Outlets: AI infrastructure spending accelerates, optical module makers seen gaining
In short
Chinese outlets on 22 October carried a Shanghai Securities News report saying new-quarter results from North American tech giants show AI data-centre and computing spending is accelerating. Industry insiders quoted said optical modules will benefit, with 800G becoming the mainstream in shipments and 1.6T shipments rising quickly. A Jiemian piece from 21 October said the ChiNext AI Index rose 3.73% at 09:55.
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Chinese outlets on 22 October carried a report, attributed to Shanghai Securities News, saying that new-quarter results disclosed by North American tech giants show global AI companies are not slowing their spending on data centres and computing infrastructure but accelerating it. CLS, Yicai, Jiemian and 36Kr all published the same headline and text. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
The CLS and Yicai versions named two examples: SpaceX's superintelligence business, whose third-quarter revenue rose by more than eight times year on year, and Super Micro Computer (SMCI), which expects revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2027, ended 30 September, to be significantly above the analyst average expectation. [ 2 , 3 ]
Industry insiders said optical modules, described as the base of AI data centres and the core of optical communications, will benefit directly from the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. With technology iteration, they said, 800G modules will become the shipment mainstream and 1.6T shipments will rise quickly, and A-share optical module companies will keep growing earnings at a high rate. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
A separate Jiemian article on 21 October, about the Southern Fund ChiNext AI ETF (159382), said the ChiNext AI Index (970070) was up 3.73% at 09:55. It reported that order visibility for leading optical module makers has lengthened: orders were usually given for three months, but many customers have now placed them into 2027. [ 1 ]
The article cited Nomura as saying overseas optical device makers' orders are sold out to early 2029, with customers starting to lock in 2030 orders and some products unable to meet 70% of demand by the end of 2027. It also said Nvidia and Cisco announced a new ultra-dense small pluggable optical module at the 2026 OCP Global Summit, with 400Gb/s per lane and capacity of 12.8Tb/s. The index's three largest weights are Xinyisheng (新易盛), Zhongji Xuchuang (中际旭创) and Tianfu Tongxin (天孚通信). [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The coverage is business and tech reporting that links spending by large AI companies to expected demand for optical modules, and to the outlook for listed A-share module makers. The claims on earnings growth come from unnamed industry insiders and one fund-related article, so they are expectations, not results.
Key facts
- Shanghai Securities News reported that new-quarter results from North American tech giants show global AI companies are accelerating, not slowing, their spending on data centres and computing infrastructure. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- SpaceX's superintelligence business grew third-quarter revenue by more than eight times year on year, the report said. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Super Micro Computer (SMCI) expects revenue for the first quarter of fiscal 2027 (to 30 September) to be significantly above the analyst average expectation, the report said. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Industry insiders said 800G optical modules will become the shipment mainstream and 1.6T module shipments will rise quickly. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- At 09:55 on 21 October the ChiNext AI Index (970070) was up 3.73%, according to Jiemian. [ 1 ]
- Nvidia and Cisco announced a new ultra-dense small pluggable optical module at the 2026 OCP Global Summit, supporting 400Gb/s per lane and a capacity of 12.8Tb/s, according to Jiemian. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nothing is confirmed by two independent outlets yet.
Still unclear
- Who the industry insiders are and what figures support the forecast of continued high earnings growth for A-share optical module companies. The documents do not name them or give supporting numbers.
- The SpaceX and SMCI figures and the other company results behind the report. Only two documents carry them, in a truncated excerpt, and give no further detail.
- Nomura's analysis that overseas optical device makers' orders are sold out to early 2029. Only one document, a fund-related Jiemian article, reports it, as coming from a report.
- Several outlets reported, citing Shanghai Securities News, that new-quarter results from North American tech giants show global AI companies accelerating spending on data centres and computing infrastructure. Reported by a single source so far
- Industry insiders expect optical modules to benefit directly from AI infrastructure expansion, with 800G becoming the shipment mainstream and 1.6T shipments rising quickly. Reported by a single source so far
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- On 21 October the ChiNext AI Index (970070) was up 3.73%, according to Jiemian. [ 1 ]
- Jiemian published its article on the Southern Fund ChiNext AI ETF and optical module demand (21 October). [ 1 ]
- CLS published the report on AI infrastructure expansion (22 October). [ 2 ]
- Yicai published the report, citing Shanghai Securities News. [ 3 ]
- Jiemian published the report. [ 4 ]
- 36Kr published the report. [ 5 ]