Broadcom unveils Jericho4, a new version of its networking chip that can connect 1M+ processors across multiple data centers and handle distances of over 100km
Dina Bass / Bloomberg :
Context & Ripple Effects
Broadcom had already moved its data-center networking lineup forward with Tomahawk 6 switch-chip shipments aimed at improving GPU utilization. Jericho4 extends that arc from switching within a data center toward linking processor fleets spread across sites.
The announcement also sits in a widening contest over long-distance AI-network plumbing: Cisco later positioned its Silicon One P200 and 8223 routing systems around faster transfers over long optical cables.
First-order effects
- Jericho4 gives Broadcom a networking-chip offering designed for deployments that need to connect more than one million processors across multiple data centers separated by more than 100 km.
- Data-center operators and system builders evaluating geographically distributed processor clusters gain another Broadcom option for the inter-data-center network layer.
Second-order effects
- The product raises competitive pressure on routing and switching suppliers to demonstrate comparable scale and long-distance optical connectivity; Cisco’s subsequent Silicon One launch underscores that contest.
- Network design choices become more consequential for customers spreading compute across sites, because the fabric connecting those sites can affect how effectively processors operate as one pool.
Third-order effects
- If these offerings gain adoption, AI infrastructure may increasingly be designed as geographically distributed compute fabrics rather than isolated data centers, elevating networking silicon alongside processors as a strategic bottleneck.
- The market could favor suppliers able to pair high-scale switching with long-haul connectivity, reinforcing an integrated infrastructure stack rather than point products.
The trend: AI infrastructure is expanding from dense in-data-center clusters toward network fabrics that can coordinate compute across campuses and distant sites.