Broadcom’s 102.4 Tbps Tomahawk 6 Redefines AI Data Center Networking

Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) has officially begun mass production of its Tomahawk 6, the world’s first 102.4 Tbps Ethernet switch ASIC, setting a new benchmark for AI data center networking. 

Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 marks a major leap in networking technology, delivering an unprecedented 102.4 Tbps of bandwidth—double that of its predecessor—within a single chip. This is the first Tomahawk switch to adopt a modular chiplet design, using 200G PAM4 SerDes to enable flexible, high-density port configurations ideal for hyperscale environments.  

Built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, it offers superior energy efficiency and performance per watt, a critical advantage for powering massive AI workloads.  

With integrated Cognitive Routing 2.0, it dynamically optimizes traffic across AI clusters, reducing congestion and lateny, setting a new standard for Ethernet-based data center switching, enabling cloud providers to scale AI infrastructure faster, more efficiently, and without relying on proprietary networking solutions like InfiniBand. 

The launch of Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 is reshaping the landscape of AI data centers by enabling flat two-tier network fabrics that can scale to over 128,000 XPUs (AI processors), simplifying the architecture of massive AI clusters, reducing the complexity and latency typically involved in connecting thousands of processing units.  

The chip has already gained traction in the industry, with leading companies like Arista, Juniper, and AMD integrating it into their next-generation networking solutions—demonstrating strong ecosystem support.  

Perhaps most importantly, Tomahawk 6 presents a credible challenge to Nvidia’s proprietary InfiniBand by promoting open Ethernet standards, giving cloud providers and hyperscalers more flexibility and avoiding vendor lock-in.  

While Nvidia and others pursue photonic 102.4T switches, Tomahawk 6’s early availability, Ethernet compatibility, and proven chiplet architecture give it a first-mover advantage. And Broadcom isn’t stopping—Tomahawk 7 (204.8T) and 8 (409.6T) are already in development.