Verizon has secured a deal worth more than $1 billion with Google to provide dark fiber connectivity for Google’s data centers, signaling a major step in monetizing private fiber networks for AI and cloud infrastructure. The agreement, disclosed during Verizon’s earnings updates, is among the carrier’s largest enterprise contracts and underscores a strategic pivot under CEO Dan Schulman toward enterprise services. It highlights rising demand for high-capacity, low-latency connections to support hyperscale AI deployments and expansive data-center networks. Verizon says additional deals are forthcoming by year’s end, with potential multi-billion-dollar revenue implications in the coming years. Industry observers view the arrangement as part of a broader trend where telecom operators partner with hyperscale cloud companies to meet the massive data demands of AI infrastructure. Analysts expect similar partnerships to proliferate as AI adoption accelerates globally, reinforcing the revenue opportunities for fiber networks.