Nvidia, Cisco and partners introduce new pluggable optics format for AI data centers

What happened

The post Nvidia, Cisco and partners introduce new pluggable optics format for AI data centers (a building full of computers that runs online services) appeared first on Crypto Briefing . 12, 2026 Nvidia , Cisco , TE Connectivity and Amphenol have introduced a new pluggable optics form factor built for AI data centers. Cisco is a telecommunications and networking hardware company based in San Jose, and its products and services include network switches. NVIDIA is a semiconductor company based in Santa Clara, and its products and services include graphics processing units.

The new form factor arrives as each partner pushes its own optical roadmap. Cisco also unveiled its Silicon One G300 switching silicon on February 10, 2026.

In data centers, the format of a component decides who can build it, who can buy it, and how quickly it can be swapped out. What the four companies are building Pluggable optics are the small modules that slot into network switches.

They turn electrical signals into light so data can travel across fiber between servers. Cisco has been expanding its pluggable lineup with 1.6T OSFP modules and 800G Linear Pluggable Optics, known as LPO.

Cisco’s 800G LPO solutions cut power consumption by approximately 50% for the optical modules and around 30% overall for the switch. LPO strips out some of the signal-processing electronics that normally sit inside each module, meaning less heat and a smaller electricity bill.

Key facts

• 12, 2026 Nvidia , Cisco , TE Connectivity and Amphenol have — introduced: a new pluggable optics form factor built for AI data centers