Celestica Introduces DS6005 102.4 Tbps Liquid-Cooled Switching System for Next-Generation AI Data Centers
Celestica a global provider of data center infrastructure and advanced technology solutions, has introduced the Celestica DS6005, a co-packaged optics (CPO) data center switching system designed to address the growing bandwidth, power efficiency, latency, and transmission-reach requirements of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) data center networks.
The new DS6005 platform is designed to support the increasing networking demands of AI infrastructure, where large-scale computing clusters require high-speed communication and efficient data movement between processors, accelerators, and other system components. As AI workloads continue to expand, data center operators face growing challenges associated with network capacity, energy consumption, thermal management, and infrastructure density.
Built on Broadcom’s Tomahawk 6 – Davisson switch chip, the DS6005 delivers up to 102.4 terabits per second (Tbps) of switching capacity in a compact 1.5OU form factor designed for Open Compute Project Open Rack Version 3 (OCP ORv3) rack environments. The system integrates optical engines directly with the switch application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), eliminating the need for traditional front-panel pluggable optical modules.
This co-packaged optics architecture is intended to help data center operators increase bandwidth density, reduce latency, and improve power efficiency while supporting the networking requirements of advanced AI environments.
Addressing the Growing Demands of AI Networking
AI infrastructure is creating unprecedented demand for networking bandwidth. Modern AI clusters rely on high-speed connections to coordinate computing tasks, distribute workloads, and transfer large volumes of data across interconnected systems. As these clusters grow, conventional networking approaches can face increasing challenges involving power consumption, physical space, cooling capacity, and signal transmission.
The Celestica DS6005 is designed to address these challenges through a combination of high switching capacity, integrated optical technology, liquid cooling, and software support. Its architecture is intended to help customers build scalable AI networking fabrics for both scale-up and scale-out deployments.
Scale-up networking connects computing resources within tightly integrated systems, while scale-out networking connects multiple systems across larger infrastructure environments. Both approaches require reliable, high-bandwidth communication to support demanding AI and machine-learning workloads.
According to Celestica, the DS6005 combines co-packaged optics, field-replaceable external laser modules, liquid cooling, and CPO-aware software management in a compact platform. These features are intended to help customers address power, thermal, latency, and reach constraints as they expand AI infrastructure.
“AI infrastructure is driving unprecedented demand for bandwidth, while power, thermal management, latency, and reach are becoming increasingly important constraints,” said Gavin Cato, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Portfolio Solutions and AI Platform Engineering at Celestica. He explained that the DS6005 brings together several technologies in a compact platform designed to support scalable and power-efficient AI fabrics.
Key Features of the Celestica DS6005
The DS6005 incorporates several hardware and software capabilities designed for high-density data center networking.
Up to 102.4 Tbps switching capacity: Powered by the Broadcom Tomahawk 6 – Davisson switch chip, the system is designed to deliver up to 102.4 Tbps of switching capacity to accommodate the bandwidth requirements of large AI clusters.
Co-packaged optics architecture: The platform integrates optical engines directly with the switch ASIC. This approach removes the need for traditional front-panel pluggable optics and is intended to improve bandwidth density and power efficiency.
64 ports supporting 1.6 TbE: The system features 64 optically enabled ports operating at 1.6 terabits per second Ethernet (TbE), providing the aggregate 102.4 Tbps switching capacity required for high-performance networking environments.
Fully liquid-cooled 1.5OU design: Designed for OCP ORv3 racks, the liquid-cooled architecture supports thermal management in high-density installations. The compact form factor is intended to help operators optimize rack utilization while maintaining temperature stability and system reliability.
SONiC software support: The platform supports Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC), an open-source network operating system used in data center networking. This support is designed to simplify operations, accelerate deployment, and provide networking capabilities suited to AI fabric environments.
Together, these capabilities are intended to help data center operators manage growing AI networking requirements while balancing performance, energy use, cooling, and infrastructure integration.
Liquid Cooling and Power Efficiency
Power consumption and thermal management have become major considerations in the design of modern AI data centers. High-performance switching systems must handle increasing data volumes while operating within the power and temperature limits of dense rack installations.
The DS6005 uses a fully liquid-cooled design to address the thermal requirements of its high-capacity networking architecture. Liquid cooling transfers heat away from electronic components through a liquid-based system, providing an alternative to relying exclusively on conventional air cooling.
