Dark Fiber Network Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Fiber (Single Mode, Multi-mode), By Network (Metro, Long-haul), By Material (Glass, Plastic), By Application (Telecom, Oil & Gas, BFSI, Medical), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2026 - 20

Dark Fiber Network Market Summary

The global dark fiber network market size accounted for USD 6.90 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 21.88 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 15.9% from 2026 to 2033. Technology has emerged as a sustainable solution for various organizations that are focusing on enhanced communication and network management.

Continuously increasing penetration of internet services over the period has paved the way for the high demand for internet bandwidth. This demand is expected to remain rampant over the forecast period. This is the most significant factor responsible for market growth across the globe. The market is strongly supported by companies with a high reliance on internet connectivity. These networks are highly beneficial for organizations with a high volume of data flow in their operation. These benefits include reduced network latency, scalability, reliability, and enhanced security.

In fiber optic communications, fiber optic cables that are not yet put in service by a provider or carrier are termed dark fiber or unlit fiber (sometimes known as fiber). These cables are not connected to any optical device and are installed to be used at some point in the future. It is also called a new fiber construction project to be owned by a customer or service provider. In the current market scenario, network service providers are leasing these unused fiber optic cables.

During the late 90s, the telecommunications industry was booming, and huge capital were poured into building these fiber-optic networks. That period saw the aggressive laying down of fiber networks along with highways and rail lines (i.e., long-haul network). Similarly, a thousand miles of local or regional network (metro network) were laid across large cities and population centers. At the turn of the century, the telecom sector witnessed a meltdown, and these billion-dollar unused fiber network (dark fiber) infrastructures were sold at a meager price by telecom providers to avoid bankruptcy.

Due to the increasing demand for mobile data and the launch of 5G services, telecom service providers are now buying up the available dark fiber and also focusing on building their own. Other factors, such as the ever-increasing bandwidth demand of handheld device user audience and mandatory conversion to HD video quality for cable operators, are expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

The pricing for dark fiber in the U.S. is based on the routes and locations, and is sometimes plainly arbitrary. Also, it relies on several other parameters, such as market competition, market demand, and construction costs in a particular location. Generally, the U.S. dark fiber network pricing has been bifurcated into two major parts, including metro-area and long-haul area fiber.

The dark fiber prices in the metro area are considerably higher than in the long-haul area on a per-mile basis. More urban areas’ routes have considerably higher pricing in the metro area than the suburban and exurban areas’ routes. This is due to the rising demand for a fiber network in urban areas. Occasionally, owing to the glut of fiber, the prices of dark fiber networks push down in the urban areas. Moreover, it has been observed that the dark fiber prices in the long-haul areas are more consistent than the metro-area routes.

Global Dark Fiber Network Market Report Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2021 to 2033. For this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global dark fiber network market based on fiber, network, material, application, and region:

• Fiber Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Single Mode
• Multi-mode
• Step-index Multimode Fiber
• Graded-index Multimode Fiber
• Network Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Metro
• Long-haul
• Material Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Glass
• Plastic
• Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• Telecom
• Oil & Gas
• Military & Aerospace
• BFSI
• Medical
• Railway
• Others
• Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2021 - 2033)
• North America
• U.S.
• Canada
• Mexico
• Europe
• UK
• Germany
• France
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Australia
• South America
• Brazil
• Middle East & Africa (MEA)
• KSA
• UAE
• South Africa

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