According to Reuters, Microsoft and other companies are urging the Trump administration to halt a planned ban on importing AI data center components from China. The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is advancing the ban, which targets Chinese optical modules used to transmit data via fiber optics within data centers and connect servers, routers, and switches. Multiple sources said Microsoft has met with White House officials to discuss potential supply chain challenges.
China accounts for approximately two-thirds of the global optical module market, according to Counterpoint Research. John Miller, policy executive vice president at the Information Technology Industry Council, noted that cloud service providers have already procured AI chips, but without optical modules, these chips cannot be interconnected.