Lumen Technologies has chosen Ciena to support its drive to enhance connectivity for cloud and data center operators.
According to Lumen, the partnership will strengthen its ability to provide scalable connectivity services to major cloud and data center providers looking to keep pace with AI workloads and associated traffic.
As part of the agreement, Lumen will use Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent optics solution, which can deliver 1.6Tbps over a single wavelength.
The timing of the partnership comes months after Lumen struck high-profile cloud deals with Google Cloud and Amazon Web Services (AWS) as part of its plans to drive its AI transformation.
Last year, Lumen signed deals worth $8.5 billion with Microsoft, AWS, Google, and Meta to provide fiber to their data centers to support the demand for AI workloads in total.
“AI is reshaping industries, and the network is the enabler of this transformation," said Kye Prigg, executive vice president, enterprise operations, Lumen Technologies.
"Ciena will play a key role in helping us build the backbone for the AI economy, giving our customers across the globe the capacity, programmability, and capability they need to make the most of the AI era."
Lumen also noted that Ciena’s Navigator Control Suite (NCS) will "help automate the management and control of Lumen’s fiber assets."
In August, Lumen revealed that it had secured $5 billion in new business, which it claimed was primarily due to AI sales.
Ciena previously paired with carrier Verizon to transfer 1.6Tbps of data in its live fiber network, again as a way to showcase how the carrier's fiber network can support AI and its demands.
