0:00 Corning just signed a massive multiyear deal to supply fiber optics to Amazon.0:04 Yesterday, we talked about McDonald's NEXT program and all its digital flash — well, today we see the plumbing that makes it all work.0:13 The actual, physical stuff that the entire AI economy is being built on top of.0:18 And that foundation is getting a major, multi-billion dollar upgrade, starting right now.0:23 Here’s what else is moving.0:25 AT&T is hitting the accelerator on its own fiber rollout.0:29 More than that, they're planning to completely exit their old-school, legacy voice services by the end of this year.0:36 The copper wire era?0:37 It's officially over.0:38 We'll come back to that.0:40 Also, the U.S.0:41 government just launched a new bipartisan coalition called RAISE US.0:45 The goal?0:46 To get the American workforce ready for the AI-driven economy that's clearly already here.0:51 It's led by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, so this has real weight behind it.0:56 And how are the markets taking all this news?0:59 Not great, not terrible.1:01 S&P and Nasdaq futures are down a bit, while the Dow is basically flat.1:05 It feels like Wall Street is taking a breath, trying to figure out who wins and who loses in this massive rewiring of the economy.1:13 Okay, let's go deeper on the infrastructure story, because this is where the real money is moving.1:19 The Corning deal with Amazon isn't just another supplier contract.1:23 This is about building the next generation of the internet.1:27 Amazon's AI data centers are creating a demand for data so huge, so relentless, that our current infrastructure can't handle it.1:35 This isn't about you getting faster Netflix.1:38 This is about the sheer bandwidth needed to train and run the AI models that are reshaping every single industry.1:45 Corning is now directly plugged into that buildout, alongside its other deals with Nvidia and Meta.1:51 They're making the picks and shovels for the digital gold rush.1:55 And then there's AT&T.1:56 This is the part that really signals a sea change.2:00 They aren't just adding more fiber.2:02 They are actively trying to kill their old business.2:05 Think about that.2:06 A company built on the telephone is now saying the telephone network is obsolete.2:11 They're telling the FCC they want out of legacy voice services by the end of 2026.2:16 Why?2:17 Because maintaining that ancient copper network is a boat anchor.2:21 It's expensive, it's slow, and it can't compete.2:24 So they're going all-in on fiber.2:26 Independent research just named AT&T Fiber as a top performer for speed and reliability, so the bet seems to be paying off on the product side.2:35 But getting out of a century-old business?2:37 That comes with massive regulatory hurdles and execution risk.2:41 Still, the message is crystal clear: the future is made of glass, not copper.2:46 So what's the big picture here?2:48 You have the government finally waking up with programs like RAISE US, admitting that AI is going to displace jobs and we need a plan.2:56 You have the market hesitating, trying to price in this huge transition.3:01 But the real, concrete action?3:03 It's in the ground.3:04 It's in the massive, multiyear, multibillion-dollar contracts for fiber optic cable.3:09 The AI revolution we keep talking about in terms of software and algorithms has a very physical, very expensive reality.3:17 It requires a fundamental rebuilding of our national infrastructure.3:21 And right now, the companies laying that literal groundwork are the ones cashing the biggest checks.3:27 The future isn't just being coded; it's being pulled through miles and miles of glass.
