Industry Leaders Form 400G Optical MSA to Accelerate Next-Gen Networking

Broadcom, Cisco, MACOM, NVIDIA, and Semtech collaborate on 400G optical link specifications for AI infrastructure

Mar. 16, 2026 at 4:08pm

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A group of leading networking, semiconductor, and optics companies including Broadcom, Cisco, MACOM, NVIDIA, and Semtech have formed the 400G Optical MSA (Multi-Source Agreement) to develop specifications for 400 Gbps optical interfaces. The goal is to enable a broad ecosystem of interoperable solutions to support the growing bandwidth demands of AI infrastructure equipment.

Why it matters

The rapid growth of AI workloads is driving a need for higher-speed optical networking links to connect backend systems. By collaborating on standardized 400G optical specifications, these industry leaders aim to accelerate the deployment of 400G links and ensure wide interoperability across different manufacturers' products.

The details

The 400G Optical MSA will initially focus on developing specifications for single-wavelength 400G optical links with reach up to 500 meters. The new standards will leverage the latest link training and maintenance concepts to improve performance and reliability. This effort is intended to complement ongoing work in other industry bodies like the IEEE 802.3 group.

  • The 400G Optical MSA was formed in March 2026.

The players

Broadcom

A global semiconductor company that designs and develops a wide range of analog and digital semiconductor connectivity solutions.

Cisco

A multinational technology conglomerate that develops and sells networking hardware, software, telecommunications equipment, and other high-technology services and products.

MACOM

A leading supplier of high-performance analog RF, microwave, millimeter-wave, and photonic semiconductor products.

NVIDIA

A multinational technology company that designs graphics processing units (GPUs) for the gaming and professional markets, as well as system on a chip units (SoCs) for the mobile computing and automotive market.

Semtech

A leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms for infrastructure, high-end consumer, and industrial equipment.

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What they’re saying

“The rapid build out of AI infrastructure requires 400G optical links to support high-radix applications within the backend networks. By forming this MSA group, we can ensure these specifications are defined ahead of market timing requirements, ensuring industry-wide interoperability and helping to drive greater economies of scale.”

— Vasu Parthasarathy, 400G Optical MSA co-chair (Business Wire)

“The 400G Optical MSA will enable a multi-source ecosystem which is essential for wide industry adoption. We look forward to expanding the membership of the group as this will enable us to accelerate the deployment of 400G optical links needed to meet the growing demands of AI workloads.”

— Mark Nowell, 400G Optical MSA Chair (Business Wire)

What’s next

The 400G Optical MSA group plans to expand its membership to further accelerate the development and adoption of the new 400G optical link specifications.

The takeaway

This collaboration among leading networking, semiconductor, and optics companies underscores the critical importance of high-speed optical interconnects to support the exponential growth of AI infrastructure and workloads. The 400G Optical MSA aims to drive industry-wide interoperability and economies of scale for the next generation of ultra-fast optical networking.