Layer L2
Optical & Networking
The optical and network fabric that moves data inside and between AI datacenters.
800G/1.6T optics, CPO & silicon photonics, InfiniBand vs Ethernet, coherent DCI, AEC & retimers
optical modulesCPO & silicon photonicsswitching & interconnect (InfiniBand · Ethernet)coherent DCIAEC & retimers
Topics in this layer
Optical Modules
The interconnect layer that shapes every AI training cluster.
AI Networking
Fat-tree, rail-optimized, dragonfly+: which topology survives at 100k GPUs?
InfiniBand vs Ethernet
The ROCE/Ultra-Ethernet bet against NVIDIA's networking lock-in.
CPO & Silicon Photonics
When pluggable optics run out of reach: co-packaged optics and the silicon-photonics bet on 1.6T+ AI fabrics.
AEC, Retimers & Rack-Scale Connectivity
The in-rack copper-and-silicon layer: active electrical cables, PCIe/CXL/UALink retimers, and the GB200-rack scale-up race.
Companies (14)
Ranked leaderboard →Ranked suppliers for Optical & Networking
Estimated share, products, and customers — sourced provenance per row.
View the L2 leaderboard →Engineering reference, not investment advice.