Long-term agreement strengthens execution behind Zayo’s expanded plan to add 15,000 route miles through 2030.
Zayo, a leading digital network infrastructure provider, has expanded its strategic supply agreement with Corning, one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science and a major provider of fibre optic cable.
The agreement secures a significant portion of the fibre Zayo has projected to need through the remainder of the decade, providing supply assurance as the company executes one of the largest network expansions in its history.
Zayo has spent years modelling where network demand is headed and deliberately planning how, when and where it builds. As AI-driven demand accelerates, that planning increasingly extends beyond routes and capacity to the physical materials required to build them.
Securing fibre optic cable supply now gives Zayo greater flexibility to scale as demand evolves.
“AI infrastructure is changing where and how quickly network capacity needs to be built,” said Steve Smith, CEO, Zayo. “We understand where demand is moving, and we’re putting the physical inputs in place now to build ahead of it. Deepening our relationship with Corning gives us greater confidence that material availability won’t stand between customer demand and the infrastructure required to deliver it.”
“AI is driving a fundamental increase in the amount and density of fiber optic cable and connectivity required across the network,” said Steve Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Corning. “As networks evolve to meet those demands, providers need solutions that can accelerate deployment, increase capacity, and support long-term scalability. Our expanded relationship with Zayo brings together Corning’s industry-leading optical innovations with Zayo’s network expertise to help build the physical infrastructure required for AI at scale.”
AI readiness is physical. Zayo plans to add 15,000 new route miles by 2030, including more than 8,000 miles of new long-haul fibre in collaboration with NVIDIA, while adding capacity across existing corridors where AI infrastructure is concentrating.
Securing the optical cable earlier in the planning cycle helps Zayo turn those plans into operating infrastructure without allowing material availability to dictate where or when the network can be built.
“Anyone can draw a route on a map, but building it is a different story. Long-haul construction requires years of planning, permitting, materials, and disciplined execution,” said Troy Lupe, Chief Network Officer, Zayo. “Our experience building networks at this scale allows us to anticipate and manage execution risks before they become constraints. Corning understands what it takes to support an expansion of this magnitude and the speed required to deliver it. Securing fiber optic cable supply through our expanded agreement takes one critical variable off the table as we execute our network expansion.”
