In early 2022, AWS announced a new element to its cloud network infrastructure: the local zone.
With increased focus on moving cloud services closer to end-users, the local zone provides low-latency access to applications running closer to customers.
Google offers a similar service with its dedicated interconnect service, an option to connect to a low-latency colocation facility that provides latencies of less than 5 milliseconds between the workloads in a specified region and the on-ramp location.
OVH launched the same local zone service in the first quarter of 2024, and Microsoft joined in as well with their extended zone service launched in the summer of 2024.
Here’s how these services differ—and how many have launched.
Local Zone and Low Latency Locations
Notes: Data only include IaaS cloud providers AWS, Google Cloud, OVH Cloud and Microsoft Azure. Data as of Q1 2025. Source: © 2025 TeleGeography
AWS local zones differ from Google’s low-latency facilities in that they are often launched in facilities far from the zone’s parent region, in effect becoming a sort of mini-cloud region for markets that may not have a standard cloud region.
AWS local zones differ from Google’s low-latency facilities in that they are often launched in facilities far from the zone’s parent region, in effect becoming a sort of mini-cloud region for markets that may not have a standard cloud region.
Take, for example, local zones in Africa. AWS currently has a single cloud region located in South Africa. AWS has launched a local zone in Lagos, and another has been announced for Nairobi. These zones will serve a select set of cloud services locally and be linked to the parent region in South Africa.
OVH’s local zone service closely resembles the AWS launch of new local zones, small-scale regions, in markets currently without regions.
Local Zones Launched
AWS has launched 34 local zones so far—17 in the U.S. and 17 outside the U.S. The company plans to launch more than 14 zones over the next year or so.
Meanwhile, Google offers low-latency colocation facilities in more than 70 markets, where it also offers its dedicated interconnection service.
OVH launched 19 local zones in 2024, primarily in Europe and the U.S. Another 22 are planned for 2025.
Microsoft’s single extended zone is live in Los Angeles, with a second planned for Perth, Australia.
This analysis was pulled from our newly updated Cloud and WAN Research Service. Download the free executive summary to keep reading.
