As part of this cooperation, HUBER+SUHNER anticipates progressive growth in manufacturing volumes as Microsoft implements HCF technology in more Azure regions.
Since 2017, HUBER+SUHNER has worked closely with the Azure team in Romsey, UK (formerly Lumenisity, a spin-off from the University of Southampton) to develop and manufacture innovative HCF cable and connector solutions. These solutions have already been deployed on the Azure network, and higher-capacity variants are being developed to support Microsoft's future expansion of its HCF-enhanced cloud infrastructure.
HUBER+SUHNER and Microsoft have developed and certified a range of cabling solutions for outdoor (OSP) and indoor (ISP) installations, ready for field deployment. In parallel, the collaboration is advancing the design of next-generation, higher-density HCF cables to meet the future requirements of the Azure network. Special processes have been established at HUBER+SUHNER's manufacturing facility in Herisau, Switzerland, to integrate HCF into multi-stranded (MLT) loose tube cables, with the capacity to scale as Microsoft ecosystem partners expand fiber manufacturing to scale.
In addition, HUBER+SUHNER has created an innovative mode-conversion HCF connector specifically designed for the demands of hyperscale and metropolitan optical environments. These patented HCF connectors are in series production at HUBER+SUHNER's Cube Optics facility in Mainz, Germany, and the company is investing to further expand manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand. With approved designs for both cables and HCF connectors, HUBER+SUHNER is now expanding its HCF product portfolio to offer fully integrated end-to-end connectivity solutions.
“HUBER+SUHNER is proud to support Microsoft as HCF connectivity solutions move to large-scale deployment. Building on our foundation of innovation and quality, we can expect further advancements in our HCF connectivity portfolio as the pace of adoption accelerates,” said Jürgen Walter, COO of HUBER+SUHNER’s Communications segment. “Together, we look forward to shaping the future of cloud connectivity and unlocking the full potential of HCF.”.
“We value our long-standing collaboration with HUBER+SUHNER, which has helped us bring HCF technology from advanced research to operational deployment on the Microsoft Azure network,” said Colin Wallace, general manager of Cloud Network Engineering at Microsoft Azure. “These HCF cable and connector technologies are already deployed and carrying real-time traffic across Azure HCF links, and this integrated capability will help us co-design and rapidly scale connectivity solutions for the future of cloud and AI network infrastructure.”.
Why is HCF important?
The performance of optical networks has the potential to be transformed by HCF. By guiding light through the air instead of through glass, data is transmitted 47% faster, enabling low-latency communications both within and between data centers (DCs).
Microsoft's double-nested antiresonant nodeless fiber (DNANF) achieves record-breaking loss and much higher launch powers than those possible with standard solid-glass single-mode fiber (SMF), reducing or eliminating the need for optical amplification in metropolitan-scale networks.
Deploying a fully HCF network offers significant business advantages for next-generation data centers, including greater location flexibility to minimize energy and real estate costs, and increased efficiency in distributed AI training by reducing latency between computing clusters.
Overcoming HCF Connectivity Challenges:
Several practical challenges must be overcome to enable the widespread deployment of HCF. In addition to robust HCF cable designs that maintain low-loss transmission characteristics, termination solutions are needed that can protect the HCF end face and seamlessly interface with existing SMF infrastructure and equipment to facilitate the construction and maintenance of large-scale, end-to-end communication systems.
HUBER+SUHNER's high-performance HCF connectors transform light from the HCF core into industry-standard, low-loss, low-back-reflection SMF LC/UPC and LC/APC connector interfaces, while sealing the fragile hollow core microstructure against environmental contamination. Designed to withstand high optical launch powers, the HUBER+SUHNER HCF connector facilitates easy installation and commissioning of HCF transmission systems.