When implemented appropriately, liquid cooling can help manage concentrated thermal loads in high-density infrastructure. It can also support the deployment of more capable hardware in environments where available rack space and cooling capacity are important constraints.
The system’s co-packaged optics architecture is also intended to improve power efficiency by integrating optical engines closer to the switching silicon. Traditional pluggable optics require separate optical modules connected through front-panel interfaces. By adopting a co-packaged design, the DS6005 aims to reduce the limitations associated with conventional optical interconnect arrangements.
Actual power savings and operating efficiency depend on system configuration, workloads, cooling infrastructure, and deployment conditions. Nevertheless, combining integrated optics with liquid cooling reflects the industry’s broader effort to develop networking platforms capable of supporting larger AI clusters with improved energy and thermal management.
Collaboration With Broadcom and Industry Partners
The development of production-ready co-packaged optics systems requires coordination across multiple technology disciplines, including semiconductor design, optical engines, advanced packaging, thermal engineering, manufacturing, and system integration.
Broadcom contributed its Tomahawk 6 – Davisson switching platform and optical expertise to the DS6005, while Celestica applied its system engineering and platform development capabilities to translate the technology into a networking solution designed for AI infrastructure.
Manish Mehta, Vice President of Marketing and Operations for Broadcom’s Optical Systems Division, emphasized the importance of collaboration in bringing co-packaged optics from an advanced architecture to a production-ready system. He noted that the partnership combines Broadcom’s silicon and optical capabilities with Celestica’s engineering and platform execution.
The collaboration illustrates the importance of coordination across the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing ecosystem as networking technologies become more sophisticated. Delivering high-density AI infrastructure requires components and systems to work together across hardware, optics, cooling, software, and manufacturing processes.
Industry Perspectives on Co-Packaged Optics
Industry analysts highlighted the potential role of co-packaged optics in addressing the evolving requirements of AI networking.
Sameh Boujelbene, Vice President of Research at Dell’Oro Group, said AI networking is increasingly constrained by physical infrastructure considerations, including power, density, reach, and deployment complexity. He described co-packaged optics as one approach for addressing these challenges while noting that pluggable, near-package, and co-packaged optical technologies are expected to coexist as the ecosystem develops.
Alan Weckel, Founder and Technology Analyst at 650 Group, highlighted the potential of co-packaged optics in controlled, high-density scale-out networking environments. He explained that positioning optical engines close to switch silicon and combining the technology with liquid cooling can help address power efficiency and reliability while supporting the reach and port-density requirements of AI infrastructure.
The comments reflect an industry focus on finding ways to improve data movement within increasingly complex computing environments. As AI clusters expand, the performance of networking infrastructure becomes an important factor in overall system efficiency.
Cliff Grossner, Ph.D., Chief Innovation Officer at the Open Compute Project Foundation, emphasized the importance of open collaboration in advancing co-packaged optics. He noted that cooperation across silicon photonics, hardware, software, and management can help support interoperable AI networking fabrics that can be deployed and maintained at scale.
DS6005 Demonstration at OCP Global Summit 2026
Celestica plans to showcase the DS6005 at the OCP Global Summit 2026, scheduled for October 12–15, 2026. The company will exhibit the platform at booth C2, providing an opportunity for attendees to learn more about its approach to high-capacity AI networking.
The demonstration will highlight the role of co-packaged optics, liquid cooling, and compact rack-compatible hardware in the development of next-generation data center infrastructure.
Additional information about Celestica’s participation and the DS6005 platform is available through the company’s official event page and product website.
Advancing High-Density AI Data Center Infrastructure
The introduction of the Celestica DS6005 reflects the growing need for networking systems that can deliver higher bandwidth while addressing power consumption, thermal management, latency, and physical deployment constraints.
With up to 102.4 Tbps of switching capacity, 64 ports supporting 1.6 TbE, integrated optical engines, liquid cooling, and SONiC software support, the platform is designed to support demanding AI and machine-learning networking workloads in OCP ORv3 environments.
Through its collaboration with Broadcom and its focus on system engineering and integration, Celestica is positioning the DS6005 as an option for operators developing high-density AI networking fabrics. The platform highlights how advances in optical integration, cooling technology, and open networking software are shaping the next generation of data center infrastructure.
