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The deal will see Corning expand its manufacturing capacity in North Carolina to meet demand
This week, Meta has announced an up to $6 billion multi-year agreement with glass specialist Corning to build the fibre optic cables used to connect AI data centres.
The deal, which will run until 2030 according to CNBC, will see fibre and optical solutions supplied to support Meta’s data centre projects across the US. This includes Meta’s flagship project, Hyperion, a five-gigawatt site in Richland Parish, Louisiana, as well as Prometheus, a one-gigawatt site in New Albany, Ohio.
“Building the most advanced data centers in the US requires world-class partners and American manufacturing,” said Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta. “We’re proud to partner with Corning — a company with deep expertise in optical connectivity and commitment to domestic manufacturing — for the high-performance fiber optic cables our AI infrastructure needs. This collaboration will help create good-paying, skilled US jobs, strengthen local economies, and help secure the US lead in the global AI race.”
Building large-scale AI data centres to support future demand is a cornerstone of Meta’s $600 billion AI infrastructure investment strategy.
The company currently has 26 data centres operational or under construction in the US, expecting to reach up to 20GW of capacity by 2030.
In turn, this investment will allow Corning to significantly expand its US facilities to meet demand, with Meta serving as an anchor tenant for the new expansion.
“The investment will expand our manufacturing footprint in North Carolina, support an increase in Corning’s employment levels in the state by 15 to 20 percent, and help sustain a highly skilled workforce of more than 5,000, including the scientists, engineers, and production teams at two of the world’s largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities,” said Corning’s chairman and CEO Wendell P. Weeks.
Corning’s shares rose 15.6% following the news.
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