May 19, 2026
Blocked by the future
Tool mapping 90 companies in the photonics and CPO supply chain
This giant chip map promised the future — but commenters got blocked by the pop-up first
TLDR: The article highlights a map of 90 companies building the light-based parts that could help future AI computers run faster and use less power. But the first community reaction was hilariously blunt: the site’s interface blocks the content, turning a big industry guide into a usability complaint.
A flashy new interactive guide is trying to do something very big: map 90 companies involved in the supply chain behind co-packaged optics, the next big trick for moving data between the giant chips powering artificial intelligence. In plain English, it’s about bringing the light-based connection parts much closer to the main chip so computers can move more information faster while using less power. The pitch is huge: today’s plug-in modules are starting to hit a wall, and the industry says this new approach could be what keeps future AI supercomputers from choking on their own appetite.
But in classic internet fashion, the real drama wasn’t about lasers, packaging layers, or future Nvidia and Broadcom systems. It was about the website getting in its own way. The standout reaction was pure annoyance: one commenter immediately slammed the interface because the UI allegedly covers the screen on large displays with no way to see what’s underneath. Ouch. It’s the kind of complaint that instantly turns a serious industry field guide into a mini roast session: a map of the future, blocked by its own furniture.
That made the mood less “wow, what a useful supply-chain resource” and more “cool idea, shame about the curtain in front of it.” The hot take here is brutally simple: if you’re building a guide to the technology that’s supposed to save the future of computing, people would really prefer to actually see it. The comments may be tiny so far, but the vibe is loud: less optical magic, more basic usability.
Key Points
- •The article is a 2026 field guide featuring an interactive map of roughly 90 companies in the co-packaged optics supply chain.
- •It defines co-packaged optics as integrating an optical engine directly into the same package as a switch ASIC or AI accelerator.
- •The guide says CPO can enable 1.6T to 6.4T per port while reducing power per bit by eliminating long electrical traces.
- •The article explains that pluggable optics become increasingly inefficient at higher bandwidths, especially moving from 800G to 1.6T.
- •It states that Broadcom shipped CPO switches at scale starting in 2025, with NVIDIA platforms and hyperscaler-custom switches following in 2026–2027.