Verizon announced $1 billion dark fiber deal for Google data centers — the first of many

Verizon disclosed a partnership with Google and plans to retrofit central offices as part of a new AI Connect initiative during its second-quarter 2026 earnings report. The deal, valued at over $1 billion, involves using Verizon's dark fiber routes to connect Google's data centers. Verizon CEO Dan Schulman said the company expects to announce additional AI-related deals before the end of the year, which will generate "multi-billion dollar revenue over the next several years." Schulman highlighted the growing demand for connecting data centers to meet computing needs, as well as ultra-low latency for deploying AI models at the edge, including robotics, remote surgery, and autonomous driving. As part of the initiative, Verizon will convert its central offices into small data centers to support low-latency edge computing, which will be in demand for AI services such as robo-taxi autopilots and robotics.