their network equipment and capacity without the need for additional physical infrastructure.
North America accounted for largest market share in the global dark fiber market in 2022. This is due to rising demand for high bandwidth and data-intensive applications, cloud services, video streaming, and Internet of Things (IoT). In addition, rising number of product launches and partnerships among major companies is also expected to drive market revenue growth of this region during the forecast period. For instance, on 31 August 2021, FiberLight, LLC announced a strategic partnership with Coloblox Data Centers, to offer new dark and lit fiber services to coloblox data centers.
Fiber Light provides both dark and lit fiber services to Coloblox, complementing its most recent Point-of-Presence (PoP) established within the ATL1 Atlanta data center. This development equips Coloblox customers with a more extensive selection of connectivity solutions and a broader spectrum of services, perfectly aligning with the ongoing shift towards hybrid work environments.
Similarly, on 12 April 2022, Cologix, North America’s leading network-neutral interconnection and hyperscale edge data center company, announced its collaboration with Arelion, the world’s number one ranked global IP backbone, with a new Point-of-Presence (PoP) at Cologix’s COL3 Scalelogix hyperscale edge data center in Columbus, OH. The addition makes eight Arelion PoPs in seven markets with Cologix, with metro campus access to 32 Cologix facilities.
Asia Pacific is expected to register fastest makret growth rate in the global dark fiber market over the forecast period. This is due to the presence of companies and their partnerships and initiatives for the development of high-speed networking. Telecom companies are increasingly turning to dark fiber to meet the rising demand for high-speed and reliable connectivity with the rapid expansion of telecommunications infrastructure, particularly in support of 5G technology.
For instance, on 30 June 2023, China Telecom, Beijing and Huawei exhibited the accomplishments of their 5G Capital innovations project in the first half of 2023 at China Unicom's exhibition booth following the fourth anniversary of commercial 5G rollout. The project partners improved the reach, deep coverage, and knowledge of 5G networks while also proposing a definition for smart network operations.
Europe is expected to account for considerably large market share in the global dark fiber market during the forecast period. This is due to rising demand for fiber networks in Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and telecommunications and increasing number of advanced networking systems supported by research facilities. In addition, rising strategic initiatives taken by major companies is also expected to drive market revenue growth of this region during the forecast period.
For instance, on 2 March2023, Neos Networks launched its national 400Gbps Optical Wavelength services, expanding its offerings to encompass 26 data centers across the UK. This new service, complementing Neos's existing portfolio of optical networking solutions, aims to provide UK businesses with dependable, resilient, and significantly enhanced connectivity options to meet the escalating data volumes and increasing bandwidth requirements. The rollout of these National 400Gbps services initially covered 26 data centers, with plans to include more of their 600+ Points of Presence (PoP). Neos Networks is committed to pushing the boundaries of network capacity to better serve UK businesses through its premium network.
The global dark fiber market is fragmented with large and medium-sized market players accounting for the majority of revenue. Major players are deploying various strategies, entering into mergers and acquisitions, strategic agreements and contracts, developing, testing, and introducing more effective dark fibers products in the market.
PARAMETERS | DETAILS |
The market size value in 2022 | USD 5.88 Billion |
CAGR (2023-2032) | 12.5% |
The Revenue forecast in 2032 | USD 19.12 Billion |
Base year for estimation | 2022 |
Historical data | 2019-2021 |
Forecast period | 2023-2032 |
Quantitative units | Revenue in USD Billion and CAGR in % from 2023 to 2032 |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
Segments covered |
fiber type, network type, material, end-use, Region |
Regional scope |
North America; Europe; Asia-Pacific; Latin America; Middle East & Africa |
Country scope |
U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, U.K., France, Spain, BENELUX, Rest of Europe, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Rest of APAC, Brazil, Rest of LATAM, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Israel, and Rest of MEA |
Key companies profiled | Lumen Technologies Inc., CROWN CASTLE INC., Zayo Group Holdings, Inc., CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS HOLDINGS, INC., Verizon Communications Inc., Windstream Intellectual Property Services, LLC, Telstra, Frontier Communications Parent, Inc., Uniti Group Inc., TPG Telecom Limited, Arelion, TIM Group, Colt Technology Services Group Limited, EXA Infrastructure, Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc., EuNetworks Holdings Limited, FiberLight LLC, Reintel S.A, Neos Network Limited, and SIPARTECH International Ltd |
Customization Scope |
10 hrs of free customization and expert consultation |
For the purpose of this report, Emergen Research has segmented the global dark fiber market on the basis of fiber type, network type, material, end-use, and region:
The dark fiber market revenue is expected to register a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.5% during the forecast period.
The dark fiber market size was USD 5.88 Billion in 2022.
Rising demand for high bandwidth and cloud computing is the primary factor driving market revenue growth.
Metro segment was leading the dark fiber market based on network type in 2022.
High costs of cables and labor, risks associated with deciding the number and type of fiber, and poor execution of the installation process are major factors, which could restrain market revenue growth.
Key Aspects Covered
Market Overview:
Market Dynamics:
Competitive Landscape:
Segmentation Analysis:
Market Size and Forecast:
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