Corning Incorporated on Tuesday announced a multi-year $6 billion agreement with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to supply optical fiber, cable, and connectivity hardware.
The deal comes as Meta accelerates the construction of advanced data centers across the U.S. to support its apps, emerging technologies, and growing artificial intelligence ambitions.
Corning says the agreement will lead to expanded manufacturing capabilities across its operations in North Carolina, including a significant expansion at its optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory. Meta will serve as the anchor customer for that site.
The company says the agreement is expected to support 15 to 20% of employment growth across Corning’s North Carolina operations. The company currently employs 5,000 workers in the state, implying up to 1,000 new jobs.
Corning has a long manufacturing presence in the state and says the expansion reflects rising demand for high-capacity fiber infrastructure driven by cloud computing and AI development.
“Building the most advanced data centers in the U.S. requires world-class partners and American manufacturing,” said Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer at Meta, in a statement. “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.”