Marvell introduced a new generation of coherent optical technology designed to scale interconnect capacity between AI data centers. The company unveiled what it describes as the industry’s first 1.6T ZR/ZR+ pluggable module alongside new 2nm coherent DSPs with integrated MACsec security, targeting high-bandwidth, secure connectivity across hyperscale and cloud infrastructure.
The announcement expands Marvell’s multi-generation ZR/ZR+ portfolio with the COLORZ 1600 pluggable module powered by the Electra coherent DSP, a 2nm device designed to support 1.6T coherent transport. Marvell also introduced Libra, a second 2nm coherent DSP optimized for 800G ZR/ZR+ applications. The Libra chip enables a new generation of COLORZ 800 pluggable modules with lower power consumption while adding integrated MACsec security. Both solutions support interoperability across OIF, OpenZR+, and OpenROADM modes and are designed to operate across C-band and L-band optical networks.
Marvell positions the new technology for “scale-across” AI architectures, where distributed training clusters drive large volumes of traffic between data centers. The COLORZ 1600 supports campus links up to 20 km (12.4 miles), metro connections up to 120 km (74.6 miles), and regional data center interconnects up to 1,000 km (621 miles). The COLORZ 800 module supports metro DCI links up to 1,000 km (621 miles) at 800G and longer regional links up to 2,000 km (1,243 miles) at 600G and 3,000 km (1,864 miles) at 400G. Marvell also noted expanded manufacturing capacity to support high-volume production of coherent pluggables as hyperscale AI infrastructure demand accelerates.
- COLORZ 1600: 1.6T ZR/ZR+ coherent pluggable powered by the Electra 2nm coherent DSP
- Supports campus (20 km / 12.4 miles), metro (120 km / 74.6 miles), and regional (1,000 km / 621 miles) data center interconnects
- Integrated MACsec security and interoperability across OIF, OpenZR+, and OpenROADM standards
- COLORZ 800: second-generation 800G ZR/ZR+ pluggable powered by the new Libra 2nm coherent DSP
- Supports metro interconnects up to 1,000 km (621 miles) at 800G and regional links up to 3,000 km (1,864 miles) at 400G
- Available in QSFP-DD and OSFP form factors with support for both C-band and L-band optical transmission
- Electra and Libra coherent DSPs and the new pluggables are expected to begin sampling in the second half of 2026
“Marvell, in close collaboration with hyperscale customers, introduced the first ZR pluggable nearly a decade ago and has continued to set the pace for every generation of coherent technology,” said Russ Esmacher, senior vice president and general manager of Data Center Interconnect at Marvell. “Meeting the global needs of AI-driven data centers requires proven, large-scale manufacturing strength, from resource planning to test capacity. We are expanding our pluggable manufacturing capacity to help customers rapidly deploy the latest disruptive technologies to scale their networks.”
🌐 Analysis
The announcement reflects the rapid scaling of coherent pluggable optics to support distributed AI workloads that span multiple data centers. Hyperscale operators increasingly use ZR and ZR+ pluggables to build IP-over-DWDM architectures, replacing traditional transponder-based optical transport with router-integrated optics to reduce cost, power consumption, and operational complexity.
Marvell has played a central role in this transition through its coherent DSP roadmap and COLORZ pluggables, which compete with solutions from vendors such as Ciena, Infinera (now Nokia), Acacia (Cisco), and Coherent. The shift toward 1.6T coherent pluggables and advanced DSP nodes such as 2nm reflects the growing bandwidth requirements of AI training clusters and large-scale inference fabrics that increasingly span multiple metro and regional data center campuses.
