1974
Arrival in Brazil with the power plant
The History of Lightera LatAm
A global company with a local presence
The story of Lightera LatAm began in Brazil in 1974. What started as a regional manufacturing operation evolved over the decades into a journey of consistent growth, establishing the company as a leader in connectivity in the region and a trusted reference in communications infrastructure solutions.
Today, this legacy continues as part of Lightera, bringing together the expertise of Furukawa Electric LatAm, OFS, and Furukawa Electric Fiber and Cable under a single global brand focused on optical fiber, connectivity, and specialized optical technologies. The company has more than 1,400 employees across LatAm.
Combining global presence with local expertise, Lightera LatAm benefits from global Research and Development centers and strong industrial capabilities in the manufacturing of high-performance optical fibers and cables. Its integrated solutions portfolio supports both indoor and outdoor communication networks, serving telecommunications operators, data centers, internet service providers, and enterprises. This portfolio is backed by a continuous commitment to innovation, extended warranties ranging from 10 to 25 years, and technical training programs that have trained more than 80,000 professionals across the region.
This commitment is also reflected in socio-environmental development initiatives, such as the Green IT program, as well as in community engagement and support for culture, contributing to a more connected and sustainable future.
Timeline
Our history reflects a dedication to creating impactful solutions. Notable achievements include
1977
First industrial facility for technology
1980
First IT Cable and Inauguration of the Optical Manufacturing Facility
1990
Structured cabling system with a strategically positioned distribution network. A workforce training program—Furukawa Certified Professional—has been launched.
2001
New research laboratory in Curitiba, Brazil
2008
Opening of the Optical Cable Factory in Argentina (FIA)
2010
Optical network (FTTx) project for Cidade Digital, marking the start of connectivity operations
2012
Launch of connectivity services in Curitiba
2014
Opening of the Optical Cable Factory in Colombia (FIC)
2015
Acquisition of the portfolio of optical and digital access solutions for telecommunications networks in Brazil
2017
System Created to Support Communication for Industry 4.0
2002 – 2003
The first fully dry, gel-free OSP cables that comply with the Telcordia GR-20 standard, saving hours per cable during installation or repair.
2004
To meet the specific monitoring needs of oil and gas wells, we developed Brazil’s first conductive cable.
2005
High-power fiber laser technologies for industrial applications.
2006
Development of the first cable packaging that eliminates the need to remove the spool from inside the box.
2006
Launch of GIGALAN®, the first cable on the market to feature an outer jacket with dielectric properties made of flame-retardant material.
2008-2009
Launch of EZ-Bend® optical fiber—the first solid fiber and cable that are ultra-insensitive to bending.
2010
The first gel-free ADSS cable: the PowerGuide® DT cable.
2010
Publication of the first research on multicore fiber technology, including multicore fiber, amplifiers, connectors, and studies on high-capacity transmission.
2011
The first telecommunications and IT company to receive the Brazil Green Seal (ABNT).
2012
Launch of the InvisiLight® optical solution – installation of invisible fiber in a living specimen.
2014
Launch of the FITEL® NINJA portable fusion machine, the first to feature removable V-grooves, reducing maintenance time from days to minutes.
2014
SlimConnector®: the first external cable with factory-installed connectors, designed for faster and more robust telecommunications installations.
2015
Launch of the InvisiLight® MDU Hallway Solution, a virtually invisible fiber-optic system for existing multi-family/multi-tenant buildings.
2016
Development of a carrier cable that supports power distribution elements, with optical fibers for communication between network components.
2017
The optical cable product lines have been expanded to include the new Rollable Ribbon technology, doubling the fiber density.
2018
Advances in hollow-core optical fibers for high-speed data transmission.
2019
Lançamento da solução InvisiLight® ILU 600, o primeiro sistema de fibra de montagem em superfície de 0,6 mm do mundo.
2019
AccuRoll® optical cable – state-of-the-art cable for outdoor installations with retractable tapes.
2020
AccuCore HCF® optical fiber—the first hollow-core fiber for low-latency transmission—has enabled ultra-low-latency transmission for latency-sensitive applications.
2020
EyON® – Development of the first IoT-based detection solution capable of monitoring optical power in passive telecommunications networks.
2022
Sherpa CMS Cable Management System – An innovative device that allows various types of cables to be connected to one another in overhead installations outside the plant.
2023
FlightLinx® PLUS fiber-optic cable designed for in-flight entertainment, Internet access, networking, and display systems used in commercial aircraft.
2023
First production of high-density rollable ribbon cables in Brazil.
2023
On April 1, 2025, Furukawa Electric LatAm, OFS, and Furukawa Electric Fiber and Cable will merge to form a single global brand: Lightera.