Company snapshot
| Category | Arelion | AT&T |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
Arelion, formerly Telia Carrier, is a global telecommunications provider based in Solna, Sweden, operating a tier 1 network with Autonomous System number AS1299. It offers fiber-based connectivity and IP services, including CDN solutions tailored for hosting and content delivery providers. The company serves wholesale customers, enterprises, and content providers like Facebook and CDNetworks. Its network spans over 77,000 km, connecting 350+ points of presence (PoPs) across 125 countries. Arelion focuses on high-capacity, low-latency connectivity for industries such as gaming, finance, and media.
AT&T operates a content delivery network (CDN) as part of its telecommunications portfolio, leveraging its global network infrastructure to deliver content for enterprise and media customers. The CDN focuses on video streaming, live events, and secure content delivery, utilizing AT&T’s extensive fiber and 5G networks. It serves large organizations, including broadcasters and businesses requiring high-bandwidth applications. The service integrates with AT&T’s broader connectivity offerings, such as private networking and cloud solutions. As of 2025, AT&T continues to expand its fiber footprint, aiming to reach over 50 million locations by 2029.
Network & Architecture
Arelion operates a global fiber network with over 350 PoPs in more than 125 countries, covering Europe, North America, Asia, and Latin America. Its North American network accounts for 57% of its customer bandwidth, with 40% year-over-year growth. The company maintains direct connections to over 70% of global Internet routes, leveraging its tier 1 status for robust peering and routing. Recent expansions include new routes in Texas and Mexico, enhancing diversity and capacity. The network is monitored 24/7 from centralized Network Operations Centers, ensuring consistent performance. Regional strengths include Europe and North America, with growing presence in Latin America and Asia.
AT&T’s CDN operates across 38 data centers globally, with points of presence (POPs) in North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. It leverages the company’s telecom backbone, including its fiber-optic and 5G networks, for low-latency content delivery. The network is optimized for video streaming and live events, with strong peering agreements with major ISPs. Its North American presence is particularly robust, though its coverage in emerging markets like Africa and parts of Asia is less extensive compared to competitors like Cloudflare or Akamai. The architecture emphasizes integration with AT&T’s private network services for enterprise clients.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Arelion | AT&T |
|---|---|---|
waf | ✗ | ✓ |
bot_mitigation | ✗ | ✗ |
ddos | ✓ | ✓ |
rate_limit | ✗ | ✗ |
http3_quic | ✗ | ✗ |
tls13 | ✗ | ✗ |
tiered_cache | ✗ | ✗ |
origin_shield | ✗ | ✗ |
instant_purge | ✗ | ✓ |
stale_while_revalidate | ✗ | ✗ |
stale_if_error | ✗ | ✗ |
image_optimization | ✗ | ✗ |
video_vod | ✗ | ✓ |
video_live | ✗ | ✓ |
drm | ✗ | ✗ |
hls_dash_packaging | ✗ | ✗ |
websockets | ✗ | ✗ |
signed_urls | ✗ | ✗ |
edge_compute | ✗ | ✗ |
functions | ✗ | ✗ |
kv_storage | ✗ | ✗ |
api_first | ✓ | ✓ |
realtime_logs | ✓ | ✓ |
log_push | ✗ | ✗ |
terraform | ✗ | ✗ |
Legend: ✓ = Supported, ✗ = Not supported, — = Not listed
Pricing
Arelion’s pricing model is primarily enterprise-oriented, with custom contracts for wholesale and large-scale customers. No public per-GB pricing is available, and the company does not offer a free tier or pay-as-you-go plans. Pricing details are typically negotiated based on capacity and service requirements. For more information, visit https://www.arelion.com.
AT&T’s CDN pricing is enterprise-only, with custom contracts based on bandwidth, storage, and service level agreements. No public per-GB pricing is available, and there is no free tier or pay-as-you-go option. Pricing details require direct contact with AT&T’s sales team, as no dedicated pricing page is publicly accessible.
Integrations & DevEx
Arelion’s My Arelion portal supports Open APIs for accessing usage data, support tickets, and service management, enabling integration with customer systems. The portal includes BGP tools and allows self-service for ordering services like Cloud Connect and IP Transit. No specific support for Terraform or CI/CD pipelines is documented. Real-time logs are available through the portal, providing visibility into network performance and service status.
AT&T’s CDN offers an API-first interface for configuration and monitoring, with real-time log access for analytics. Documentation is available but lacks support for Terraform or other infrastructure-as-code tools. SDKs are limited, and there’s no mention of CI/CD integrations or migration tools. The focus is on enterprise workflows, with less emphasis on developer-centric features compared to providers like Fastly or Cloudflare.
When it fits
- Enterprises needing high-capacity, low-latency connectivity for content delivery across global markets.
- Wholesale customers requiring direct access to a tier 1 network with extensive peering.
- Businesses in Europe or North America seeking robust DDoS mitigation and API-driven service management.
- Enterprises needing a telecom-backed CDN integrated with private networking or 5G for secure, high-bandwidth content delivery.
- Media companies requiring robust video-on-demand and live streaming with global reach and DDoS protection.
- Organizations already using AT&T’s connectivity services, seeking seamless CDN integration.
When it doesn’t
- Small businesses or startups looking for pay-as-you-go or free-tier CDN options.
- Customers needing advanced edge compute, image optimization, or video-specific CDN features.
- Organizations prioritizing transparent, publicly available pricing without custom contracts.
- Small businesses or developers looking for pay-as-you-go pricing or a free tier, as AT&T targets enterprise clients.
- Users needing advanced edge compute, image optimization, or developer-centric tools like Terraform support.
- Customers prioritizing extensive POP coverage in Africa or smaller APAC markets, where AT&T’s presence is limited.
History & Notes
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