Photodetectors hold a critical position in optoelectronic integrated circuits, and they convert light into electricity. Over the past decades, high-performance photodetectors (PDs) have been aggressively pursued to enable high-speed, large-bandwidth, and low-noise communication applications. Various material systems have been explored and different structures designed to improve photodetection capability as well as compatibility with CMOS circuits. In this paper, we review state-of-theart photodetection technologies in the telecommunications spectrum based on different material systems, including traditional semiconductors such as InGaAs, Si, Ge and HgCdTe, as well as recently developed systems such as low-dimensional materials (e.g. graphene, carbon nanotube, etc.) and noble metal plasmons. The corresponding material properties, fundamental mechanisms, fabrication, theoretical modelling and performance of the typical PDs are presented, including the emerging directions and perspectives of the PDs for optoelectronic integration applications are discussed.