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LTO-10 5-Fold Expansion Plan and Tape Storage Explained

FUJIFILM has announced an investment plan to expand its magnetic tape manufacturing capacity roughly 5-fold, measured by shipped storage capacity. Understanding LTO-10's storage capacity and how air gaps work also requires considering compression conditions and drive compatibility separately.

Published 2026-10-30 Views 0 10 min read KO EN JA ES

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A technician in navy workwear inspects a teal tape cartridge beside a tape-winding machine in a factory. — FUJIFILM plans to expand magnetic-tape manufacturing capacity about fivefold, measured by shipped storage capacity.

Key points

FUJIFILM plans to invest roughly 10 billion yen over fiscal years 2026-2028.
The roughly 5-fold expansion is measured by shipped storage capacity compared with fiscal year 2025, not by the number of cartridges produced.
LTO-10's uncompressed capacity is 30TB or 40TB per cartridge, depending on the model.
Physically separating tape from the network can reduce the paths available to online attacks.
LTO-10 drives cannot read LTO-9 cartridges, so a plan is needed to migrate existing data.

FUJIFILM has announced an expansion of magnetic tape production capacity to supply LTO-10. The approximately 5-fold expansion is measured by shipment capacity compared with fiscal year 2025. Tape can be stored long term, disconnected from the network.

The expansion figures are based on FUJIFILM's announcement dated October 29, 2026.

What has changed in the magnetic tape expansion plan

This announcement concerns a decision to expand manufacturing capacity. It is not a report that the approximately 5-fold expansion has already been completed. The investment includes additional manufacturing equipment and staff.

Category	Announcement details	Distinction to keep in mind
Announcement date	October 29, 2026	Not the completion date of the expansion
Investment location	Odawara Site at the Kanagawa facility in Japan	A magnetic tape manufacturing site
Total investment	Approximately 10 billion yen	Planned amount for the entire investment period
Investment period	Fiscal years 2026~2028	Based on fiscal years
Scale of expansion	Approximately 5-fold	Based on shipment capacity compared with fiscal year 2025
Investment details	Additional manufacturing equipment and staff, among other measures	A plan to strengthen the production system

Odawara (小田原) is the location of the facility receiving this investment. Shipment capacity is the combined storage capacity of the media shipped. It therefore cannot be interpreted as an increase in the number of cartridges by the same multiple. The announcement does not specify a multiple for expansion in unit count.

A footnote in the English announcement states the comparison basis as follows.

Based on shipment capacity, compared with fiscal years 2025.

FUJIFILM announcement of magnetic tape manufacturing capacity expansion, footnote 1

The announcement states that the investment aims to ensure a stable supply of LTO Ultrium10. Its statements about market share are also based on the manufacturer's own research. They should not be cited as market statistics verified by an independent organization. FUJIFILM expansion announcement

A woman in a burgundy cardigan slides a tape cartridge in a clear protective case into an archive shelf. — Physically separating tape from the network can reduce access routes for online attacks.

The relationship between LTO-10 and AI data archiving

LTO-10 is the 10th generation of a high-capacity magnetic tape storage standard. LTO stands for Linear Tape-Open. Ultrium is a cartridge format designed for high-capacity storage. A compatible drive is needed to read and write data on tape. LTO Program technical FAQ

FUJIFILM cites the growth of generative AI and cloud computing as the background to the expansion. It explains that data accumulated during training and inference creates demand for storage. This announcement reflects the manufacturer's assessment of archive demand. It does not mean that all AI data is moving to tape. FUJIFILM Japan headquarters announcement

Backups and archives retain data for different purposes. A backup is a copy used for recovery after a failure or deletion. An archive is a way of retaining materials over the long term for later use. Tape can serve both purposes.

Data use scenario	Storage priority	Role of tape
Running services and repeated queries	Low access latency	A separate role as a long-term storage tier
Backups to prepare for failures	Securing recoverable copies	Storing offline copies
Data archives retained for a long time	Storage capacity and long-term retention costs	Storage media read again when needed

How fine-particle hybrid magnetic material records data

Fine-particle hybrid magnetic material increases recording density within the same area. Recording density is the amount of data that can be stored per unit area. FUJIFILM describes it as a technology for increasing LTO-10 capacity.

