Upstream players provide core optical and electrical components, including optical materials, laser chips, photodetectors, high-speed signal processing chips (DSP/SerDes/Driver), and integrated components such as silicon photonics PICs and optical engines. Gallium arsenide (GaAs) prices have increased significantly since Q2 2026, driven by surging AI data center demand for optical modules and constrained gallium supply. They are not merely "upgrades to network cables," but core components supporting the operation of global digital. These compact modules are the high-speed, high-bandwidth lifelines connecting the massive compute and storage resources AI demands. Understanding their role is key to building efficient, scalable AI systems. "Implementation Opinions Deeply Implementing the Data West Calculation' Project Accelerating the Construction of Nationally Integrated Power Network.
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