Corning and Lumen agree deal on optical cable for U.S. networks

07 Aug 2024

‘Substantial supply agreement’ to support booming traffic for data center AI demands.

Corning cables will carry AI-driven traffic for data centers.

Lumen Technologies has announced an agreement with glass and optical materials giant Corning Inc. for what is described as “a substantial supply of next-generation optical cable”. Financial details were not disclosed.

The fiber-dense cable will more than double Lumen’s U.S. intercity fiber miles, offering significant capacity to cloud data centers, as their operators try to stay ahead of artificial intelligence (AI) demands and high-bandwidth applications fueled by massive amounts of data traffic.

Key terms

Agreement reserves 10% of Corning’s global fiber capacity for each of the next two years to interconnect AI-enabled data centers; and
Agreement will more than double Lumen’s intercity network miles to unlock the next phases and capabilities of AI for cloud data centers, enterprises, and public agencies

Lumen contends that “the rapid advance of generative AI requires at least 10 times more fiber connections within data centers, as well as a robust fiber network to transmit information between these data hubs”. With this agreement, Lumen reserves 10% of Corning’s global fiber capacity for each of the next two years.

The agreement, Lumen’s largest cable purchase, will equip the firm to meet the network infrastructure needs of major data center operators for years to come, including Microsoft, which announced last week that it is investing with Lumen to support the rising demands on its data centers.

“The rise of AI is driving technology companies to quickly secure fiber and bandwidth before their competition. Lumen is the network that delivers AI,” said Kate Johnson, president and CEO, Lumen Technologies.

“With Corning’s innovative solutions, we’re building the backbone of the AI economy. This partnership gives Lumen status as a preferred partner and secures a significant supply of next-generation fiber today and in the future,” Johnson said.

Lumen claims the largest ultra-low-loss intercity fiber network in North America. Its U.S. intercity network includes routes to more than 50 major cities. Lumen says it distinguishes its network from others in the industry by continuously upgrading its infrastructure using a multi-conduit system.

‘Increasing bandwidth needs’

Wendell P. Weeks, chairman and CEO of Corning, said, “As generative AI increases bandwidth requirements between data centers, we are pleased to reach an agreement with Lumen to provide our latest optical fiber and cable innovations to facilitate their building a new network to interconnect AI-enabled data centers.”

Weeks added, “This marks the first outside-plant deployment of Corning’s new gen-AI fiber and cable system, which will enable Lumen to fit anywhere from two-to-four times the amount of fiber into their existing conduit.”

To properly power AI with capacity, performance, stability and speed, Lumen is creating a digital platform on top of its physical network allowing cloud-like consumption of network services. Lumen’s Private Connectivity Fabric℠ is a custom network that includes dedicated access to existing fiber in the Lumen network, the installation of new fiber on existing and new routes, and access to Lumen’s digital services.