Jan 27 (Reuters) – Facebook dad or mum Meta Platforms (META.O), opens new tab pays Gorilla Glass maker Corning (GLW.N), opens new tab up to $6 billion over the following ​a number of years in a deal to present fiber-optic cables for its ‌AI data centers, the businesses mentioned on Tuesday.

Corning will provide superior optical fiber, cable and connectivity merchandise to Meta, whereas increasing its manufacturing capability in North Carolina, together with at its cable manufacturing facility in Hickory, the place Meta would be the anchor ‌buyer.

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Corning’s optical connectivity merchandise are amongst key elements required to ​assist the huge computing and data transmission calls for at data centers.

Their rising demand from Big Tech prospects like Meta, Microsoft (MSFT.O), opens new tab and Alphabet’s Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab drove a ‍greater than 84% surge in Corning’s shares in 2025. The inventory jumped about 7% in premarket buying and selling.

CNBC, which first reported the information, mentioned Meta pays Corning by means of 2030.

Meta ⁠has been spending aggressively on constructing out data middle infrastructure because it ‍races to roll out aggressive AI applied sciences.

The settlement with Corning additionally builds on tech giants’ ‌push ‌to beef up home manufacturing capability underneath President Donald Trump’s administration.

The social media large, which has struggled in Silicon Valley’s AI race, has dedicated to spend about $600 billion in U.S. tech infrastructure and jobs over the following three ⁠years.

Earlier this month, it ⁠additionally introduced ​its “Meta Compute” initiative to broaden AI infrastructure and oversee its international fleet of data centers and provider partnerships.

The settlement will help Corning’s projection to increase its employment ranges in ‍North Carolina by 15% to 20% and assist its workforce of greater than 5,000 folks in the state, the businesses mentioned.

“Together with Meta, we’re strengthening domestic supply chains and ​helping ensure that advanced data centers are built ‍using U.S. innovation,” Corning CEO Wendell Weeks mentioned.

Both Meta and Corning are due to report their ​quarterly outcomes on Wednesday.

Reporting by Deborah Sophia in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur

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