Amazon is paying Corning billions of dollars for optical fiber to power and connect its rapidly expanding U.S. data centers, the latest megadeal featuring two companies at the center of the artificial intelligence boom. The agreement, announced Monday, will play out over several years and create 1,000 jobs at Corning’s North Carolina factories, the companies said. Corning’s fiber optic cable and networking solutions are becoming essential elements of AI infrastructure because they enable fast connections between data centers and the racks and chips they house. Shares of Corning popped 4% on Monday. Amazon stock was little changed. “Amazon’s data centers power the services millions of people and businesses rely on every day,” the companies said in a press release. “Corning’s fiber optics are a critical piece of that infrastructure, and together, these investments help fuel the U.S. economic engine.”

Full report : Amazon announces a multiyear, multibillion-dollar deal with Corning to produce optical fiber for its US data centers.