OCP 2026: Cisco Expands AI Networking Stack With New Silicon One And Nvidia Optics Push

At OCP Global Summit 2026, Cisco unveiled new Silicon One chips and systems, expanded SONiC support and partnered with Nvidia on a new open optics standard, all aimed at helping customers scale AI infrastructure while maintaining openness, interoperability and choice.

This year at the 2026 Open Compute Project (OCP) Global Summit, Cisco is broadening its AI infrastructure play with new silicon, systems and optical technologies aimed at helping customers scale AI environments without sacrificing openness or choice.

The announcements extend Cisco’s Silicon One architecture, which was first introduced in 2019, into more parts of the AI data center and expand support for Cisco's Software for Open Networking in the Cloud, or SONiC. Cisco also announced plans at the event for an open optics specification with Nvidia. Cisco said the technologies are part of its broader effort to deliver an open, programmable stack spanning silicon to Kubernetes for hyperscalers, neoclouds and enterprises.

Here are the five announcements partners should know.

Cisco, Nvidia To Unveil New USFP Optics Standard

Cisco and Nvidia revealed a plan to develop the Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable, or USFP, a new pluggable optics architecture designed for AI infrastructure. The USFP will support 400 Gbps per lane optics. Cisco said the format delivers four times the bandwidth density of the current leading alternative and a 1.3x efficiency improvement compared to 200 Gbps per lane optics, which will help AI factories scale while preserving serviceability and customer choice.

In order to encourage broad industry engagement and adoption, Cisco and Nvidia plan to create an open industry specification for USFP through an upcoming community-led multi-source project.

Cisco Begins Shipping Silicon One G300 Systems

First announced in February, Cisco said the first systems powered by its Silicon One G300, the company’s 100-Tbps networking silicon, are now shipping to customers.

The G300 powers air- and liquid-cooled Cisco 8000 and Nexus 9000 systems aimed at large-scale AI infrastructure. Cisco is positioning the platform around two differentiators: Intelligent Collective Networking, which is designed to improve network utilization and job completion times, and a P4-programmable architecture that lets customers add capabilities and connect newer AI clusters with older infrastructure, executives said.

Cisco Silicon One G302 Targets AI Front-End Networks

Cisco introduced the Silicon One G302, a 51.2-Tbps chip that the company called the industry’s first 1.6-Tbps top-of-rack switch silicon designed for front-end networks. The new G302 brings the functions and performance of Cisco’s larger G300 architecture into a smaller form factor suited for top-of-rack deployments. Cisco said the chip is intended to simplify infrastructure management while extending Silicon One deeper into the AI data center.

The G302 is planned to begin shipping to customers before the end of 2026, Cisco said.

Cisco Expands SONiC, Adds Live Protect Security

Cisco is expanding support for the open-source Software for Open Networking in the Cloud, or SONiC network operating system beyond the Cisco 8000 platform to include Nexus 9000 hardware.

Customers will be able to use community or customized SONiC builds with Cisco software development kits or choose a Cisco-validated and supported SONiC offering. The broader supported hardware portfolio includes Cisco 8000 and Nexus 9300 systems powered by Silicon One, as well as Nexus 9100 systems using Nvidia Spectrum silicon.

Cisco is also extending its Live Protect technology to SONiC-based switches, giving customers a way to apply temporary security protections between the disclosure of a vulnerability and the installation of a full software patch. The technology places what Cisco calls a “shield” inside the switch, which provides compensating controls while customers schedule their maintenance and patching windows. Live Protect is already available for NX-OS infrastructure, and Cisco said the SONiC version is targeted for mid-2027.

Cisco 8001 Switches Bring Silicon One To Rack Management

In an effort to further simplify operations, the tech giant announced new Cisco 8001 systems powered by the Silicon One A100L, extending its Silicon One architecture into lower-bandwidth management switches inside the rack. The systems will be available in configurations using 1-Gigabit or 10-Gigabit ports and will run SONiC, giving customers common management, telemetry and operational capabilities across more of their AI infrastructure, according to Cisco.

Cisco said the systems are expected in the second quarter of 2027.