Celestica has debuted a 64-port co-packaged optics (CPO) switch rated at up to 102.4Tbps, aimed squarely at AI cluster networks where power draw now limits scale. The company unveiled the DS6005 at this week's Open Compute Project (OCP) event in San Jose, California.

The switch serves both scale-up and scale-out networking. Inside sits Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 silicon — specifically the Davisson variant, formally the BCM78919 — with optical engines integrated directly onto the switch ASIC. The platform is fully liquid-cooled and complies with the Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) standard.

"AI infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for bandwidth, while power, thermal management, latency, and reach are becoming increasingly important constraints," said Gavin Cato, SVP and GM for Celestica's portfolio solutions and AI platform engineering. "The DS6005 brings co-packaged optics, liquid cooling, field-replaceable external laser modules, and CPO-aware software management together in a compact platform designed to help customers build scalable and power-efficient AI fabrics."

What does the DS6005 change for operators?

It targets the two costs that dominate AI fabric design: bandwidth and power. Celestica claims the switch cuts power consumption while raising efficiency for AI clusters. The design moves optics onto the ASIC package itself, which shortens the electrical path and removes pluggable modules from the faceplate. External laser modules remain field-replaceable, so operators can swap failed light sources without touching the switch silicon.

The unit joins a crowded field. Vendors now offer CPO switches as the accepted route to higher AI data center bandwidth at lower power. Nvidia has already brought its Spectrum-6 SN6800 to market, and Broadcom builds its own CPO switch chips, a line that culminates in the Tomahawk 6 Davisson inside Celestica's box.

How does the Lightmatter initiative fit in?

Celestica has also signed on to a Lightmatter-led effort to develop open specifications for CPO. The Open Silicon Photonics for AI Systems initiative counts Keysight and Qualcomm among its participants. It aims to create CPO frameworks for AI clusters ranging from 72 nodes to more than 1,000 nodes.

The initiative signals where the market is heading: shared specs instead of one-off designs. For Celestica, membership positions the DS6005 as part of an ecosystem rather than a single-vendor bet.

"Moving co-packaged optics from an advanced architecture to a production-ready system requires collaboration across silicon, optical engines, packaging, thermal design, manufacturing, and system integration," said Manish Mehta, VP for marketing and operations in Broadcom's optical systems division. "By combining Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 – Davisson platform and optical expertise with Celestica's system engineering and platform execution, the DS6005 demonstrates how our partnership is helping bring CPO to market for AI networking."

The competitive picture

The DS6005 lands in a market that grows more crowded each quarter. Three factors define the contest:

• Silicon base: Broadcom's Tomahawk 6 Davisson supplies the switching ASIC and optical engines.
• Cooling: Full liquid cooling, not air, marks the DS6005 as a data center-class part for dense AI pods.
• Openness: SONiC compliance keeps the switch inside the open-networking stack many hyperscalers already run.

For network planners, the practical question is simple: does CPO now beat pluggable optics on total cost? Celestica's answer is yes, on power. The company says optical connectivity boosts AI data center network bandwidth while cutting power consumption significantly. Concrete efficiency figures for the DS6005 were not disclosed at launch.

What does this change for buyers? A third major CPO option, built on Broadcom silicon and backed by an open-spec initiative, gives operators leverage they did not have a year ago.