The rapid acceptance and accelerated growth of the Internet is quickly transforming the mix of traffic crossing public networks. To compete effectively in a data-driven economy, service providers need an optical transport infrastructure optimized for packets combined with the scalability and the flexibility to support unimagined IP-based applications.Cisco Systems, Inc. has developed the OC-48/STM-16 packet-over-SONET/SDH line card which provides a unique combination of performance and class-of-service (CoS) features for delivering advanced end-to-end networking features. The high performance switching engine integrates WRED and innovative ASIC-based queue scheduling algorithm Modified Deficit Round Robin (MDRR). These allow service providers to offer differentiated services with deterministic traffic behavior in the core of the network. This product combines leadership features with industry-leading cost-per-bit metrics for 2.5 Gbps packet optimized transport infrastructures. Taken together, service providers can use this product to build flexible and cost-effective infrastructures to compete effectively in an Internet-driven economy. The OC-48/STM-16 packet-over-SONET/SDH line card can be configured with either short-reach 1310 nm optics or long-reach 1550 nm optics. Using short-reach 1310 nm optics, a service provider can connect into a traditional SONET/SDH solution or a transponder-based dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) solution. Using long-reach 1550 nm optics (24 dBm power budget), a service provider can light dark fiber and connect two Cisco 12000 GSR routers in a point-to-point configuration to eliminate a transport layer of equipment, helping reduce networking and operational costs.