Telecom / Network Board • 1469mg Au/lb • Scrap: $6.07/lb
Cisco Telecom / Network Board — Representative photo
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | Cisco |
| Model / Type | OC-48 SONET Line Card Gen3 |
| Board Category | Telecom / Network Board |
| Gold Content | 1469mg per lb |
| Palladium Content | 218mg per lb |
| Copper Content | 24% |
| Scrap Value (per lb) | $6.07 |
| Min. Lot for Pickup | 50 lbs commercial |
Telecom-grade line cards and switching fabrics with the highest gold content of any commercial PCB type, due to gold-plated backplane connectors and ASIC chip bonding. The Cisco OC-48 SONET Line Card Gen3 contains approximately 1469mg of gold per pound, 218mg of palladium per pound, and 24% copper by weight. At current August 2026 market rates, this translates to approximately $6.07 per pound in scrap value.
Cisco is known for high-quality manufacturing standards, which often means higher precious metal content in their PCBs compared to generic alternatives. The gold plating on edge connectors, CPU socket pins, and high-speed signal traces is thicker and purer than consumer-grade boards, making them more valuable per pound at the refinery.
At ScrapMetalBuyers.com, we buy scrap circuit boards in bulk from data center decommissions, electronics recyclers, and ITAD companies. We focus on commercial-scale lots of 50 lbs or more. Sean handles every deal personally — no brokers, no middlemen, same-day payment.
Disclaimer: All prices are estimates based on August 2026 market conditions. Scrap circuit board prices change daily with gold, palladium, and copper spot prices. Call 754-310-2984 for a confirmed, locked-in quote.
Approximately 1469mg per pound of board weight. At current gold prices near $3,300/troy oz, that's about $311.71 per pound in gold value alone.
Approximately $6.07 per pound (August 2026). Prices change daily. Call 754-310-2984 for a confirmed quote.
We focus on commercial lots of 50 lbs or more. Call Sean at 754-310-2984 to arrange free pickup.
Yes — we buy mixed lots of server boards, GPU boards, telecom cards, and industrial boards together. No sorting required.
Yes. Scrap board prices are tied to gold, palladium, and copper spot prices, which fluctuate every trading day.
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OC-48 SONET line cards operate at 2.488 Gbps and use SONET/SDH framing for synchronous transport of TDM voice and data traffic. These cards contain SONET framer ASICs and clock recovery circuits. While older technology, these cards contain significant gold in their BGA packages and optical interface connectors. The age of these cards (typically 15–25 years old) means they are now primarily scrap material.
The third-generation platform represents the current or near-current technology generation for this product family. Third-generation boards use the latest BGA packaging technologies and may contain higher gold content per package due to finer-pitch connections in advanced node processors. These boards are typically 2–7 years old at current market conditions.
Legacy SONET network decommissioning as carriers migrate to packet-based Ethernet and MPLS networks, enterprise WAN upgrades, and utility communication system modernization projects. Large volumes are available as the last SONET networks are retired.
OC-48 SONET line cards are typically 15–25 years old and may show age-related oxidation. The precious metal content is unaffected by age. These cards are almost exclusively scrap material at this point.
We buy single boards and bulk lots. Free pickup for 50+ lbs. Same-day payment on approved lots.
📞 Call 754-310-2984 Get a Written Quote