Insights from the Metro Connect 2026 panel on how fiber infrastructure is evolving to support hyperscale data center growth.
At Metro Connect 2026, one message was unmistakable. Despite the excitement surrounding AI, cloud platforms, and new applications, the foundation of digital growth still comes down to one thing: fiber.
During the panel session, “It’s All About the Fiber: Building the Backbone for Data Center Expansion”, industry leaders from MOX Networks, Nokia, Arcadian Infracom, Lumen, and Gigabit Fiber discussed how the surge in AI workloads and hyperscale data centers is reshaping infrastructure requirements across North America. Topics ranged from where new connectivity demand will emerge to how operators should approach network construction, supply chains, and dark fiber strategies.
For MOX Networks CEO Allen Meeks, the discussion reinforced a critical point: the future of digital infrastructure will be defined by how well networks connect power, data centers, and long-term operational control.
The Next Data Center Markets Will Follow Power
One of the central questions addressed by the panel was where new data centers and AI infrastructure will emerge over the next several years. According to Meeks, the answer is increasingly tied to power availability rather than traditional metro hubs.
“When you look beyond the next few years, the reality is the market follows power,” said Meeks. “Large urban hubs like Ashburn remain important, but new infrastructure will increasingly appear where energy resources are available. Fiber determines whether those locations can actually scale.”
As hyperscale operators look to deploy multi-gigawatt data center campuses, access to reliable power sources such as gas, hydro, or nuclear energy is becoming a primary factor in site selection. Fiber infrastructure, however, remains the enabling layer that determines whether those locations can become viable digital hubs.
Without robust connectivity linking those power-rich regions to existing digital ecosystems, new data center development simply cannot occur.
Build vs Buy: A Changing Relationship with Hyperscalers
Another major theme was how hyperscalers approach network infrastructure, and whether they should rely on existing carrier networks or invest in new builds. While hyperscalers increasingly fund or participate in network development, Meeks highlighted an important distinction between ownership and operation.
Hyperscalers may help design and finance infrastructure projects, but they rarely want to take on the operational and regulatory complexities associated with building terrestrial networks themselves.
“Hyperscalers have invested directly in subsea systems and may help fund terrestrial builds,” Meeks explained. “But managing right-of-way, regulation, and long-term network operations is a very different responsibility. That’s where carriers still play a critical role.”
In other words, the partnership model remains essential. Carriers bring expertise in permitting, construction, operations, and long-term asset management, capabilities hyperscalers often prefer not to replicate internally.
Dark Fiber: Capacity vs Control
Perhaps the most striking takeaway from the discussion was Meeks’ observation that the industry is rediscovering the value of the physical infrastructure itself.
For years, innovation in telecommunications focused primarily on optical technologies, transmission speeds, and network equipment. But as demand accelerates, the underlying physical assets such as conduits, rights-of-way, and fiber routes have regained strategic importance.
“For a long time, the focus was on photonics and equipment optimization,” Meeks noted. “But overinvestment in those layers has made the physical infrastructure important again. Owning the right-of-way and managing that network for the next 30 years is the real linchpin.”
As hyperscale demand expands, carriers that control key fiber corridors and rights-of-way are increasingly positioned as essential partners in building the next generation of digital infrastructure.
Supply Chain Pressures and Planning for Scale
The panel also addressed supply chain challenges facing infrastructure builders. From fiber manufacturing to semiconductor availability, operators are navigating a complex global ecosystem.
Meeks described how MOX has taken a proactive approach by working directly with glass manufacturers to secure custom fiber production when traditional supply channels were constrained. This kind of strategic planning is becoming essential as the industry scales infrastructure to meet unprecedented demand.
The lesson: large-scale infrastructure projects now require long-term planning, diversified suppliers, and early investment to stay ahead of delivery timelines.
Understanding AI Architecture Is the Next Competitive Advantage
Looking ahead, Meeks emphasized that infrastructure providers must go deeper than simply deploying connectivity. To effectively serve hyperscalers, operators need to understand the underlying AI architectures driving network demand.
“Network providers need to understand how these systems actually work. What the difference is between training and inference, where workloads sit, and how that impacts network traffic,” Meeks said.
At MOX Networks, that perspective comes from firsthand experience. The company’s network architecture was originally developed to support large-scale medical AI workloads driven by its parent company, founded by Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, which processes vast genomic and clinical datasets. As highlighted in Dr. Soon-Shiong’s keynote at Metro Connect 2025, these data-intensive healthcare applications require the same high-capacity, low-latency infrastructure now being deployed across the broader AI ecosystem.
Each hyperscaler designs its infrastructure differently, meaning network strategies must align with specific architectural requirements rather than relying on one-size-fits-all deployments. Those operators that understand both AI workloads and network infrastructure will be best positioned to support the next phase of digital expansion.
The Backbone of the AI Economy
As the Metro Connect discussion made clear, the future of AI and data center growth depends on a resilient and scalable fiber infrastructure layer.
While applications and computing platforms continue to evolve rapidly, the physical networks connecting power, data centers, and global markets remain the backbone of the digital economy.
For Meeks and the MOX Networks team, the message is simple: the companies that control and operate critical infrastructure will continue to play a central role in enabling the next wave of technological innovation.
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