--- title: What Are CDNs, and What Do They Have To Do With the Cloud? description: Content delivery networks (CDNs) are a geographically distributed network of servers (caches) that work together to deliver content by moving it closer to the end-users. image: https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/2025/Blog%20Assets/AdobeStock_270713300-1.jpeg --- [![TG\_LOGO](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/TeleGeography%20Hub%20Theme%20Nov%202025/images/TG_LOGO.svg)](https://www2.telegeography.com/) - [About](https://www2.telegeography.com/about-us) - [Research](https://www2.telegeography.com/our-research) - [Products](https://www2.telegeography.com/products) - [Solutions](https://www2.telegeography.com/solutions) - [Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) [Log In](https://www.telegeography.com/login/login?service=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegeography.com%2Faccount%2Fhome%2Findex) [Contact](https://www2.telegeography.com/contact-us) ###### Data and Analysis Tools - [Cloud and WAN Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/cloud-and-wan-infrastructure) - [Data Center Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/data-center-research-service) - [GlobalComms Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/globalcomms-database-service) - [International Voice Report](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-report-and-database) - [IP Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/ip-networks-research-service) - [ISP Navigator](https://www2.telegeography.com/isp-navigatorisp-navigator) - [Transport Networks Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/transport-networks) - [Network Pricing Database](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-pricing-database) - [WAN Cost Benchmark](https://www2.telegeography.com/wan-cost-benchmark) - [Product Passes](https://www2.telegeography.com/product-passes) ###### Consulting - [All Consulting Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/consulting) - [Submarine Cable Consulting](https://www2.telegeography.com/submarine-cable-consulting) ###### Maps - [All Map Services](https://www2.telegeography.com/map-services) - [Sponsor a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/sponsor-a-map) - [License Map Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/license-geocoded-map-data) - [Cite a Map](https://www2.telegeography.com/cite-telegeography-map) - [Buy a Map](https://shop.telegeography.com/collections/telecom-maps/) ###### Industry - [Education](https://www2.telegeography.com/telegeography-for-education) - [Enterprise](https://www2.telegeography.com/enterprise) - [Tech](https://www2.telegeography.com/tech) - [Telecom](https://www2.telegeography.com/telecom) ###### Case Studies - [AI + Retail Telecom Data](https://www2.telegeography.com/where-to-get-global-telecom-data) - [EXA Infrastructure](https://www2.telegeography.com/exa-infrastructure-case-study) - [Orange Wholesale](https://www2.telegeography.com/orange-wholesale-case-study) - [The European Commission](https://www2.telegeography.com/the-european-commissions-data-backed-approach-to-international-policy) [Back to Resources](https://resources.telegeography.com) # What Are CDNs, and What Do They Have To Do With the Cloud? ##### By [Patrick Christian,](https://resources.telegeography.com/author/patrick-christian) Mar 31, 2025 [Cloud](https://resources.telegeography.com/tag/cloud) Content delivery networks (CDNs) are a geographically distributed network of servers (caches) that work together to deliver content by moving it closer to the end-users. At TeleGeography, we track the cache locations (more than 2,300) by city (more than 500) of the major CDN companies (over 20). Akamai is the largest CDN company by number of sites, with close to 350. Cloudflare is second with just under 300, and CDNetworks is a distant third with just under 200 cluster sites. Geographically, Asia has the highest number of cache sites (over 700), followed by Europe with over 500 locations, and the U.S. and Canada with over 450.   #### Content Delivery Network PoP Map ![Copyright\_TeleGeography\_cwi\_cdn\_map](https://resources.telegeography.com/hs-fs/hubfs/2025/Blog%20Assets/Charts/Copyright_TeleGeography_cwi_cdn_map.png?width=640&height=394&name=Copyright_TeleGeography_cwi_cdn_map.png) *Notes: Notes: Data as of Q1 2025. Source: © 2025 TeleGeography* Are content delivery networks (CDNs) cloud networks? Not necessarily, but most of the top cloud providers, such as AWS, Google, and Microsoft, offer CDN services on their cloud networks. Are CDN providers cloud providers? These days, the lines are blurring. CDN providers are offering cloud services and have been adding traditional cloud services like compute, storage or networking to the product lists. For example, Akamai—the dominant player and paragon of a CDN provider and the bellwether for the CDN industry—began offering cloud services in earnest after its acquisition of cloud computing company Linode in 2022. Why start selling cloud services? The CDN industry has been troubled recently. Rising capex, declining margins, and stiff competition have affected some major providers over the past two years—Stackpath shut down, Edgio declared bankruptcy, and Lumen exited the CDN market. Akamai still dominates the CDN market but has shifted its focus to offering new services like security and now infrastructure as a service as CDN profits have dipped. This analysis was pulled from our newly updated [Cloud and WAN Research Service](https://www2.telegeography.com/cloud-and-wan-infrastructure). Download the [free executive summary](https://www2.telegeography.com/download-the-cloud-and-wan-infrastructure-executive-summary) to keep reading. ![Patrick Christian](https://resources.telegeography.com/hubfs/tg-staff/patrick-christian-telegeography.png) #### Patrick Christian Patrick Christian is a Senior Research Manager with TeleGeography. He heads the Cloud and WAN Research Service. He also focuses on African and European markets specializing in international bandwidth markets and internet infrastructure, WAN services, terrestrial and submarine cable systems, and international voice traffic analysis. 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