Lumen Technologies has surpassed 1,000 customers on its Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) platform, less than two years after launching the service in late 2023. The milestone reflects accelerating demand for agile, programmable enterprise networking to support AI-driven applications, cloud migration, and dynamic workloads. Lumen’s NaaS portfolio offers on-demand Internet, Ethernet, and IP VPN connectivity with self-service provisioning in minutes, combined with security features like DDoS Essentials and Lumen Defender, powered by Black Lotus Labs.
The platform integrates directly with hyperscalers including AWS, Microsoft, and Google Cloud, as well as major third-party data centers via strategically located on-ramps. Customers such as Best Buy, Churchill Downs, Columbia Sportswear, and Foot Locker use Lumen NaaS for rapid capacity scaling, live event connectivity, and secure inter-office and cloud links. Industries are leveraging the service for high-speed deployments during mergers, global media events, and SaaS integrations without the complexity of legacy infrastructure.
Lumen operates one of the most extensive fiber networks globally, with 163,000 on-net buildings and 340,000 fiber route miles. The company plans to expand to 47 million intercity fiber miles by 2028, upgrade backbone capacity beyond 100G, and extend its on-net footprint in high-growth metro markets. These investments aim to meet demand for low-latency, high-capacity, AI-optimized enterprise connectivity.
- Over 1,000 customers onboarded since late 2023 launch
- Services: Internet On-Demand, Ethernet On-Demand, IP VPN On-Demand
- Integrated DDoS protection and proactive threat blocking
- Hyperscaler access: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud
- Network scale: 163,000 on-net buildings, 340,000 route miles, expanding to 47 million intercity miles by 2028
- Customers include Best Buy, Churchill Downs, Columbia Sportswear, Foot Locker, and Clearway Energy Group
“This is a landmark milestone to observe as we continue to focus on what enterprises need, where the world is going, and where we lead,” said Ashley Haynes-Gaspar, Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer, Lumen Technologies.
🌐 Why it Matters: The rapid uptake of Lumen’s NaaS platform signals a broader market shift toward software-defined, consumption-based networking, driven by AI workloads and multi-cloud integration. As enterprises move away from static MPLS and fixed-term circuits, providers with deep fiber footprints and edge-to-core automation will be best positioned to capture this growth.
