Lumen Doubles NaaS Customer Base to 2,000+ as Enterprises Accelerate Programmable Connectivity for AI Workloads

Growth Surges as Programmable Networks Become Standard for AI and Multi-Cloud Solutions

Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) has rapidly doubled its network-as-a-service (NaaS) customer base, now serving over 2,000 enterprises—up from 1,000 since August 2025. This swift rise highlights how programmable, on-demand networks are moving from pilot projects to a mainstream infrastructure solution as businesses adapt for the massive data and real-time requirements of AI and next-gen cloud workloads.

Enterprises Redesign Networks for Agility, Scale, and AI Performance

What’s behind this uptick? Lumen’s NaaS adoption is propelled by organizations rearchitecting their networks for more agile, distributed, and scalable operations. Enterprises managing AI-driven or multi-cloud environments are increasing port usage per customer and looking for solutions that effortlessly scale with business needs. According to Jim Fowler, Lumen's Chief Technology and Product Officer, "programmable networking is no longer experimental, it’s becoming the control plane for Cloud 2.0. Our platform gives businesses the composability, scalability, and performance they need to operate at AI speed."

Platform Innovations Target Cloud 2.0 and Real-Time AI Workloads

Several platform enhancements are driving this expansion. Lumen extended its Internet On-Demand service to more than 10 million new locations, enabling fast, scalable connections across office buildings and data centers throughout North America. The new Multi-Cloud Gateway adds a software-defined routing layer, so enterprise customers can manage direct data transfers between clouds and business locations with less complexity and faster provisioning.

With Lumen Connect’s portal, customers can now manage connectivity on-demand, supporting rapid deployment, reduced operational friction, and reliable performance—essential for AI-powered use-cases that demand real-time connections and scalability.

Industry Use Cases: Real-Time Scalability for Sports and More

This shift transcends IT: live sports franchises like the Seattle Sounders FC use Lumen’s NaaS to adjust network capacity for high-demand events without the cost of maintaining year-round peak levels. Kari Escobedo, Interim CTO at Seattle Sounders FC, praised the adaptive model: “With Lumen NaaS, the network adapts to the business instead of the other way around.” This flexibility is attracting clients from sectors seeking scalable, reliable, and composable network solutions.

Lumen’s Strategic Position: Industry Recognition and Market Implications

Lumen’s technology strategy centers on blending network scale with real-time, programmable control—positioning the company as a trusted partner for enterprises embracing AI and hybrid-cloud models. Industry recognition, such as being named NaaS Provider of the Year by Mplify in 2025, reflects Lumen’s momentum and thought leadership in converged networking, security, and on-demand solutions.

Key Takeaway: Programmable Networks Set the Pace for the AI Era

Lumen’s doubling of its NaaS customer base underscores a broader market trend: enterprises are quickly shifting toward network solutions that marry on-demand scalability with intelligent, real-time data transport to support new digital business models and AI applications. As cloud architectures evolve and data demands surge, programmable connectivity is poised to become a core competitive differentiator for organizations across sectors.

For those monitoring the future of enterprise networking, Lumen’s rapid NaaS growth could be an early signal of more widespread adoption—and of what’s required to operate at AI speed.

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