NVIDIA and Cisco have announced plans for Ultra-Dense Small Form Factor Pluggable (USFP), a new high-density 400Gb/s-per-lane optical module designed to equip the hardware ecosystem for the next generation of AI factories using pluggable transceivers. As AI models grow and inference demand expands, AI factories must connect more computing systems while managing network complexity, power and costs. USFP is designed to enable AI factory builders to scale from 200 Gb/s per lane to 400Gb/s-per-lane Ethernet AI fabrics, while extending a deployment model proven at scale across multiple generations of data center networks. Comparable with an OSFP-sized module, it delivers 4x the bandwidth and front-panel bandwidth density, with approximately 1.3x the power efficiency, versus 200Gb/s-per-lane pluggable modules. NVIDIA and Cisco are collaborating with TE Connectivity and Amphenol to build USFP cages, connectors and modules, with additional partners expected to join. The collaboration builds on NVIDIA and Cisco’s existing work to ensure NVIDIA Spectrum-X Ethernet networking and Cisco Silicon One-based Ethernet networks work together seamlessly. NVIDIA and Cisco plan to create an open industry specification for USFP through an upcoming community-led multi-source project.