Lumen is Redefining Networking for the AI and Quantum Eras
Key Highlights
- ➤Lumen (LUMN) announced three initiatives targeting AI energy, quantum connectivity, and security threats
- ➤Emerald AI and Lumen are exploring energy-aware routing to shift AI workloads across locations
- ➤Lumen invested in Ohio State research on long-distance quantum networking using deployed optical fiber
- ➤Fortinet post-quantum cryptography planned for Lumen SASE in November 2026, with general availability in January 2027
Expert Statements
Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen
“The network must do more than just connect. It must help solve the defining challenges of our time”
Kate Johnson, CEO of Lumen
“We’re innovating our network to help AI computing adapt to available energy, lay the foundation for a connected quantum future, and prepare enterprises for continuous and emerging security threats. These are distinct challenges that demand a network built for what’s next.”
Jim Fowler, chief technology and product officer at Lumen
“The network has traditionally connected computing resources wherever they happen to be. We’re exploring how to turn that equation around, making the network an active part of how and where computing happens”
Dr. Varun Sivaram, founder and CEO, Emerald AI
“Power is a critical bottleneck to AI growth, and flexible AI data centers could unlock up to 100 gigawatts of capacity on the existing U.S. grid while being good grid citizens—helping keep electricity affordable and the power system reliable”
Dr. Varun Sivaram, founder and CEO, Emerald AI
“Our collaboration with Lumen brings that opportunity to AI inference. By combining our Emerald Conductor platform with Lumen’s programmable fiber network, we’re developing energy-aware routing that can move inference requests to locations with available power while keeping latency low and performance high. This is designed to give data centers a way to ease demand during rare periods of grid stress while continuing to serve their customers, helping AI grow alongside the communities that power it.”
Lumen advances intelligent networking with Emerald AI, The Ohio State University, and Fortinet to address AI energy demands and prepare for the quantum future
Lumen Technologies (Nasdaq: LUMN) today announced three new initiatives using intelligent networking to address AI energy challenges, future quantum connectivity, and emerging security threats. As enterprises’ AI and quantum ambition begin to outgrow traditional networks, Lumen is turning its network into an active platform for innovation—combining fiber connectivity scale, programmable control, software intelligence, and a connected ecosystem of partners to help enable the next generation of computing.
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