The global fiber optic industry is entering a new pricing cycle. Over the past several months, upstream material costs and supply chain constraints have pushed fiber prices upward, directly impacting cable assemblies, patch cord production, and passive optical components. 657A2 grades have all seen dramatic increases. In some cases, suppliers only guarantee quotations for the same day, and in extreme situations even half-day quotations are appearing in the market. Strong demand from data centers is now the primary driver, replacing the previously dominant. Input costs for fiber optic cable are adding upward pressure on fiber optic cable prices at a time when demand for fiber technology is high and expected to continue growing. High fiber optic cable prices may threaten the financial feasibility of information communication technology (ICT).
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