Corning Incorporated and Meta Platforms have entered a multi-year agreement worth up to $6 billion to support the construction of advanced data centers in the United States.

Under the agreement, Corning will provide optical fiber, cable, and connectivity products to Meta, which will be used in large-scale data center projects that support Meta’s applications and artificial intelligence infrastructure. The agreement will support the expansion of Meta’s data center infrastructure in the U.S. over several years.

Corning to Expand Manufacturing Operations in North Carolina

To support the expected demand, Corning will be expanding its manufacturing operations in North Carolina, including a major expansion of its optical cable manufacturing operations in Hickory, North Carolina. Meta will be the anchor customer for the Hickory facility as part of the agreement with Corning.

The expansion will enable Corning to produce higher volumes of products at its operations in North Carolina, including a 15-20 percent increase in employment in the state. Currently, Corning employs over 5,000 people in North Carolina, including at two large optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities.

The agreement was announced at a time when there has been increased investment in data center infrastructure in the US, driven by the growing compute intensity of cloud services and artificial intelligence workloads. Optical fiber and connectivity solutions are an essential component of modern hyperscale data centers, enabling high-density data transmission within and between data centers.

In announcing the agreement, Meta has reaffirmed its commitment to continuing the growth of data center capacity in the US, along with increasing the utilization of locally manufactured technology solutions in data center infrastructure projects. The agreement with Corning supports that commitment by providing access to optical connectivity solutions from US-based manufacturing operations.

There was no announcement on the construction timelines and capital cost components of the data center infrastructure projects included in the agreement, and there was also no disclosure on the number and locations of the data centers operated by Meta that will benefit from the solutions provided by Corning.

Factsheet: Corning-Meta Strategic Partnership for U.S. Data Center Buildout

Partnership Overview

Parties: Corning Incorporated and Meta Platforms, Inc.

Agreement Value: Up to $6 billion

Duration: Multiyear agreement

Announcement Date: January 2025

Primary Objective: Accelerate buildout of advanced data centers in the United States to support Meta’s applications, technologies, and artificial intelligence initiatives

Scope of Agreement

Product Supply:

Corning’s newest generation optical fiber

Advanced optical cable solutions

Connectivity solutions designed for high-density AI data center environments

Technology Focus:

Products engineered to meet density and scale demands of next-generation AI infrastructure

High-performance fiber optic cables optimized for AI workloads

Manufacturing Expansion

Location: North Carolina

Key Developments:

Construction of new optical cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, NC

Expansion of production capacity across existing Corning North Carolina operations

Meta designated as anchor customer for Hickory facility

Existing Infrastructure:

Two of the world’s largest optical fiber and cable manufacturing facilities located in North Carolina

Economic Impact

Employment Growth:

Projected 15-20% increase in Corning’s North Carolina workforce

Total sustained workforce: Over 5,000 employees in the state

Positions include scientists, engineers, and production teams

Workforce Composition:

Highly skilled manufacturing jobs

Research and development personnel

Technical and engineering roles

Strategic Significance

For Corning:

Strengthens position as supplier of critical data center infrastructure

Expands U.S. manufacturing footprint

Demonstrates commitment to domestic innovation and production

For Meta:

Advances commitment to building industry-leading U.S. data centers

Secures domestic sourcing of advanced technology components

Supports AI infrastructure requirements with high-performance connectivity solutions

For United States:

Strengthens domestic supply chains for critical technology infrastructure

Supports American manufacturing competitiveness

Contributes to U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence development