Lumen Technologies and Corning Incorporated have reached an agreement for a significant supply of next-generation optical cable. This fiber-dense cable will more than double Lumen’s U.S. intercity fiber miles, providing significant capacity to large cloud data centers racing to keep up with AI workloads and high bandwidth applications powered by vast volumes of data.
In order to keep up with the rapid growth of generative artificial intelligence(GenAI), data centers need to have at least ten times as many fiber connections. Additionally, a extensive fiber network is needed to transport data between these data hubs. As a result of this deal, Lumen will set aside 10% of Corning’s total fiber capacity for the following two years.
With this deal, which represents Lumen’s biggest cable purchase to date, the company will be well-equipped to handle the long-term network infrastructure requirements of major data center operators, such as Microsoft, who just this past week announced that it is partnering with Lumen to serve the growing demand for its facilities.
The biggest ultra-low-loss intercity fiber network in North America is found in Lumen. Its intercity network in the United States offers a variety of routes to over fifty key cities nationwide. By utilizing a multi-conduit system to upgrade its infrastructure on a regular basis and enable the prompt deployment of cutting-edge fiber technology, Lumen sets itself apart from other networks in the industry.
In order to adequately support AI in terms of capacity, performance, stability, and speed, Lumen is building a digital platform that sits atop its physical network and enables cloud-like network service consumption.
Lumen’s Private Connectivity Fabric is a customized network that offers digital services from Lumen, dedicated access to the network’s existing fiber, and the installation of new fiber on both existing and new routes.
Key Comments:
“Lumen is the network that delivers AI. The rise of AI is driving technology companies to quickly secure fiber and bandwidth before their competition,” said Kate Johnson, president and CEO, Lumen Technologies. “With Corning’s innovative solutions, we are 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.”
“As generative AI increases bandwidth requirements between data centers, we’re pleased to reach an agreement with Lumen Technologies to provide our latest optical fiber and cable innovations to facilitate Lumen’s build of a new network to interconnect AI-enabled data centers,” said Wendell P. Weeks, Chairman and CEO, Corning Incorporated. “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.”
