Cisco unveils new AI networking chip to compete with Broadcom and Nvidia

The Silicon One G300 switch chip is designed to speed up AI data center networks.

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Cisco Systems has launched a new chip and router designed to speed up information flow through massive data centers. The Silicon One G300 switch chip, expected to launch in the second half of 2026, will help AI chips communicate over hundreds of thousands of links and features "shock absorber" capabilities to prevent network bottlenecks during data spikes. Cisco expects the chip to boost AI computing speeds by 28% through automatic rerouting. The move pits Cisco against networking chip offerings from competitors Broadcom and Nvidia in the booming $600 billion AI infrastructure market.

Why it matters

As AI computing becomes more prevalent in data centers, the ability to efficiently route and transmit data between AI training and inference chips is crucial. Cisco's new networking chip aims to provide a solution that can keep up with the demands of large-scale AI workloads, giving the company a chance to capture market share in this fast-growing segment.

The details

Cisco's Silicon One G300 switch chip will be manufactured using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co's 3-nanometer process technology. The chip includes several "shock absorber" features designed to help AI chip networks avoid bottlenecks when hit with large spikes in data traffic. Cisco expects the chip to improve AI computing speeds by 28% in part through its ability to automatically reroute data around network issues.

  • The Silicon One G300 chip is expected to go on sale in the second half of 2026.

The players

Cisco Systems

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

Broadcom

A global semiconductor company that designs, develops, and supplies a range of semiconductor and infrastructure software products.

Nvidia

An American multinational technology company that designs graphics processing units (GPUs), application programming interfaces (APIs) for data science and high-performance computing, as well as systems on a chip units (SoCs) for mobile computing and automotive platforms.

Martin Lund

The executive vice president of Cisco's common hardware group.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC)

The world's largest contract semiconductor manufacturer and the third-largest chip company overall by revenue.

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What they’re saying

“This happens when you have tens of ⁠thousands, hundreds of thousands of connections - ​it happens quite regularly. We ​focus on the total end-to-end efficiency of the network.”

— Martin Lund, Executive Vice President, Cisco Common Hardware Group (Reuters)

What’s next

Cisco expects the Silicon One G300 chip to go on sale in the second half of 2026, putting it in direct competition with networking chip offerings from Broadcom and Nvidia in the rapidly growing AI infrastructure market.

The takeaway

Cisco's new AI networking chip is a strategic move to capture a share of the booming $600 billion AI infrastructure market, as the company seeks to provide solutions that can keep pace with the data transmission demands of large-scale AI workloads in data centers.