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Increasing demand caused by AI at Microsoft data centers has led to a partnership with Lumen as the company reports accruing new sales worth $5 billion.

By: Brad Randall, Broadband Communities

Demand for connectivity at Microsoft data centers fueled by artificial intelligence (AI) has kickstarted a new partnership between Microsoft and Lumen Technologies.

According to a release from Lumen last week, the company has secured $5 billion in new business from firms like Microsoft and other partners.

To meet the demand at Microsoft data centers, “Lumen will more than double its intercity network miles over the next five years,” Lumen’s announcement stated.

Lumen will also provide Microsoft access to “a significant amount of installed dark fiber,” the company’s release explained.

At the beginning of the month, Lumen also entered into an agreement with Corning, which will reserve 10 percent of Corning’s global fiber capacity “for each of the next two years to interconnect AI-enabled data centers.”

Kate Johnson, the president and CEO of Lumen, said the AI economy is changing business operations.

“Companies are recognizing they need powerful network infrastructure to manage the unprecedented data flows today and the demand in the future,” Johnson said, according to Lumen’s Aug. 5 announcement.

Johnson said companies are turning to Lumen “because of our AI-ready infrastructure and expansive network.”

“This is just the beginning of a significant opportunity for Lumen, one that will lead to one of the largest expansions of the internet ever,” she said.

Without elaborating further, Lumen’s recent announcement said the company is also engaged in active discussions that could lead to $7 billion in future sales opportunities.

Editorial note: This story has been amended to reflect that not all new business recently attained from Lumen has been solely from Microsoft.

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