Lumen and AWS help each other out with upgrades for AI

The partnership will see Lumen plug into AWS’ AI, ML, and security technologies to modernise its applications and systems, while Lumen will provide AWS with fibre connectivity to its data centres, which is supposed to help enterprise customers build ‘highly scalable’ AI applications across AWS Regions and AWS Local Zones.  

Lumen will provide dedicated infrastructure with private fibre connections between AWS Regions and Local Zones, and AWS will deploy its custom network technologies on this fibre, we’re told. The ‘enhanced’ network will enable high-bandwidth and dynamic connections ‘that provide customers with the ability to develop generative AI applications, train AI models, and deliver new AI-powered products across its Region and Local Zone footprint.’   

Meanwhile Lumen will move its IT and product platforms to AWS, meaning in the future it can apply generative AI to help better plan and optimise network resources, we’re told. This will give Lumen ‘full visibility of their network, both onsite and in the cloud, improving customer experience and reducing costs.’  

"AI is reshaping industries, and the network infrastructure supporting it needs to be just as dynamic and responsive," said Kate Johnson, president and CEO, Lumen Technologies. "AWS wants their customers to thrive in the AI economy and this network expansion will help enable that. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen is using next-generation fibre to help AWS deliver high-bandwidth solutions that will allow their customers to experience and deliver AI's full potential."  

Matt Garman, CEO of AWS added: "The next wave of innovation will be driven by generative AI, which requires a combination of secure, scalable cloud infrastructure and flexible networking. Together, AWS and Lumen will enable high-performance network connections that ensure customers across every industry can build and deliver compelling, secure, and reliable AI applications at scale."  

In August Lumen announced it had secured US$5 billion worth of business on the back of demand for AI and had $7 billion more in the pipeline.

"Large companies across industry sectors are seeking to secure fibre capacity quickly, as this resource becomes increasingly valuable and potentially limited, due to booming AI needs," it said at the time.