Cisco Unveils G300 AI Chip & Nexus One for Data Centres

During February’s Cisco Live EMEA 2026 event in Amsterdam, Cisco announced a major expansion of its AI networking portfolio, designed to enhance the performance, efficiency and programmability of modern data centre fabrics.

The release of the Silicon One G300 chip, Nexus One platform and next-generation Nexus networking switches marks Cisco’s push to capture a greater share in the AI infrastructure market, where competition among leading vendors continues to accelerate.

As an official Cisco partner, we’re preparing to bring these innovations to our customers with access to early demos, training resources, and promotional deal pricing when the new platforms launch later this year.

Introducing Silicon One G300 — Networking Built for AI Scale

Cisco’s Silicon One G300 networking chip is engineered to deliver up to 102.4 Tbps of Ethernet capacity, with per-port speeds of 1.6 Tbps and support for up to 512 Ethernet ports per chip – a significant leap for high-performance AI fabrics. These capabilities aim to accelerate data movement between GPUs, helping organisations maximise the value of their AI hardware investments.

Cisco states that G300-based solutions can yield 33% higher network utilisation and 28% faster job completion times compared to non-optimised infrastructure, translating to more efficient operation at scale. The G300 switch chip is expected to become available in the second half of 2026.

Next-Gen Nexus Platforms and Optics

The new Silicon One G300 chip will be the heart of forthcoming Cisco Nexus 9000 and 8000 series switches, offered in both liquid-cooled and air-cooled configurations to balance power efficiency and thermal performance.

Cisco is also broadening its optical portfolio with 1.6 Tbit OSFP optics and 800G Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) modules to reduce power draw and improve link performance – innovations that help reduce overall data centre operational costs.

When will the Next-Gen Nexus Platforms and Optics be released?

Cisco states the Silicon One G300 and G300-powered systems such as the N9000 and N8000 systems will ship later this year, as will the new advanced LPO modules.

Unified Software, Telemetry, and Intelligent Operations

Beyond silicon and hardware, Cisco continues to integrate AI-centric software and operational tools. The Nexus One platform, which unifies Cisco ACI and NX-OS fabrics under the Nexus Dashboard, is being enhanced to provide deeper visibility, job observability, API-driven automation, and integration with telemetry tools such as Splunk.

Cisco’s AgenticOps model – powered by a deep network model – introduces AI-driven workflows for automated troubleshooting, continuous optimisation, and observability across campus, branch, data centre, and service provider networks. These capabilities reduce the day-to-day load on human operations teams while retaining control through clear governance and insights.

When will Cisco AgenticOps launch?

Campus, Branch, & Industrial Networks: AgenticOps roll-out begins February 2026.
Data Center Networks: Controlled AgenticOps availability is forecast for June 2026, aiding enhanced detection and prescriptive insights that integrate with Nexus One.
Splunk Integration: Cisco notes Splunk-related sensing/AI monitoring capabilities will be generally available after February 25, 2026.

Strategic Advantage for Customers - How to adopt Cisco’s latest AI releases

By combining silicon, optics, switches, software, and security, Cisco’s approach sets the stage for scalable, secure, and highly observable AI networking fabrics that serve hyperscalers, cloud providers, enterprises, and neocloud builders alike.

As a certified Cisco partner, we plan to support Steel City Consulting clients with exclusive benefits, including:

Access to official Cisco training resources, including Silicon One for AI Networking (DCSOAI), a course focusing on Cisco Silicon One architecture and optimisation for AI workloads.

Hands-on demos of Cisco’s new Nexus platforms and AI networking technologies as soon as they become available.

Promotional registration pricing on Cisco G300 Nexus systems and LPO modules as part of Cisco’s Partner Program.

Expert guidance to align these new Cisco capabilities with existing AI infrastructures and data centre strategies (including GPU clusters, storage, and compute requirements).

Ready to Explore Cisco’s AI Networking Roadmap?

Utilising our partner advantages, our goal is to support your business in accelerating AI adoption while maximising the return on your networking investments.

Arrange a consultation with our Cisco specialists today to:

Assess your AI infrastructure readiness
Explore relevant training pathways
Plan for G300 and Nexus platform integration
Align your networking strategy with future AI growth.