An optical module consists of optoelectronic devices, functional circuits, and optical interfaces. Optoelectronic devices include two parts: transmitter and receiver. As a core component of optical fiber communication, the optical module is responsible for photoelectric conversion and electro‑optic conversion, and it is indispensable for the normal operation of data centers.

In December 2023, "optical module" was selected as one of the Top 10 Tech Buzzwords of 2023. In January 2026, Kechuan Photonics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kechuan Technology, completed the construction of optical module production capacity, and its silicon photonic chips have finished the first tape-out.

The function of an optical module is to convert electrical signals into optical signals at the transmitting end. After transmission via optical fiber, the receiving end converts the optical signals back into electrical signals. At the receiver, a photodetector diode converts optical signals into electrical signals, which are then output at the corresponding bit rate through a pre-amplifier.

Classified by packaging form, common types include SFP, SFF, and Gigabit Interface Converter (GBIC).

Its transmission rates cover Gigabit, 10G, 40G and beyond. Among them, 800G and 1.6T products are becoming mainstream in data centers, and 800G optical modules have already been deployed in some top-tier data centers. The 1.6T silicon photonics optical module has entered the customer sampling stage. Industry research institutions predict that 2025 will mark the first commercial year for 1.6T optical modules.

In the optical transmission network field, equipment vendors tend to independently develop and manufacture OTN pluggable coherent optical modules (such as 400G/800G). In data communication scenarios such as data centers, equipment vendors generally adopt an external procurement strategy.

Co-packaged Optics (CPO) is one of the key technologies to realize high network bandwidth and low power consumption. Enterprises including ZTE Corporation continue to increase R&D investment and conduct in-depth research on core devices and packaging technologies for CPO. Industry analysts forecast that the global optical module market size is expected to exceed 37 billion US dollars by 2029.