Amazon has signed a multibillion-dollar agreement with fiber-optics manufacturer Corning in an infrastructure deal intended to support the e-commerce giant’s data center expansion in the U.S. The deal, made public on June 8, will span several years and is expected to generate 1,000 jobs at Corning’s North Carolina facilities. Corning will provide the optical fiber, cables, and connectivity systems needed to support fast data sharing across racks and chips in data centers.
The agreement is positioned as a boost to U.S. Artificial Intelligence supply chains, aligning with the White House’s Artificial Intelligence action plan that puts bolstering domestic production at the heart of Artificial Intelligence strategy. Amazon and Corning said the investments will support the infrastructure behind services used by people and businesses while contributing to U.S. economic activity.
AWS CEO Matt Garman said the company is also working to train North Carolinians for highly skilled roles in fiber optics and fusion splicing. He said these long-term investments create long-term careers and real opportunity in the communities where Amazon operates, tying the infrastructure expansion to workforce development in the state.
The latest agreement builds on Amazon’s previous commitment of $10B to expand cloud computing infrastructure in North Carolina. The development also adds to growing industry interest in the glass and fiber optics industry. In May, Nvidia invested $3.2B in Corning, as part of a deal that will see the fiber-optics company build three new advanced manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Texas for the Artificial Intelligence chipmaker. Meta also invested in Corning earlier this year, with the social media giant saying it would spend $6B to help build out Corning’s optical cable plant in Hickory, North Carolina.