This material combines nanoparticle design technologies used in BaFe and SrFe. BaFe is barium ferrite, and SrFe is strontium ferrite. It makes particles smaller while improving the magnetic performance needed for recording. Describing it simply as a mixture of two materials does not adequately explain the technology. FUJIFILM LTO-10 launch announcement

The 40TB model also uses an aramid base film. The base film is the underlying material that supports the magnetic layer. Winding a longer length of thinner tape increases the recording area within the same cartridge. Recording density and tape length therefore both contribute to increased capacity. FUJIFILM 40TB product announcement

LTO-9 and LTO-10 capacity comparison

LTO-10 comes in models with uncompressed capacities of 30TB or 40TB. Compressed capacity depends on how much the data can be reduced. The products' stated compressed capacities assume 2.5:1 compression.

Item	LTO-9	LTO-10 30TB	LTO-10 40TB
Uncompressed capacity per cartridge	18TB	30TB	40TB
Capacity with 2.5:1 compression	45TB	75TB	100TB
Tape length	1,035m	1,035m	1,337m
Tape thickness	5.2μm	5.2μm	4.0μm
FUJIFILM WORM product option	Available	Available	Not listed in the official specifications

This comparison is based on FUJIFILM's official Korean specifications. The launch announcement for the 30TB model was dated June 13, 2025. The announcement of U.S. availability for the 40TB model was dated April 2, 2026. The U.S. availability announcement date does not indicate the sales start date in every country. FUJIFILM official specifications

For data that does not compress well, calculations should use uncompressed capacity. Files that are already compressed may gain little from further compression. The 100TB figure is not guaranteed storage space for all data. LTO Program explanation of LTO-10

How air-gapped storage protects data

An air gap physically separates storage media from a network. A disconnected cartridge has no direct access path through the network. Simply recording data on tape does not create an air gap. Whether online equipment can still access it must be assessed separately.

An air gap does not guarantee protection against every cyberattack. There remains a possibility that corrupted data was recorded before disconnection. Disconnecting from the network alone does not address theft or physical damage either. CISA recommends regular recovery testing alongside offline backups. CISA StopRansomware Guide

Protection measure	Main role	What must be managed separately
Air gap	Blocking access paths from the network to the media	Managing removal, return, and reconnection
WORM	Preventing recorded data from being overwritten	Media damage and storage conditions
Drive encryption	Restricting the ability to read data without a key	Encryption keys needed for recovery

WORM prevents content from being changed once it has been written. FUJIFILM offers a WORM product for LTO-10 30TB. Encryption and WORM provide protection functions distinct from an air gap. FUJIFILM product options and features

How to assess power and costs in long-term storage

Tape media in storage requires no power to retain data. Drives and tape libraries, however, do require power. A tape library is equipment that stores and automatically loads cartridges. Managing environmental conditions at storage facilities is also part of operations.

Power-free storage of the media should therefore not be interpreted as power-free operation of the entire installation. Total costs must also include drives and storage facilities. Work involved in recovery and migration between generations must also be counted. Actual savings must be compared using the same capacity and storage period. FUJIFILM explanation of storage characteristics

LTO-10 drive compatibility across generations

LTO-10 drives can read and write only LTO-10 cartridges. They support both 30TB and 40TB media from the same generation. You cannot simply insert an LTO-9 cartridge into a new drive and read its data. LTO Program generation compatibility

Drive	Media supported for reading and writing
LTO-8	LTO-7, LTO-7 Type M, LTO-8
LTO-9	LTO-8, LTO-9
LTO-10	LTO-10 30TB, LTO-10 40TB

This limitation affects migration plans for long-term archives. One option is to retain drives that can read existing tapes. Another is to read them with existing equipment and transfer the data to newer-generation media. Even if the media remains available, recovery may be blocked if there is no equipment to read it.

Calculation example: increased capacity and full read time

Greater cartridge capacity does not mean that the speed of reading all the data also increases. LTO-10's maximum uncompressed transfer rate is 400MB/s. The calculation below covers reading all the data on a full cartridge. It assumes that the stated maximum rate is maintained throughout.

Calculation condition	LTO-10 30TB	LTO-10 40TB
Amount of data	30,000,000MB	40,000,000MB
Assumed transfer rate	400MB/s	400MB/s
Amount of data ÷ transfer rate	75,000 seconds	100,000 seconds
Transfer time alone	20 hours 50 minutes	27 hours 46 minutes 40 seconds

TB and MB were converted using the decimal units in the product specifications. Compression effects were not included in the calculation. Loading and data location times were also excluded. These figures therefore do not predict actual recovery time.

