The 3960 features a high-capacity switching fabric, four 10GbE ports and eight 1GbE ports in a compact single rack unit form factor (1RU) with redundant power supply modules. This efficient packaging design enables the 3960 to be deployed in a wide variety of physical environments and service-delivery topologies supporting 10G demarcation, enterprise customers, wireless backhaul providers, and 10G/1G applications.

The 3960 is based on Ciena’s field-proven True Carrier Ethernet^® technology, deployed by dozens of network operators in tens of thousands of homes and businesses. The switch combines the low cost and high capacity of Ethernet with thereliability, management, and service quality usually associated with SONET/SDH networking systems. The 3960 software architecture is based on the common serviceaware operating system used in all Ciena service delivery and aggregation switches to provide operational efficiency and consistent system and service attributes.

The core of the 3960 is a high-performance switching platform that incorporates the latest innovations in Ethernet switching technology, control plane protocols, and encapsulation techniques, and Carrier Ethernet Operations, Administration, and= Maintenance (OAM) mechanisms. The result of this combination is a state-ofthe- art design that enables the 3960 to deliver the sophisticated Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, superior Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) and virtual switching functions, and robust management and performance monitoring features required to support carrier-grade Layer 2 Virtual Private Networks (L2VPNs), mission-critical data, high-speed Internet, and high-quality IPTV and VoIP services.

The advanced design and service-rich architecture of the 3960 enable network operators to deploy reliable and scalable offerings that leverage the inherent high capacity and cost-effectiveness of Ethernet technology to generate maximum revenue. Ethernet business and transport services can be rolled out quickly and reliably, with scalable performance that reduces operating expenses, for low cost per subscriber in the short term and high system productivity and availability over the long term.

For more information, please download the 3960 - product datasheet.

Ciena may make changes from time to time to the products or specifications contained herein without notice.