Optical Transport Network Market Report 2026

The optical transport network market size has grown rapidly in recent years. It will grow from $26.37 billion in 2025 to $29.67 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.5%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to rise in telecom data consumption, expansion of fiber optic networks, demand for long distance data transport, growth of data centers, adoption of early wavelength division technologies.

The optical transport network market size is expected to see rapid growth in the next few years. It will grow to $47.79 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.7%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing deployment of 5g infrastructure, expansion of hyperscale data centers, rising need for ultra low latency communication, growth in cloud heavy enterprise workloads, increasing adoption of advanced optical switching technologies. Major trends in the forecast period include expansion of high capacity cloud driven optical transport requirements, growth in iot connected infrastructure demanding high bandwidth transport, rising adoption of intelligent automated optical network management, increasing use of AI enabled traffic optimization across fiber networks, increasing deployment of ar vr data intensive applications requiring high speed otn.

The increasing adoption of 5G connections is expected to drive the growth of the optical transport network market in the coming years. 5G, the fifth generation of cellular network technology, succeeds 4G LTE and is designed to deliver significantly faster data speeds, lower latency, and higher capacity. The rise in 5G connections is driven by growing demand for high-speed, low-latency connectivity to support advanced digital applications. Optical transport networks play a key role in 5G by providing high-capacity, low-latency fiber backhaul for efficient data transmission between network nodes. For example, in November 2023, the Ericsson Mobility Report, published by Sweden-based telecommunications technology company Ericsson, noted that global 5G subscriptions increased by 610 million in 2023, reaching a total of 1.6 billion - a 63% increase compared to 2022. Therefore, the expansion of 5G connections is propelling the growth of the optical transport network market.

Major companies in the optical transport network (OTN) market are innovating by developing advanced products, such as optical circuits, to cater to larger customer bases and boost sales and revenue. Optical circuits within OTNs enable high-capacity data transmission through optical fibers. For example, in September 2024, Lightpath, a US-based telecommunications provider, introduced its 400G protected optical circuit, designed to deliver high-performance telecommunications solutions primarily via its advanced fiber optic networks. This recent launch of the 400G protected optical circuit underscores their dedication to providing reliable and robust connectivity for hyperscale customers. The technology employs Ciena’s WaveLogic 5 nano-optics to enhance data transmission capabilities, ensuring rapid failover times of less than 50 milliseconds for mission-critical services.

In February 2025, Nokia Corporation, a Finland-based telecommunications company, acquired Infinera Corporation for $2.3 billion. Through this acquisition, Nokia aims to expand its presence in the optical transport equipment market, strengthen its high-capacity coherent optics and data-center interconnect (DCI) capabilities, and compete more effectively with leading global optical networking providers. Infinera is a US-based provider of high-capacity optical transport systems.

Major companies operating in the optical transport network market are Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Cisco Systems, Inc., Nokia Corporation, Ciena Corporation, Infinera Corporation, ZTE Corporation, Fujitsu Limited, NEC Corporation, FiberHome Telecommunication Technologies Co., Ltd., ADVA Optical Networking SE, Ekinops S.A., PacketLight Networks Ltd., Xtera Communications, Inc., Coriant GmbH & Co. KG, ECI Telecom Ltd., Acacia Communications, Inc., Coherent Corp., Lumentum Holdings Inc., Oclaro Inc., MACOM Technology Solutions Holdings Inc.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

Tariffs on optical transport network have elevated production and deployment costs for OTN infrastructure, particularly impacting telecom operators and data center interconnection projects in regions reliant on imported hardware such as Europe, Africa, and parts of Asia. These tariffs contribute to longer procurement cycles and slowed network expansion. However, they also stimulate domestic manufacturing, promote supplier diversification, and encourage innovation in cost efficient optical technologies that reduce dependence on tariffed imports.

The optical transport network market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides optical transport network market statistics, including optical transport network industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with an optical transport network market share, detailed optical transport network market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the optical transport network industry. This optical transport network market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.

The Optical Transport Network (OTN) represents a structured network comprised of layered protocols, designed specifically for transmitting network messages across optical fiber networks.

The primary components within the optical transport network market include the optical switch and optical packet platform. The optical packet platform serves as a versatile aggregation and transport infrastructure, supporting current and future Ethernet and IP services universally. Technological segments encompass Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) and Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM). Services such as network design and network support find application across significant sectors such as IT and telecom, healthcare, government, and other verticals in various industries.North America was the largest region in the optical transport network market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the forecast period. The regions covered in the optical transport network market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the optical transport network market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The optical transport network (OTN) market includes revenues earned by entities by providing various optical transport network services such as optical switches management, transport and packet platforms, network designing, network optimization, maintenance, and support of network to enhance orbital angular momentum (OAM) wavelength, transport transparency of customer traffic, performance monitoring, fault detection, and other related services. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Only goods and services traded between entities or sold to end consumers are included.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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