Huawei Brings Forward Ascend 960DT Launch to Q1 2027
U.S. export controls have restricted Chinese access to Nvidia’s most advanced AI accelerators and leading-edge chipmaking equipment, increasing the strategic value of domestic suppliers such as Huawei Technologies. Huawei is betting that its Ascend processors, UnifiedBus interconnect and Peerium Computing Architecture can offset weaker individual chips by combining vast numbers of processors into one system. The approach targets Nvidia’s hardware lead and its entrenched CUDA software ecosystem, while supporting Beijing’s drive for semiconductor self-sufficiency.
At Huawei Connect in Shanghai on Sept. 17, rotating chairman David Wang said the training-focused Ascend 960DT would be ready in the first quarter of 2027, three quarters earlier than planned; the inference-oriented 960PR is due in the third quarter. Huawei said a 256,000-card Atlas 950 SuperCluster, the first generation built on Peerium, is already being deployed, while the new Atlas 960 SuperPoD links 4,096 processors. Capacity remains a constraint: Huawei says domestic demand already exceeds supply, limiting overseas sales.
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The history behind this eventHuawei Sees 2026 AI Chip Revenue Reaching $12 Billion as Ascend Takes Nvidia China Share
Continued U.S. restrictions on exports of Nvidia’s advanced AI chips to China have prompted Chinese cloud and model developers to accelerate adoption of domestic alternatives. Huawei’s Ascend series has consequently become a key source of chips for major AI companies including DeepSeek, Alibaba and Tencent, directly affecting Nvidia’s orders and market share in China.
Huawei expects AI chip revenue to reach $12 billion in 2026, up 60% from 2025. Growth will be driven mainly by the Ascend 950PR processor, which entered mass production in March 2026. As U.S. export controls constrain Nvidia’s ability to supply the Chinese market, Huawei is capturing more of the country’s demand for AI computing.
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