Azure ExpressRoute Cost Structure and Purchasing Options

Azure ExpressRoute is a dedicated, high-bandwidth network connection between your premises and Microsoft's data centers. This connection is designed for enterprise-grade applications.

ExpressRoute pricing is based on a per-megabit-per-second (Mbsp) model, with costs varying depending on the location and speed of the connection.

Microsoft offers a variety of purchasing options for ExpressRoute, including a pay-as-you-go model and a committed information rate (CIR) model. The CIR model provides a guaranteed minimum bandwidth speed for a fixed monthly fee.

The pay-as-you-go model charges only for the actual bandwidth used, while the CIR model charges a fixed monthly fee for the committed bandwidth speed, with any unused bandwidth charged at a lower rate.

ExpressRoute is available in over 100 locations worldwide, including major cities and data centers. This global reach allows businesses to establish connections with Microsoft's data centers in their region.

Azure ExpressRoute's cost factors are quite straightforward, but it's essential to understand them to avoid any surprises on your bill. Data transfers are charged based on the zone from which the data originates, with prices ranging from $0.025/GB in Zone 1 to $0.14/GB in Zone 3.

For data transfers beyond 500TB, you'll need to contact the Microsoft sales team to negotiate a custom rate. Metered Data pricing is structured on a pay-per-use basis, with no upfront cost or termination fees.

Here's a breakdown of the fixed monthly port fees for Metered Data pricing:

Unlimited Data pricing is also available, but it comes with a higher fixed monthly port fee, ranging from $300/month for a 50 Mbps circuit to $51,300/month for a 10 Gbps circuit.

Inbound data transfers to Azure data centers from on-premises environments are free. However, outbound data transfers incur charges, except in a few cases like backup recovery.

Outbound data transfers are charged based on the volume of data transferred, with rates varying depending on the scenario. For example, in a hybrid architecture with a VPN or Express Route, data egress charges differ according to the connection type.

In cloud-only architectures, accessing hosted applications directly incurs charges. This includes data transfers between VNets in Azure, which are charged at a flat rate of $0.035/GB for Zone 1.

Here's a breakdown of the data charges for different scenarios:

Note that customers may incur additional charges from their service providers to enable connectivity to ExpressRoute.

The Global Reach Add-on is a feature that allows you to link ExpressRoute circuits together, creating a private network between your on-premises network. This feature is available on both ExpressRoute and ExpressRoute Direct circuits.

The price for the Global Reach Add-on varies depending on the circuit bandwidth. For example, the 50 Mbps circuit has a price of $-. This is an add-on fee that enables the Global Reach feature on an individual ExpressRoute Circuit.

Here's a breakdown of the monthly price estimates for the Global Reach Add-on:

Note that the monthly price estimates are based on 730 hours.

There are three primary forms of connectivity to access Azure ExpressRoute. These options are delivered by connectivity providers at a colocation facility.

You can choose from Any-to-any (IPVPN) network, which allows for secure and reliable connectivity between multiple locations.

A Point-to-point Ethernet connection is another option, providing a dedicated and fast connection between two locations.

Cloud Exchange – virtual cross-connection via an Ethernet exchange – is the third option, offering a flexible and scalable connection solution.

Private connections are a game-changer for businesses that need reliable and high-speed access to the cloud. ExpressRoute is Microsoft Azure's solution for creating private connections between on-premises data centers and Azure data centers.

ExpressRoute offers two types of billing plans: metered and unlimited. For metered plans, inbound data transfer is free, but customers are charged for outbound data transfer based on Azure data center regions grouped as zones. There are three zones: Zone 1, Zone 2, and Zone 3, with corresponding charges of $0.025/GB, $0.05/GB, and $0.14/GB, respectively.

To create a private connection with ExpressRoute, you'll need to deploy an ExpressRoute Circuit in a peering location or meet-me-location, which is mapped to a specific zone. You'll also need to deploy an ExpressRoute Gateway in an Azure region.

ExpressRoute Direct is a feature that allows customers to connect directly to Microsoft's network through a pair of 10 or 100Gbps ports. This creates ExpressRoute Local, Standard, and Premium circuits, with varying degrees of connectivity scope. The monthly port fee for ExpressRoute Direct ranges from $6,000 to $50,000, depending on the port pair speed and zone.

Here's a breakdown of the ExpressRoute Direct port fees:

ExpressRoute offers three different circuit SKUs: Local, Standard, and Premium, which provide varying degrees of connectivity scope. A Local SKU allows for a cost-effective way to transfer data, as data transfer is included in the ExpressRoute port charge.

