From the interconnects and transceivers section from the roadmap:
KEY METRICS
COST ($/TERMINATION)
The most important metric is cost (meaning end customer price) since it heavily influences the buyer’s decision.
More specifically, what drives technology adoption is the total cost of ownership for the dominant player within the
value chain. In the case of PIC interconnects, that is the hyperscale data center operator. Total cost of ownership is
capital costs plus operating costs and the conversion costs for adoption if it is a new technology. New technology
comes with unforeseen risks, so the adoption barrier, real and perceived, needs to be overcome by a strong value
proposition.
So, total cost of ownership really matters.
Getting the number of modulators down by getting to 200G single lane really matters. Having the likely technology for the next generation need for 400G per lane really matters as well.
Getting rid of the driver really matters.
Operating costs really matters: cost of power used over how many years? Likely 7-10 at current data demand. This likely will require even faster adoption of faster transceivers as demand for data accelerates. Cost of cooling is a large factor over time and that relates to power consumption and how tightly server racks are placed together leaving less air space.
Cost of instillation matters. Easy pluggability needed when upgrades happen.
What is the PR cost of using less power and less water for cooling. Well that cost could be priceless for the Googles and other hyper scalers out there.
LWLG checks all the boxes for lower initial costs and ongoing costs. They need to overcome the hesitancy of implementing new technology and have been working on that over the past couple years with conferences, third party confirmations of the technology and especially testing, testing and more teasing.
In the end, price will matter. Adoption in inevitable.
