The LTO Program, whose technology provider companies are HPE, IBM and Quantum, reported on September 1, 2026, that capacity shipments of LTO tape media rose 57% year over year in Q1 2026. The figure measures growth in shipped capacity, not growth in the number of cartridges.
What the 57% figure measures
The comparison is between Q1 2026 and Q1 2025. Annual shipments provide a longer view: the LTO Program reported 176.5 exabytes in 2024, up 15.4% year over year, followed by 160.3 exabytes in 2025, down 9%.
What the LTO Program says contributed
The LTO Program attributed the quarterly increase to continued LTO-9 shipments and the introduction and early ramp of LTO-10, alongside demand tied to AI data growth, archives and cyber-resilient backup. The program said a 40 TB native-capacity LTO-10 cartridge was released in early 2026.
How the market outlook is qualified
Tom Coughlin, a storage analyst and president of Coughlin Associates, said international trade uncertainty had contributed to more cautious purchasing and sourcing decisions. He said constrained power availability for data-center construction could favor tape.
The LTO Program expects 2026 to be another record-setting year. That is an outlook; the 57% figure covers Q1 alone.
