Marvell Showcases Next-Gen Copper Connectivity with AEC DSPs at OFC 2025

Marvell Technology has unveiled new demonstrations of its Alaska® A 800G and 1.6T PAM4 DSPs for Active Electrical Cables (AECs) at OFC 2025. Developed in partnership with major cable manufacturers like 3M, Amphenol, Broadex, Luxshare-Tech, and TE Connectivity, these technologies support rapidly increasing bandwidth needs driven by AI and cloud computing.

The Alaska A 1.6T DSP, designed for 200G/lane infrastructures, enables high-performance copper interconnects up to three meters inside data center racks. Meanwhile, the 800G DSP supports 100G/lane connections for up to seven meters—more than triple the reach of passive copper cables at that bandwidth.

AECs, combining copper cabling with DSPs originally used in optical modules, are ideal for short-reach, high-bandwidth applications in AI server environments. Marvell’s innovation is set to help hyperscalers scale up efficiently while ensuring signal integrity and power efficiency.

The Alaska A 1.6T DSP is now generally available, with demonstrations taking place at partner booths throughout OFC 2025. Marvell projects strong growth in the AEC silicon market, expected to reach $1.3 billion by 2029.