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DIRECTV to Acquire EchoStar’s Video Distribution Business, Including DISH TV and Sling TV

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2 years ago

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Will Provide U.S. Consumers with More Flexibility and Better Value in the Highly Competitive Video Industry Currently Dominated by Large Tech Companies and Programmers

DIRECTV Will Be Better Able to Work with Programmers to Deliver to Consumers Smaller Content Packages at Lower Price Points

Combined Company Will Be Better Able to Bring Together Multiple Content Sources in One Easily Accessible Place

Improves EchoStar’s Financial Profile as It Continues to Enhance and Further Deploy Its Nationwide 5G Open RAN Wireless Network

DIRECTV to Host Conference Call Today at 9:30 AM ET

EchoStar to Host Conference Call Today at 8:30 AM ET

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. and ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DIRECTV (the “Company”) and EchoStar (NASDAQ: SATS) today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which DIRECTV will acquire EchoStar’s video distribution business DISH DBS (“DISH”), including DISH TV and Sling TV, through a debt exchange transaction. The combination of DIRECTV and DISH will benefit U.S. video consumers by creating a more robust competitive force in a video industry dominated by streaming services owned by large tech companies and programmers. The transaction will provide consumers with compelling video options while separately improving EchoStar’s financial profile as it continues to enhance and further deploy its nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network.

“DIRECTV operates in a highly competitive video distribution industry,” said Bill Morrow, Chief Executive Officer, DIRECTV. “With greater scale, we expect a combined DIRECTV and DISH will be better able to work with programmers to realize our vision for the future of TV, which is to aggregate, curate, and distribute content tailored to customers’ interests, and to be better positioned to realize operating efficiencies while creating value for customers through additional investment.”

“This agreement is in the best interests of EchoStar’s customers, shareholders, bondholders, employees, and partners,” said Hamid Akhavan, President and Chief Executive Officer, EchoStar. “With an improved financial profile, we will be better positioned to continue enhancing and deploying our nationwide 5G Open RAN wireless network. This will provide U.S. wireless consumers with more choices and help to drive innovation at a faster pace. We expect DISH and EchoStar bondholders to benefit from two companies with stronger financial profiles and more sustainable capital structures.”

“DIRECTV was founded 30 years ago to give consumers greater choices than incumbent cable companies for video content, and the Company’s acquisition of DISH TV and Sling TV positions it to again provide more choices and better value in an industry currently dominated by large streaming platforms,” said David Trujillo and John Flynn, Partners at TPG. “Our ability to execute these transactions, alongside our proposed acquisition of AT&T’s 70% stake in DIRECTV announced earlier today, exemplifies the unique capabilities of the TPG platform and our experienced sector-focused investment approach as we support DIRECTV’s continued investment in innovating the next generation of video services that benefit consumers.”

Compelling Transaction Benefits

A combination of DIRECTV and DISH will help the new company provide consumers with more choices and better value. The combined video company is expected to:

Have increased scale to incentivize programmers to allow DIRECTV to deliver smaller packages at lower price points.

Be better positioned to bring together multiple content sources in one easily accessible place.

Have an enhanced ability to make the investments required to improve its streaming services.

Improve the viability of the satellite platform by realizing efficiencies of some shared fixed infrastructure and operating expenses.

Continue to provide the broadest array of programming and diverse voices available on pay TV, including local news.

The transaction will also benefit U.S. wireless consumers by allowing EchoStar to focus on enhancing and further deploying its 5G Open RAN cloud-native wireless network. This transaction will:

Alleviate a material portion of EchoStar’s financial constraints.

Free up operational and financial resources that EchoStar can dedicate to its mission of deploying a nationwide facilities-based wireless service to compete with dominant incumbent wireless carriers. 

Benefit consumers by enabling EchoStar (through its Boost Mobile brand) to strengthen its position as the fourth facilities-based carrier in the U.S.

