Meta, Corning Reach $6 Billion Agreement for Fiber-Optic Cables

Fiber-optic cables are crucial for data center development, Meta said.

The offices of Meta in Menlo Park, Calif., on July 31, 2025. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Meta Platforms Inc. and Corning Inc. on Jan. 27 announced a $6 billion multiyear partnership for Corning to supply fiber-optic cables to the cloud service provider’s burgeoning data center operations.

In November 2025, Meta announced it would spend $600 billion over the next three years to advance U.S. technology infrastructure and workforce expansion projects, including data centers, to drive development of artificial intelligence (AI). Meta currently operates 26 data centers in the United States that power platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

Meta’s $10 billion Richland Parish data center, under development in northeast Louisiana, is one of the largest in the world. When fully built, the facility will span more than 4 million square feet and deliver more than 2 gigawatts of computing power.

“This is a massive effort, and over the coming years it will drive our core products and business, unlock historic innovation, and extend American technology leadership,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post announcing the data center’s development.

Fiber-optic cables are crucial for data center development, Meta noted in a statement. The cables can transmit huge amounts of data using light signals—according to Corning, just one optical fiber link can carry more than 50 terabits of data, which is enough to support 10 million simultaneous HD video streams.

The agreement with Corning helps ensure a steady supply of optical fiber cables by allowing Corning to significantly expand its optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, North Carolina. Meta will be the anchor customer at the site.

Corning CEO and Chairman Wendell Weeks said the expansion at the Hickory plant will increase its workforce by 15 percent to 20 percent and support more than 5,000 production, scientific, and engineering jobs.

“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 said.

Shares of Corning spiked more than 16 percent in early morning trading on news of the partnership agreement.

Corning opened its optical fiber manufacturing facility in Hickory in March 2023. In October 2025, Corning, the city, and Catawba County announced an expansion of the facility with a capital investment of between $170 million and $270 million. As part of the deal, Corning received a 32.92-acre site at no cost and nearly $2.7 million in tax breaks over five years.

The agreement with Meta will lead to additional expansion at the Trivium Corporate Center, as well as increased production capacity throughout Corning’s manufacturing operations in North Carolina, Meta said.

“Building the most advanced data centers in the U.S. requires world-class partners and American manufacturing,” said Joel Kaplan, Meta’s chief global affairs officer.

“We’re proud to partner with Corning—a company with deep expertise in optical connectivity and commitment to domestic manufacturing—for the high-performance fiber optic cables our AI infrastructure needs.

“This collaboration will help create good-paying, skilled U.S. jobs, strengthen local economies, and help secure the U.S. lead in the global AI race.”