POET Technologies Wins Lightwave Award for Advanced AI Connectivity

Teralight optical engines recognized for innovative design, scalability and cost advantages

Published on Feb. 17, 2026

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POET Technologies Inc. has earned an Elite Score and a category win in the Lightwave Innovation Reviews 13th annual awards for its Teralight line of 1.6T transmit and receive optical engines. The Lightwave jury of industry experts rewarded Teralight with a score of 4.5, among the highest in the competition, noting its elegant design, scalability and cost advantages.

Why it matters

The award highlights POET's achievements in advancing AI connectivity solutions at a time when the industry is seeking cost-effective commercial applications to meet the immense demand for more bandwidth and greater compute power. Winning this prestigious industry award validates POET's technology as a leading solution in the market.

The details

Lightwave, a highly respected trade publication, recognized POET Teralight for its groundbreaking line of 1.6T transmit and receive optical engines. The Lightwave jury praised Teralight's elegant design, scalability and cost advantages, awarding it one of the highest scores in the competition.

  • POET Technologies announced the award on February 16, 2026.
  • Lightwave will present POET with the award during the 2026 Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) Conference on March 16 in Los Angeles.

The players

POET Technologies Inc.

A Canadian semiconductor company that develops and manufactures integrated photonic devices and modules for the communications and data center markets.

Lightwave

A highly respected trade publication that covers the optical communications industry.

Dr. Suresh Venkatesan

POET Executive Chairman & CEO.

Sean Buckley

Lightwave Editor-in-Chief.

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What they’re saying

“On behalf of the Lightwave Innovation Reviews, I would like to congratulate POET Technologies on achieving a well-deserved level honoree status. This competitive program enables Lightwave to showcase and applaud the most innovative products, projects, technologies and programs that significantly impact the industry.”

— Sean Buckley, Lightwave Editor-in-Chief (Lightwave)

“We are honored to receive recognition from one of the most reputable publications in our industry. Lightwave's award is another indication that POET Teralight, and our other POET products, are the right solutions for the marketplace.”

— Dr. Suresh Venkatesan, POET Executive Chairman & CEO (Lightwave)

What’s next

POET will have a significant presence at the 2026 Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) Conference on March 16 in Los Angeles, where it will exhibit its products at Booth 339.

The takeaway

POET's Teralight optical engines have been recognized as a leading solution in the industry, winning a prestigious Lightwave Innovation Award for their innovative design, scalability and cost advantages. This award validates POET's technology as a key player in meeting the growing demand for more bandwidth and compute power in the AI and data center markets.