[Answered] Does Azure ExpressRoute Save Bandwidth Costs?

Answer

Azure ExpressRoute can help save bandwidth costs in several ways, depending on your specific usage patterns and requirements.

Inbound Data Transfer

One of the primary ways ExpressRoute can save bandwidth costs is by providing free inbound data transfer. This means that any data sent from your on-premises infrastructure to Azure data centers does not incur additional costs.

Data Plans

ExpressRoute offers two main data plans: Metered and Unlimited.

Metered Data Plan: With this plan, you pay for outbound data transfer on a per-GB basis, which can be cost-effective if your outbound data transfer is limited. However, if you have significant outbound traffic, this could add up.
Unlimited Data Plan: This plan includes unlimited outbound data transfer, which can be more cost-effective if you have high volumes of outbound data. The trade-off is a higher monthly port fee.

ExpressRoute Local

For workloads that are concentrated in a single region close to your ExpressRoute peering location, ExpressRoute Local can be beneficial. This option charges slightly higher monthly fees but does not charge for egress traffic within the local region, which can help reduce overall bandwidth costs.

Global Reach

If you need to connect multiple ExpressRoute circuits, Global Reach can help. While it does charge for data transfer, the rates are structured by zone, and Microsoft has reduced these rates to make it more cost-effective. For example, in Zone 1, the data transfer fee is $0.02 per GB for both inbound and outbound traffic.

Bandwidth Optimization

To further optimize costs, it's crucial to monitor and analyze your network traffic. Azure provides tools like Azure Monitor and Network Watcher to help you understand your traffic patterns and right-size your bandwidth, ensuring you're not paying for unnecessary capacity.

Summary

Azure ExpressRoute can save bandwidth costs by:

Free Inbound Data Transfer: No charges for data sent to Azure.
Unlimited Data Plan: Suitable for high outbound data volumes.
ExpressRoute Local: No egress fees within the local region.
Global Reach: Reduced data transfer fees.
Bandwidth Optimization: Monitoring and right-sizing bandwidth to avoid unnecessary costs.

By carefully evaluating your bandwidth requirements and choosing the appropriate ExpressRoute circuit size and pricing plan, you can effectively manage and reduce your bandwidth costs.