Actual recovery is also affected by the speed of the storage device receiving the data. Time needed to retrieve the cartridge may also be added. Recoverability must be verified separately from storage capacity. This calculation was derived from the LTO Program's uncompressed transfer specifications. LTO-10 transfer specifications

Common mistakes and what to check

Expansion figures and product capacities measure different things. Successful storage and successful recovery are not the same outcome either. The following distinctions help avoid overstating what the announcement means.

Common interpretation	What to check
The number of units produced has increased approximately 5-fold	A plan for future manufacturing capacity expansion measured by shipment capacity
Approximately 10 billion yen will be invested every year	Total investment for fiscal years 2026~2028
The 40TB model always holds 100TB	Whether the data can achieve 2.5:1 compression
Using tape automatically creates an air gap	Whether any access path from the network to the media remains
New drives can also read previous generations	LTO-10 does not support reading previous generations
Data stored for a long time can be recovered at any time	The status of drives, keys, software, and recovery testing

Key questions in this article

Has the approximately 5-fold expansion already been completed?

The October 29, 2026 announcement concerns an investment decision. The investment period is fiscal years 2026~2028. It should not be cited as a report that the approximately 5-fold expansion has been completed.

Is the 40TB model a different generation from the 30TB model?

Both models belong to the LTO-10 generation. LTO-10 drives support media in both capacities. Compatibility with the previous generation, LTO-9, is a separate issue.

Can recovery testing be skipped if there is an air gap?

An air gap alone cannot confirm recoverability. Backup availability and data integrity must be tested. If encryption is used, the availability of the keys must also be checked.

What else should be retained when storing tape for a long time?

Equipment capable of reading the data and the recovery environment must also be maintained. Encrypted data requires key management that allows recovery. Backup software and data location information must also be included in recovery testing.

FAQ

What is the basis for FUJIFILM's approximately fivefold expansion of magnetic tape capacity?

It is based on capacity shipped compared with fiscal year 2025. It does not mean that the number of cartridges produced will increase approximately fivefold.

What is the investment period and amount for the magnetic tape expansion?

The plan is to invest approximately 10 billion yen during fiscal years 2026~2028. The investment will be at the Odawara site of the Kanagawa facility in Japan.

Does the October 2026 announcement mean that the expansion is complete?

It announces a decision to expand manufacturing facilities and staffing. It should not be read as a report that the approximately fivefold expansion has been completed.

How much can a single LTO-10 cartridge store?

Uncompressed capacity is 30TB or 40TB, depending on the model. Capacity at a 2.5:1 compression ratio is 75TB and 100TB, respectively. Actual compression varies depending on the data.

How does the fine-particle hybrid magnetic material increase capacity?

It is a material that combines the nanoparticle design technologies used for BaFe and SrFe. It makes particles finer while improving their magnetic performance. This increases the amount of data that can be recorded per unit area.

Do LTO-10 40TB and 30TB use the same drive?

LTO-10 drives support LTO-10 media of both capacities. They cannot read or write media from the previous generation, LTO-9.

What is needed to migrate LTO-9 data to LTO-10?

A drive that can read LTO-9 media is required. The existing data must be read and then written to LTO-10 media. After migration, you must verify that the data can actually be restored.

Does tape backup automatically create an air gap?

Simply writing data to tape does not create an air gap. The path for accessing the media from the network must be physically disconnected.

Does an air gap completely prevent ransomware damage?

It is a protection method that reduces network access paths to isolated media. There is still a possibility that damaged data was stored before isolation. Regular recovery testing is also needed.

Is a WORM product also available for LTO-10 40TB?

The official FUJIFILM specification sheet reviewed lists LTO-10 30TB WORM. It does not list a 40TB WORM product. The product lineup should be checked in the manufacturer's latest specification sheet.

Does a larger cartridge capacity also make recovery faster?

An increase in storage capacity does not mean an increase in transfer speed. Reading more data at the same speed takes longer. Mounting and seek times also affect actual recovery time.

Does tape storage require no power at all?

Stored tape media itself does not require power to retain data. Equipment that reads and writes data requires power. Environmental management of the storage facility must also be considered separately.

Sources

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Verification

This article was drafted with AI and then reviewed and edited by a person.

Reviewed by 신익희 · 편집장 · 2026-10-30

Figures in this article were checked against the source material during generation. · 2026-10-30

This translation has been cross-checked by AI. · 2026-10-30

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LTO-10 5-Fold Expansion Plan and Tape Storage Explained

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