Azure ExpressRoute locations are the entry point to Microsoft’s network and are globally distributed. These locations are also known as peering locations or meet-me-locations.

You can find Azure ExpressRoute locations in various regions around the world, including the United States, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Here are some of the specific locations you can find in each region:

Data center operators are making Azure ExpressRoute available in their facilities, offering connection options to the cloud.

Equinix and CoreSite are two notable data center operators that have made Azure ExpressRoute available in their colocation facilities.

Equinix has partnered with Microsoft to offer Azure ExpressRoute in its data centers, providing a direct connection to the cloud.

CoreSite has also made Azure ExpressRoute available in its data centers, allowing customers to connect to Microsoft's cloud services with low latency and high reliability.

These partnerships enable businesses to establish a fast and secure connection to Azure, without having to rely on the public internet.

When you're looking for a cost-effective option for your Azure ExpressRoute service, you're in luck. Partly because you're using existing physical connectivity, our charges for this service are very competitive.

You can expect to get the cost-effective service you expect as a research and education organisation. This is a great option for those on a budget.

Our competitive pricing is a major advantage of using Azure ExpressRoute. This allows you to save money without sacrificing quality.

Azure ExpressRoute offers a range of features that make it an attractive option for businesses looking to connect their on-premises infrastructure to the cloud. ExpressRoute connections enable access to Microsoft Azure services and Microsoft Office 365 services from your on-premises network, providing a private and secure connection.

ExpressRoute supports dynamic routing between your network and Microsoft via Border Gateway Protocol (BGP), ensuring a reliable and redundant connection. The service also provides a range of supported bandwidth options up to 10 Gbps, making it suitable for high-speed data transfer.

ExpressRoute can be used to connect data centers, enable hybrid cloud elasticity, and support periodic data migration, replication for business continuity, and disaster recovery. With ExpressRoute, you can enjoy faster speeds, lower latencies, and higher security than typical connections over the internet.

Here are some of the key features of Azure ExpressRoute:

Global Reach Transfer is a convenient feature that allows for seamless data transfer between zones. It's priced at $0.02 per GB for both inbound and outbound data transfer in Zone 1.

The pricing remains the same for both types of data transfer in Zone 1, making it a cost-effective option. Zone 2, on the other hand, charges $0.055 per GB for both inbound and outbound data transfer.

Zone 3 is the most expensive option, with a price of $0.112 per GB for both types of data transfer. If you're transferring data between zones, it's worth noting that the pricing remains the same for both inbound and outbound transfers.

Here's a breakdown of the costs for Global Reach inbound and outbound data transfer in each zone:

Zone 2 and Zone 3 also have additional costs for data processing and gateway usage. For example, using the gateway in Zone 2 will cost $0.8 per hour, while processing data in Zone 2 will cost $0.2 per GB.

Documentation is a crucial aspect of Azure ExpressRoute, and there are plenty of resources available to help you get started. Review technical tutorials and videos to learn more about Azure ExpressRoute.

Azure ExpressRoute has a comprehensive cheat sheet that summarizes its key features. Here are some of the highlights:

By reviewing these resources, you'll be well on your way to understanding the ins and outs of Azure ExpressRoute.

Azure ExpressRoute offers several benefits that make it an attractive option for businesses. It provides a fast and reliable connection to Microsoft Azure, with circuits available in a range of fixed bandwidths, including 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps, 200 Mbps, 500 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2 Gbps, 5 Gbps, and 10 Gbps.

One of the key benefits of Azure ExpressRoute is its ability to provide low latency, which is essential for applications that require real-time processing. With ExpressRoute Direct, customers can connect directly into Microsoft's global network, at peering locations, where 100 Gbps connectivity is available.

Azure ExpressRoute also offers a secure connection, as it doesn't route through the public internet. This reduces the risk of data packets being dropped during transmission, which can be a major issue for businesses that require high levels of data integrity.

In addition to its speed and security benefits, Azure ExpressRoute also offers a cost-effective option for businesses. For metered plans, inbound data transfer is free, but customers are charged for outbound data transfer based on Azure data center regions grouped as zones.

Here's a breakdown of the zones and their corresponding prices:

With ExpressRoute, businesses can create private connections between Azure data centers and on-premises infrastructure or deployments in a colocation facility. This is achieved through connectivity providers, which deliver three primary forms of connectivity: Any-to-any (IPVPN) network, Point-to-point Ethernet connection, and Cloud Exchange – virtual cross-connection via an Ethernet exchange.

Overall, Azure ExpressRoute offers a range of benefits that make it an attractive option for businesses, including speed, security, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.