Corning to build new Arizona optical cable factory ahead of U.S. broadband push

FILE PHOTO: A screen displays the logo for Corning Inc. at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., November 18, 2019. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Corning Inc announced plans on Tuesday to build a new optical cable manufacturing plant in Arizona as the U.S. government moves to award $42 billion to expand broadband to millions of unserved Americans.

The factory in Gilbert, Arizona, expected to open in 2024, will help supply AT&T, the largest U.S. fiber internet provider, the companies' chief executives said in a joint interview with Reuters.