MXC fiber optic connectors and cable assemblies allow up to 64 fibers per ferrule and speeds up to 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps) for next generation communications systems. MXC connectors and assemblies offer an expanded beam lens design overcoming many of the challenges of conventional physical contact products to provide higher immunity to contaminants and make connections more reliable and installation easier. MXC connectors and cable assemblies use optical interconnect technology adopted by the open compute consortium and target hyperscale data centers and disaggregation solutions by providing best-in-class density and ease of use in an optical connector.