T he cables running through the world’ s data centres have long operated at the upper limits of what physics permits. Laser-driven fibre optic links consume significant power and are sensitive to temperature fluctuations and particulates. Copper cabling, reliable and fast, cannot extend beyond roughly two metres at high data volumes. As AI workloads multiply and cloud demand intensifies, those constraints are becoming harder to engineer around.
Microsoft Research’ s lab in Cambridge has developed a cabling system it believes can change the status quo.
Using commercially available MicroLEDs and imaging fibre – the kind already deployed in medical endoscopy equipment – the team has produced a link technology that, based on lab tests and deployment estimates, is expected to use around 50 % less energy than mainstream laser-based optical cables. Commercialisation with industry partners is anticipated for late 2027.
74 June 2026