Verizon signs $1 billion（約1600億円） dark fiber deal with Google for AI data centers

Verizon has entered into a $1 billion（約1600億円） agreement with Google to supply dark fiber infrastructure dedicated to AI data center connectivity. Dark fiber—optical cables that are lit and ready for use but not currently active—is a critical component of modern data center architecture, enabling the high-speed, low-latency data movement that AI training and inference operations demand.

Verizon CEO Dan Schulman disclosed the deal and signaled that the company is in advanced conversations with additional partners. According to Schulman, Verizon expects to announce multiple new AI infrastructure agreements by the end of the year, with each deal valued at billions of dollars. These forthcoming announcements would substantially expand Verizon's footprint in the AI infrastructure market, which has emerged as a major growth opportunity as hyperscalers (large cloud providers) race to build and expand their data center capacity to meet soaring AI workload demand.

Verizon's $1 billion（約1600億円） dark fiber commitment to Google reflects a broader reshaping of telecom strategy around artificial intelligence infrastructure. As cloud providers and AI labs scale their data center operations, they require dedicated, high-capacity fiber-optic networks to move enormous volumes of data between facilities. By securing this contract, Verizon is positioning itself as a critical supplier to the AI buildout rather than merely a connectivity commodity provider.

The CEO's signal that multiple additional AI infrastructure deals worth billions are expected by year-end suggests Verizon is in active negotiations with other major technology firms. This pattern indicates that telecom carriers are beginning to capture meaningful revenue from the infrastructure layer of the AI boom—a shift from their traditional role as commodity bandwidth providers.

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