Enable EchoStar to further leverage its satellite assets and experience, including developing innovative direct-to-device (D2D) solutions. 

Highly Competitive Industry

The video distribution industry has undergone a massive transformation and is highly competitive, now dominated by streaming services owned by large tech companies and programmers.

Streaming services owned by large tech companies and programmers now have subscription numbers that far exceed those of pay TV distributors.

Content that was historically the mainstay of traditional pay TV – news, sports, and entertainment – is now available exclusively or first-run on direct-to-consumer streaming services.

The vast majority of consumers who leave satellite video are “cutting the cord” for streaming services – wherever they live. Combined, DIRECTV and DISH have collectively lost 63% of their satellite customers since 2016.

Traditional pay TV penetration in U.S. households is now less than 50%.

Improve Both Companies’ Financial Profiles

The transaction is expected to strengthen the financial profiles of DIRECTV and EchoStar, creating opportunities for additional investment.

Upon transaction close, DIRECTV expects to have a leverage position just over 2.0x, and plans to reduce to under 2.0x within 12 months, consistent with its stated 1.5x – 2.0x financial policy on a pro forma basis. As a result, DIRECTV will have one of the best leverage profiles in the pay TV industry.  

DIRECTV estimates that the combination of DIRECTV and DISH has the potential to generate cost synergies of at least $1 billion per annum. These synergies are expected to be achieved by the third anniversary of closing, assuming the closing is in late 2025.1

The transaction will provide EchoStar with greater financial flexibility by improving its access to capital and reducing overall refinancing needs.At close, EchoStar will have reduced its total consolidated debt (excluding financing leases and other notes payable) by approximately $11.7 billion and reduced its consolidated refinancing needs through 2026 by approximately $6.7 billion (excluding financing leases and other notes payable).

The transaction, in conjunction with the exchange offer announced today (the “Exchange Offer”), will also result in the termination of all Intercompany Obligations between DISH Network and DISH DBS and creates the ability for EchoStar to fully unencumber the 3.45-3.55 GHz spectrum, unlocking incremental strategic and operating flexibility.

Transaction Details

Under the terms of the purchase agreement, DIRECTV will acquire EchoStar’s video distribution business, including DISH TV and Sling TV, in exchange for a nominal consideration of $1 plus the assumption of DISH DBS net debt. DISH Network will also benefit from the releases of a substantial amount of intercompany receivables, including spectrum, but will have contractually limited access to the cash flow generated by its business between signing and closing. DISH DBS and DIRECTV have commenced the Exchange Offer for five different series of DISH DBS notes with a total face value of approximately $9.75 billion, including seeking certain consents from the holders of such notes to facilitate the acquisition. The indentures governing the new DISH DBS notes will provide for an amendment without the consent of holders of the new DISH DBS notes to allow for the mandatory exchange of such notes following receipt of certain regulatory approvals and provided the acquisition has been or will be consummated before the outside date described in the purchase agreement, into a reduced principal amount of DIRECTV debt which will have terms and collateral that mirror DIRECTV’s existing secured debt. Such mandatory exchange is conditioned, amongst other things, on an aggregate reduction in the principal amount of DISH DBS’ notes in such exchange of at least $1.568 billion. If noteholders do not accept the Exchange Offer on terms satisfactory to DIRECTV, including to the extent the above mentioned minimum principal reduction is not achieved, it has the right to terminate the acquisition without closing.

The transaction is subject to various closing conditions, including, but not limited to, a requisite amount of the outstanding DISH DBS notes being tendered into the Exchange Offer, completion of a pre-closing reorganization, and receipt of required regulatory approvals.

In addition, TPG Angelo Gordon and certain of its Co-Investors, as well as DIRECTV, provided $2.5 billion of financing to fully refinance DISH DBS’ November 2024 debt maturity. The proceeds of the funding will be distributed to DISH DBS via a secured intercompany loan to fully repay DISH DBS’ November 2024 debt maturity and for general corporate purposes. The financing can be exchanged or refinanced into DIRECTV debt at the closing of the acquisition.

