As AI computing demand continues to surge, the global optical communication industry is undergoing a profound geographic restructuring. Southeast Asia, particularly Thailand, has emerged as the core region for this wave of industrial relocation and infrastructure development. Against this backdrop, the 3rd CFCF Asia-Pacific Optical Connectivity Conference will be held in Bangkok, Thailand. Hosted by CFOL, Cordac Industry Research Center, 89 Plus Energy, and Hellospace, and co-organized by three major international standards organizations — IEEE, OIF, and TOPS — the conference aims to build a professional platform for global optical communication enterprises to engage deeply with the Southeast Asian market.
Conference Date: November 5–6, 2026 |
Venue: Jubilee Prestige Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand |
Address: 204 Ratchadapisek Road, Huay Kwang | Bangkok, 10310 |
Hosts: CFOL, Cordac Industry Research Center, 89 Plus Energy, Hellospace |
Co-organizers: IEEE Photonics Society Thailand Chapter, OIF, TOPS |
CFCF AP2026
Southeast Asia: An Emerging Growth Pole for the Global Optical Communication Industry
In recent years, Southeast Asia’s position in the global optical communication supply chain has risen significantly. As the regional core, Thailand is rapidly building a complete photonics industry ecosystem, from optical fiber preforms to optical modules.
In data center construction, BOI has approved 36 data center projects with a total investment exceeding USD 23 billion, representing an IT load of over 2,000 MW. In the first half of 2025 alone, Thailand attracted USD 16.1 billion in data center investment across 28 projects — a year-on-year increase of approximately 20 times. Global cloud service providers including Google and AWS have been ramping up their investments in Thailand.
In photonics manufacturing, as of June 2026, a total of 79 photonics industry projects have applied for BOI investment promotion, with total investment exceeding THB 82.7 billion, covering optical fiber and cable, optical communication components and equipment, and optical modules. Lumentum has upgraded its Thailand facility to a global flagship base, planning to expand its workforce to 11,000 within three years. Chinese enterprises including Zhongji Innolight, Eoptolink, TFC, and HGTECH have all established production capacity in Thailand, with HGTECH’s Chonburi facility reaching a monthly optical module capacity of 250,000 units.
In network infrastructure, Nokia completed the upgrade of the MCT submarine cable in 2026, increasing system capacity to 30 Tbps. This cable is the only submarine system landing in Rayong Province within Thailand’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), which serves as the core hub for Thailand’s AI data center investment. Meanwhile, the Singapore–Malaysia–Thailand digital corridor’s optical network market is projected to reach USD 11 billion by 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of approximately 20%.
The Thai government has designated the photonics industry and optical chips as a national strategic direction, targeting THB 82 billion in investment and the training of 100,000 photonics technology professionals. Complemented by the China–Laos–Thailand land cable corridor, Thailand is transforming from a traditional data transit point into a regional digital hub connecting China and Southeast Asia.
CFCF AP2026
CFCF AP: A Professional Platform for Entering the Southeast Asian Market
Since its launch in 2024, the CFCF Asia-Pacific Optical Connectivity Conference has been successfully held twice in Bangkok. The inaugural conference attracted over 150 optical communication enterprises and more than 200 industry representatives. The 2nd conference in 2025, themed “How to Build and Integrate into Thailand’s Photonics Industry Ecosystem,” further deepened industry matchmaking and experience sharing. After two years of accumulation, CFCF has become an important platform for Chinese and global optical communication enterprises to understand the Southeast Asian market and connect with local resources.
This year’s conference has been comprehensively upgraded in scale and content, with three international organizations — IEEE, OIF, and TOPS — joining as co-organizers for the first time:
IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers): Bringing academic frontiers and technology standard updates from the global photonics field;
OIF (Optical Internetworking Forum): Providing interpretations of the latest international optical interconnect standards and interoperability specifications;
TOPS: Offering deep matchmaking with Southeast Asia’s local industry ecosystem and policy resources.
The three-way co-organization equips the conference with technical depth, international perspective, and local execution capabilities, providing participating enterprises with full-dimensional information support — from standards trends to market practices.
CFCF AP2026
Conference Topics & Value
This year’s agenda will revolve around the following core directions:
1. Thailand & Southeast Asia Photonics Industry Policy Briefing: BOI investment incentives, EEC zone planning, land and labor practices;
2. New Technology Exploration & Application Progress: OCS track, data center construction track, high-speed optical interconnect track;
3. Southeast Asia Factory Setup & Operations: Practical experience from established enterprises on capacity building, supply chain setup, and localized operations;
4. International Optical Interconnect Technology Standards: OIF latest specifications and next-generation optical interconnect technology roadmap;
5. Data Centers & Optical Network Construction: Southeast Asia data center development trends and optical connectivity demand analysis;
6. Supply Chain Matchmaking: Face-to-face exchanges with local operators, data center operators, cloud providers, and local supply chain enterprises.
For enterprises across the entire supply chain — including optical modules, optical devices, fiber optic cables, test equipment, and materials — this conference is a key opportunity to understand the Southeast Asian market policy environment, connect with local customer resources, and establish regional partnerships.
Registration (settled in RMB):
CFOL members enjoy 2 complimentary conference tickets.
Non-member fee: RMB 2,000/person (including conference materials, two-day lunches + one-day dinner)
Sponsorship Opportunities:
Limited exhibition booths, advertising, and other sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact us for details.
Contact Us
For conference inquiries, please reach out via the following channels. (WeChat same as phone number)
Ria: riatang@cordacord.com
Coco: cocodeng@cordacord.com
Apple: applezuo@cordacord.com
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