Huawei successfully concluded the Global Optical Summit (GOS) 2026, held as part of the AI Conference for North Africa 2026, with the participation of more than 300 industry leaders, technical experts, and partners from across the continent.
During the summit, the company unveiled its new F5G-A solution suite along with advanced products designed for industrial communication networks, smart campuses, and optical sensing technologies.
Optical Networks Evolving into Intelligent Systems
Rock Chen, Vice President of Huawei for North Africa, stated that the company has successfully transformed optical networks from simple data transmission channels into AI-powered intelligent systems.
This transformation is supported by the development of 400G/800G backbone networks, fully optical industrial networks, smart campus solutions, and advanced fiber sensing technologies.
Convergence of Fiber Optics and Artificial Intelligence
Nick Liu, Vice President of Huawei Optical Business for Enterprises, highlighted the company’s vision of integrating fiber optics with artificial intelligence to accelerate intelligent transformation across industries.
Huawei has developed F5G-A solutions for key sectors including government, energy, transportation, education, hospitality, and manufacturing.
These innovations include:
- Industrial communication networks (fgOTN + QKD)
- Fully optical smart substations
- iFTTO solutions for smart campuses
- Fiber sensing systems for conveyor belt safety prediction
Advanced Security with Quantum Encryption
For high-security sectors such as government, energy, and transportation, Huawei introduced an integrated OTN solution combined with quantum key distribution (QKD), featuring an industry-first embedded quantum key distribution board paired with the OptiXtrans E6600 system.
This provides a highly secure communication foundation designed to withstand future quantum threats.
Smart Substation Solutions
Huawei launched its smart substation solution, enabling multi-dimensional monitoring, full IoT coverage, and unified access for distributed sensors, creating a fully transparent digital substation system.
Smart Campuses and Offices
The company upgraded its Fiber To The Office (FTTO) solution to iFTTO, integrating networking, sensing, computing, and management capabilities.
Huawei also introduced fully optical access points (OptiXstar W8571 and W8171), enabling IoT-enabled smart campus infrastructure.
Industrial Safety Through Fiber Sensing
Huawei introduced a fiber sensing solution for monitoring conveyor belt rollers in industries such as mining, logistics, construction materials, and power generation.
The system enables automated inspections and real-time detection of abnormal roller sounds, ensuring early fault detection without human intervention.
Real-World Impact Across Africa
During the summit, industry partners shared real-world deployment experiences. ECG showcased its implementation of optical campus networks, while the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) presented its experience in building industrial communication networks.
Recognition of Industry Partners
The summit concluded with an awards ceremony honoring outstanding OptiX Club members for their contributions to advancing optical technologies and accelerating digital transformation across industries.
A Vision for Africa’s Intelligent Future
Huawei reaffirmed its commitment to continuous innovation and deeper collaboration across industries, aiming to unlock new growth opportunities and accelerate Africa’s transition into the intelligent era powered by advanced optical networks and AI technologies.
