Jul 21, 2026 | Posted by Abdul-Rahman Oladimeji
Italian cable manufacturer Prysmian has signed a €5.5 billion ($6.29bn) agreement with Koch-owned Molex to supply optical cables for data center deployments. The deal includes a €550 million ($570m) upfront payment and will run for up to 10 years. Prysmian, founded in 1879, produces energy and telecom cables, while Molex specializes in electronic, electrical, and fiber optic connectivity solutions.
Prysmian expects new data center agreements to generate more than €10 billion ($11.41bn) in additional value through 2035. The company plans to more than double US fiber capacity to meet growing AI-driven demand for higher-density data center connectivity.
“This is a transformative moment for Prysmian’s Digital Solutions. Much like our agreements in the transmission business, we can now benefit in two ways: first, together with our customers, including the important partnership with Molex, we are investing to meet demand," said Massimo Battaini, CEO, Prysmian.
"And secondly, we share a clear vision to the market about the buoyancy of demand over the long-term, and Prysmian’s clear ambition to compete in the digital space to create value as a front-runner, in both technology and scale. The agreements and capacity investments strengthen our leadership in data centers, with every part of our business benefiting—from upgrading electricity grids and supplying electrical cable solutions to leveraging our expertise in long-haul digital connections and advancing our role in submarine telecom deployment."
