Broadcom Unveils Tomahawk 6 Chip to Boost AI Data Center Speeds

New networking chip doubles AI data transfer capacity to power next-gen AI infrastructure

Mar. 13, 2026 at 10:20am

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Broadcom Inc. has begun shipping its new Tomahawk 6 networking chip, which the company says can handle twice as much data as previous versions. The Tomahawk 6 is designed to help large data centers move massive amounts of data to support growing AI workloads, enabling companies to build bigger and faster AI systems. Broadcom is also introducing additional technologies to help data centers transfer data more efficiently, reduce power usage, and improve reliability for large-scale AI computing.

Why it matters

As AI systems become more complex and data-intensive, the need for faster and more efficient data center infrastructure is critical. Broadcom's new Tomahawk 6 chip and complementary technologies aim to address this growing demand, allowing companies to scale their AI capabilities and power the next generation of large-scale AI applications.

The details

The Tomahawk 6 chip can handle 102.4 Tbps of data transfer, doubling the capacity of previous versions. This allows data centers to connect more computers for training and running AI models. Broadcom is also introducing tools to improve data transfer speeds, reduce power consumption, and enhance reliability for AI workloads. The company is working with industry partners to develop common standards and specifications to enable seamless integration of networking hardware and optical technologies from multiple suppliers.

  • Broadcom announced the Tomahawk 6 chip on March 13, 2026.
  • The chip has entered full production and is now shipping to customers.

The players

Broadcom Inc.

A semiconductor company that provides a range of infrastructure software and hardware products, including networking chips designed to power large-scale AI data centers.

Flex Ltd.

A manufacturing services company that is partnering with Broadcom to develop liquid cooling systems for powerful AI processors.

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What’s next

Broadcom plans to showcase the Tomahawk 6 chip and its other AI data center technologies at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference (OFC) 2026 in Los Angeles.

The takeaway

Broadcom's new Tomahawk 6 chip and complementary technologies are designed to power the next generation of large-scale AI infrastructure, enabling companies to build faster and more efficient data centers to support growing AI workloads and applications.