Aug 19 2015
Fiber optic connectors are used for mating fiber optic cables with minimal loss of data. They are used for mechanical coupling and the aligning of core fibers to allow efficient transfer of light while providing high reliability, high return loss and low insertion loss.
Additionally, they are used for termination of cables. The structure of a typical fiber optic connector consists of connector body, cable, ferrules, and a coupling device. Earlier, fiber optic connectors were difficult and complex in use. However, with rapid technological advancements in the industry, manufacturers have now standardized and enhanced the user-friendliness of fiber optic connectors, thereby simplifying its usage. Fiber optic connectors are deployed across numerous applications, some of which include data centers, telecommunication, inter/intra building applications, community antenna televisions, security systems and high-density interconnection amongst others. The rapidly escalating demand for high bandwidth services, among end users, largely drives the market. Applications such as TV-on-demand, video services and online gaming have resulted in an increased the demand for high-speed data.Growing concerns of higher security, safety, and requirement of 4G services also stimulate the growth of this market. Consumers are moving towards smaller, efficient and multi-fiber connectors for higher performance output. Governments in Europe and Asia-pacific region are investing significantly in the fiber optics technology to enhance their network infrastructures. However, the factors restraining the growth of this market include high initial cost of investment, new infrastructure requirements, high maintenance and availability of substitute technologies such as wireless broadband connections in the market. The increasing adoption of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, and the growing adoption of 4G LTE network platforms provide numerous opportunities for growth in the market.
The vendors in the market offer a wide range of fiber optic connectors to meet the growing requirements of customers. Additionally, the vendors in the market are acquiring and collaborating with top companies in the market to enhance their product portfolio and expand their customer base. For instance, Optical Cable Corporation has launched a tamper-resistant LC fiber optic connector in collaboration with Centric Solutions. This unique connector features an extra layer of lock-and-key solution that provides an extra layer of security to network ports. Molex Incorporated is another prominent player in the market offering a wide portfolio of fiber optic connectors to cater to the growing needs of customers. Other leading players in the market include Siemens AG, T.E. Connectivity, Delphi Automotive PLC, Adtek Group Limited and 3M among others.
The global fiber optic connectors market is analyzed and segmented based on types, applications and geography. The various types of fiber optic connectors available in the market include lucent connector, multi-fiber termination push on/pull off connector, subscriber connector, straight tip, fiber connector, master unit, fiber distributed data interface connector, sub multi assembly connector and others. Lucent connector dominates the market with highest market share. Fiber optic connectors are used across a wide range of applications, some of which include datacenters, telecommunications, high density interconnection, inter/intra building, security systems and community antenna television. A microscopic analysis is conducted by studying the market scenario across various countries in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and the LAMEA region.