FINISAR Corp, which provides fiber optic components for Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent, said yesterday that it has invested to expand its Shanghai facility as "people still need faster Internet access even during economy slowdown."

After the expansion, Finisar Shanghai's facility will cover 15,000 square meters, three times the previous space. The Nasdaq-listed company's total investment in China reached US$14 million and another 2 million dollar investment is expected to be poured into China soon, according to Kevin Zhang, Finisar Shanghai's general manager.

"We do admit the financial crisis will hurt the revenue of most industries but the demand for fiber optical is growing, boosted by online video and storage segment," said Jerry Rawls, Finisar's chairman and chief executive.

The Finisar Shanghai's annual output is expected to hit 600 million yuan (US$88 million) within two or three years, compared with 200 million yuan now.