Summary:

• At HUAWEI CONNECT 2026, Huawei unveiled the industry’s first NPO optical engine with Built-in Light Source, Hi-ONE, offering a total capacity of 7.2 TB/s and enabling Huawei to be the first to mass produce such an optical engine.
• Hi-ONE has been applied to the Ascend 960 SuperPoD, built on the “UnifiedBus plus Hi-ONE” architecture. This has reduced the number of 800G optical modules within the SuperPoD by 48,000, significantly lowered system power consumption, and enhanced reliability.
• In May 2026, the standard proposal for “12.8 TB/s NPO Module”, jointly submitted by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Huawei, and other companies, was officially initiated by the OIF, receiving support from more than 40 global industry chain vendors.

SHANGHAI, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 September 2026 – At HUAWEI CONNECT 2026, Huawei unveiled the industry’s first NPO optical engine with Built-in Light Source, Hi-ONE, offering a total capacity of 7.2 TB/s and enabling Huawei to be the first to mass produce such an optical engine. The Ascend 960 SuperPoD, built on the “UnifiedBus plus Hi-ONE” architecture, has already adopted the Hi-ONE optical engine powered by NPO. Hi-ONE is the industry’s first-ever optical engine to adopt a built-in light source architecture, achieving high-density, high-speed optical interconnect while significantly reducing power consumption and latency for signal transmission. The launch of Hi-ONE marks the beginning of NPO technology’s transition from industry consensus to large-scale commercial use, injecting new momentum into the AI computing industry.

NPO technology path: Balancing innovation and ecosystem continuity

NPO technology realizes close interaction between optical and electrical signals but maintains the independence of the optical engine, thus maximizing the continuity of customer usage habits and industry ecosystems. By following this technology path, Huawei has developed the innovative Hi-ONE optical engine, which currently stands as the NPO product with the highest transmission capacity in the industry and the first NPO product to adopt a built-in light source architecture. Rooted in self-developed technologies, Huawei has achieved breakthroughs in key areas such as bandwidth, reliability, power consumption, and latency.

High bandwidth and high reliability: Hi-ONE is the first optical engine to integrate 36 channels of optical transceivers, significantly reducing the number of discrete components and lowering failure rates at the very source. Hi-ONE integrates key technologies, including compound optical chips, silicon photonic chips, and optoelectronic RF chips. Through a balanced design of optical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and thermal elements, Hi-ONE supports a transmission capacity of 7.2 TB/s on a single optical engine, and makes built-in light sources a reality in the NPO engine. As a result, overall reliability is improved by 10 times, ensuring the stable operation of long-duration training tasks.

Low power consumption and low latency: With the adoption of a linear direct-drive architecture, Hi-ONE eliminates the need for high-power oDSP chips, cutting power consumption by approximately 66% and latency by about 90%. This both lowers energy costs and boosts communications efficiency.

Standards and ecosystems drive industry consensus

Alongside product innovation, Huawei has also made progress in NPO standards and industry ecosystem development. In May 2026, the standard proposal for “12.8 TB/s NPO Module”, jointly submitted by the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Huawei, and other companies, was officially initiated by the OIF, with support from more than 40 industry chain vendors worldwide.

From technological breakthroughs to product application, and from international standards to industry ecosystem development, Huawei is driving NPO from industry consensus to large-scale commercial use. It is achieving this through a combination of strong technological innovation and open collaboration with global industry partners, with the ultimate goal of shaping a new AI computing industry landscape.

FAQs:

Q1: What is NPO?

A: NPO, short for Near-Packaged Optics, is an optical interconnect technology that keeps optical engines close to switching chips, shortening the transmission distance between optical and electrical signals while maintaining the independence of optical engines.

Q2: What is the OIF?

A: The OIF, or Optical Internetworking Forum, plays a key role as a core standards developer and interoperability promoter in the optical communications industry. It has huge influence, particularly in the fields of high-speed optical modules and data center interconnect.
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BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 September 2026 – The 2026 Beijing Chaoyang International Light Festival’s Consumption Season will run from September 11 to October 11, with a limited-edition light-and-shadow installation officially unveiled on September 24. Under the permanent theme “Amazing Chaoyang” and the annual theme “Amazing You” this year’s event builds on three consecutive successful editions with further upgrades.

With the Liangma River Cultural and Economic Belt and the Olympic Central Area as its “two core areas,” the Consumption Season of this year’s Light Festival links the Dawangjing Business District, Chaowai UIC Block, Sanlitun Commercial Area, CBD Business District, and Gaobeidian, among other areas, showcasing Chaoyang District’s new landscape of nighttime consumption.

The Liangma River Cultural and Economic Belt will create its first “processional” night-tour experience, while Chaoyang Park will be transformed into an immersive theatre, allowing residents and visitors to enjoy a new scene at every step and experience drama around every corner. Chinese and international artists will gather once again, classic installations will be renewed and upgraded, and brand-new light-and-shadow works and multiple outdoor premieres will be unveiled, injecting a constant stream of artistic vitality and boundless anticipation into the city’s nightscape.

