Rethinking the Connectors of Tomorrow

Small Towns, Big Builds

When Lauren Deloatch hits the road, she isn't just visiting customers – she’s walking into communities where massive data center projects are reshaping daily life. As a program manager of outreach with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave, Lauren is spending time in towns where land, power, and water make AI factories possible. Some residents are energized by the prospect of thousands of construction jobs and hundreds of permanent positions taking root in their communities; others are understandably wary of the change. Lauren has a knack for helping people connect the dots between these infrastructure builds and the everyday moments they already depend on — the thermostat adjusted before getting out of bed, the navigation app guiding the morning commute, the banking and healthcare systems quietly running in the background. Data centers, she explains, enable it all. Tune in to this conversation to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe, share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sumitomo-electric-lightwave/] and X [https://twitter.com/SEL_FiberOptics]. Episode Links Connect with Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/ [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/] Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldeloatch/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ldeloatch/] Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly] Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave]

Rethinking the Connectors of Tomorrow

We are back with Greg Pierce in the studio! As senior product manager specializing in hyperscale data center and enterprise network hardware products, Greg is up close every day with fiber optic connector innovations. He summarizes the current state of connectivity evolution, exploring both the upsides and challenges related to next-generation connector types. This conversation covers topics including MMC, SNMT, and EBO connectors; optical circuit switches; and emerging high-bandwidth, low-latency fiber technologies. Tune in to this episode to learn more.  Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave7062], share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sumitomo-electric-lightwave/] and X [https://twitter.com/SEL_FiberOptics].    Episode Links AI-Ready Connectors Blog: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ai-ready-connectors-for-facilities-of-any-size [https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ai-ready-connectors-for-facilities-of-any-size] Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-pierce-4b977b10/] Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly]   Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/ [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/] YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave]

How to Turn Struggle into Success

Fiber optic cable is not one thing. It is a precision-engineered and manufactured whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts. The high-quality optical fibers, coating, jacketing, strength members – all integral parts and materials – together form the backbone of the digital age.  In this episode of Fiber Focus, Loren Rapp contributes her insight on this complex supply chain as product line manager for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s fiber optic cables.  She explains how AI- and broadband-driven demand for optical products impacts manufacturers and suppliers alike, then reminds us that the industry has always been about innovation and resilience. Now more than ever, companies that can plan, pivot, and build relationships with multiple vendors are less likely to struggle and far more likely to succeed. Tune in to this conversation to learn more. Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave7062], share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sumitomo-electric-lightwave/] and X [https://twitter.com/SEL_FiberOptics].  Episode Links Connect with Us: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/ [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/contact-us/] Loren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-vitter-rapp-a268a61a/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/loren-vitter-rapp-a268a61a/] Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly]

Customer-Centric Design

Fiber Focus pulled James Deane away from his desk for this episode to discuss his work as senior product design engineer for Sumitomo Electric Lightwave’s fiber optic cables.  Driven to make a positive impact on society through engineering, James considers every person who his work impacts, beginning with material mining and extending all the way through a cable’s lifecycle. Especially as it relates to customers in the AI Boom, he is focused on innovative ways to deliver the high-density bandwidth that network operators need on time with long-term reliability. His customer-centric approach aligns with the company’s, and it includes thoughtful packaging designs and time-saving deployment methods. Tune in to this episode to learn more.  Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave7062], share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sumitomo-electric-lightwave/] and X [https://twitter.com/SEL_FiberOptics].    Episode Links Optical Fiber Cable Solutions: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/optical-fiber-cable-solutions/ [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/product-category/optical-fiber-cable-solutions/] James on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-deane/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-deane/] Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly]

Time to Say Goodbye

This episode of Fiber Focus features Josh Seawell, our director of product management, who is enthusiastic about the ways AI is poised to change people’s lives at home and work. For network operators, that potential comes with extraordinary opportunity in the near term to both deliver and seize tremendous value. The path to those customer experiences (and revenue) is through strategic investments in their infrastructure, and the time is now.  Legacy networks – any infrastructure built with mature technologies, whether greenfield or brownfield – make organizations less competitive and decrease their profits. Josh discusses some of the practical steps that operators can take to better meet the expectations of their customers starting today. Tune in to this conversation to learn more.    Josh will be among the industry experts speaking at DCD>Connect from March 23-24 at the Marriott Marquis, Times Square in New York.   Fiber Focus is a Sumitomo Electric Lightwave podcast. Subscribe [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave7062], share this episode, and follow Sumitomo Electric Lightwave on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/company/sumitomo-electric-lightwave/] and X [https://twitter.com/SEL_FiberOptics].   Episode Links Redefining “Legacy Network” Blog: https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/what-is-a-legacy-network-in-2026 [https://blog.sumitomoelectriclightwave.com/what-is-a-legacy-network-in-2026] DCD>Connect New York: https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcdconnect-live/new-york/2026/ [https://www.datacenterdynamics.com/en/dcdconnect-live/new-york/2026/] Josh on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979/ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-seawell-09770979/] Meredyth on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly [http://www.linkedin.com/in/meredythneilly]   Connect with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave Website: https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com [https://sumitomoelectriclightwave.com] Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave  [https://www.youtube.com/@sumitomoelectriclightwave]