Ciena CEO: AI boom is different from the telecom bust

Gary Smith, Ciena's CEO since 2001, told the WSJ that the AI build-out differs from the fibre boom that preceded the telecom crash, with demand arriving in waves from data-centre links to inference, agents and robotics. Ciena expects 30% compound annual growth from fiscal 2026 to 2029 and an order backlog of about $10bn by the end of fiscal 2026.

• Ciena expects 30% CAGR from fiscal 2026 to 2029
• Order backlog seen at about $10bn by end of fiscal 2026
• 3nm WaveLogic chips send 1.6 Tbps over a single fibre strand
• About 94% of fibre laid in the telecom boom went unused