Corning Collaborates with Microsoft to Advance Performance and Reliability of AI Networks | Corning

Mike O'Day, GM & SVP, Corning Optical Communications
Published: September 23, 2025

Corning is working on a transformative new program that will help shape the future of AI and Cloud networks around the world.

It’s a strategic manufacturing collaboration with Microsoft, to accelerate the production of Microsoft’s Hollow Core Fiber (HCF). Corning's fiber and cable manufacturing facilities in North Carolina will produce Microsoft's HCF, enabling Microsoft to expand its global fiber production and deployment across its network.

This will advance the performance and reliability that Microsoft Azure's customers expect for Cloud and AI workloads, as Microsoft noted in a blog announcing the collaboration. HCF, with its enhanced data transmission capabilities, opens new possibilities for addressing the latency and scaling needs of AI, now and in the future.

Deploying Microsoft's HCF solution requires fiber and cable manufacturing at scale to ensure volume and speed to market for widespread HCF deployment across the Azure network. Corning is uniquely positioned to meet this requirement: We’ll draw on our scalable manufacturing platforms as well as our 55-year track record of innovations in fiber, cable, and connectivity solutions.

This program strengthens our long-standing collaboration with Microsoft, and also underscores our commitment to continued leadership in AI innovation and infrastructure. Together, we're poised to deliver solutions that meet the demands for speed and efficiency in fiber infrastructure.

Corning is working with Azure engineers to operationalize Microsoft’s manufacturing processes and collaborating to develop next-generation manufacturing platforms that enable continuous improvements in yields, performance, quality, and reliability necessary for large-scale production volumes and deployment across Azure’s global network.

The collaboration also includes cable and connectivity products necessary for an end-to-end solution across Azure’s network environments.

This is what Corning is all about – teaming up with our customers to solve tough technology challenges. Together, we are building the future of AI networking today.