The invisible intermediaries delivering a seamless online experience

The internet is an integral part of our daily lives, enabling us to access and share content, to work and entertain ourselves. Beneath the surface of what we now take for granted lies a complex network of service providers working tirelessly to meet our demand for content and services. Who are some of the main players, and what do they do?

CDNs: working behind the scenes to ensure internet usability

The quality of experience delivered to end users is critical to the usability of the internet. This includes web pages loading promptly and video streams playing out in high definition. Content delivery networks (CDNs) are intermediaries that ensure this happens by delivering content efficiently in two ways:

• Caching frequently accessed content. CDNs use caches – computer servers – to store copies of frequently accessed content, such as news articles or video-on-demand episodes, closer to the end user than the source. This ensures faster loading times and reduces traffic between the cache and the source, which may be located anywhere in the world. Instead, the interaction occurs between the end user and the cache.
• Optimising routing for dynamic or customised content. More dynamic or customised content, such as video conferences or real-time updates on websites, cannot be cached. CDNs provide efficient routing for these content types across the internet. This optimisation helps maintain a high-quality experience for end users of these services.

The traffic management capabilities of CDNs play a pivotal role in ensuring the smooth operation of the modern internet. Without the caching functions provided by CDNs, delivering the immense volume of high-definition streaming video that we enjoy today would not be feasible.

Cloud services: empowering organisations of all sizes with massive capabilities

Internet services typically run on powerful computer servers that host the services accessed by millions of end users worldwide. These servers also offer new capabilities to organisations in the form of computing power and software applications, typically on an on-demand or ‘pay as you go’ basis. This is how many of us access email, store our files, and use work software.

While the characterisation of these ‘cloud’ services is evolving all the time, cloud services can be categorised into three levels: 

• Infrastructure as a service (IaaS): provides raw computing power and storage for businesses to run their own software applications.
• Platform as a service (PaaS): offers tools for businesses to develop their own software applications.
• Software as a service (SaaS): delivers client-ready software applications accessed over the internet, instead of being held and kept up to date on the organisation’s own hardware.

These services enable organisations to access high-impact technologies, such as AI and big data analytics, on a day-to-day basis, without investing in hardware, IT staff and maintenance, which would otherwise be cost-prohibitive.

Data centres: the foundation of cloud and CDN services

Data centres are highly specialised facilities for hosting CDN, cloud and other internet servers, providing the power and cooling necessary for their operation. Data centres act as a centralised location where internet service providers can access the content and services on the cloud and CDN servers.

Data centres vary widely in size, ownership and occupancy models, but usually have sophisticated systems for power distribution, redundancy and environmental controls. They are characterised by their power consumption, efficiency and resilience to failures, including power outages. 

Fibre-optic cables: the lifeline of global connectivity

Fibre-optic cables connect data centres, enabling distributed computing and seamless data transfer. These cables are laid underground, and where the connections are international, may also be laid under the sea. Submarine cables connect nations and continents, allowing users and organisations worldwide to benefit from the services offered.

Reliability and resiliency of cables are essential, and many countries have multiple cable routes to avoid single points of failure. Some large providers of internet-based services invest in their own submarine cables to ensure unrestricted access to this critical component of the global internet value chain.

The critical role of the intermediary helps to make the internet an indispensable part of our lives

Next time you stream a video from your favourite provider, consider the journey it has taken from its source. It will be delivered over fibre-optic cables from one data centre to the next, stored in a CDN cache for seamless streaming to your TV or computer. Separately, a cloud provider will hold your account information, confirm your subscription, make recommendations based on your preferences, and authorise the delivery of your chosen video. Together, these companies play their part in making the internet an essential part of our lives.