SUGAR LAND, Texas, March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (NASDAQ:AAOI), a leading provider of advanced optical and HFC networking products that power AI, today announced plans for the Optical Fiber Communications Conference ‘OFC', at the Los Angeles Convention Center, March 17-19, where it will demonstrate how its solutions support modern data centers with the bandwidth, power and density needed for future AI systems.

Over the past few years, AOI has strategically enhanced its portfolio to provide the high-performance optical sources required for the industry's shift toward silicon photonics, Near-Packaged Optics (NPO), and co-packaged optics (CPO) architectures. The company recently celebrated plans to expand its domestic manufacturing capacity with a groundbreaking ceremony at the new 210,000 square foot facility near its headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, where it expects to have the largest production capacity for AI-focused datacenter transceivers in the U.S.

OFC attendees can see AOI's technology in action in the South Hall, Booth #739, where it will showcase its comprehensive transceiver range —from 100G to 1.6T, alongside a live 6.4T On-Board Optics (OBO) demonstration, powered by AOI's 400mW external laser small form-factor pluggable (ELSFP).

The Foundation of AI Connectivity: AOI's 25dBm Ultra-High Power ELSFP

At the heart of AOI's next-generation showcase is the 400mW laser Continuous Wave (CW) for 25dBm ELSFP. This industry-leading laser source provides the critical high-link-budget foundation required for CPO/NPO architectures. By combining extreme power with a hot-swappable, highly serviceable design, AOI ensures the unwavering reliability essential for mission-critical GPU clusters.

"Reliability and performance are non-negotiable as the industry shifts toward more demanding GPU fabrics," said Fred Chang, Senior Vice President and North American General Manager at AOI. "Our 25dBm ELSFP solution addresses these needs by providing the unmatched power and mission-critical reliability required for complex AI networking, offering a high-performance, hot-swappable solution that is ready to scale hyperscale infrastructures today."

Additional Booth Highlights

6.4T High-Density Integrated Photonics: AOI's 6.4T OBO demo is a key advancement in AI networking. While the industry trends toward NPO and CPO, OBO provides an immediate, high-density solution for the signal integrity needs of hyperscale AI infrastructure.
800G and 1.6T Optical Interconnects: Engineered for the extreme throughput demands of modern GPU fabrics, these interconnects provide the scalable bandwidth necessary to support evolving large language models and intensive AI training workloads.

Investor Session at OFC

AOI's Chief Financial Officer and Chief Strategy Officer, Stefan Murry, will host an investor session at OFC on Tuesday, March 17 at 4:00 p.m. PT. A live audio webcast of the event will be accessible here. A replay of the webcast will be available on the company's investor relations page following the conclusion of the event.

Additional Resources:

About AOI 

Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical and HFC networking products that are the building blocks for AI datacenters, CATV and broadband fiber access networks around the world. AOI supplies this critical infrastructure to tier-one customers across cloud computing, CATV broadband, telecom, and FTTH markets. The company has R&D facilities in Atlanta, GA, and engineering and manufacturing facilities at its corporate headquarters in Sugar Land, TX, as well as in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com. 

Media contact:

Sara Cicero

sara_cicero@ao-inc.com

770-331-0269

AOI Showcases 25dBm Ultra-High Power ELSFP as the Foundation for Next-Gen AI Infrastructure at OFC 2026