Corning Secures $6bn AI Deal with Meta
In 2025, Corning generated $16.4bn in core revenue, up 13% year-on-year.
Corning, best known for producing the durable glass used in Apple’s iPhone, has emerged as a critical player in the global AI infrastructure boom after signing a multi-year deal worth up to $6bn with Meta Platforms. The agreement will see Corning supply vast quantities of fibre-optic cable for Meta’s expanding network of AI-driven data centres.
Fibre-optic cables are increasingly replacing copper in modern data centres, as they transmit data faster, over longer distances, and with far less signal loss. This shift is being accelerated by the rapid growth of AI workloads, which rely on dense clusters of GPUs and high-speed interconnects. A single Nvidia NV-Link 72 rack, for example, can require around two miles of cabling.
Meta operates or is developing roughly 30 data centres globally, including its largest-ever facility, Hyperion, in Louisiana. Scheduled for completion in 2030, the site is expected to house more than one million GPUs, implying tens of thousands of miles of fibre-optic cabling. Corning CEO Wendell Weeks believes demand from hyperscale AI operators could triple the long-term market for data-centre optical fibre.
The impact on Corning’s financials is already evident. In 2025, the company generated $16.4bn in core revenue, up 13% year-on-year. Its optical communications division delivered $6.2bn of that total, growing 35%, while enterprise optical communications revenue surged 61% to $3bn. The hyperscale data-centre segment more than doubled, and operating income from optical communications rose 71% to $1.05bn, nearly half of Corning’s total profit.
The Meta contract will feed directly into this fast-growing enterprise business over the coming years, potentially driving another phase of accelerated growth. Strong demand has also improved Corning’s pricing power, supporting higher margins.
Corning shares currently trade at a premium valuation, with a price-to-earnings ratio above broader market averages. However, the stock remains cheaper than many AI-focused semiconductor peers. Weeks has also indicated that several additional large-scale agreements are close to completion, suggesting further upside if demand continues to build.
As AI infrastructure scales globally, Corning’s position at the heart of data-centre connectivity is increasingly making it one of the quiet beneficiaries of the semiconductor and AI revolution.
Project News