The Cisco Visual Network Index^™ forecasts that global IP traffic will increase threefold by 2021, driven by both mobile and wireline traffic.

This explosion will be driven by next generation technologies such as 5G for mobile, Remote PHY for cable and Carrier Ethernet evolution. The service provider network of the future will not just provide exponentially higher bandwidth at lower operating costs but will also be capable of enabling new applications such as pervasive mobile broadband, massive IoT, tactile Internet, smart cities, and virtual reality. A growing number of M2M applications, such as smart meters, video surveillance, healthcare monitoring, transportation, and package or asset tracking, are contributing in a major way to the growth of devices and connections.

The Cisco^® Network Convergence System 540 Routers (NCS 540) are designed for cost-effective delivery of next-generation services and applications. These routers are temperature-hardened, high-throughput, small form factor, low-power-consumption devices suitable for both outdoor and indoor deployments. They are powered by the industry-leading carrier-class version of Cisco IOS XR Software designed for operational efficiency and service agility. Cisco IOS XR Software offers advanced features such as programmability, application awareness, network visibility, and automation. The Cisco NCS 540 series of routers is an intelligent converged access platform which enables service providers to deliver next-level business and entertainment experiences.

Key product highlights

• 1 RU small form factor with depth <300mm
• Side-to-side or front-to-back airflow
• Environmental hardened, suitable for deployments in indoor or outdoor cabinets
• Low power consumption, minimum <100W, typical <200W, maximum 250W
• Versatile Ethernet interface options: 10/100/1000M, 1/10/25/40/100G
• Low latency forwarding, typically <10 ms
• Precise frequency and phase/time synchronization using the latest industry standards
• Integrated GNSS receiver
• Rich Quality of Service capabilities for different SLAs
• MEF 3.0 Compliant
• Excellent manageability
• Flexible consumption model