“We built our business to provide bespoke financing solutions. We are pleased to partner with DIRECTV and DISH DBS on a transaction that is value-enhancing for all stakeholders,” said Ryan Mollett, Partner, and Michael Ginnings, Managing Director, TPG Angelo Gordon.

Leadership and Corporate Governance

Upon closing of this transaction, DIRECTV will be led by a proven management team that reflects the strengths and capabilities of both organizations. DIRECTV will continue to be led by Bill Morrow, DIRECTV’s Chief Executive Officer, and Ray Carpenter, DIRECTV’s Chief Financial Officer. The combined company will be headquartered in El Segundo, California.

TPG Inc. to Acquire AT&T’s 70% Stake in DIRECTV

TPG Inc. (NASDAQ: TPG) and AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) today announced a definitive agreement under which TPG will acquire from AT&T the remaining 70% stake in DIRECTV that it does not already own. TPG will invest in DIRECTV through TPG Capital, the firm’s U.S. and European private equity platform. The transaction between TPG and AT&T is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Completion of this transaction is not contingent on DIRECTV’s acquisition of DISH.

For more information on the terms of the change in ownership, please review the press release.

Timing and Approvals

The transaction, which the boards of directors of both companies have unanimously approved, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to the receipt of regulatory approvals, the successful closing of the Exchange Offer, and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.

Please visit www.BrighterTVFuture.com for more information and updates about the transaction.

Advisors

PJT Partners is acting as lead financial advisor to DIRECTV. Barclays is acting as lead financial advisor to TPG. J.P. Morgan is acting as lead financial advisor to EchoStar. BofA Securities, Evercore, LionTree and Morgan Stanley also provided financial advice to DIRECTV and TPG. Ropes & Gray LLP, Crowell & Moring LLP and HWG LLP, are acting as legal counsel to DIRECTV. Ropes & Gray LLP, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP and Mintz, Levin are providing regulatory advice to TPG. White & Case LLP and Steptoe & Johnson PLLC are acting as legal counsel to EchoStar.

Respective Conference Call and Webcast Details

DIRECTV Details:
Time: 9:30 a.m. EDT
Dial-In: 1-833-470-1428
Conference ID: 751806
Webcast: https://www.netroadshow.com/events/login?show=b9ad3e01&confId=71772

EchoStar Details:
Time: 8:30 a.m. EDT
Dial-In: (877) 484-6065 (U.S.) and (201) 689-8846
Conference ID: 13749306
Presentation/Details: ir.echostar.com 

About DIRECTV

As a leader in sports and entertainment for 30 years, DIRECTV provides industry-leading content and an amazing user experience with or without a satellite. By reimagining what is possible, DIRECTV’s mission is to aggregate, curate and deliver exceptional, innovative service tailored to customers’ interests. In 2023, DIRECTV elevated the customer experience by delivering Gemini, which can integrate customers’ content from their third-party streaming services onto a single one-stop, digital experience. At DIRECTV, the sports season never ends, and customers are treated to broadcasts of several major sports, including the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and multiple domestic and international soccer leagues. DIRECTV provides customers the choice of watching sports, movies, and TV shows on their TVs at home or their favorite mobile devices via the DIRECTV app.

About EchoStar

EchoStar Corporation (Nasdaq: SATS) is a premier provider of technology, networking services, television entertainment and connectivity, offering consumer, enterprise, operator, and government solutions worldwide under its EchoStar®, Boost Mobile®, Sling TV, DISH TV, Hughes®, HughesNet®, HughesON™ and JUPITER™ brands. In Europe, EchoStar operates under its EchoStar Mobile Limited subsidiary and in Australia, the company operates as EchoStar Global Australia. For more information, visit www.echostar.com and follow EchoStar on X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.

