Raleigh, United States - January 27, 2026 - Meta Platforms and Corning Incorporated have signed a multiyear agreement valued at up to USD 6 billion to supply advanced fiber-optic cables and connectivity products in support of Meta’s expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure, the companies said today.
Under the deal, Corning will expand its manufacturing capacity for fiber-optic products, with a particular focus on its facilities in North Carolina. Meta will serve as the anchor customer at Corning’s Hickory optical cable plant, enabling the company to scale production of high-performance optical fiber and cable solutions designed to meet the demands of modern hyperscale and AI-heavy workloads.
The agreement covers next-generation optical fiber, cables, and connectivity components tailored for high-density and high-throughput environments such as AI data centers, where rapid data transmission and low latency are critical for performance. The expanded supply arrangement reflects Meta’s broader strategy to align its physical infrastructure with the needs of next-generation AI compute and cloud services.
Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, said the partnership underscores the importance of investing in both cutting-edge data center capacity and the underlying physical connectivity required to support it. “Our work with Corning reinforces the need for world-class partners and American manufacturing to build and scale data centers that power AI and cloud innovation,” Kaplan said.
Corning Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Wendell P. Weeks described the agreement as a landmark for the industry. He said the expanded production footprint will help strengthen domestic supply chains and support long-term innovation in optical technologies essential to hyperscale infrastructure. “This partnership positions Corning to deliver the connectivity solutions required for the future of AI-driven computing,” Weeks said.
As part of the expanded manufacturing plan, Corning expects to increase employment at its North Carolina facilities by roughly 15 to 20 percent, supporting a workforce of more than 5,000 employees across what is among the world’s largest optical fiber and cable production sites. The move highlights the role of domestic manufacturing in meeting the connectivity demands of large tech infrastructure investments.
Market reaction to the announcement was positive for Corning’s stock, which surged more than 15 percent in trading following the news, reflecting investor confidence in the company’s strategic positioning within the AI infrastructure supply chain. Analysts said the deal underscores growing demand for fiber-optic connectivity solutions as data center operators globally race to build out high-performance AI-ready facilities.
Meta’s expanded fiber agreement with Corning aligns with its broader infrastructure commitments under initiatives such as Meta Compute, which emphasize the integration of advanced networking and compute capacity to support emerging AI and cloud services.
