[News] Huawei Unveils 7.2Tbps Near-packaged Optics Module, Challenging NVIDIA and Broadcom’s CPO Push

Huawei's NPO module offers 7.2Tbps bandwidth, rivaling Broadcom's 6.4Tbps CPO engines. This positions Huawei at the forefront of high-density optical interconnects for AI infrastructure. The company expects 3.2Tbps NPO modules to deploy this year, with 7.2Tbps versions seeing broader adoption within two years. Huawei is directly playing for market leadership in AI infrastructure components.

This development creates a bifurcated market for high-speed interconnects. Chinese CSPs like Alibaba and Tencent already prioritize NPO. Huawei's initiative, backed by China Mobile Research Institute and JD Cloud, aims to cement NPO as a dominant standard in Asia. This could give Chinese companies an advantage in domestic AI infrastructure development, potentially limiting CPO adoption there.

The thing to watch is the adoption rate of the OPEN NPO technical specification, expected in Q3 2026. If it gains significant traction beyond China, it could fragment the global optical interconnect market. Otherwise, CPO, already supported by NVIDIA, Broadcom, TSMC, and Intel, will likely maintain its lead.