There is a huge optical fiber shortage right now. Meta, Nvidia, Amazon and other hyperscalers are locking in years of supply from Corning ($GLW), one of the largest manufacturers in the US. Nvidia is even partnering with Corning to help build more US optical capacity. Because AI data centers are turning fiber from a telecom product into cluster wiring. Data centers are expected to go from <5% of global fiber demand in 2024 to ~30% by 2027. But expanding fiber capacity depends on something much less flashy: A precision glass rod called a preform. Optical fiber isn't made strand by strand. It is drawn from this larger glass rod, and that rod is the bottleneck. Increasing preform capacity isn't easy. It takes years of process know-how, 18-24 months per new line, customer qualificatio
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