Broadcom Introduces Next-Generation Chip

Broadcom Corp., the leading maker of semiconductors for cable modems, unveiled a chip that lets computer-networking equipment process video, voice and Internet data more efficiently at a lower cost. Broadcom said its StrataSwitch chip, costing about $100, performs functions of chip sets costing $500 to $1,000. It would be used in switches that receive information from computers in a network and transmit it to other computers or switches. Broadcom expects products featuring the chip to be available by year-end. Shares of Irvine-based Broadcom Class A shares jumped $7.38 to close at $127.44 on Nasdaq.