Google Cloud has unveiled its groundbreaking Cloud WAN service, opening its proprietary global network to external customers. Announced on 25 April 2025, this fully managed enterprise networking solution addresses the growing demands of AI-driven businesses whilst delivering substantial cost savings and enhanced performance.

Revolutionary Network Infrastructure

Google’s Cloud WAN represents a significant leap forward in enterprise networking, leveraging the company’s vast infrastructure comprising 202 global points of presence, 2 million miles of fibre, and 33 subsea cables. The network delivers 99.99% reliability, crucial for handling the projected sevenfold increase in bandwidth requirements from 2020 to 2025.

The solution’s innovative multi-shard horizontal architecture, designed specifically for the AI era, enables unprecedented scalability. As explained by Subhasree, a key architect of Google’s network evolution: “Each shard acts as an independent network instance, allowing rapid scaling within and across shards.

Transformative Benefits for Enterprises

Cloud WAN’s implementation offers remarkable advantages, including a 40% reduction in total cost of ownership compared to traditional colocation-based WAN solutions. The service delivers 40% faster performance than public internet routing for cross-cloud workloads, with sub-100ms latency between major regions utilising Google’s private backbone.

Comprehensive Integration and Use Cases

The service seamlessly integrates with leading SD-WAN providers, including Cisco, Fortinet, and Juniper, enabling centralised management and unified security policies. This integration proves particularly valuable for AI workload optimisation, hybrid cloud migration, and edge networking applications across retail, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors.

Strategic Industry Partnerships

Google Cloud has established crucial partnerships with industry leaders like Cisco, Lumen, and BT. Bikash Koley, VP of Global Networking at Google Cloud, emphasises the strategic importance: “This isn’t just infrastructure—it’s a strategic asset for AI adoption. Enterprises gain the same network that powers YouTube, Search, and our AI services.”

Competitive Advantages and Future Outlook

Cloud WAN positions itself ahead of competitors like AWS Transit Gateway and Azure Virtual WAN through superior global reach and AI-optimised architecture. As AI workloads continue to double every 12-18 months, the platform’s scalable design ensures long-term viability for enterprise networks.

News Source: https://blog.google/products/google-cloud/google-cloud-wan-development/