- MicroLED and Hollow Core Fiber are two British inventions that revolutionize Microsoft data centers
- MicroLED sits between fiber and copper for short and medium length connections
- HCF can be used over longer distances to connect customers to data centers
Responding to growing demand for artificial intelligence and cloud services, which are putting pressure on existing data center network infrastructure, Microsoft says new technologies developed in the UK are helping it prepare for a more efficient future.
Two key UK-developed technologies – MicroLED optical networking and hollow core fiber (HCF) – are now being used at scale by Microsoft to increase energy and cost efficiency across the board, and they are not just being used in Britain.
The company said these British inventions are helping it address the current limits of network infrastructure, including power, distance and reliability.
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UK inventions are helping Microsoft data centers
As a result, data center customers around the world receive faster, lower latency services.
MicroLED is being used to replace traditional laser-based optical components, promising up to 50% lower energy use compared to current systems and longer lifespan. This technology, primarily used within data centers to connect servers and GPUs, is more reliable and less sensitive to heat and dust than laser systems.
Microsoft explained that today’s data centers use fiber optic cable for longer distances and copper cable for closer connections within two meters. MicroLED closes the gap, matching the reliability and cost-effectiveness of copper but matching the longer distances served by fiber optics.
“This advancement has the potential to change nearly every aspect of computing infrastructure…starting with high-bandwidth optical cables,” wrote Microsoft Research Technical Fellow and CVP Doug Burger.
As Microsoft prepares to deploy MicroLED, the company has already deployed HCF in its Azure regions. Transmitting data through the air, not glass, it delivers up to 47% faster speeds and around 33% less latency compared to standard fiber, enabling longer distance connections with less performance loss.
HCF is for longer distances (connecting clients to data centers), unlike MicroLED, which will primarily be used within the data center.
“Hollow Core allows us to expand the area served by an Azure data center and region,” added Azure Hyperscale Networking general manager Frank Rey.
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