AMT launches URLO optical hub site for new network builds

Advanced Media Technologies has introduced URLO, a hardened optical transport hub that can be deployed without a building, HVAC or on-site staffing. AMT says the system can cut capital costs by up to 90% and aims at FTTx expansion in new and underserved markets.

Why it matters: - AMT is targeting one of the biggest barriers to network expansion: the cost and delay of building a staffed, cooled hub site before service can launch. - The company says URLO can lower the capital hurdle enough to make more new markets financially viable. - AMT says the approach is aimed at providers, cooperatives and utilities that need faster expansion, remote power control and SCADA management.

What happened: - Advanced Media Technologies introduced the Ultra Reliable Lightwave Orchestrator, or URLO, on September 29, 2026. - URLO is a hardened, fully powered optical hub site that does not require a building, staff or cooling infrastructure. - AMT unveiled the system at SCTE TechExpo 2026 in Atlanta, at Booth H1432. - AMT invited providers to bring stalled site projects for a modeled comparison and offered meetings and site surveys through sales@amt.com.

The details: - AMT says a complete URLO site, including hardware, engineering, installation and civil work, can deploy for up to 90% less capital than a traditional hub building. - Craig Hugueley, Engineering Fellow and Technology Solutions Strategist at AMT, said 11 URLO sites can be deployed for the capital cost of one hub building. - URLO is built primarily on products from ATX, Zhone and Redde. - The system includes a temperature-hardened CDC-Flexgrid ROADM, an optical broadband cabinet, a primary rectifier, a hybrid supercapacitor and a solid oxide fuel cell. - The transport layer delivers up to 25.6 Tbps across a single fiber pair. - AMT says the system reaches up to 800 km. - The enclosure is rated from −40°C to +65°C and does not require HVAC. - The ROADM is colorless, directionless and contentionless, which allows wavelengths to be added, dropped and rerouted remotely without a truck roll. - AMT says the system is engineered to 99.999% reliability. - Clayton Zekelman, CEO of Zhone Technologies, said the company’s Saber product line includes FlexGrid, integrated OTDR, OSC and a Coherent Probe for real-time optical performance testing in a 1RU footprint. - In a simulated 72-hour grid outage, the URLO power system ran the full duration with zero interruption to the load. - AMT says the hybrid supercapacitor took the load instantly when grid power dropped. - AMT says the solid oxide fuel cell held a steady 1.3 kW output during the outage. - Matt Kuester, SVP Energy Storage at ATX Networks, said AMT incorporated NFPA-recognized energy storage from the ATX Networks Areca product line. - AMT positions URLO for FTTx expansion into new and underserved territories, hub site reduction, and remote power and SCADA management.

Between the lines: - URLO is designed to shift network build decisions from infrastructure-heavy site construction to a more modular deployment model. - The pitch is not just technical performance; it is economic feasibility, especially in markets that have stalled because of permitting, power or construction constraints. - AMT is pairing the product launch with a proof point on resilience, using the grid-outage test to frame the system as both transport and power infrastructure.

What's next: - AMT is showing URLO throughout SCTE TechExpo 2026 in Atlanta from September 29 to October 1. - The company is seeking conversations with operators that have delayed site builds because of hub cost, permitting or power issues. - AMT says it will conduct site surveys and modeled comparisons for interested customers. - More information is available at AMT and on LinkedIn.

The bottom line: - AMT is betting that removing the building from optical hub deployment can unlock faster, cheaper broadband expansion in places that are uneconomic under the traditional model.