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Nvidia and Cisco’s USFP Plan Targets 400Gb/s-Per-Lane AI Networks
On October 12, 2026, Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for USFP, a pluggable optics form factor designed for 400Gb/s per lane signals. The companies say USFP could scale to 12.8Tb/s and deliver four times the bandwidth density and 1.3 times the power efficiency of 200Gb/s per lane optics.
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Key takeaways
- On October 12, 2026, Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for USFP, a pluggable optics form factor designed for 400Gb/s per lane signals.
- The companies say USFP could scale to 12.8Tb/s and deliver four times the bandwidth density and 1.3 times the power efficiency of 200Gb/s per lane optics.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What did Nvidia and Cisco announce on Monday, October 12, about their planned Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP) optical module. Article summary: On Monday, October 12, 2026, Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP), a high-density optical-module form factor for AI data-center networks—not a shipping product launch. They . Topic tags: general, general web. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fake numbers, click
Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP), a pluggable optical-module form factor intended for next-generation AI data-center networks. The design is aimed at 400Gb/s-per-lane electrical signals, with initial transceivers planned for 6.4Tb/s and a stated path to 12.8Tb/s. The announcement describes design plans—not a confirmed shipping product. 3
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What Nvidia and Cisco announced
USFP is intended to increase the amount of network bandwidth available in a compact pluggable module. The companies describe it as designed to be the first module to support 400Gb/s-per-lane electrical signals. 10
The planned first transceivers use 16 full-duplex lanes in a footprint comparable to an OSFP module, for 6.4Tb/s of capacity. The companies describe a path to up to 12.8Tb/s; coverage of the plan associates that higher capacity with a 32-lane configuration. 12
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Cisco and Nvidia also say they plan to develop an open industry specification for the next-generation pluggable-optics design. Cisco presents the approach as a way to increase bandwidth density while retaining familiar deployment and serviceability practices. 2
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The claimed density and efficiency gains
The companies say USFP is expected to provide four times the bandwidth density and 1.3 times the power efficiency of 200Gb/s-per-lane optics. Those figures are announced design claims, not independent performance measurements. 2
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The stated network goal is to connect more computing systems within the same footprint. Nvidia and Cisco say the increased density could help AI Ethernet fabrics scale without adding network tiers. 10 Separate reporting says the design could allow a switch to connect more 1.6Tb/s endpoints without adding a tier.
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What remains unknown
The announcement is a plan to develop a form factor and open specification, not confirmation that USFP transceivers are available to buy. The supplied announcements do not give a shipping date or price. 3
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Some additional technical details raised in early coverage—including specific connector mechanics, thermal limits, and use in SuperNICs—are not established by the cited announcement materials. The performance and scaling benefits should therefore be read as intended capabilities, rather than demonstrated results.
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What is the short answer to "Nvidia and Cisco’s USFP Plan Targets 400Gb/s-Per-Lane AI Networks"?
On October 12, 2026, Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for USFP, a pluggable optics form factor designed for 400Gb/s per lane signals.
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On October 12, 2026, Nvidia and Cisco announced plans for USFP, a pluggable optics form factor designed for 400Gb/s per lane signals. The companies say USFP could scale to 12.8Tb/s and deliver four times the bandwidth density and 1.3 times the power efficiency of 200Gb/s per lane optics.
Sources
blogs.cisco.comCisco and NVIDIA Announce USFP: Expanding the Path to AI Connectivity
newsroom.cisco.comNVIDIA and Cisco Introduce New Pluggable Optics Form Factor to Scale AI Factories
convergedigest.comNVIDIA and Cisco Unveil 12.8T USFP Pluggable Optics
in.investing.comNvidia and Cisco announce new optical module for AI data centers