Published on: July 27, 2026
Verizon Communications has entered into a dark fiber agreement valued at more than $1 billion with Alphabet’s Google, strengthening its role in supporting the rapid expansion of AI data center infrastructure across the United States.
The partnership, announced during Verizon’s second-quarter earnings call, will see the telecom company provide dark fiber connectivity between Google’s data centers. The agreement reflects growing demand for high-capacity network infrastructure as technology companies continue investing heavily in artificial intelligence.
CEO Dan Schulman highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “The build out of AI infrastructure across the United States is one of the largest capital cycles of our lifetime, and Verizon is uniquely positioned to participate in it.”
Following the announcement, Verizon shares climbed more than 3% in early trading, while Alphabet’s Class A stock also posted gains of around 1%.
Schulman described the Google agreement as the first in a series of anticipated AI infrastructure partnerships. He said Verizon expects to unveil additional deals before the end of the year, with the potential to generate several billion dollars in revenue over the coming years through long-term agreements with leading infrastructure customers.
Referring to the development as “consequential,” Schulman noted that the agreement reflects the company’s strategic direction and future revenue opportunities.
Verizon is leveraging its existing long-haul and metro fiber network to address increasing demand from hyperscale technology companies building AI infrastructure. According to the company, the network, originally developed for earlier connectivity needs, is now well-positioned to support links between AI data centers, compute clusters and regional infrastructure.
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