Cloud Connectivity in Toronto at 151 Front Street West

Why private cloud connectivity, and why 151 Front

If your traffic reaches AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud or Oracle Cloud over the public internet, you pay for it three ways: unpredictable latency, exposure to internet routing problems, and egress fees. Every major cloud offers private cloud connectivity instead: AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect, IBM Cloud Direct Link and Oracle FastConnect. These connections bypass the internet and usually carry lower data transfer (egress) fees.

In Toronto, 151 Front Street West is where those connections meet. It is Canada’s largest carrier hotel, and home to hundreds of networks including TorIX and CANIX. For Coloware customers, the cloud is a cross connect away.

Coloware customers can connect either way: directly to a cloud on-ramp, or through a cloud connect partner.

Direct cloud on-ramps at 151 Front Street West

All five major clouds can be reached from 151 Front. Four have on-ramps inside the building, and AWS Direct Connect is reached over fibre in the building’s meet me rooms.

Cloud connect partners at 151 Front Street West

A cloud connect partner already has ports into the clouds. You connect once to the partner, then order virtual connections to each cloud you need, usually at speeds well below a full dedicated port. Three established partners at 151 Front:

• • • Beanfield. Toronto’s largest private fibre network, with a presence at 151 Front. Beanfield delivers private connectivity to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle, and is a listed Azure ExpressRoute provider in Toronto.
    • Megaport. Network-as-a-service. One Megaport port gives you on demand virtual connections to AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud and Oracle, provisioned from a portal and resized as you grow.
    • Zayo CloudLink. Private connections to more than 50 cloud providers over Zayo’s own fibre, at Layer 1, Layer 2 or Layer 3.

Benefits of connecting directly

A direct connection puts your router on a dedicated port into the cloud provider’s network, with nothing in between but a cross connect. That brings:

• • • Consistent performance. Traffic takes the shortest path into the cloud and never crosses the public internet, so latency is low and predictable.
    • Lower data transfer costs. Cloud providers typically charge less for data leaving over a private connection than over the internet.
    • Security. Traffic stays on a private link, with MACsec encryption available on many 10G and 100G ports.
    • Capacity. Dedicated ports, typically 10G or 100G, sized for high and steady volume.
    • Control. You run BGP directly with the cloud provider and set your own routing policy.

For smaller circuits or several clouds at once, a cloud connect partner is often the faster route. Many networks use both.

Cloud connectivity from Coloware

Private cloud connectivity only pays off when it’s easy to reach. For Coloware customers at 151 Front Street West, every major cloud is a cross connect from your cabinet, alongside TorIX, CANIX and hundreds of carriers. Cloud, peering and transit all meet in one place, so you can build a complete network edge without leaving the building.