Huawei and Partners Launch Domestic Standard for NPO Optical Interconnects

Beijing, China – Huawei, in collaboration with China Mobile Research Institute, JD Cloud, Baidu, and over 20 industry partners, has launched the OPEN NPO project. This initiative aims to establish China's first Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) for Near Package Optics (NPO) optical interconnects. The goal is to construct an open and unified standard system for NPO, fostering innovation and industrial synergy in high-speed optical interconnects essential for AI-driven computing infrastructure.

MSAs are widely adopted open collaboration mechanisms where industry players jointly define specifications to ensure product interoperability. This new NPO optical interconnect MSA is the first of its kind in China and is expected to strengthen the nation's collaborative framework for next-generation optical technologies. The project addresses the growing demand for high-bandwidth, low-latency, and low-power network connections crucial for AI model training and large-scale intelligent computing clusters.

Traditional pluggable optical modules face challenges in high-density computing scenarios, including higher power consumption and insufficient integration. NPO offers a solution with its advantages such as ultra-low power consumption, minimal latency, and high-density integration. A key objective of the project is to overcome current limitations in NPO development, such as the lack of unified interface specifications and product compatibility issues, to enable large-scale industrial application.

The OPEN NPO project will focus on defining standards for NPO mechanical, electrical, reliability, and management aspects. Particular emphasis will be placed on the electrical connector interface, with detailed definitions to be contributed by core project members. This standardization is intended to ensure compatibility between products from different manufacturers, offering users greater supplier choice.

The initiative also aims to accelerate the commercialization of NPO technology and build a domestically rooted, open industrial ecosystem for high-speed optical interconnects. The first technical specification is slated for release in the third quarter of 2026, with broader commercial deployment anticipated in the first half of 2027.