CSCO · News · 20261015N
Optical Networking Growth
CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. · 2026-10-15 · Importance 31 · Surprise 42 · In source text
Cisco and NVIDIA announced a collaboration to introduce next-generation 400G optical technology for AI data centers. The partners plan to commercialize an ultra-small-form-factor pluggable (USFP) standard intended to quadruple bandwidth density. Cisco and NVIDIA are seeking to build an open hardware ecosystem with additional optical and networking vendors to support large-scale AI workloads. The development positions Cisco’s optical networking portfolio for AI data-center deployments where wiring constraints are becoming increasingly important.
Key facts
- Cisco and NVIDIA plan to commercialize a new ultra small form factor pluggable (USFP) standard designed to quadruple bandwidth density. source
- Cisco and NVIDIA aim to build an open hardware ecosystem with additional optical and networking vendors to support large scale AI workloads. source
Impact estimates
| metric | direction | stage | expected | basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| revenue | positive | probable | — | Cisco and NVIDIA plan to commercialize a new ultra small form factor pluggable (USFP) standard designed to quadruple bandwidth density. |