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The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), a global conference and exposition for optical communications and networking professionals, is expected to continue its growth trajectory with more than 700 exhibitors from leading global companies and more than 15,000 attendees. Held on 11-15 March at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA, OFC has increased in overall square footage by 44% and experienced a 21% growth in exhibitors and attendees in the last five years.
OFC 2018 is expected to draw more than 15,000 industry professionals looking to hear the very latest on groundbreaking optical communications innovations, data-center connectivity, 5G network upgrades, and the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in optical networks.
Over the last few years, OFC has seen significant growth on the exhibit floor and this year’s exhibits will expand to more than 350,000 square feet. According to market research firm Ovum, the optical networking and communications market grew 22% in the second quarter of 2017 and they forecast it to reach $16 billion this year. OFC’s number of exhibiting companies has experienced the most significant growth, up 21% in just the last five years.
LightCounting Market Research also sees a continued growth trend in the market segment noting that, the total market for optical components and modules used in optical communications will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 10 percent over the five-year period to 2021.