Verizon and Corning agree to multibillion-dollar fiber supply deal for AI and broadband expansion

Verizon and Corning have reached a multi-year agreement for more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber as demand for AI infrastructure grows.

The companies did not disclose a specific value, but described the agreement as a multibillion-dollar deal running through 2032. Verizon expects the fiber deployment to support up to 50 million broadband passings in the United States. The expansion will extend fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and local business connectivity while linking cell towers, data centers, and residential areas to the same high-capacity backbone.

The agreement builds on Verizon’s 30-year relationship with Corning. The deployment will use Corning’s Contour Flow ribbon cable, which is designed to allow operators to install more optical fiber within existing conduit pathways.

Verizon also outlined its AI Connect strategy, which identifies high-density fiber as a key part of the infrastructure required for AI development by hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Verizon has a separate AI-focused networking agreement with AWS.

The companies said the broader objective is to extend the benefits of AI infrastructure to consumers, businesses, schools, and communities across the United States.

“Securing this volume of fiber allows us to continue building the network of the future at an unprecedented scale,” said Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business. “We are deploying a single, converged architecture that unites mobile connectivity and broadband into one seamless experience for millions of families and businesses, while simultaneously building the high-capacity, low-latency backbone AI hyperscalers demand. With Corning as our partner, we are securing the physical foundation of America’s AI economy.”

“Corning is thrilled to deepen our three-decade partnership with Verizon as we provide our latest optical innovations in fiber, cable, and connectivity to link AI data centers together while ensuring more Americans have access to AI with high-speed fiber connections at home,” said Mike O’Day, senior vice president and general manager of Corning Optical Communications. “This partnership demonstrates that generative AI and broadband expansion are part of the same transformative opportunity. Corning is proud to build on our 175-year legacy of supporting our customers’ growth with breakthrough innovations that we manufacture at scale here in the United States.”