Lumen Highlights AI-Era Transformation and Path to Growth at Analyst Forum

DENVER--( BUSINESS WIRE)--In its ongoing mission to unleash the world’s digital potential, Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) today shared highlights from its 2025 Industry Analyst Forum, where analysts engaged with the company’s leadership team around the Forum's theme – The Trusted Network for AI. Key moments spotlighted the company’s comprehensive blueprint for transformation, financial progress, and a preview of new innovations and programs designed to strengthen Lumen’s position as a digital networking services company for the AI era.

“Lumen is determined to lead the transformation of our industry to meet the demands of the AI economy,” said Lumen CEO Kate Johnson. “With ubiquitous reach and a digital-first platform, we are positioned to deliver next-gen connectivity, power enterprise innovation, and secure our own growth. This is how we build the trusted network for AI and deliver exceptional value to our customers and shareholders.”

Highlights included keynote remarks from Johnson, who outlined the three pillars of the company’s strategy:

Johnson also noted how Lumen’s growth is powered by a set of unique enablers that turn the company’s network into a true digital platform. With near-term product launches like self-service digital portal Lumen Connect, a universal Fabric Port, and new innovations in development that extend intelligence into the network edge, Lumen is making connectivity programmable and effortless. Combined with the company’s Network-as-a-Service business model and a connected ecosystem of data centers, hyperscalers and technology partners, these enablers give customers the speed, security, and simplicity they need to thrive in the AI economy.

The company also outlined continued progress to reset its financial foundation and create significant capacity for growth. Following the anticipated 1H 2026 close of Lumen’s mass-market fiber sale to AT&T, in just over 2 years the company is projected to have:

Chief Financial Officer Chris Stansbury said 2026 is expected to mark an inflection point as new digital revenues, growth in IP and Wavelengths, and long-term hyperscaler contracts begin to outpace legacy declines – setting up what he called a “trampoline moment” for expansion. Lumen projects business segment revenue growth in 2028 and a return to overall top-line growth in 2029, establishing a clear path from stabilization to value creation.

With a strengthened balance sheet and greater financial freedom, executives highlighted the bold investment in the company’s three strategic pillars, each designed to accelerate innovation and position Lumen for long-term industry leadership.

Building the Backbone for the AI Economy

Lumen’s strategy begins with the physical network, which carries a significant portion of the world’s internet traffic. With construction underway coast-to-coast, the company is executing a multi-billion-dollar program to expand its intercity and metro fiber backbone:

Lumen’s substantial investments to expand high-speed connectivity ensures customers have the network scale, speed, and reliability to confidently innovate and grow without constraints.

Cloudifying and Agentifying Telecom with a Digital Platform

The rise of AI is driving unprecedented demands for a new, Cloud 2.0 architecture with distributed, low-latency, high-bandwidth networks that can move and process massive amounts of data across multicloud, edge, and enterprise locations. Lumen is meeting this challenge by cloudifying and agentifying telecom, turning its expansive fiber footprint into a programmable digital platform that strips away the complexity of legacy networking.

Among the key product expansions and innovations shared during Analyst Forum:

“Lumen is taking the network out of its hardware box and transforming it into a true digital platform,” said Lumen Chief Technology and Product Officer Dave Ward. “By cloudifying our fiber assets into software and disrupting cloud economics, we’re giving customers the ability to turn up services within minutes, scale as their AI workloads demand, and innovate at cloud speed. This is what the future of digital networking should deliver.”

Creating a Connected Ecosystem

Lumen’s connected ecosystem integrates the company’s physical infrastructure and digital platforms with the capabilities of the world’s fastest-growing technology companies to deliver customers powerful solutions spanning AI, security, back-up, and recovery. This ecosystem strategy is not about isolated services, it’s about creating a fully digital experience that connects customers, technology partners, and platforms.

In closing the session, CEO Kate Johnson underscored that Lumen’s strategies are the foundation of the company’s momentum today – transforming the industry with innovation to fuel growth, strengthening financial performance, and positioning the company as a critical enabler in the digital economy.

“We’re thrilled by the energy and engagement we've seen from the analyst community,” added Johnson. “The discussions around how Lumen is delivering an expansive network, digital platform, connected ecosystem and winning culture to meet the exponential enterprise demands of AI demonstrate the urgent need for innovation in our industry, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that conversation.”

For a replay of the webcast, visit Lumen’s investor website.

About Lumen Technologies

Lumen is unleashing the world's digital potential. We ignite business growth by connecting people, data, and applications – quickly, securely, and effortlessly. As the trusted network for AI, Lumen uses the scale of our network to help companies realize AI's full potential. From metro connectivity to long-haul data transport to our edge cloud, security, managed service, and digital platform capabilities, we meet our customers’ needs today and as they build for tomorrow.

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Forward-Looking Statement

This press release includes certain forward-looking statements about future events. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results, are based on our current expectations only and are subject to various uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated by us in these statements due to several factors, including those referenced in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.