The giant logo of YOFC is seen in OVC. [Photo/WeChat account of Optics Valley of China]

Optical fibers are considered channels for information to travel across time and space. They are the foundation of a country's information infrastructure. The most important materials for producing optical fibers are optical fiber preforms, which crystalize the majority of core technologies during the production process.

Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable Joint Stock Limited Company (YOFC), located in the East Lake High-tech Development Zone (also known as Optics Valley of China, or OVC), is one of the top optical fiber preform producers in China, with its products being the best seller in China for the past 30 years. It has also boasted the largest global market share for six years in a row.

Making thick optical fiber preforms into superfine optical fibers may not seem that difficult, but it is not easy to reduce the preform's diameter to one thousandth of its original size without changing its interior structure. 

After overcoming numerous hardships and technological bottlenecks, YOFC finally achieved the independent research and production of optical fibers and cables in 2010 – a huge breakthrough for the industry in China.

"Now we are at the forefront of optical fiber preform production, including all processing parameters. We are the most competitive player in the global arena in terms of production costs. Our dream is to be the best in the world," said Zhuang Dan, executive director and president of YOFC, in a recent interview.

Along with the progressive development of enterprises such as YOFC, China has risen to become the world's largest optical fiber and cable industrial hub, with both its output and sales scales exceeding 50 percent of the world's total. In addition, about half of the world's top 10 optical fiber and cable producers are based in China.