AI Data Centers Demand More Than Copper Can Deliver

AI data centers are hitting physical limits with copper cables as GPU-to-GPU data rates approach terabit-per-second speeds, requiring thicker, shorter cables that complicate dense connections. Startups Point2 Technology and AttoTude are developing radio-based cable solutions that promise longer reach, lower power consumption, and narrower cables than copper alternatives.

• →Copper cables face the "skin effect" at high data rates, requiring wider wires and more power as AI systems scale up.
• →Nvidia plans to increase maximum GPUs per system from 72 to 576 by 2027, exacerbating copper's physical limitations.
• →Point2 Technology is manufacturing 1.6-terabit-per-second radio cables using 90 GHz and 225 GHz frequencies with polymer waveguides.
• →Radio-based solutions can span 10-20 meters without significant loss while consuming one-third of optical's power and cost.
• →Radio technology may eventually eliminate copper connections even at the printed circuit board level for GPU connections.