Cloud Interconnect

ELI5 — The Vibe Check

Cloud Interconnect is Google's version of AWS Direct Connect — a dedicated physical connection from your data center to Google Cloud. It bypasses the public internet entirely. When you need guaranteed bandwidth and predictable latency, you run a literal cable to the cloud. Enterprise networking at its most physical.

Real Talk

Google Cloud Interconnect provides direct physical connections to Google Cloud, bypassing the public internet. Dedicated Interconnect offers 10 Gbps or 100 Gbps connections at Google peering facilities. Partner Interconnect provides 50 Mbps to 50 Gbps through service provider partners. Both options offer lower latency and higher reliability than VPN connections.

When You'll Hear This

"We use Cloud Interconnect for our 10 Gbps dedicated link to GCP." / "Partner Interconnect is cheaper if you don't need a full dedicated connection."