Cross-Connect System Market Expected to Reach $7.1 Billion by 2031—Allied Market Research

According to a new report published by Allied Market Research, titled, “Cross-Connect System Market By Type (Fiber, CAT Cables, COAX, Others), By Application (Connectivity, Protection Switching And Network Restoration): Global Opportunity Analysis And Industry Forecast, 2022-2031". The cross-connect system market was valued at $2.5 billion in 2021, and is estimated to reach $7.1 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 11.1% from 2022 to 2031.

A cross connect in the data center is the use of an additional patch panel that mirrors the ports of the equipment being connected, essentially creating a separate patching area where any equipment port can be connected to any other equipment port using patch cords at the front of the panels.

While obviously, a cross connect in a data center requires more cabling and connectivity and places more connection points into a channel, it offers the benefit of being able to isolate active equipment and ease moves, adds, and changes.

Cross connect network is also highly beneficial in middle-of-row or end-of-row scenarios where access switches located at the end or middle of a row of servers connect to all of the servers in that row. In this scenario, the cross connect is often located in the network cabinet and connects to interconnect patch panels in each of the server cabinets, creating three-connector channels as shown. This scenario makes it easy to add a server to a cabinet and simply bring it online by connecting it to that cabinet’s interconnect patch panel. These factors play a vital role in the cross-connect system market growth.

According to cross connect system market analysis, the connectivity segment was the highest contributor to the cross-connect system market size in 2021. The fiber and CAT cable segments collectively accounted for around 70.04% cross-connect system market share in 2021.

There are many reasons why cross connects are important. Unlike the public internet, cross connects are not susceptible to latency or congestion issues. They are more reliable and operate at consistently high speeds. Cross connects are also less expensive when compared with connecting through conventional telecom networks for the bandwidth provided.

Surge in need for fast and improved networking and network services and increase in penetration of data centers in developing economies are anticipated to majorly drive the growth of the global cross connect system market. In 2019, Etisalat, a UAE service provider, signed an agreement with Huawei to trial compact all optical cross-connect (OXC) especially for the transportation industry. The objective is to help deliver the kind of technology that could simplify optical architecture to build future networks. Such factors are expected to provide positive growth to the segment during the forecast period.

The demand for high bandwidth optical fiber for communication and data services has surged significantly owing to increase in adoption of technology in this region, which fuels the growth of the market. In July 2021, Interxion, a digital realty company and leading European provider of carrier- and cloud-neutral colocation data center solutions was selected by Crosslake Fiber to enable direct interconnection from Interxion's Paris Campus to the Cross Channel Fiber System, which is expected to be operational by the end of 2021.

Competitive analysis and profiles of the major cross-connect system industry players, such as Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Optiwave Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Sercalo Microtechnology Ltd., Xros Inc., ZTE Corporation, CommScope, Equinix, Inc., CoreSite and Cyxtera Technologies Inc are provided in this report.

KEY FINDINGS OF THE STUDY  

• By type, the market is fragmented into fiber, CAT cables, COAX, and others. The fiber segment was the highest revenue contributor to the market and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 8.79%. 
• On the basis of application, the market is segregated into connectivity and protection switching & network restoration. The connectivity segment dominated the market in 2021, accounting for 90.3% market share. 
• According to cross-connect system market trends, region wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. North America dominated the market in 2021. 

The cross connect system market key players profiled in the report include Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd., Optiwave Systems Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Sercalo Microtechnology Ltd., Xros Inc., ZTE Corporation, CommScope, Equinix, Inc., CoreSite and Cyxtera Technologies Inc. Market players have adopted various strategies, such as product launch, collaboration & partnership, joint venture, and acquisition, to expand their foothold in the cross connect system market.