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The AI Infrastructure trade has evolved beyond chips. Corning's (GLW) stock surged after it signed a multibillion-dollar multidecade contract with Amazon (AMZN) to ramp up U.S. production of fiber optics for data centers. This contract is expected to generate thousands of jobs, with 1,000 positions alone created by Corning in North Carolina, along with many construction jobs and an employee training program.
It is important because, besides GPUs, a data center requires more than fiber. It also needs advanced connectivity, optics, less power-hungry optical systems, and a stable domestic supply chain. Wedbush described the deal as validation of the rising demand for optics while noting that it fits a trend towards silicon photonics and matured foundry capacity.
