Where USFP stands

USFP was announced on October 12, 2026. As of October 17, 2026 it is a design plan with two named partners: there is no published specification, no multi-source agreement you can join, no samples and nothing to buy. We check Cisco, NVIDIA, TE Connectivity, Amphenol and the trade press at least once a month and move each step when it happens.

1. ✓ Announced by Cisco and NVIDIA October 12, 2026 Joint release at the OCP Global Summit: 400 Gb/s per lane, 16 lanes in an OSFP-sized module, a path to 32 lanes and 12.8 Tb/s. Cisco Newsroom
2. ✓ Connector and cage partners named October 12, 2026 TE Connectivity and Amphenol are working on USFP cages, connectors and modules. More partners are "expected"; none named yet. Cisco Newsroom
3. Multi-source agreement formed Not yet The companies say they will publish USFP as an open specification through an upcoming community-led multi-source project. No MSA website, charter or member list yet. NVIDIA investor relations
4. Specification published Not yet No draft is public. Port mappings, optical modulation, reach classes and the exact mechanical drawings are still unpublished. NAND Research
5. 400G-per-lane switch silicon announced Not yet Neither Cisco nor NVIDIA announced a 400G-per-lane switch chip at OCP. Their newest chips (Silicon One G300 and G302, Spectrum-6) run at 200G per lane. NAND Research
6. Module samples shown Not yet No sampling date has been given by either company or by TE Connectivity or Amphenol. Futurum Group
7. Switches or SuperNICs with USFP ports announced Not yet The first products are meant to be switches and SuperNICs. None has been named. Cisco Newsroom
8. Modules you can order Not yet Nothing to buy yet. Anyone quoting a USFP module price today is guessing.

Checked October 17, 2026. 2 of 8 steps done.

What to watch for next

• A USFP MSA website with a member list. Which optical module makers sign up first will say a lot about how quickly modules arrive.
• A 400G-per-lane switch chip from Cisco (Silicon One) or NVIDIA (Spectrum-X). USFP has nothing to plug into until one exists.
• Module shells and connector samples at the big optics shows, OFC in March and ECOC in September.
• Any statement on adapters or compatibility with OSFP.

Timeline

1. June 2021 OSFP MSA announces OSFP-XD, a 16-lane version of OSFP. OSFP MSA
2. September 18, 2022 OSFP MSA publishes its OSFP1600 (8 lanes of 200G) and OSFP-XD white paper. OSFP MSA
3. March 12, 2026 Arista announces the XPO MSA: a 64-channel, 12.8T, liquid-cooled pluggable. Arista Networks
4. July 27, 2026 TrendForce reports NVIDIA has begun shipping Spectrum-X co-packaged optics switches to select partners. TrendForce
5. September 17, 2026 Open CPX MSA releases its specification for socketed optics beside the switch chip, up to 7.2T per socket. Open CPX MSA (Business Wire release)
6. October 12, 2026 Cisco and NVIDIA announce USFP at the OCP Global Summit, with TE Connectivity and Amphenol. Cisco Newsroom

• USFP vs OSFP

  Same footprint, four times the bandwidth, a new connector. Why your OSFP cages won't take it.

• USFP vs XPO

  Air-friendly 6.4T against a liquid-cooled 12.8T. Two camps, two bets on the next switch chip.

• USFP vs co-packaged optics

  Keep swappable modules, or put the optics in the switch package for the lowest power.

• Every form factor

  OSFP to co-packaged optics in one table: lanes, capacity, heat and who backs each.