The exponential growth in IP data traffic is forcing service providers to upgrade their Point-of-Presence (POP) with higher performance and scalable Layer 3 backbone switches and routers. In order to keep costs down for their network expansions, Internet service providers (ISPs) are looking for intra-POP connectivity between the multigigabit backbone routers and edge routers using high-port density OC3/Packet-over-SONET/SDH (PoS) interfaces.The 16-Port OC-3/Packet-over-SONET Line Card offers high-density intra-POP connectivity between the Cisco 12000 GSR and other lower-end routers (such as the Cisco 7500 router or Cisco 12008 GSR). Service providers will benefit from this high-density OC-3/PoS card by eliminating or reducing the need to implement and operate an intermediate layer of networking equipment between the Cisco 12000 GSR and other routers.