Complementary relationship designed to accelerate and strengthen ATX’s expanding HFC portfolio

DALLAS AND SUGAR LAND, TX,
April 22, 2020
ATX Networks, a global leader in broadband access and media distribution solutions, and Applied Optoelectronics, Inc. (NASDAQ: AAOI), a leading provider of fiber-optic and cable broadband access equipment, have entered into a technology and manufacturing agreement. Under the terms of the agreement, AOI will immediately begin to manufacture ATX’s GigaXtend™ GMC amplifiers to provide MSOs with a seamless and evolutionary path for their installed base of outside plant amplifiers.

In addition to current and future GigaXtend amplifiers, ATX and AOI have agreed to work together to develop follow-on Distributed Access Architecture (DAA) and HFC technologies that will encompass a comprehensive array of products needed by MSOs as they continue to expand the capabilities of their networks.

“ATX is committed to providing MSOs with innovative and disruptive DAA and HFC solutions that enable timely and cost-effective upgrades and enhancements to their networks,” said ATX CEO Charlie Vogt. “Cable operators rely on their core technology supplier ecosystem to deliver solutions that enable sustainability and forward-looking roadmaps aligned with evolving spectrum extensions such as DOCSIS® 3.1 and DOCSIS® 4.0. Our strategic partnership with AOI accelerates our time to market and ability to scale globally, which is especially crucial at a time when MSOs are reassessing short- and long-term network upgrade plans in response to current and unprecedented broadband usage surges.”

“AOI has more than 17 years’ experience as a leading technology innovator and manufacturer of HFC equipment,” said AOI Founder, President and CEO Dr. Thompson Lin. “ATX’s deep technical knowledge, product portfolio, and customer relationships within the MSO community are a great complement to our capabilities and with this collaboration we expect to address the needs of the MSO community for continuity in the evolution of their networks.”

ATX recently introduced its GigaXtend GMC HFC amplifier portfolio, a family of 1.2GHz Line Extenders (LEs) and System Amplifiers (SAs) that offer MSOs both an upgrade path for a broad portion of the current installed base and the opportunity to invigorate outside plants with technology built to accommodate future spectrum increases of 1.8GHz and beyond. The new amplifiers bring additional breadth to ATX’s GigaXtend next-generation outside plant portfolio, which includes the UN3000 universal node and the SG and XS families of hardline 1.2GHz and 2GHz taps and passives.

Founded 23 years ago, AOI is a leading innovator in the design and manufacture of optical components and next-generation HFC equipment, possessing considerable expertise and resources in testing and fabrication. AOI’s excellence in quality, manufacturing and design is complemented by ATX’s deep history and technology expertise in the access networking and HFC markets. Both AOI’s and ATX’s amplifier development teams are based in Atlanta, and bring more than 20 years of experience in design and manufacturing to the GigaXtend amplifier portfolio.

AOI and ATX have been co-developing ATX’s next generation GigaXtend 1.2GHz line extenders and system amplifiers for the past several months. ATX’s GigaXtend amplifiers provide MSOs with an evolutionary route to 1.2GHz and higher upstream and downstream spectrum upgrades, including 1.8GHz and beyond.

ATX and AOI recently collaborated in the first demonstration of a working prototype of a Generic Access Platform (GAP) node at last year’s SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.

For more information about ATX or the GigaXtend outside plant portfolio, please visit www.atx.com.

About ATX Networks

ATX Networks is a global leader in broadband access and media distribution solutions. ATX’s market-leading and award-winning solutions are based on Agile Innovation design principles, enabling communications service providers to futureproof and evolve their networks in lockstep with market demand. ATX partners with the world’s most innovative cable, satellite, fixed telecom, wireless and media broadcast service providers to usher in a new era of ubiquitous gigabit broadband that will meet the communications needs of this generation and the next. For further information, visit ATX at www.atx.com, and follow us on Twitter @ATXNetworksCorp.

About AOI

Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI) is a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced optical products, including components, modules and equipment. AOI’s products are the building blocks for broadband fiber access networks around the world, where they are used in the internet datacenter, CATV broadband, telecom and FTTH markets. AOI supplies optical networking lasers, components and equipment to tier-1 customers in all four of these markets. In addition to its corporate headquarters, wafer fab and advanced engineering and production facilities in Sugar Land, TX, AOI has engineering and manufacturing facilities in Taipei, Taiwan and Ningbo, China. For additional information, visit www.ao-inc.com.