Sterling Perrin

Data centers are at the epicenter of the AI super cycle. The infrastructure required for training and running AI models has fueled a historic demand for power, cooling, floor space, high-speed networking, and specialized compute. At data center-focused trade shows, such as Metro Connect in Florida, power, cooling, and real estate (including financing) are front and center at the conference and in the corridors.

Sterling Perrin is Senior Principal Analyst, Optical Networks and Transport, GTM Telecom Insights and Advisory, Omdia. Sterling has more than 25 years of experience in telecommunications as an industry analyst and journalist. He covers optical networking, including coherent optical systems, IP over DWDM, transport automation, and 5G transport. Sterling joined Heavy Reading (now part of Omdia) after five years at IDC, where he served as lead optical networks analyst.

At OFC 2026, HPE leaders discuss AI driven networking for Scale Up, Scale Out, and Scale Across solutions for the data center, DCI, and WAN use cases—covering Ethernet for AI, 1.6T switching, PTX routing, and AI powered operations.