Company snapshot
| Category | China Telecom | Mlytics |
|---|---|---|
| Status | active | active |
| Founded | — | — |
| Headquarters | — | — |
| Website | — | — |
| Docs | — | — |
Overview
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.
Mlytics is a Singapore-based MultiCDN platform founded in 2017, specializing in AI-driven traffic steering to optimize web and video streaming performance. It aggregates multiple CDN providers, routing traffic based on real-time performance metrics. The platform serves businesses needing global content delivery, particularly in video streaming and markets like China. Mlytics integrates with major CDNs like Akamai, Cloudflare, and Amazon CloudFront. It is recognized for its analytics and security features, catering to enterprises and developers. Customers include Fortune 500 companies and video streaming providers.
Network & Architecture
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.
Mlytics operates a global network with over 214 points of presence (PoPs) and 30,000+ real user monitoring (RUM) nodes, with a strong presence in APAC, China, India, Southeast Asia, and emerging markets. Its proprietary decision engine uses AI to route traffic to the fastest available CDN based on latency and availability. The platform supports access to China without an ICP license, leveraging partnerships with local providers. Specific peering details are not publicly disclosed. Limitations may include less coverage in Africa and Latin America compared to larger providers like Akamai.
Feature comparison
| Feature | China Telecom | Mlytics |
|---|---|---|
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
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.
Mlytics operates a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model with flexible pricing plans, allowing businesses to scale usage without long-term commitments. No public per-GB pricing is available, but cost savings of up to 25% are claimed via the CDN Marketplace. A free trial is offered for testing the platform. Enterprise plans include 24/7 support and custom configurations. For detailed pricing, visit https://www.mlytics.com/pricing/.
Integrations & DevEx
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.
Mlytics supports API-driven integrations, including the Mlytics MCP Server for managing CDN sites and DNS records. Real-time logs and analytics are available through a unified dashboard, simplifying multi-CDN management. The platform offers real user monitoring (RUM) and synthetic monitoring for performance tracking. No Terraform or CI/CD-specific tools are documented. Migration tools support seamless transitions from other CDNs, with expert assistance to minimize downtime.
When it fits
- 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.
- Businesses needing Multi-CDN for video streaming, especially in APAC and China markets.
- Enterprises seeking AI-driven traffic steering with real-time analytics and RUM.
- Developers requiring an API-first platform with flexible, PAYG pricing.
When it doesn’t
- 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.
- Organizations needing extensive edge compute or serverless functions, which Mlytics does not offer.
- Companies focused on regions like Africa or Latin America, where coverage is less robust.
- Users requiring advanced video features like HLS/DASH packaging or DRM, which are not supported.
History & Notes
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