Verizon announces $1B dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers
Verizon has disclosed a partnership with Google worth over $1 billion to connect Google's data centers using Verizon's dark fiber routes, as part of a new "AI Connect" business initiative. The announcement was made during Verizon's second-quarter 2026 earnings conference call. CEO Dan Schulman stated that additional AI-related deals worth "multiple billions of dollars in revenue over the next several years" are expected by the end of the year. Verizon is also converting central offices into small data centers to support AI inference workloads, tearing out copper wiring in the process. Schulman emphasized the need to connect data centers to optimize compute power and to support ultra-low latency applications like robotics, remote surgery, and autonomous driving at the edge.
Key facts
- Verizon revealed a deal worth over $1 billion to link Google data centers using dark fiber routes.
- The partnership was disclosed during Verizon's second-quarter 2026 earnings conference call.
- Verizon is converting central offices into small data centers for AI inference workloads.
- CEO Dan Schulman expects additional AI deals worth multiple billions in revenue by year-end.
- Schulman highlighted demand for ultra-low latency applications like robotics and autonomous driving.
Entities
Institutions
- Verizon
- Verizon Communications