Alongside the exciting launch of the Light Consumption Season, Chaoyang District will present over 100 cultural, commercial, tourism, sports, and exhibition experiences in quick succession: The 2026 China Open will kick off with passion; the Liangma River International Arts Festival will bloom with aesthetic vitality along the riverbanks; the Olympic Park International Carbohydrate Festival and the Beihu Light and Shadow Life Festival will light up the city’s nighttime economy; the Juicy Taco Fest and the Weibo IN Cross-Dimensional Gravity Field anniversary series will create a distinctive trendy play experience; pop-up events featuring Mao Buyi and Zhou Shen will ignite excitement; the Liangma River will host the “Chi Forest: Your Perfect Drink-Mixing Partner” parade; and the south gate of Chaoyang Park will feature exhibitions of Tesla Cybertruck and other vehicle models, as well as the Optimus robot.

During the Light Consumption Season, commercial districts and over 10,000 brand merchants across Chaoyang District will join forces, integrating Golden Week traffic, top-tier event IPs, and trendy consumption scenarios to create a citywide consumption wave and continuously support Beijing’s development as an international consumption centre.

This autumn, do not miss Chaoyang’s nightscape. As the lights come on, the riverbanks surge with life, and the neighbourhoods come alive together, a more open, more international, more vibrant nightlife awaits you.

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 September 2026 – Hong Kong’s Chief Executive, John Lee, yesterday (September 16) announced the First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) (2026-2030) and his fifth Policy Address. Priority areas include accelerating development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) while also establishing an international hub for high-calibre talent.

“The NM will rise as an important strategic vehicle for advancing high‑quality post‑secondary education, integrating I&T (innovation and technology) and industry, and pooling international high‑calibre talent,” Mr Lee said. “It will become a major platform for Hong Kong’s deepening engagement with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and integration into and serving the overall national development.”

To foster the synergistic development of education, technology and talent, the HKSAR Government will take forward the establishment of the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), integrating the five elements of education, technology, industry, talent and quality living environment.

Hong Kong’s Chief Secretary for Administration, Chan Kwok-ki said the NMUT will comprise three university towns (San Tin, Hung Shui Kiu and Ta Kwu Ling) with their combined campus areas covering about 300 hectares.

“Together with the surrounding technology areas, industry areas and living community areas, the overall planned areas of the three university towns will exceed 1,000 hectares,” Mr Chan said. “While each of the three university towns has its own strategic focus, their shared goal is to expand and strengthen Hong Kong’s education and research capabilities, connecting them with industry chains, supply networks, and markets locally and across the GBA to inject strong impetus into the city’s growth.”

The first building (Building 1 of the Loop Hong Kong Park) is scheduled for completion by the end of this year, and will be positioned as the flagship project for launching of the NMUT.

To dovetail with the development of the NMUT, and raise Hong Kong’s scientific research capabilities, the HKSAR Government will support the capacity expansion and enhancement of post‑secondary education. For instance, starting from the 2027/28 academic year, the Government will gradually increase the annual quota of the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme from 400 to 550 places by the 2029/30 academic year. Also, additional funding of $20 million will be provided each academic year to support knowledge transfer, thereby accelerating the transformation of innovative outcomes.

“The Northern Metropolis University Town not only supports the expansion and enhancement of Hong Kong’s post-secondary education, consolidating the city’s status as an international hub for post-secondary education, but also serves as a primary platform for Hong Kong to engage deeply in the Greater Bay Area, and integrate into and serve the overall national development,” Mr Chan said. “It also acts as a new engine to elevate Hong Kong’s international connectivity and reinforce its global competitive advantages.”

The NM accounts for about one third of Hong Kong’s total landmass and is projected to house about one third of the city’s population.

Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan sets a target of making available about 900 hectares of “spade-ready sites” from 2026-27 to 2030-2031. This would enable the provision of over 70,000 housing units and one million square metres of economic floor space.

Among the nine New Development Areas in the NM, construction works have begun at four of them (Kwu Tung North/Fanling North, Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen, Yuen Long South and San Tin Technopole and the Loop). A cumulative total of about 120 hectares of “spade‑ready sites” have been produced up to 2025‑26, while no less than 200 hectares of “spade‑ready sites” will be produced in 2026‑27 and 2027‑28.

Under the integrated strategy of urban-rural development, the NM will become an ideal place to live, work and travel. This, in turn, will help to attract talents and professionals to the area.

“Talent is the most valuable asset of any economy,” said Paul Chan, Hong Kong’s Financial Secretary. “Indeed, competition among different economies is determined by the quality of the talent they have. It is critical that we have people with the qualifications, experience and expertise required to support our economic development.”

The 2026 Policy Address announced several initiatives to attract the necessary talent for Hong Kong’s development, and to promote talent exchange and training.

These include relaxing the requirements on extension of stay under the Top Talent Pass Scheme (TTPS) for technology start‑up talent, and expanding the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Invited Persons by extending its coverage from the current ASEAN Member States to also include countries and regions in Central Asia and the Middle East.

The HKSAR Government will also introduce a new visa category to allow non‑locals to participate in short‑term training programmes in Hong Kong, as recognised by bureaux and departments, advancing Hong Kong’s development into a regional training hub.

For the full document of Hong Kong’s First Five-Year Plan and related information, please visit the dedicated website (www.hk5yplan.gov.hk).