Corning Inc. will build a $100 million fiber-cabling factory in Gilbert that will employ 250 people and help AT&T deploy high-speed internet access, the companies announced on Tuesday.

The factory news came amid a whirlwind day of economic-development promotion by U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., who joined the companies for their announcement at Mesa Community College amid stops at Arizona State University and the Intertribal Council of Arizona.

The factory should open in 2024 and brings Corning's investment in manufacturing to $500 million since 2020, according to the companies.

The factory will occupy 317,000 square feet at Park Lucero, an industrial park near Gilbert Road and the Loop 202. Jobs at the facility will pay close to six figures, officials said.

Kelly credited the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed by Congress last year with helping bring the deal together.

"We didn't just want to expand high-speed internet, we wanted to put Arizonans to work in doing it, so we required more of the raw materials to be made in the United States," Kelly said to a small crowd at MCC.

"And as a result, companies like Corning are announcing what they are doing here today, expanding fiber-optic, cable-manufacturing facilities right here in our state. That means more good-paying jobs for Arizonans. ... That's the infrastructure law at work."

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AT&T also announced Tuesday it will roll out fiber internet service in Mesa next year, with about 100,000 households initially able to purchase the service.

Pricing and other details of the AT&T Fiber offering in Mesa were not yet available, but those interested can receive updates by providing an email at att.com/NotifyMe.

“In an increasingly virtual world, access to high-speed internet is a key to success for individuals, families and business owners,” Mesa Mayor John Giles said in a prepared statement.

AT&T also donated $50,000 to tuition and support for the community college.

AT&T wants U.S. products

AT&T CEO John Stankey said working with Corning in the U.S. can help mitigate some of the supply-chain delays industry is experiencing.

"Our goal at AT&T is to continue investing in and expanding our fiber footprint," Stankey said, touting the "well-paid, family sustaining, union jobs" at his company involved in that effort.

He said the worker-training programs AT&T is supporting helps close the digital divide in the country.

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The Corning factory will help the company address the market in the Western U.S.

"Gilbert is thrilled with Corning's choice to expand in our central business district,” Gilbert Mayor Brigette Peterson said in a prepared statement. “Corning is a global leader in innovation and their community investment highlights the continued appeal and growth in Gilbert’s diverse manufacturing industry.”

Corning Chairman/CEO Wendell Weeks said that access to high-speed internet is crucial for people for a variety of reasons, from doctor appointments to schooling.

"Research shows for example that communities that have deployed fiber networks saw a 35% boost in GDP," Weeks said.

"To address the digital divide, we need more than just private industry. We need enlightened, inspired leaders in government."

2nd Gilbert facility for Corning

Gilbert was selected in part because the company already has a 400-worker aerospace factory in the town, which gives the company promotional opportunities between the facilities. But also important was AT&T's desire to launch new service in the region.

Weeks said making the cable uses "very little" water and newer technologies can produce it without any water, which is a concern for some recent economic development projects in the region.

"Water scarcity didn't impact our choice," he said.

He said Corning would like to see 1,000 or so Arizona employees over time.

Corning manufacturing jobs nationwide have an average salary of about $100,000, Weeks said.

"These are technical manufacturing jobs," he said.

Commerce secretary says bill working

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo also joined the tour, touting a training program to be developed at MCC for careers in fiber communications. The industry will need as many as 850,000 additional workers in the next three years, according to the companies.

Raimondo said the infrastructure bill was working as intended.

"This is a bill that will put money to work in your community to build roads and bridges and clean water and provide internet for all," Raimondo said, adding that $65 billion in the bill is for broadband deployment.

"Everyone deserves the highest quality, reliable, affordable internet," she said, adding that the domestic manufacturing component of the legislation is important. "In a year and half from now there will be a few hundred Arizonans working in this Corning facility."

Corning and AT&T have had a longstanding partnership to profit off expanding fiber internet. A year ago, the companies announced a $150 million project in North Carolina similar to Tuesday's development in Arizona.

Reach reporter Ryan Randazzo at ryan.randazzo@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-4331. Follow him on Twitter @UtilityReporter.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Corning Inc., AT&T announce efforts for fiber expansion in Arizona