©2024 EchoStar. Hughes, HughesNet, DISH and Boost Mobile are registered trademarks of one or more affiliate companies of EchoStar Corp.

Additional Information About the Transaction and Where to Find It

This press release references certain terms of the Exchange Offer but does not purport to be a comprehensive summary of the terms of the Exchange Offer. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to purchase, any securities and, shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. 

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release has been prepared by DIRECTV (“we”, “us” or the “Company”) for informational purposes only and for the exclusive use of the recipient. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this press release are forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements give our current expectations and projections relating to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business, including the pending acquisition of DBS. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that we have made in light of our industry experience and our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors we believe are appropriate under the circumstances. You should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results. They involve risks, uncertainties (many of which are beyond our control) and assumptions. In particular, the estimated cost synergies disclosed herein were projected by DIRECTV’s management. DIRECTV may fail to realize, or not realize in the amounts anticipated or within the expected timeframe, the estimated synergies, because, among other factors, these cost synergies may require capital investment or integration expenses, and many of these cost savings can only be realized following negotiations with third parties, whose support and cooperation cannot be assured. We operate in a highly competitive, consumer and technology driven and rapidly changing business, regulatory and various other factors could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations in the future and cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements.  Although we believe that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, you should be aware that many factors could affect our actual operating and financial performance and cause our performance to differ materially from the performance anticipated in the forward-looking statements.  Should one or more of these uncertainties materialize, or should any of these assumptions prove incorrect, our actual operating and financial performance may vary in material respects from the performance projected in these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release speaks only as of the date on which we make it. Factors or events that could cause our actual operating and financial performance to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Contacts

DIRECTV

Investor Contact:
investors@directv.com 

Media Contact:
media@directv.com 

EchoStar

Investor and Media Contact:
news@dish.com 

1 DIRECTV’s estimate of cost synergies consists, among other factors, of selling, general and administrative savings (including from reduction in overhead expenses, elimination of overlapping support functions, consolidation of customer support resources and rationalization of sales force), technological and engineering savings (including from elimination of duplicate tech investments, consolidation of service platforms, upgrading to more efficient technical services and digitization of billing and collection processes), as well as content and procurement savings (including by benefiting from preferential rates, elimination of overlapping contracts, improved ability to repackage channels and reduction in rate card disparities). Any potential synergies will be realized over time, and may require capital investment or integration expenses, or negotiations with third parties which may not be successful and may be offset by subscriber losses or increased costs and expenses. Cost synergies assume a closing date by September 30, 2025.

 

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SOURCE DIRECTV

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Faith: The Spark Born by the Yudu Riverside

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6 hours ago

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October 18, 2026

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BEIJING, Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — An interview from China.org.cn with Wang Xiaohui and David Ferguson on the Long March:

David Ferguson:

This is the Yudu River. One dusk in October, 1934, more than 86,000 soldiers of the Red Army crossed this river and embarked on the Long March, a two-year saga that has left its mark in history.

Yet, lingering here by the river, I am struck by a simple question: If you have faith in a bright future, and reality seems to thwart you at every turn, where do you find the moral strength to keep believing?

Wang Xiaohui:

At dusk on Oct. 17, 1934, an army of more than 86,000 troops gathered along the banks of the Yudu River. Over 800 boats of all sizes floated on the water, bound together with planks collected from villagers’ home gates, timber beams, and even coffin boards reserved for elderly locals. The people of Yudu built this pontoon bridge, determined to help the army led by the Communist Party of China (CPC) cross the river.

At that time, no one knew that the great expedition embarked upon by the banks of the Yudu River would go on to transform China and exert far-reaching influence across the world.

China in the 1920s and 1930s was plagued by chaos and despair.

The Kuomintang (KMT), the ruling party back then, was not capable of unifying the nation, leaving warlords locked in endless fighting. In 1931, Japanese invaders launched an assault on northeastern China, beginning their invasion. Crushed under domestic turbulence and foreign aggression, countless civilians were displaced, with many even starving to death on the streets; in certain regions, severe drought resulted in zero harvests, yet the farmers were forced to pay land taxes assessed for more than a decade into the future.

