Google Global Cache

Google has a multi-tiered content delivery platform that reaches more than 100 countries. This platform leverages our extensive global network infrastructure, which interconnects Google’s data centers and backbone to our edge points of presence (POPs) across the globe. We aim to deliver Google content and services as close to users as possible in order to provide the best possible performance and lowest cost for network operators to serve traffic demanded by their subscribers.

Original content is hosted within Google data centers. The content is replicated to multiple data centers for redundancy and more efficient serving to our end users. We then distribute this content across our network and closer to users, using the Google backbone network.

Google Global Cache (GGC) represents the final tier of Google’s content delivery platform, and is closest to users. With GGC, network operators and Internet Service Providers deploy a small number of Google servers inside their network to serve popular Google content, including YouTube. Google’s traffic management system directs users to the node that will provide the best performance for the user.

GGC can be located anywhere in an operator’s network to maximize savings in backbone and transit bandwidth. Targeted deployment can reduce the number of route-miles traveled on an operator’s network to serve Google traffic, further increasing cost savings for the operator.

While cache hit rates vary based on the unique consumption patterns of end users on each operator’s network, typically between 70-90% of Google cacheable traffic can be served from GGC.