Company snapshot
| Category | CDNetworks | China Telecom |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
CDNetworks, founded in 2000, is a global content delivery network (CDN) provider offering services for web performance, media delivery, and cloud security. Headquartered in Singapore, it serves industries like e-commerce, gaming, and media, with clients including Alibaba, Samsung, and Hyundai. Its CDN Pro (formerly CDN360) focuses on delivering static and dynamic content with enhanced security features. The company emphasizes strong network presence in Asia, particularly China, and provides solutions like DDoS protection and edge computing. CDNetworks is owned by Wangsu Science & Technology since 2017.
China Telecom Corporation Limited, a state-owned telecommunications provider, operates one of China’s largest content delivery networks, leveraging its extensive infrastructure to optimize content distribution. Founded in 2002, it serves major internet portals and enterprises, including Tencent QQ, Baidu, Sina, and Weibo. The CDN is integrated with China Telecom’s backbone networks, ChinaNet and CN2, to deliver low-latency services across China and globally. It caters to businesses requiring compliance with China’s strict internet regulations, such as ICP licensing, and supports a range of applications from web content to streaming media.
Network & Architecture
CDNetworks operates over 2,800 Points of Presence (PoPs) across six continents, with a strong focus on the Asia-Pacific region, including China and India. Its network leverages global peering and an anycast architecture to optimize routing and reduce latency. The company holds an ICP Beian license, enabling compliant content delivery in Mainland China. Regional strengths include extensive coverage in APAC, but its North American and African footprints are less dense compared to competitors like Akamai or Cloudflare.
China Telecom CDN operates points of presence (PoPs) across 11 countries, with 15 cities including Sydney, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Amsterdam. Its domestic strength lies in partnerships with local ISPs like China Unicom and Zenlayer, ensuring robust connectivity within mainland China. The network supports over 1–5 Tbps in traffic capacity, with 788 IP ranges in China alone. Limitations include restricted operations in the U.S. due to FCC orders citing national security concerns, impacting its ability to serve American customers directly. Its global reach is strong in APAC but less comprehensive in EMEA and LATAM compared to providers like Cloudflare or Akamai.
Feature comparison
| Feature | CDNetworks | China Telecom |
|---|---|---|
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
CDNetworks uses a customized pricing model, typically enterprise-focused, with quotes based on data transfer, feature usage, and contract terms. Public pricing is not fully transparent, but estimates suggest $0.03–$0.15 per GB for data transfer and $0.005 per 10,000 HTTP/HTTPS requests. No free tier or pay-as-you-go options are publicly advertised; pricing requires contacting sales for a tailored quote. See https://www.cdnetworks.com/pricing/ for details.
Pricing details are not publicly disclosed and typically involve enterprise-level contracts tailored to customer needs. No pay-as-you-go (PAYG) or free-tier options are documented. Businesses should contact China Telecom directly for quotes, as pricing varies based on traffic volume and service requirements.
Integrations & DevEx
CDNetworks supports Terraform for infrastructure-as-code, with OpenAPI Explorer for API integration. Its CDN Pro Portal and API provide access to real-time logs and analytics, facilitating monitoring and optimization. SDKs are not extensively documented, but the API-first design supports custom integrations. Migration tools are not explicitly mentioned, though the console supports cloning configurations for easier setup. CI/CD integration is possible via APIs but lacks native plugins for common pipelines.
China Telecom CDN provides API-first access for configuration and management, with real-time logging for performance monitoring. Terraform or specific SDKs for CI/CD pipelines are not documented. Migration tools or support for transitioning from other CDNs are not publicly detailed, but partnerships with providers like Conversant suggest integration capabilities for international businesses.
When it fits
- Businesses needing strong CDN performance in Asia, especially China, due to CDNetworks’ ICP Beian license and extensive APAC PoPs.
- Enterprises requiring integrated security (WAF, DDoS, bot mitigation) alongside content delivery for e-commerce or gaming.
- Organizations leveraging edge computing for serverless applications with global reach.
- Businesses needing a China-licensed CDN to comply with ICP regulations for mainland China operations.
- Enterprises serving high-traffic portals or streaming services in APAC, leveraging China Telecom’s ISP partnerships.
- Organizations requiring robust DDoS protection and image/video optimization for Asia-centric audiences.
When it doesn’t
- Small businesses or startups seeking pay-as-you-go or free-tier options, as CDNetworks focuses on enterprise contracts.
- Users needing dense PoP coverage in North America or Africa, where competitors like Cloudflare have broader reach.
- Developers requiring extensive SDKs or native CI/CD integrations, which are less emphasized compared to Fastly.
- Companies primarily targeting U.S. markets, due to FCC restrictions and operational bans.
- Small businesses or startups seeking transparent PAYG pricing or free-tier options.
- Users needing extensive global PoP coverage outside APAC, where competitors like Cloudflare excel.
History & Notes
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