Lumen Doubles Network-as-a-Service Customer Base as Enterprises Rapidly Shift to Programmable Connectivity

Surpassing 2,000 NaaS customers shows programmable networking is becoming the control plane for Cloud 2.0

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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Lumen Technologies has announced that it has doubled its network-as-a-service (NaaS) customer base to more than 2,000 businesses since Q3 2025, reflecting the rapid shift by enterprises to on-demand, programmable networking for AI and cloud workloads. Growth in Lumen's NaaS platform is being driven by enterprises rearchitecting networks to support AI-driven and multi-cloud workloads that demand greater flexibility and scale.

Why it matters

As enterprises modernize architectures for distributed AI workloads, they require more than just bandwidth - they need intelligent, programmable infrastructure that delivers low-latency, scale, and control across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Lumen's NaaS platform provides this, enabling faster deployment, lower complexity, and more reliable performance for AI workloads that depend on real-time data exchange.

The details

Lumen has expanded its Internet On-Demand capabilities to more than 10 million new locations, enabling office buildings and data centers across North America to quickly scale connectivity. Adoption has also accelerated as enterprises increase ports per customer, signaling growing reliance on a programmable fabric to support distributed business sites, clouds, and AI-driven environments. Lumen's new Multi-Cloud Gateway adds a software-defined, self-service routing layer on top of its global fiber network, giving enterprises a more direct and efficient way to move data between clouds and business locations.

  • In Q3 2025, Lumen reached 1,000 NaaS customers.
  • In August 2025, Lumen expanded its Internet On-Demand capabilities to more than 10 million new locations.

The players

Lumen Technologies

An American telecommunications company that provides fiber optic and copper communications services, including local and long-distance voice, broadband, and video services.

Jim Fowler

Lumen's chief technology and product officer.

Kari Escobedo

Interim CTO at Seattle Sounders FC.

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What they’re saying

“Enterprises are redesigning their networks for a world where AI workloads move massive amounts of data across clouds and geographies in real time. Surpassing 2,000 NaaS customers so quickly shows 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.”

— Jim Fowler, Chief Technology and Product Officer (Lumen)

“Live sports don't operate on a steady curve. We need the ability to scale when the business needs to scale — and to know the network will perform when it matters most. With Lumen NaaS, the network adapts to the business instead of the other way around.”

— Kari Escobedo, Interim CTO (Seattle Sounders FC)

The takeaway

Lumen's rapid growth in network-as-a-service customers reflects the enterprise shift towards programmable, on-demand networking infrastructure that can support the demands of AI and cloud workloads. As companies modernize their architectures for distributed AI, Lumen's NaaS platform provides the flexibility, scalability, and performance they need to operate at AI speed.