Ekinops’ Hybrid Chassis: The Network Bridge for the AI Data Boom

PARIS, France – December 09, 2025

The digital world runs on data, and the highways carrying that data are under unprecedented strain. The voracious appetite of cloud computing, and now the explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence, is creating a traffic jam of epic proportions between two fundamentally different worlds: the traditional, carrier-grade central office and the hyper-efficient, modern data center. Today, French optical transport specialist Ekinops unveiled a solution designed not just to widen the highway, but to build a seamless architectural bridge between these disparate realms. The new C700HC chassis is a bet that the future of networking lies in hybrid systems that erase long-standing operational boundaries.

A Bridge Between Two Worlds

For decades, network infrastructure has been siloed. The central office (CO), the heart of traditional telecommunications, was built for reliability, standardized footprints (like the 300mm rack depth), and DC power. In contrast, the data center, particularly those powering cloud and AI services, evolved with a different DNA, prioritizing density, extreme power efficiency, and specific cooling dynamics like front-to-back airflow in hot/cold aisle layouts. Connecting these two environments has often required complex, multi-vendor solutions, adding layers of cost, management overhead, and potential points of failure.

Ekinops is directly challenging this paradigm with the C700HC. The system is the first in what the company calls a new class of hybrid optical transport equipment. It ingeniously merges the features of a traditional Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transport system with the specifications of a Data Center Interconnect (DCI) platform. This allows a single piece of hardware, running the same software and managed by the same tools, to be deployed comfortably in either a telco CO rack or a data center cage.

This hybrid design is more than a matter of convenience; it’s a strategic enabler for service providers. As enterprises and a new class of "neo-scalers" increasingly consume cloud services and require massive bandwidth for AI model training and inference, service providers must extend their high-capacity networks directly into the data centers where these customers reside. The C700HC is engineered to make that extension a fluid, integrated part of the existing network, rather than a complex and costly add-on.

Engineering for Efficiency and Scale

The demands of AI and large-scale cloud computing are not just about raw bandwidth; they are also about power and physical space. Data center operators are locked in a constant battle to maximize compute density while minimizing energy consumption and cooling costs. Any equipment destined for this environment must meet incredibly stringent efficiency standards.

The C700HC appears to have been designed with these constraints at its core. The 20-slot chassis can be fully populated with ten of Ekinops' PM_800FR04 line modules, delivering a formidable 8 terabits per second (Tbps) of total capacity from a single shelf. More impressively, the company claims it achieves this at a power consumption of less than 0.2 watts per gigabit per second (Gbps) when fully loaded. This level of power efficiency is critical for acceptance into modern data centers and aligns with the industry's growing focus on sustainability—a commitment recently recognized by an EcoVadis Gold Medal for Ekinops' own corporate practices.

This focus on efficiency directly translates into a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). By packing more capacity into a smaller footprint and consuming less power, operators can reduce both capital expenditures (fewer shelves needed) and ongoing operational costs. The design also maintains interoperability with Ekinops' existing C600HC and C200HC chassis, allowing customers to share line cards and management systems, which simplifies sparing logistics and protects prior investments.

A Calculated Play in a Competitive Arena

The optical transport market is dominated by giants like Ciena, Infinera, and Nokia, all of whom are aggressively pursuing the lucrative DCI segment. Dell'Oro Group has forecast that DCI will grow at twice the rate of the overall optical market, fueled almost entirely by investments from cloud providers building out infrastructure for AI. In this high-stakes environment, a smaller player like Ekinops must differentiate through focused innovation rather than sheer scale.

The C700HC represents a shrewd strategic move. Instead of competing head-on with platforms designed purely for hyperscale DCI, Ekinops is targeting the critical intersection between service provider networks and the data center ecosystem. By creating a single, versatile platform, it addresses a specific pain point for its core customer base: the telcos and regional service providers who need to adapt their existing infrastructure to serve the burgeoning cloud and AI markets.

Guillaume Crenn, Product Line and Marketing Director at Ekinops, framed the product's mission clearly in the official announcement. "The C700HC is designed specifically as a bridge between the different operating environments," he stated. "It allows our customers to deploy the same transport platform in both CO and data center locations so they can seamlessly extend capacity from their existing networks directly to and between these data centers to reach their customers located there that are connecting to Cloud services and AI."

This strategy leverages the company’s existing strengths and customer relationships. By ensuring the C700HC is managed by their established Celestis NMS network management system, Ekinops provides a familiar and unified operational experience. This reduces the learning curve and operational friction for network teams, a significant advantage when time-to-market for new high-capacity services is paramount.

With the C700HC now generally available and shipping to customers in Europe and North America, the market will soon deliver its verdict on this hybrid approach. In an industry rushing to build the superhighways for AI, Ekinops is betting that the most valuable innovations may be the bridges that connect them.