Lumentum R300 optical circuit switch aims to enhance AI data center scalability

Lumentum Holdings Inc. announced that its R300 Optical Circuit Switch (OCS) with 300x300 port capability is currently being sampled by multiple hyperscale customers, with General Availability (GA) expected in the second half of 2025. The R300 is designed to enhance scalability and performance for Artificial Intelligence (AI) clusters and intra-data-center networks.

Wupen Yuen, Lumentum's president of Cloud and Networking, stated, “Feedback from customers has been very positive, due to its ability to improve network reliability and performance, including substantial reductions in data center network power consumption.”

The new OCS leverages Microgrid Energy Management System (MEMS) technology, offering significant power savings compared to traditional Ethernet-based solutions. According to Lumentum, adopting the R300 can reduce AI data center network power consumption by 65% or more for large-scale Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) deployments.

Market research firm Cignal AI forecasts that the OCS market will surpass $1 billion by 2028, driven by demand from AI and cloud network advancements. Scott Wilkinson, lead analyst at Cignal AI, noted that OCS components are becoming crucial for success as hyperscale operators focus on scaling AI systems.

Lumentum is scheduled to showcase the R300 at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference and Exhibition (OFC) in April 2025.