In this comprehensive analysis from Commmesh, we examine the root causes of the 2025–2026 fiber price surge in detail, the specific role of drone warfare, why G. 657A2 grades are hit hardest, the supply-side bottlenecks that amplified the crisis, secondary effects on. Factor category Specific factor impact overview Related instructions Supply and demand: Exploding demand for AI computing power is driving data center expansion, and 800G/1. 6T optical modules are in short supply. Cloud vendors are seeing a significant increase in capital expenditures. The reasons behind this are related to product lifecycle management, as well as cost control and. The number dominating every procurement manager"s spreadsheet in February 2026 is US$ 22/km for G657A2 fiber. Just six months ago, this figure was unthinkable. Today, it represents the new reality of a market transformed by AI infrastructure demands, geopolitical shifts, and supply chain. From late 2025 into 2026, global fibre optic prices have increased sharply and across the board — standard single-mode, bend-insensitive grades, and in turn pre-terminated assemblies, patch leads, and bulk cable. 652D fiber, bend-insensitive G.