Corning, a 175-year-old U.S. manufacturer specializing in glass, ceramics, and optical materials, has secured a multiyear agreement worth up to $6 billion with Meta Platforms to supply advanced optical fiber and cable products for artificial intelligence data centers.
Corning is best known for its materials science innovations across sectors including telecommunications, consumer electronics, automotive, life sciences, and display technologies. The company is a major supplier of optical fiber used in global broadband networks and produces specialty glass such as Gorilla Glass, widely used in smartphones and consumer devices.
Under the agreement, which runs through 2030, Corning will support Meta’s expanding AI data center footprint across the United States. The company will expand manufacturing capacity in North Carolina, including growth at its Hickory optical fiber facility, where Meta will serve as the anchor customer.
Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell P. Weeks said in a press release, “This long-term partnership with Meta reflects Corning’s commitment to develop, innovate, and manufacture the critical technologies that power next-generation data centers here in the U.S.” Weeks added that the investment is expected to increase the company’s employment in North Carolina by 15% to 20%.
Joel Kaplan, Meta’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, said the partnership will support skilled job creation, strengthen local economies, and help position the United States at the forefront of global AI development.
The deal comes as major technology companies accelerate investment in domestic data center infrastructure to meet rising demand for AI-driven computing and high-speed connectivity.