Amid this turmoil, the only glimmer of hope for the Chinese nation was kindled by the revolution ignited by the Communist Party of China.

The CPC, dedicated to winning liberation for the people and national independence, built contingents of workers’ and peasants’ Red Army troops and revolutionary base areas across the countryside. Impoverished farmers were granted land ownership, as well as unprecedented political dignity. On Nov. 7, 1931, the Chinese Soviet Republic was officially proclaimed in Ruijin, then a small village in southeastern China’s Jiangxi Province, establishing a Soviet system under which workers, peasants and soldiers elected representatives to run regional affairs and make policies.

The communist ideal of a fair society free from exploitation and equality for all blazed like a spark in the darkness; it kindled hopes among impoverished Chinese and became the wellspring of faith that enabled the Red Army — a force made up of poor workers and peasants — to overcome all hardships in the days to come.

Yet, bright as the spark was, it burned thin and fragile at times. Could this flame still endure when the ideals it carried were repeatedly battered by harsh reality?

In September 1933, flocks of warplanes clouded the skies over the Red Army’s revolutionary base areas. By then, Japanese invaders were steadily advancing towards North China, but Chiang Kai-shek’s KMT turned a blind eye to the looming national crisis. They mobilized over a million troops and more than 200 aircraft to launch a massive offensive at the Red Army’s base areas. Over the previous three years, Chiang Kai-shek had mounted four major military “encirclement” campaigns aimed at exterminating the Red Army, but all ended in failure. He was desperate for a pivotal victory to restore his prestige and to wipe out the CPC and the Red Army.

At the time, the commander of the Red Army abandoned mobile warfare tactics pioneered by Mao Zedong and other commanders, opting instead for rigid positional warfare involving conventional head-on clashes. But the reality was, some Red Army units didn’t even possess a single light machine gun; how could they confront the heavily-armed KMT army head-on?

Zhong Ming, a Red Army medic, could never erase the memories of gravely wounded soldiers being carried to his aid station. He remembered how a soldier whose chest was blown open begged his comrades to end his life. At the frontline, a whole battalion of Red Army soldiers religiously followed orders to defend crude earth-and-wood bunkers, but under the constant barrage of KMT artillery and airstrikes, every soldier in the battalion laid down their lives; not a single man survived.

What’s more heart-wrenching is that no matter how fearlessly the Red Army fought, the steep imbalance in military strength, paired with erroneous military command led to irreversible losses. By October 1934, the KMT’s iron-clad encirclement closed menacingly around Ruijin.

Faced with this dead-end, what decision would you make?

This stood as the most agonizing decision for the Red Army. The biggest challenge lay not in sacrificing one’s life for an ideal, but in finding a way to keep the revolutionary cause alive.

To stay meant defeat — the Red Army had no room to maneuver within the Central Revolutionary Base Area. To break through the encirclement, however slim the odds, offered a fighting chance. Preserving the Red Army as a living force mattered much more than clinging to isolated strongholds. Where the spark survives, the path ahead remains lit.

The air already turned chilly in October. Units of the Central Red Army assembled in Yudu to prepare for a strategic shift. The plan was kept strictly classified; none of the soldiers knew they were evacuating the base areas, only sensing an unusual vibe.

At dusk on Oct. 17, crowds lined up at the Yudu riverbank. Tens of thousands of villagers flocked from every corner to see the Red Army off. They walked alongside the marching columns, slipping food like eggs and glutinous rice balls into the soldiers’ pockets, praying for their swift homecoming.

The main force of the Central Red Army set off. Within days, they left behind revolutionary base areas where they had survived, grown and taken root. No one anticipated that the journey they embarked on would become the Long March, a trek spanning over 10 provinces. Still less could anyone imagine that this journey would ultimately pave the way for a brand-new China.

