Meta and Corning team up for $6B boost to US AI data centers
Meta just signed a huge, multi-year deal with Corning—worth up to $6 billion—to supply advanced fiber optic cables for its growing AI data centers across the US.
This partnership means more high-speed connections for Meta's apps (and those Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses), plus a big manufacturing push in North Carolina, where Meta will be the main customer at a new facility.
More jobs and stronger local economies
The deal is set to help Corning grow its North Carolina workforce by 15-20% and help sustain a highly skilled workforce of more than 5,000, including the scientists, engineers, and production teams at two major cable plants.
As Meta's Joel Kaplan put it, this partnership is about "creating good-paying, skilled US jobs" and helping local communities thrive—while also keeping the US ahead in the global AI race.
Fiber optics: powering your favorite apps
Fiber optic cables are a critical part of connectivity for Meta's data centers—they move massive amounts of data super fast.
Corning's CEO Wendell Weeks says this agreement will make America's tech supply chains even stronger as next-gen data centers get built right here at home.