# NVIDIA and Cisco propose optical module with 12.8Tb/s capacity

_Published Monday, October 12, 2026 at 11:11 AM EDT · Infrastructure, AI · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Ultra-Dense Small Factor Pluggable — Primary](https://iprsoftwaremedia.com/219/files/202610/bb0658e6668adfadaaf0477f22795d99/6acb0cef3d63325ab15dc4ff_ultra-dense-small-form-factor-pluggable/ultra-dense-small-form-factor-pluggable_6511e202-6a08-4834-996a-ced5c6faeac3-prv.jpg?v=6511e202-6a08-4834-996a-ced5c6faeac3)

NVIDIA and Cisco announced plans for USFP, a removable optical networking module designed to support 400Gb/s-per-lane electrical signals and 12.8Tb/s of capacity. The companies say it would provide 4x the bandwidth density and approximately 1.3x the power efficiency of 200Gb/s-per-lane pluggable modules.

The first planned transceivers would place 16 full-duplex lanes in an OSFP-sized footprint, allowing more 1.6Tb/s endpoints to connect without additional network tiers. A two-step connector engages high-speed contacts after insertion to reduce wear. TE Connectivity and Amphenol are collaborating on cages, connectors and modules. NVIDIA and Cisco plan an open industry specification through an upcoming community-led multi-source project.

## Sources

- [News Releases - NVIDIA Newsroom](https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-and-cisco-introduce-new-pluggable-optics-form-factor-to-scale-ai-factories)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/8hQcXwSOXDh1z0Agy1xbLq
Published: 2026-10-12T15:11:25.999Z
Story chronology: 2026-10-12T15:00:00.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-10-12T17:48:27.293Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)