1.6T switches were only sampling in 2Q 2026; Dell'Oro forecasts a faster ramp than 800G, over 5M ports within 1-2 years of shipments
1.6T switches: sampling 2Q 2026, volume ramp expected 2H 2026forecast
| Value kind | forecast — Forecasts are time-bound outlooks, not specifications; test decisions across plausible scenarios. |
|---|---|
| Scope | Dell'Oro forecast (2025-12-17): 2026 first volume year, ramp faster than 800G, >5M ports within 1-2 years of shipments. In 2Q26, 800G was the vast majority of AI back-end switch shipments and 1.6T was sampling. 1.6T transceivers (a separate population) were already shipping in volume in 2026 per LightCounting. |
| As of | 2026-09 |
| Source | Dell'Oro Group, 2026 predictions (2025-12-17) and 2Q26 AI back-end switch release (2026-09-03) · 2Q26 AI back-end switch release (2026-09-03): '1.6 Tbps began sampling'; 2026 predictions post (2025-12-17): >5M-port forecast |
| Review | checking…review by 2027-01-15 · standard cadence |
| Recorded changes | last 2026-10-16 · 3 revisions tracked |
| Claim id | 1-6t-switch-deployment-ramp-faster-than-800g-5m |
Where the guide uses it
← Full numbers register — every date-stamped figure in the guide, with revision history.