Google Global Cache (GGC)

The Google Global Cache (GGC) platform facilitates user access to various Google services and reduces operator costs for this access by saving external traffic. The GGC servers are installed at the company's expense, the provider has no control or responsibility for them, but they run inside its network.

The Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) sent a notification to telecom operators in September 2017 that Google was installing uncertified Google Global Cache servers on the networks of Russian Internet providers, used to increase the speed of access to technology giant resources. This was reported by RBC with reference to the letters of Roskomnadzor at the disposal of the publication.

As indicated in the documents, the FSB of the Russian Federation reported information about uncertified servers to the supervisory service. According to the warning of Roskomnadzor, providers who allowed the installation of this equipment without a certificate of conformity will be held liable under Art. 13.6 of the Administrative Code. The article provides for the maximum punishment for legal entities in the amount of up to 300 thousand rubles.

As the top manager of one of the telecom operators and the head of the communications company emphasized, Google servers should not be subject to certification, since they are not means of communication.

History

2023: Telecom operators in Russia will directly connect to the Google network

On December 25, 2023, it became known that Google Corporation offered Russian operators a new format for exchanging traffic with its network - via a direct connection. It is expected that this will preserve high-quality access to Google services without the need to use Google Global Cache caching servers, the supply of which to Russia has been stopped due to the emerging geopolitical situation. Read more here.

2022: Google disables servers in Russia used by sanctioned companies

At the end of May 2022, it became known about the start of Google disconnecting some servers in Russia. We are talking about Google Global Cache (GGC) systems, which are used to speed up the download of Google services, including YouTube content. The measures may affect companies that have come under sanctions.

The fact that Google notified several Russian providers about the termination of contracts for servicing Google Global Cache servers was reported by RBC, citing sources in the telecom. Dmitry Galushko, head of the Orderkom law firm, also wrote about this in his Telegram channel. According to the latter, several telecom operators received notifications, including the Orenburg provider Radio Communication (operating under the Focus Life brand).

Google will disable servers in Russia used by sanctioned companies

The letter said that "due to changes in legal practice" the servers would be shut down and Google employees would contact the provider soon to decommission the equipment.

A representative of Radio Communications said that Google first disabled the GGC servers, and then sent a notification about this incident.

According to the interlocutor of the publication, the MIPT Telecom provider received such a notification. In a letter, Google turned to the company's employees as a "MIPT team," so the source of the publication linked the server shutdown to the fact that the institute was sanctioned. The publication sent inquiries to the Russian and Irish subsidiaries of Google, MIPT and MIPT Telecom.

Industry experts believe that Google began to record a decrease in traffic from this provider through its systems and decided to disable GGC in order to save or optimize.

Rostelecom told the publication that they do not observe the shutdown of Google servers. MTS reported that traffic from Google resources is delivered normally. Megafon also did not see any changes in the operation of the servers.^[1]

Notes