AWS Direct Connect features

With AWS Direct Connect, you can connect to all your AWS resources in an AWS Region, transfer your business critical data directly from your datacenter, office, or colocation environment into and from AWS, bypassing your Internet service provider and removing network congestion. Further, AWS Direct Connect’s simple pay as-you-go pricing and no minimum commitment means you pay only for the network ports you use and the data you transfer out of the AWS Region over the AWS Direct Connect connection, which can greatly reduce your networking costs.

There are several use cases for which AWS Direct Connect is desirable, including:

Working with Large Data Sets: Transferring large data sets over the Internet can be time consuming and expensive. If you are like most businesses, you have procured just enough bandwidth to meet your web and email needs, and share that Internet connection across the entire enterprise. When you use the cloud, you can find that transferring large data sets can be slow because your business critical network traffic is contending for bandwidth with your other Internet usage. To decrease the amount of time required to transfer your data, you could increase the bandwidth to your Internet service provider, which frequently requires a costly contract renewal and a minimum commitment. With AWS Direct Connect, you can transfer your business critical data directly from your datacenter, office, or colocation environment into and from AWS bypassing your Internet service provider and removing network congestion. Further, AWS Direct Connect’s simple pay as-you-go pricing, and no minimum commitment means you pay only for the network ports you use and the data you transfer over the connection, which can greatly reduce your networking costs.

Real-time Data Feeds: Applications that use real-time data feeds can also benefit from using AWS Direct Connect. For example, applications such as voice and video perform best when network latency remains constant. Network latency over the Internet can vary given that the Internet is constantly changing how data gets from point A to B. With AWS Direct Connect, you control how your data is routed, which can provide a more consistent network experience over Internet-based connections.

Hybrid Environments: AWS Direct Connect can help you build hybrid environments that satisfy regulatory requirements requiring the use of private connectivity. Hybrid environments allow you to combine the elasticity and economic benefits of AWS with the ability to utilize other infrastructure that you already own.

AWS Direct Connect is available at locations around the world. In some campus settings, AWS Direct Connect is accessible via a standard cross-connect from other data centers operated by the same provider on the same campus. Below is a list of all AWS Direct Connect locations and campus data centers where AWS Direct Connect is accessible from via a standard cross-connect. For high availability, AWS recommends customers use more than one location.

Customers can access any AWS Region from any of our AWS Direct Connect locations below (except China). The 'Associated AWS Region' column in the table below is the default region under which you will find the specific AWS Direct Connect location in the AWS Management Console. With Direct Connect Gateway and public Virtual Interfaces, you can access any other AWS Region from your chosen location. 

Customers that do not have equipment at an AWS Direct Connect location can access AWS Direct Connect with the assistance of a member of the AWS Partner Network. AWS has a growing list of APN Technology and Consulting Partners who can assist you in accessing the AWS Direct Connect service. These APN Partners can help you establish network circuits between an AWS Direct Connect location and your datacenter, office, or colocation environment, or assist you in constructing a hybrid environment.

*Equinix DC2 and DC11 form one AWS Direct Connect location. When you order a connection from the Equinix DC2/DC11 location, the Letter of Authorization provided by AWS will specify Meet Me Room details for either DC2 or DC11 based on capacity available at that time.

Your use of this service is subject to the Amazon Web Services Customer Agreement.