Meta signs up to $6B deal with Corning for AI data center fiber optics

Meta announced a multi-year agreement worth up to $6 billion with Corning to supply fiber-optic cables for its expanding AI data centers in the United States (Meta, Jan 27). The contract focuses on next-generation optical fiber for high-speed networking in hyperscale facilities, where AI training and inference require massive bandwidth (CNBC, Reuters, WSJ). Corning will ramp up domestic production to meet Meta's requirements through at least 2030. The deal highlights physical infrastructure bottlenecks in AI scaling, where low-latency, high-throughput fiber interconnects are critical between servers and clusters. Multiple tier-1 outlets report the terms consistently and without contradiction. The agreement underscores that cabling and optics are strategic elements of AI infrastructure planning.

Why It Matters

• IT leaders should prioritize US-sourced fiber to reduce lead times and mitigate geopolitical supply risks for AI data center builds.
• Procurement teams must plan for 400G+ optics and higher-bandwidth cabling to support large-scale training and inference workloads.
• Hyperscalers' multibillion-dollar investments in cabling signal that enterprise AI projects will need denser, higher-throughput interconnects; budget and architecture accordingly.
• Corning's domestic production through at least 2030 should shorten delivery cycles and improve capacity planning for network and operations teams.