The difference in transmission rate between MT and MPO patch cable is mainly reflected in the application scenario and physical structure, rather than the theoretical upper limit of the jumper itself. Both support high-speed transmission, but the specific rate depends on the fiber type (single-mode/multi-mode), core number configuration and optical module matching solution.
Core number and parallel transmission capability
MT patch cable:
MT patch cable are mainly used for optical transceiver internal connection, such as QSFP-DD, OSFP modules, using miniaturized Mini MT connector, mainly 12 cores or 16 cores.
The single channel rate depends on the optical chip performance, such as 100G PAM4 modulation, high speed through multi-channel parallel:
- 800G/1.6T OSFP module: requires 16 cores MT ferrule or double-row 12-core MT ferrule, with an aggregate rate of 1.6Tbps.
- 400G QSFP-DDmodule: commonly used 8x50G or 4x100G channels, MT patch cable in short length support internal interconnection.
MPO Patch Cable
MPO patch cable is an external cabling core, support 12 core, 24 cores, 48 cores parallel transmission.
Typical rate solutions:
- 12 fiber MPO: supports 40G (4x10G channels) or 100G (4x25G PAM4).
- 24 fiber MPO: supports 100G (8x25G) or 400G (8x50G PAM4).
- 16 fiber / 32 fiber MPO: designed for 400G or 1.6T, single mode MPO solution transmission can reach kilometers.
The upper limit of the rate depends on the fiber type
Multimode fiber (OM3/OM4/OM5):
The rate of MT connector or MPO connector in a multimode environment is limited by the distance:
- 100G rate: OM4 cable can transmite up to 150 meters, OM5 up to 300 meters.
- 400G rate: OM4 cable only supports 100 meters, OM5 up to 150 meters.
Single-mode fiber (OS2):
- Single-mode MPO patch cable such as 24 fiber MPO patch cord supports 100G PSM4 transmission over 10 km, and 400G DR4 transmit up to 2 km.
- MT patch cords are mainly used inside short-distance modules, and single-mode MT patch cord applications are not used a lot.
Rate bottleneck and precautions
- Due to the miniaturization design of MT, the insertion loss needs to be ≤ 0.35dB (low loss) to ensure the integrity of high-speed signals.
- The alignment accuracy (±0.5um) of MPO male and female connectors directly affects the stability of multi-channel parallel speed. Under NRZ modulation, MPO MTP 12 fiber optic connectors support up to 100G; under PAM4 modulation, the number of cores can be increased to 400G.
Conclusion
There is no essential difference in speed between MT and MPO, both supporting high-speed transmission of 400G to 1.6T. MT focuses on short distance interconnection within miniaturized modules, while MPO focuses on high-density long-distance cabling between cabinets. These two jointly promote speed improvement through core numbering upgrade and modulation technology (PAM4). The actual speed needs to match the fiber type and optical module solution.
In the future, 1.6T optical transceivers will require single row 16 core low loss MT ferrule to support single channel 106.25Gbps rates, and dual row 16 core MPO jumpers will become the mainstream cabling solution for 1.6T, doubling the aggregation rate.
| Features | MT patch cable | MPO patch cable |
| Typical number of cores | 12 core (400G), 16 core (800G/1.6T) | 12 core (40G/100G), 24 core (100G/400G) |
| Maximum rate | 1.6Tbps (16 core parallel) | 1.6Tbps (32 core double row) |
| Transmission distance | Short distance (inside the module, ≤0.5m) | Multimode 150m (400G), single mode 10km (100G) |
| Core scenarios | Internal engine connection of optical module | Data center cabinet, level high-density cabling |
MT and MPO Patch Cord FAQ
Which one is more expensive, MT or MPO patch cable?
MT ferrules are more expensive due to production capacity shortage and technical barriers, while MPO patch cords are more cost-effective due to large-scale production of basic models.
Comparison of the life of MT and MPO patch cable
Mostly used for semi-permanent connections inside optical modules, the plug-in and unplug frequency is extremely low, and the actual life depends on the overall package of the module (about 50,000 hours), which is about 5 years, while MPO patch cords are mostly used for data center wiring, resistant to environmental interference, and about 10 years+.
How to choose a suitable MT or MPO patch cable?
Generally, we recommend that you choose MT patch cords for internal connections of optical modules, and MPO/MTP patch cords for high-density wiring between cabinets and outdoor industrial environments.
