US data center operator QTS is partnering with fiber provider Lumen.

Under the terms of the agreement, Lumen will connect its AI-ready infrastructure to 16 new QTS data center campuses across the US, including in Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Oregon.

The collaboration also brings QTS’s data center footprint on-net to Lumen’s 340,000-route-mile global fiber backbone, and will see QTS buy Lumen Wavelength services.

“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 to support data center connectivity and operations,” said Brent Bensten, QTS CTO.

“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. Lumen’s ability to scale alongside QTS ensures that we anticipate our customers’ needs and lead the way in shaping the future of digital infrastructure.”

Lumen will build diverse, high-capacity fiber routes interconnecting all new QTS data centers, enabling low-latency connectivity to the Lumen network.

The fiber firm will also power QTS’s Switchboard fabric as its Network-as-a-Service and Software-Defined Networking services provider, with QTS extending Lumen’s Connectivity Fabric into its multi-tenant environments.

“This partnership is the best example of our connected ecosystem strategy,” said Lumen chief revenue officer Ashley Haynes-Gaspar. “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. Together, we give hyperscalers what they need most: fast training, smart scaling, and secure connectivity.”

Founded in 2003 and owned by Blackstone since 2021, QTS has dozens of data centers in operation and development across the US, UK, Netherlands, and Spain.

Across the US, the firm has facilities in operation or development across Virginia, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, and Wisconsin.