Meta signs $6B deal with Corning for fiber optic cables to power data center expansion
Jan 27, 2026
Key Points
- Meta commits $6 billion to Corning for fiber optic cables supporting its 26 data centers under construction, anchoring vertical integration into AI infrastructure supply chains.
- Corning's stock rises 15 percent on the deal, which represents material revenue relative to the company's $12 billion annual sales and will drive 15-20 percent job growth at North Carolina facilities.
- Meta frames the investment as essential for real-time data transfer powering products like Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses as hyperscalers race to lock in AI infrastructure capacity.
Summary
Meta signed a $6 billion multiyear agreement with Corning to supply fiber optic cables for data center infrastructure. The deal will support a 15 to 20 percent increase in jobs at Corning's North Carolina manufacturing facilities.
Corning's stock rose 15 percent on the announcement. With a $94 billion market cap and $12 billion in annual revenue, the $6 billion commitment is material to the company's size.
Meta operates 26 data centers under construction and has others already running. The company reports that its data center buildout has supported 30,000 skilled trade jobs during construction and 5,000 operational roles including electricians, HVAC specialists, server and network technicians, and engineers.
The deal fits a broader pattern of vertical integration among hyperscalers. AWS has moved into mining, and Tesla into lithium ion production, as the race for AI infrastructure intensifies. Meta frames the investment as necessary to support real-time data transfer and the infrastructure required for products like Ray-Ban Meta AI glasses and other applications.