October 29, 2025
In a significant move to bolster digital infrastructure, Lumen Technologies has announced a strategic partnership with data center operator QTS to deploy high-capacity fiber to 16 new QTS campuses across the United States.
The agreement will integrate more than a dozen new QTS facilities onto Lumen’s extensive global fiber network. The data centers, located in key markets including Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Oregon, will be connected via Lumen's AI-ready infrastructure.
As part of the collaboration, QTS’s data center footprint will be brought on-net to Lumen’s 340,000-route-mile global fiber backbone. QTS will also procure Lumen Wavelength services to enhance its connectivity offerings.
Brent Bensten, Chief Technology Officer at QTS, highlighted the strategic nature of the alliance. "QTS is excited to continue our strategic partnership with Lumen, our go-to premier partner for switchboard Network-as-a-Service/software-defined networking technology, on-net solutions, and cloud on-ramps," Bensten stated. "In an industry where innovation and scalability are essential, Lumen brings both the technical expertise and expansive fiber network to help us meet growing demand."
The partnership entails Lumen constructing diverse, high-capacity fiber routes to interconnect all new QTS data centers, ensuring low-latency connectivity. Furthermore, Lumen will power QTS’s Switchboard fabric as its designated provider for Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) services. This will see QTS extending Lumen’s Connectivity Fabric into its multi-tenant environments.
Ashley Haynes-Gaspar, Chief Revenue Officer at Lumen, characterized the deal as a prime example of the company's connected ecosystem strategy. "By combining QTS’s scale and data center innovation with Lumen’s AI-ready infrastructure and intelligent network fabric, we’re building the trusted digital backbone for the AI economy," Haynes-Gaspar said. "Together, we give hyperscalers what they need most: fast training, smart scaling, and secure connectivity."
QTS, founded in 2003 and acquired by investment firm Blackstone in 2021, operates and develops a substantial portfolio of data centers across the US, UK, Netherlands, and Spain. Its US footprint includes facilities in states such as California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah, and Wisconsin.
This partnership is positioned to significantly enhance the connectivity and scalability options for enterprise and hyperscale customers reliant on robust, low-latency digital infrastructure.
SOURCE DCD
