Press Release

Heavy Reading Ranks Redback Networks #1 in New Broadband Edge Report 

Analyst Ranking Places Redback at Top in “IP Video and the New Broadband Edge” Report

SAN JOSE, Calif., December 6, 2005 – Redback Networks Inc. (NASDAQ: RBAK), a leading provider of next-generation broadband networking systems, today announced that Heavy Reading has ranked Redback Networks as the leading vendor in their published report entitled, “IP Video and the New Broadband Edge.” Heavy Reading analysts compared 11 primary equipment providers in the broadband edge market segment and evaluated their rankings based on a list of 19 in-depth metrics.

“As the telecom industry continues to evolve, service providers are being pressed to build out their broadband network architectures to move beyond simple connectivity, to bundling and integrating entertainment and communication services,” said Rick Thompson, Heavy Reading senior analyst. “Redback’s top vendor ranking reflects product excellence in specific key areas needed by carriers to deliver next-generation services such as IPTV and VoIP over the new broadband edge.”

Heavy Reading’s “IP Video and the New Broadband Edge” report assesses the impact that residential triple-play services, and to some extent business services, will have on telecom service provider broadband edge network architectures and the infrastructure vendors that supply them. Executives from major edge infrastructure vendors were interviewed to assess their current dedication to product development and other issues surrounding next-generation broadband edge networking.

“We are pleased that the Heavy Reading staff of analysts has selected Redback as the leading vendor in the broadband edge market,” said Marco Wanders, chief marketing officer, Redback Networks. “Our dedication to innovation with our proven SmartEdge® Service Gateway allows us to offer a best-of-breed solution that enables our customers to differentiate themselves in a competitive telecommunications landscape.”

For information about obtaining Heavy Reading’s “IP Video and the New Broadband Edge” report, please contact sales@heavyreading.com. Heavy Reading’s parent company is Light Reading -- the largest telecommunications news organization in the world.

About SmartEdge Product Family

Redback's SmartEdge family of products is designed to deliver advanced IP services and personalize IP broadband through subscriber management with a high degree of availability, scalability, and flexibility. In either edge aggregation or subscriber management applications, the SmartEdge platform helps carriers optimize initial capital expenditures, service provisioning and management, as well as ongoing operational costs associated with delivering services.

The SmartEdge platform is available as an Ethernet aggregator, edge router or Service Gateway. The SmartEdge Service Gateway combines the functionality of carrier class Ethernet aggregation, edge routing and advanced subscriber management to enable service providers to simplify its IP broadband aggregation network. By creating a single service control point, the SmartEdge Service Gateway helps service providers to deliver current and future IP broadband services in a granular and personalized fashion. As a router, the SmartEdge platform is a third-generation edge router for the aggregation of leased lines, ATM and Frame Relay and the delivery of MPLS VPN services.

About Redback Networks

Redback Networks Inc., a leading provider of next-generation broadband networking equipment, enables carriers and service providers to build Smart Broadband Networks that are personalized, adaptive and efficient. The Smart Broadband Network enables advanced IP based subscriber services to consumers, businesses and wholesale customers. The company's carrier-class, consumer-scale SmartEdge product family combines advanced subscriber management, carrier-class IP edge routing and highly scalable Ethernet aggregation functions. In conjunction with the NetOp™ Element and Policy Manager platforms the SmartEdge family provides a powerful and flexible infrastructure solution that enables delivery of next-generation Broadband IP services.

Founded in 1996 and headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales and technical support centers located worldwide, Redback Networks maintains a growing and global customer base of more than 500 carriers and service providers, including major local exchange carriers (LECs), inter-exchange carriers (IXCs), PTTs, service providers and ISPs. For more information, visit Redback Networks at www.redback.com.

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REDBACK and SmartEdge are trademarks registered at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. NetOp is a trademark of Redback Networks Inc. All other products or services mentioned are the trademark, service marks, registered trademarks or registered service marks of their respective owners.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

The statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements regarding Redback Network’s expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and including, without limitation, statements regarding Heavy Reading’s comparison of 11 primary equipment providers in the broadband edge market segment and evaluating their rankings based on a list of 19 in-depth metrics and whether Heavy Reading’s report stating Redback’s top vendor ranking reflects product excellence in specific key areas needed by carriers to deliver next-generation services such as IPTV and VoIP over the new broadband edge. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based upon information available to Redback Networks as of the date hereof, and Redback Networks assumes no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. These risks and other risks relating to Redback Network’s business are set forth in the documents filed by Redback Networks with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), specifically the most recent report on Form 10-K, Form 10-Q, Form 8-K, Redback’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-114352), and amendments thereto, and the other reports filed from time to time with the SEC.