Tower Semiconductor and Oriole Networks Partner to Advance Optical Switching for Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure
Collaboration targets ultra-low latency semiconductor-based optical interconnects for next-generation data centres.
Tower Semiconductor has announced a strategic collaboration with Oriole Networks to accelerate the development of next-generation AI infrastructure, leveraging nanosecond optical circuit switching technology.
The partnership brings together Oriole’s advanced networking architecture with Tower’s high-volume silicon photonics manufacturing platform. The objective is to commercialise optical circuit switching as a key enabler of future AI-driven data centre networks, where performance demands continue to grow.
As artificial intelligence workloads scale rapidly, traditional electrical and packet-based networking approaches are facing increasing limitations, particularly in terms of latency and scalability. The joint solution aims to address these challenges by enabling ultra-low, deterministic latency, supporting more efficient and synchronised data movement across AI systems.
From a business perspective, the collaboration reflects a broader industry shift towards optical interconnect technologies as a means of overcoming infrastructure bottlenecks. By integrating optical circuit switching into AI network design, the companies are positioning themselves to support next-generation architectures that combine both scale-up and scale-out capabilities.
Tower Semiconductor’s silicon photonics platform plays a central role in this initiative, providing the scalability and manufacturing readiness required for high-speed optical interconnects. This further strengthens Tower’s position as a key foundry partner for organisations developing advanced AI and data centre networking solutions.
The collaboration is expected to be showcased at the Optical Fiber Communication (OFC) 2026 conference in Los Angeles, where both companies will present their latest developments to industry stakeholders.
Overall, the partnership highlights Tower Semiconductor’s continued focus on expanding its role within the AI infrastructure ecosystem. By aligning with emerging optical networking technologies, the company is reinforcing its ability to support high-growth markets and deliver scalable, high-performance solutions.