Looking back on this chapter of history, many claim that the Red Army only set out on this expedition because the enemies left them no other choice. To a degree, yes, the Long March was indeed a forced strategic shift, yet this fact does nothing to diminish its greatness and glory.

The ordinary Red Army soldiers had no idea how far they would march, or where they were heading. But they clung firmly to their founding mission: to deliver liberation for the people and independence to the nation. This unswerving conviction kept them from disintegrating through countless perils, sustaining them as they marched into the unknown with resolve.

David Ferguson:

I now realize that faith and ideals untested by harsh reality may have no true substance.

Since its founding, the Communist Party of China has always upheld the realization of communism as its fundamental goal. Despite devastating losses and extreme adversity, the Red Army continued to press forward resolutely and never faltered. Its inner strength came from an unshakable belief in the cause, an unwavering commitment to the founding aspiration, and a profound sense of mission. The Red Army was never fleeing pursuers in search of safety; it was marching forward to a future in which it had a steadfast belief.

Wang Xiaohui:

The Long March went on for two years. The Red Army trekked 25,000 li across some of China’s harshest terrain, but they kept their heads high, seeking hope amid despair and marching towards light through unending darkness. The lofty ideals and sense of mission they upheld have also become the torch that guides generations of CPC members in the following centennial, tempering them into steel as they press forward unswervingly toward national rejuvenation.

That spark lit along the Yudu River has never dimmed since.

China Mosaic
http://www.china.org.cn/video/node_7230027.htm

Faith: The Spark Born by the Yudu Riverside
http://www.china.org.cn/2026-10/16/content_118736835.shtml

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Linktel Technologies Highlights Breakthrough 1.6T LPO Performance & Strong Market Pull at OCP 2026

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7 hours ago

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October 18, 2026

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SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — At the recent 2026 OCP Global Summit, Linktel Technologies showcased its cutting-edge optical interconnect portfolios engineered specifically for next-generation AI computing networks. Among the heavy lineup, Linktel’s 1.6T Linear Pluggable Optics (LPO) solutions commanded immense industry attention, drawing heavy customer interest for their unprecedented energy efficiency, ultra-low latency, and supply-chain resilience.

Spotlight: 1.6T LPO Performance & High Customer Traction

AI data centers face immense scaling pressures, demanding higher bandwidth densities with tighter thermal and power budgets. Linktel’s 1.6T LPO solutions—highlighted by the 1.6T LPO 2DR4—delivered standout performance metrics that captured the spotlight at the summit:

Ultra-Low Power Consumption: Operates with power consumption as low as an impressive 10W, drastically mitigating data center cooling and power loads.Minimal Latency: Features a linear optics architecture that cuts down signal processing delays, making it a critical asset for high-performance AI scale-out fabrics.Enhanced Supply-Chain Resilience: Eliminating the optical DSP mitigates component choke points, ensuring robust scalability for mass deployments.Proven Interoperability: Following its breakthrough performance and multi-switch platform interoperability at the early September 2026 1.6T LPO-MSA Plugfest, Linktel has laid a solid foundation for the 200G-per-wavelength ecosystem.

Surging Market Interest

Throughout OCP 2026, Linktel’s live demonstrations of its 1.6T LPO, LRO, and FRO modules drew crowds of data center architects and industry partners. With volume production already in place, Linktel is fully equipped to meet the exploding market demand for energy-efficient, high-density 1.6T connectivity.

