AT&T has signed a multi-year agreement worth more than USD 3 billion with Corning to purchase fiber and cable as the telecom company accelerates the expansion of its high-speed network.
The deal comes as internet usage continues to climb, driven by streaming, cloud services, connected devices, and increasingly data-intensive AI applications. Corning shares rose 3.3% in premarket trading following news of the agreement.
For AT&T, the partnership is part of a broader push to expand fiber connectivity across the US and prepare its network for continued growth in data consumption
AT&T said the average household using its fiber service now consumes more than 1 terabyte of data every month, roughly five times the level recorded in 2016. The company expects usage to continue increasing as consumers and businesses rely more heavily on bandwidth-intensive services.
Video streaming and calls have already contributed to rising network traffic, while cloud computing, connected devices and AI applications are adding another layer of demand. Fiber networks are particularly important because they can move large volumes of data at high speeds while providing the capacity and reliability modern broadband services require.
The Corning agreement supports AT&T’s goal of reaching 60 million fiber locations by the end of 2030. The company has been expanding its footprint through both new construction and acquisitions.
AT&T’s purchase of Lumen Technologies’ mass-market fiber business for USD 5.75 billion added more than four million customer locations across 11 states. The company said that the acquisition will help accelerate its fiber deployment outside its traditional operating areas. As of the second quarter of 2026, AT&T said its network had reached 38.6 million consumer and business locations, putting it on track to exceed 40 million by year-end.
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AT&T’s agreement with Corning comes as major US telecom companies increase spending on fiber infrastructure. The sector is responding to rising broadband consumption as businesses and consumers demand faster and more reliable connections.
Corning has also secured major fiber agreements with other technology and telecom companies. Earlier this month, Verizon announced a multi-billion-dollar arrangement with the company involving more than 80 million miles of high-density optical fiber between 2027 and 2032.
For AT&T, the latest agreement provides a long-term supply of fiber and cable as it works toward its 2030 network target. With data consumption expected to keep rising, telecom operators are increasingly treating fiber infrastructure as a core part of their future networks.