New Jericho4 chip Connects Over a Million Processors Across Long Distances, Offering a Major Boost to AI Infrastructure
Broadcom’s New Jericho4 Networking Chip Debuts
Broadcom Inc. has introduced a powerful upgrade to its networking hardware lineup with the launch of the Jericho4 chip, a cutting-edge chip designed to transform the landscape of AI infrastructure. Announced on Monday, this latest addition to Broadcom’s product suite is aimed at helping companies efficiently link multiple smaller data centers to function as one unified AI system.
Ram Velaga, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom’s Core Switching Group, explained that this breakthrough is especially beneficial for organizations with data centers located in relatively close proximity. By enabling high-speed data transfer between separate locations, the Jericho4 chip allows customers to run or develop AI models more effectively, even without relying on massive centralized data centers.
Massive Processing Power and Data Handling
The Jericho4 chip can connect more than 1 million processors spread across multiple data centers. This version is capable of handling four times more data than its predecessor, offering unparalleled performance for large-scale AI operations.
This capability is crucial in the AI boom, where massive data volumes must be moved swiftly and reliably to train and operate machine learning models.
Broadcom has been reaping the benefits of surging demand for AI infrastructure components. The company’s products—such as routers and switches—are essential for facilitating communication between graphics processing units (GPUs), the core hardware behind modern AI.
Solving the Power and Distance Challenges in AI Clusters
Velaga noted that the increasing power demands of GPU clusters have made it less feasible to house all necessary components in a single location. This is pushing companies to seek alternatives, including spreading operations across multiple data centers.
Here, the Jericho4 chip becomes especially valuable, as it helps bridge the physical gaps between these smaller setups, turning them into cohesive AI systems.
Moreover, tech companies are moving data center capacity closer to end users to reduce latency and improve AI response times. In densely populated cities where space is at a premium, connecting multiple smaller data centers has become a more practical solution. The Jericho4 enables this by supporting high-speed data movement over long distances.
Beyond the Rack: Expanding Connection Distances
While Broadcom’s Tomahawk series is tailored for short-range connections within a data center—typically under a kilometer—the Jericho line addresses long-distance requirements, with capabilities stretching over 100 kilometers.
This makes the Jericho4 particularly valuable for businesses that operate several data centers across a metropolitan region or wider geographic areas.
The shift toward distributed AI systems also reflects broader industry trends. As AI models become more complex and data-heavy, the need for robust networking solutions that support decentralized computing grows. The Jericho4 directly addresses this requirement.
Availability and Industry Adoption Timeline
According to Broadcom, the Jericho4 chip starts shipping immediately to select early adopters, including cloud providers and networking equipment manufacturers. These initial customers will incorporate the chip into their own products to facilitate next-gen AI infrastructure deployments.
Velaga expects that it will take about nine months for full-scale deployment, during which time major players in the cloud and AI sectors will begin integrating Jericho4 into their data ecosystems.
Broadcom Strengthens Position in AI Hardware Market
The launch of Jericho4 cements Broadcom’s role as a leading provider of networking components essential for AI development. As companies continue to invest in distributed AI systems and decentralized data center infrastructure, Broadcom’s innovations offer a scalable and energy-efficient solution.
By addressing both data movement speed and distance, the Jericho4 is positioned to meet the growing demands of modern AI workloads.
As the race for faster and smarter AI accelerates, Broadcom’s latest chip provides the backbone to support that future.
