For years, operators have talked about AI mainly as a tool to reduce costs. A new Ciena survey suggests that conversation is shifting decisively toward revenue generation—and that optical infrastructure is becoming the foundation of that strategy.

Across 1,200 telecom, wholesale and regional service provider professionals in 12 countries, 90% said high-capacity AI connectivity services will be a primary driver of revenue growth over the next three to five years, while 56% identified them as their biggest source of net-new revenue. The opportunity extends beyond bandwidth: 96% expect managed optical fiber network (MOFN) services to generate revenue by connecting distributed AI compute clusters, and nearly half see AI inference data centers creating new demand for data center interconnect services.

The survey also highlights a growing sense of urgency around infrastructure. Eighty-eight percent of respondents said optical network upgrades are needed to support enterprise AI service-level agreements, with many pointing to the next 12–18 months as the critical investment window. At the same time, 96% said advanced network automation—including agentic AI—will be essential for monetizing these new services, while physical AI, edge computing, and quantum-safe encryption are emerging as additional revenue opportunities.

India illustrates how that shift is already taking shape. According to Ciena’s country findings, 67% of Indian service providers strongly believe AI-driven network services will become a primary revenue driver, while 98% expect managed optical fiber networks to generate revenue from interconnecting AI compute clusters. After one of the world’s fastest 5G rollouts, operators in this Asian nation are increasingly positioning optical networks, edge infrastructure, and AI connectivity as the next phase of enterprise growth.