--- description: Qualcomm and Amazon sign a multi-generation deal for custom AI inference silicon and 1.6T optical interconnects for AWS data centers. title: Qualcomm and Amazon Sign Multi-Generation Deal for Custom AI Inference Silicon and 1.6T Optical Interconnects image: https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storagereview-Qualcomm-Dragonfly-rack.jpeg --- [![Storage Review]()](https://storagereview.com/) --- [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/@storagereview) [X (Twitter)](https://twitter.com/storagereview) [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/) [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/storagereview-com) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/storagereview?sub_confirmation=1) [Email](mailto:info@storagereview.com) [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0) [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/StorageReview/) [Discord](https://discord.gg/TwMHb4azdC) [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview) [![StorageReview.com](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storage-Review-2x.png)](https://www.storagereview.com) ≡ Menu - [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) - [Storage Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/review) - [Consumer Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/consumer) - [Enterprise Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) - [Ubiquiti Reviews](https://www.storagereview.com/best/ubiquiti-reviews) - [SR Merch](https://store.storagereview.com) - [Leaderboards](https://www.storagereview.com/best) - [Best Storage Arrays](https://www.storagereview.com/best/storage-arrays) - [Best Enterprise SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/enterprise-ssds) - [Best Servers](https://www.storagereview.com/best/servers) - [Best Desktops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktops-local-ai) - [Best Laptops for Local AI](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptops-local-ai) - [Best Local LLM Tools](https://www.storagereview.com/best/local-llm-tools) - [Agentic AI Hardware](https://www.storagereview.com/best/agentic-ai-hardware) - [Best SSDs & Hard Drives](https://www.storagereview.com/best_drives) - [Best Portable SSDs](https://www.storagereview.com/best/portable-ssds) - [Best Business Laptops](https://www.storagereview.com/best/business-laptops) - [Best Mobile Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/mobile-workstations) - [Best Desktop Workstations](https://www.storagereview.com/best/desktop-workstations) - [Best Laptop Battery Life](https://www.storagereview.com/best/laptop-battery-life) - [Storage Reference Guide](https://www.storagereview.com/storage-reference-guide) - [About SR](https://www.storagereview.com/about-storagereview) - [StorageReview.com Sweepstakes Rules and Regulations](https://www.storagereview.com/storagereview-com-sweepstakes-rules-and-regulations) Search [Home](https://www.storagereview.com/) » [News](https://www.storagereview.com/news) » Qualcomm and Amazon Sign Multi-Generation Deal for Custom AI Inference Silicon and 1.6T Optical Interconnects # Qualcomm and Amazon Sign Multi-Generation Deal for Custom AI Inference Silicon and 1.6T Optical Interconnects by Harold Fritts on September 8, 2026 [AI](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise/ai)  ◇  [Enterprise](https://www.storagereview.com/enterprise) Qualcomm Technologies and Amazon have entered into a multi-generation collaboration to deliver customized silicon at scale for AWS’s AI data centers, with AI inference as the primary target. The agreement pairs Qualcomm’s power-efficient processing, silicon design, and system-level integration with Amazon’s AI infrastructure, and is aimed at the compute, memory bandwidth, networking, and energy constraints that come with running inference at hyperscale volume. Neither company named specific parts, delivery dates, or financial terms. ![Qualcomm Dragonfly AI300 data center render with rows of racks and the Dragonfly AI300 badge](https://www.storagereview.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Storagereview-Qualcomm-Dragonfly-rack.jpeg) ## Custom Silicon and 1.6T Optical Connectivity Beyond the compute silicon, the two companies are co-developing high-performance optical connectivity for Amazon’s data center networks, with solutions reaching 1.6T and future generations on the roadmap. That work draws on Qualcomm’s high-speed SerDes and optical DSP technologies, the same connectivity portfolio the company laid out at its [June Investor Day](https://www.storagereview.com/news/qualcomm-unveils-dragonfly-data-center-roadmap-c1000-cpu-ai300-accelerator-and-modular-acquisition) alongside the Dragonfly C1000 CPU and AI300 accelerator. The intent is to keep network bandwidth from becoming the bottleneck as inference clusters scale out across racks. The relationship also runs in the other direction. Qualcomm plans to deepen its use of AWS AI infrastructure, including Amazon Bedrock, for its electronic design automation (EDA) workloads, with the stated goal of shortening chip design cycles. That puts AWS compute behind the modeling and verification work for the very silicon Qualcomm will be building for Amazon. ## What the Deal Signals Executives on both sides framed the agreement around compute and connectivity advancing together. “As AI demand accelerates, data center infrastructure will require advances in both computing and connectivity to deliver greater performance with more efficiency,” said Cristiano Amon, President and CEO of Qualcomm Incorporated. Prasad Kalyanaraman, Vice President at AWS, said the collaboration “builds on a strong foundation of partnership” and that “by working together on customized silicon and advanced connectivity, we’re delivering more performant, efficient, and cost-effective infrastructure for our customers.” The announcement lands as Qualcomm pushes hard into the data center. The June Investor Day put a CPU, a roadmap of AI200, AI250, and AI300 inference accelerators, and a connectivity portfolio on the table, and the company [closed its acquisition of Modular](https://www.storagereview.com/news/qualcomm-closes-modular-deal-buying-a-cuda-independent-path-for-its-data-center-silicon) in July to give that silicon a software stack that does not depend on CUDA. AWS already designs its own Trainium and Inferentia accelerators through Annapurna Labs, so the open question is where Qualcomm-built silicon fits alongside those parts. The release does not say, but a multi-generation commitment from the largest cloud provider is the strongest customer signal Qualcomm’s data center business has shown so far. **Engage with StorageReview** [Newsletter](https://www.storagereview.com/storage_newsletter) |  [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/StorageReview "Opens in a new window") | Podcast  [iTunes](https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/storagereview-com-storage-reviews/id1060681115 "Opens in a new window")/ [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/1y6VnznABhHeOSMOmbDTz0 "Opens in a new window") |  [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/storagereview/ "Opens in a new window") |  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/storagereview "Opens in a new window") |  [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@storagereview? "Opens in a new window") |  [RSS Feed](https://www.storagereview.com/rss.xml) ![]() ### Harold Fritts I have been in the tech industry since IBM created Selectric. My background, though, is writing. So I decided to get out of the pre-sales biz and return to my roots, doing a bit of writing but still being involved in technology. 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