Whether Chinese companies are going global or overseas companies are entering the Chinese market, an efficient, stable and secure overseas network connection channel has become a key guarantee. As a result, overseas dedicated lines came into being and gradually became synonymous with high-end cross-border communications. However, many people still have a vague understanding of overseas dedicated lines, such as: What is the difference between it and the international BGP line? Can only large companies afford it?
What is an overseas dedicated line?
Overseas dedicated line network refers to a point-to-point, high-speed, exclusive network channel that connects from a city in China to a designated overseas node (such as Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States, etc.) through an operator or a professional communications service provider.
It usually has the following characteristics:
Physically or logically "exclusive channel", does not share bandwidth with public network data;
High bandwidth, high availability, high SLA service guarantee;
Bidirectional transmission, strong real-time performance, low packet loss;
Cross-border stability is far better than ordinary public network international exports.
From the perspective of implementation, most of the overseas dedicated lines are based on the following technical architectures: MPLS dedicated line (multi-protocol label switching), SD-WAN dedicated line (software-defined wide area network), bare fiber dedicated line, etc. These technologies jointly support the overseas dedicated line to have enterprise-level, high-security, and high-reliability communication capabilities.
The difference between overseas dedicated lines and ordinary public networks
Bandwidth guarantee: Overseas dedicated lines are exclusive, stable and controllable. Ordinary public networks share bandwidth and fluctuate significantly during time periods
Stability: Overseas dedicated lines guarantee more than 99.9% SLA. Ordinary public networks are easily affected by network congestion
Delay: Overseas dedicated lines have low latency and small fluctuations. Ordinary public networks have detours and unstable latency
Packet loss rate: Overseas dedicated lines are close to 0%. Ordinary public networks are prone to packet loss, affecting data integrity
Security: Overseas dedicated lines have exclusive channels and are not easy to hijack. Ordinary public networks face the risk of public network attacks and monitoring
Applicable services: Overseas dedicated lines for remote office, ERP system, voice, dedicated line transmission, etc. Ordinary public network can be used in non-core scenarios
It can be seen that overseas dedicated lines are more suitable for enterprise-level scenarios with extremely high requirements for data quality, transmission timeliness, security and stability, while ordinary public networks are suitable for daily Internet use with a high tolerance for connection quality.
The main functions of overseas dedicated lines
1. Ensure the stable operation of cross-border office systems
With the popularization of remote office and hybrid office, more and more companies need to deploy core business systems such as OA, ERP, CRM, and email overseas. If ordinary public network links are used, the connection is prone to disconnection, freeze, login timeout and other problems. Overseas dedicated lines can provide stable and low-latency data channels to effectively avoid the above situations.
2. Support high-quality voice and video communications
VoIP voice, Zoom/Teams video conferencing, remote training and other real-time services are very sensitive to network jitter and packet loss. Overseas dedicated lines provide more stable QoS guarantees, which can significantly improve audio and video quality.
3. Accelerate overseas website access and data transmission
Some companies need to frequently access overseas websites. If they only rely on ordinary public networks, they are easily blocked, stuck, or cannot be opened at all. Through overseas dedicated lines, high-speed channels that "export abroad" can not only provide smooth access, but also ensure transmission security (combined with IP whitelists, encrypted channels and other mechanisms).
4. Unified network architecture for multi-location office scenarios
Enterprises have offices and data centers in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and other places, and need to build a wide area network (WAN) that interconnects multiple locations. Overseas dedicated lines can achieve the following architecture: China headquarters ⇋ Hong Kong office ⇋ Singapore. This "point-to-point + star topology + cloud access" solution makes communication between global branches of enterprises as efficient as "intranet".
Notes on overseas dedicated line deployment
Determine the business scope: Make it clear whether you are visiting Hong Kong, Singapore, or Europe and the United States. Choosing the right line is the first step;
Evaluate bandwidth requirements: Do not blindly pursue bandwidth size, but choose according to the actual business data volume;
Whether two-way mutual access is required: Some businesses only require one-way export, such as visiting foreign websites; some require internal and external interconnection;
SLA and after-sales support: The core of dedicated line products is "service", and it is recommended to choose a powerful and responsive supplier;
Security policy configuration: It is recommended to deploy with enterprise firewalls, WAF, etc. to improve overall security.
Overseas dedicated lines are the "highways" of cross-border communications, and their core value lies in being faster, more stable, more specialized, and more secure. Bypassing international export congestion, stable and low latency, exclusive bandwidth, strong anti-fluctuation, and ensuring key business. For companies with global business, remote office, and cross-border collaboration, overseas dedicated lines are not a luxury, but a rigid demand.
