Domestic communication-equipment and optical-communication shares rose broadly in early trading on the 9th as investors anticipated stronger demand for infrastructure supporting the global expansion of AI data centers. Mercury climbed 30.00% from the previous session to 4,355 South Korean won by 9:27 a.m. in the KOSDAQ market, reaching its upper price limit. RF Materials rose 19.71% to 41,300 won, while Woori Net gained 19.56% to 8,740 won. Sungho Electronics advanced 13.17%, Likom increased 12.44%, and Lightron and Taihan Fiberoptics rose 10.30% and 9.56%, respectively. AI data centers require optical communication infrastructure (fiber-based high-speed data links) to move large volumes of information rapidly between servers, supporting expectations for greater consumption of related components. Buying was also encouraged by Verizon’s announcement on the 8th, local time, that it had signed a multibillion-dollar contract with Corning for more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber and connectivity solutions, with deliveries running from next year through 2032. The fiber is expected to support ultra-high-speed networks for households and businesses, as well as long-distance links between AI data centers.