CORNING, NY, USA, Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) today announced that it will expand its fiber optic cable manufacturing capabilities based on a long-term partnership with AT&T. AT&T, the largest fiber-optic internet provider in the United States, is expanding its fiber-optic service. Corning will build a new fiber optic cable manufacturing facility in the Greater Phoenix area of Gilbert, Arizona, adding approximately 250 jobs and expanding Corning’s strategic investments in fiber optics, cable and connectivity solutions to meet record demand.

The new facility is the latest investment that Corning has made in fiber and cable manufacturing since 2020, totaling more than $500 million. Backed by customer commitments, these investments nearly double Corning’s ability to serve the U.S. cable market and connect more people and communities. Public and private investments in broadband, 5G and cloud are accelerating the large-scale and multi-year wave of growth in fiber optic networks, and Corning, the world leader in passive optical communications, is uniquely positioned to support the construction of these networks.

The Arizona facility, expected to open in 2024, will be the industry’s westernmost fiber optic cable manufacturing base in the United States, allowing Corning to meet growing demand in the western United States and Canada.

“This investment is an important step in our nation’s efforts to build a world-class broadband network to close the nation’s digital divide,” said AT&T CEO John Stankey. “This new facility will provide additional fiber optic cable capacity to meet the industry’s record-setting need for fast, reliable connections. demand. We are also partnering with Corning to develop training programs to equip the next generation of technologists with the skills to build networks that will expand high-speed Internet access to millions of Americans.”

Separately, AT&T announced today that it is deploying fiber-optic internet service for the Mesa, Arizona area, expected to serve Mesa residents in 2023.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo will participate in today’s announcement at Mesa Community College, her agency leading the U.S. Internet for All initiative. Corning and AT&T are supporting the White House’s Talent Pipeline Challenge initiative, which aims to help employers create training partnerships to connect American workers with jobs in rebuilding infrastructure, supply chains and manufacturing. Corning and AT&T have created a program to train fiber technicians across the industry.

To build and deploy these networks, the industry will need an additional 850,000 workers by 2025. Corning and AT&T have developed a fiber training program focused on equipping thousands of technicians with the critical skills to design, install and maintain growing fiber optic networks. The first course is currently underway in North Carolina, and the program plans to train 50,000 American workers over the next five years.

Wendell P. Weeks, Corning Chairman and CEO, said: “We believe that access to broadband means access to opportunity—from education to healthcare to quality of life. Corning is doing its part to ensure that everyone—no matter where they live Wherever—can be connected to a reliable, high-speed network with fiber optics. We are proud to continue working with AT&T to expand American manufacturing capabilities and train the next generation of American workers, and we are excited about the opportunity to work with our customers and the U.S. government to achieve this goal.”