The Cisco Visual Network Index predicts that by 2023, 5G speeds will be 13 times higher than the average mobile connection and 66% of the global population will have internet access. There will be nearly 30 billion devices/connections by 2023 - 45% of those will be mobile and average broadband speeds will rise from 46 Mbps to 110 Mbps. With millions of users and devices connecting to the network, the demands on the service provider network will not be limited to higher bandwidth at lower operating costs but will also require the capabilities to support new applications such as pervasive mobile broadband, massive IoT, tactile internet, smart city and virtual reality.

The Cisco Network Convergence System 540 Medium Density 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. With in-built trust anchor hardware infrastructure and anti-counterfeit protection along with software enabled security features, NCS 540 is most trusted and secured platform. 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 µs
• Precise frequency and phase/time synchronization using the latest industry standards
• Integrated GNSS receiver in some model
• Rich Quality of Service capabilities for different SLAs
• Security-Trust Anchor infrastructure, secure boot, image signing, run-time defense
• MEF 3.0 Compliant
• Excellent manageability
• Flexible consumption model
• Third-party app hosting

• 10/100/1000Base-T
• 1000Base-X
• 10GBase-X

• IEEE 802.1Q
• IEEE 802.3ad
• IEEE 802.1ab

• Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)
• Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE)