Optical fiber and cable market into rational competition, technological innovation to seize the initiative

5/7/15  |  Industry News

Slowdown, steady pattern

By 2014, broadband policy progresses, broadband infrastructure has improved, continue to promote the construction of transmission network, "Light of Copper" trend more apparent, while 4G construction in full swing, the optical communications industry steadily.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology recently released "2014 Communications Business of statistical bulletin", in 2014, the national new fiber-optic cables 3.007 million kilometers, the total length of optical cable lines to reach 20.46 million kilometers, an increase of 17.2% over the previous year fell 0.7 percentage points. According to the British commodity research institutions (CRU) released 2014 report shows the development of the global optical fiber and cable, fiber optic cable demand in China in 2014 compared with 2013 growth of 8%. From only recently settled in the Chinese telecommunications fiber optic cable 2014 Central Purchasing and Central Purchasing situation after China Mobile, although growth has slowed, but also to digest most of the domestic production capacity.

Fiber optic cable in the country areas, little change in the overall pattern, industrial structure and competition are relatively stable. China Mobile and China Telecom's Central Purchasing, the major share of the dispersion in the flames of communication, prosper optoelectronics, a YOFC, ZTT, Tong Ding optoelectronics, the Poly Technologies, China Putian, Corning and other companies, combined with the capacity of enterprises to situation Look, produced on behalf of several major energy companies accounted for nearly 80% of the overall domestic production capacity in recent years, the continuous integration and restructuring effect has now.

In the global optical communications field, the status of Chinese enterprises has been increasing, especially outstanding in the field of fiber optic cable and optical transmission performance of each company overall competitiveness compared with last year has improved. The world's most competitive optical fiber and cable companies list, a YOFC, prosper, the flames of communication, Fortis and other competitive advantages. As the Ministry of Communication CST transmission and access network specialist advice team leader Mao Qian in 2014 in the China International Optoelectronic Exposition said, domestic growth in the optical communications field a series of powerful enterprises.

Forced market, lead the industry Thoughts

Statistics show that in 2014 the total domestic demand for optical fiber and cable market of about 140 million -1.5 million core km, while domestic enterprises producing capacity has reached 240 million core km. The entire industry market heat is not enough, still faces excess capacity.

Has been criticized in the price dispute of chaos is the inevitable pains after production continued to grow. "Many manufacturers offer even lower than the cost price of raw materials, so we have to part of raw materials and shoddy cable manufacturers are more worried about performance," according to insiders, in order to reduce costs, many unscrupulous manufacturers to seek to reduce costs, there are many ways , the production of low-quality fiber optic products, once used, gave the network safety and security. Only on the quality and price balance to get a correct understanding of, and to establish a healthy market rules, such pains will disappear.

If it is not rational in any market forward, and ultimately the market will self-destruct. The healthy development of optical fiber and cable market needs macroeconomic regulation policy, but needs attitude change operators. Industry experts have pointed out that the evaluation of the business operators to offer low propensity for such unhealthy competition no good circumvented. In this regard, the Director Telecom Beijing Research Institute of Optical Communications Research Center, China Junjie said: "The operators should work more closely with industry chain manufacturers, transform ideas, customer-oriented service to guide the development of optical communication industry and technology."

Passive break

For enterprises, technological innovation, optimize product mix, enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises, help to resolve excess capacity and eliminate backward production capacity. Vice president of communications cable output line Chi flames more in an interview, "Communications Weekly" (network) reporter's said: "In the field of optical fiber and cable, only has a strong independent research and innovation capability of enterprises to the optical fiber and cable market continues to reshuffle firm footing. "

Domestic optical fiber preform field, in the introduction, digestion and absorption on the basis of China already has considerable manufacturing capacity. From 2010 onwards, the domestic light bar come on stream, a YOFC, prosper, flames, transit and other manufacturers are able to achieve self-sufficiency in the light bar. 2014, domestic production of major light rod production enterprises can gradually be released, imports increased from 23 per cent in 2013 to 19% in 2014. Hengtong Photoelectric other domestic companies to increase production capacity of optical fiber preform by upgrading or new projects, etc., it is learned, Huntoon light rod production accounts for a quarter of the domestic market, other companies are light rod production capacity is gradually released, breaking the restricted international giants passive situation. But on the other hand, the supply of optical fiber preform technology and outsourcing layer of raw materials is still largely subject to foreign companies, so only about 10% of industry profits, the upstream profit margins wide, to be expanded.

Revolutionary fiber optic products is not limited to the light bar. "In the highly competitive environment of the single-mode optical fiber production, in order to survive and develop, the need for technological innovation." Fiber Co., Ltd. Jiangsu Hengtong chief engineer Chen Wei told reporters. A new generation of fiber-optic backbone network technology has three directions: ultra-low loss optical fibers, large effective area fiber, low loss of large effective area fiber. Ultra-low loss optical fiber in the long distance transmission span obvious advantages, is one of the future trends. In theory the domestic ultra-low loss optical fibers are not behind, but insufficient manufacturing process, resulting in unstable product quality, and therefore controlled by others in this cutting-edge science and technology. Huntoon, flames, etc. have been reducing losses and increasing the effective area of the two technical direction for the next generation of high-speed fiber optic network to provide a novel, we can expect a breakthrough soon.

Plastic fiber optic system applications to replace the copper conductor cable communications industry to create another revolutionary all-optical network upgrade. While the world's largest market, the application of plastic optical fiber system has started late. Plastic optical fiber low loss, high bandwidth, good heat resistance, the connection is simple, high tensile strength, durability and other features help operators to build an end-all-optical network. But over the years, awareness of domestic development of plastic optical fiber communications and light of touch, still inadequate technical standards, market demand, industry chain collaboration, etc., plastic fiber is completely dependent on imports. If you can be a breakthrough in plastic optical fiber products, heat-resistant cable, wall switches, optical transceiver modules and other products, it can fill the gap, import substitution, also won the right to speak one of the breakthrough in the field of optical communications.

Nuggets new markets

In the case of the domestic market short term is difficult blowout growth, exports are the transfer of production capacity, an effective means to resolve the overcapacity crisis. Domestic optical communications business in 2014 successes in expanding international markets. The stronger companies in the global marketplace continues to expand its own power, to increase its market share in the world, other domestic optical communication enterprises more initiative to promote the development of overseas markets, the global market in order to usher in a new round of development opportunities.

According to CRU released 2014 report shows the development of the global optical fiber and cable in 2014, despite the Chinese domestic market for cable demand growth has declined, but China's optical fiber and cable export volume growth is very obvious, in 2014, the Chinese optical fiber manufacturer global market share has reached 55 percent, surpassing the 50% in 2013.

Global fiber-optic network uneven development means there is a greater unsaturated market space. Overseas market is a bigger, more equitable, more serious arena, simply Chinese optical fiber and cable market mode lateral migration to overseas markets is unlikely to be successful, it must form a good difference and localization. The main problem of overseas Chinese enterprises in the face of the Nuggets is innovation and cultural differences.

Therefore, in addition to export products, but also vigorously promote the localization of public enterprises operating overseas. As Huntoon optical fiber to develop clear international strategy in Europe, Southeast Asia, South Asia, South America, Africa, the Middle East and other regions, the establishment of 26 overseas technology marketing center, and the establishment of research and production base in South America, South Asia, increase the localization of talent introduction.

Simple product from the past to the sea, to overseas factories today, localization services team building, international fiber optic cable business, is from the original market internationalization and international resources to brand internationalization, the internationalization of production and services international both comprehensive international stage.