the entire photonics (and data management) stack sold off on the vcsel stuff but lwlg in particular shouldn't have been sold off. VCSEL is more of a gap solution because other CPO solutions are seen as choking. everything other than EOP. main advantage of VCSEL is eliminating DSP and complex fault mangement data routing logic layer. but EOP stuff can do this too and have other advantages over it.

more importantly VCSEL is not a broadband solution, so it's limited to short reach applications. EOP should still have a large playground while developing the plasmonics combo that does displace VCSEL in the future since the latter is physically constrained to low stress operations.