Overview of Other Innovations at OCP 2026

In addition to the heavily requested 1.6T LPO lineup, Linktel showcased two other major high-speed architectural pillars:

12.8T Liquid-Cooled XPO:Featured a live thermal demonstration integrating advanced liquid cooling to guarantee stable operations in high-density AI nodes.As a founding member of the XPO MSA, Linktel is actively scaling XPO series with FRO, LRO, and LPO variants for comprehensive scale-up, scale-out, and scale-across frameworks.6.4T/7.2T NPO Modules:Displayed with covers removed to reveal internal architectural designs supporting both ELS and ILS configurations.Combines compact high density with low power and low latency, backed by an established 6.4T/7.2T NPO roadmap.DMD Technology & Executive Presentation:Linktel Engineer Director Dr. Grace Zhang hosted a heavily attended Executive Session titled “Dispersion Managed Transceiver for Next-Gen AI Fabrics,” detailing cost-effective 800G (20km) and 1.6T (10km) solutions for OCS SuperPOD architectures, as well as the feasibility of 400G per lambda (3km).With its DMD product line already in volume production, Linktel actively calls upon ecosystem partners to join forces in collaborative development. To drive ecosystem maturity, Linktel is open to sharing its U.S.-filed patents, paving the way for industry-wide adoption and advancements in next-gen AI fabrics.

About Linktel Technologies

Linktel Technologies is a global leader in optical transceiver development and manufacturing, supplying high-speed optical I/O connectivity—including pluggable transceivers, optical engines, and ODM/JDM services.

For more information, visit www.linktel.com or follow Linktel Technologies on LinkedIn.

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Advanced Manufacturing in Focus: Smart Life and Robotics Take the Spotlight at 140th Canton Fair

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8 hours ago

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October 18, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 18, 2026 /CNW/ — Phase 1 of the 140th Canton Fair, themed “Advanced Manufacturing,” opened on October 15 and will run through October 19. As one of the event’s most closely watched sections, the Consumer Electronics and Information Products zone once again serves as a showcase for the latest achievements in China’s manufacturing and technology industries.

Smart Life Solutions Address an Aging and Globalized Market

A highlight of this section is the focus on smart living, which brings together smart solutions designed to support healthier, safer, and more independent lifestyles.

For example, wearable devices and continuous glucose monitoring systems enable convenient tracking of key health indicators such as heart rate and blood glucose levels. Meanwhile, wearable exoskeletons and other AI-powered devices support mobility training and functional recovery. For home and elderly care, companion robots, electric nursing beds and home-use hyperbaric oxygen chambers, offer a combination of daily care, wellness support and lifestyle assistance. All these solutions highlight a growing shift toward technology-enabled living, where health management, personal care, and independent living are becoming more accessible and connected.

Service Robots Demonstrate Expanding Real-World Applications

The Service Robot Zone remains one of the fair’s most popular attractions in this edition.

Among the crowd favorites is a humanoid robot standing roughly 70–80 centimeters tall. With its expressive movements and playful appearance, the robot draws constant attention as it dances, approaches visitors and occasionally performs flips to the delight of onlookers. Behind the product is a company that has overcome key challenges in compact joint modules and modular humanoid robot development. Its independently developed high-power-density joints deliver remarkable agility and explosive movement, while modular architecture provides flexibility for a wide range of future applications.

More broadly, the Service Robot Zone features exhibits spanning a wide range of application areas, including embodied intelligence, specialized operations, urban services, and smart living. Full-size humanoid robots, dexterous hands with multimodal sensing capabilities and wheeled robots highlight the latest advances in artificial intelligence, perception technologies and motion control. For demanding industrial and emergency environments, exhibitors are presenting robotic inspection systems, live-line maintenance robots and underwater propulsion robots designed to improve safety and operational efficiency.

The commercial services sector is also well represented through reception robots, façade-cleaning robots and fully automated coffee kiosks, while everyday life applications include wearable exoskeletons, robotic lawn mowers and educational robots for home use. Together, these exhibits demonstrate how China’s robotics industry is accelerating its transition from technological innovation to large-scale commercialization.

As the 140th Canton Fair gets underway, the showcased innovations highlight China’s growing strength in advanced manufacturing, turning cutting-edge technologies into practical, market-ready solutions for global customers.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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