Microsoft has achieved a significant breakthrough in hollow core fiber technology, reducing data transmission loss to just 0.091 dB per kilometer. This development marks the lowest loss ever recorded, significantly surpassing the previous limit of 0.14 dB/km that has been a long-standing barrier in fiber optic networks.
The research, conducted by the Microsoft Azure Fiber team in collaboration with the University of Southampton, was published in Nature Photonics. It showcased an optical fiber that not only outperforms standard glass-core fibers in both signal loss and bandwidth but operates with a loss of under 0.1 dB/km across an 18 THz bandwidth and less than 0.2 dB/km across a 66 THz window, assuming that impurities during manufacturing are eliminated.
The pilot project involved over 1,200 kilometers of fiber that is already installed and actively carrying live traffic. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced plans to deploy 15,000 kilometers of hollow core fiber across the Azure network soon.
This advancement follows Microsoft’s acquisition of Lumenisity Limited in December 2022, which developed early versions of hollow core fiber technology that achieved around 2.5 dB/km loss. The most recent breakthrough represents a dramatic improvement, achieving more than 25 times better performance than the acquired technology and exceeding traditional glass fibers for the first time.
The essential difference between hollow core fibers and traditional silica glass fibers lies in their design. Hollow core fibers use air as the transmission medium, surrounded by a complex glass microstructure, allowing light to travel at 47% faster speeds while maintaining signal integrity. This new design results in not only reduced attenuation but also a 45% increase in transmission speeds, alongside a seven-fold decrease in chromatic dispersion, which simplifies the transceiver’s digital signal processing requirements and reduces overall energy consumption.
The implications of this technology could lead to considerable cost reductions for enterprise networks. The lower signal loss may allow for more extended distances between costly amplifiers or enable existing amplifiers to operate at reduced power levels. Future network architectures might be able to omit one out of every two or three amplifier locations, translating into substantial savings in capital and operational expenditures.
Microsoft’s deployment of hollow core fiber isn’t the first in the industry. Comcast, for example, became the first U.S. internet service provider to use this technology end-to-end in April 2022, achieving significantly better performance metrics. Other companies, such as BT and euNetworks, have also conducted trials utilizing hollow core fiber.
However, challenges remain in manufacturing these fibers at scale. The production process is fundamentally different from conventional glass fibers, requiring specialized machinery and precise control over membrane thicknesses of just 500 nanometers. Despite these obstacles, Microsoft is optimistic about overcoming them and expanding applicability beyond financial trading to sectors like AI workloads and data center optimization.
The timeline for broader market availability appears promising, as the industry moves towards scaling production. The researchers indicated that once the technology is refined for broader use, it could enhance the telecommunications and data communication sectors, addressing growing bandwidth demands driven by advancements in AI and digital transformation. As they concluded, hollow core fibers could facilitate the next major leap in data communication technology, transforming the industry if production scaling and cost reduction efforts are successful.
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