Inside China Telecom’s IDC Network: Architecture, BGP & Optimization Secrets

Background Introduction

Since the mid‑1990s the Internet entered China and has grown wildly for more than 20 years. China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile now dominate domestic Internet access. The 360 NetOPS team compiled a technical PPT summarizing the complex IDC network that supports the 360 HULK platform.

China Telecom IP Network Architecture

China Telecom’s IP network consists of a backbone (骨干网) and a metropolitan network (城域网). The backbone is split into ChinaNet and CN2, each with its own public AS number. Metropolitan networks and star‑rated IDC sites have independent public or private AS numbers.

Backbone Network Overview

ChinaNet provides basic Internet access services and includes:

ChinaNet: a public information exchange platform handling basic Internet access.

CN2: a QoS‑enabled network for China Telecom’s key services, covering all major cities.

Metropolitan Network uniformly carries all types of services, connects to both ChinaNet and CN2, and includes IDC, MCE, and packet‑domain networks for mobile broadband and value‑added services.

ChinaNet Network Status

The backbone is divided into three layers: Core, Aggregation, and Access. The core layer consists of nine nodes (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan, Chengdu, Tianjin, Xi’an, Hangzhou) fully meshed. The aggregation layer has two nodes per province, each linking to multiple core nodes. After 2015 expansion, inter‑province bandwidth reached ~45 Tbps and international export bandwidth reached 1.3 Tbps.

ChinaNet Domestic Interconnection

Super‑core nodes in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou host inter‑connection devices (E‑router) that link ChinaNet with other operators, enabling domestic traffic exchange.

ChinaNet International Interconnection

International inter‑connection devices (X‑router) attached to the super‑core nodes connect ChinaNet to global carriers, providing worldwide Internet access.

CN2 Network Business Positioning

Provides SLA‑guaranteed profitable services.

Supports voice, data, video, and dedicated line services on a unified core platform.

Carries China Telecom’s key profit‑generating and QoS‑critical services.

Designed for controllable, manageable deployment with future expansion in mind.

Overseas Network

POP nodes are deployed in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore, London, Frankfurt, New York, Washington, San Jose and Los Angeles, offering international Internet access and inter‑network connectivity. CN2 has peering agreements with Telia Sonera (Europe), NTT Com (Japan) and Reach (Hong Kong).

Small Operator Traffic Optimization

Techniques include:

Cache platforms that redirect traffic via HTTP/P2P hijacking and DNS hijacking.

Using NAT to save BGP export or Internet access bandwidth, which is cheaper than third‑party NAT services.

BGP Network Explanation

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the routing protocol that interconnects autonomous systems. In China it is synonymous with high‑quality routing. Proper BGP deployment involves legitimate data‑center facilities and avoiding counterfeit setups.

Conclusion

After reading, you will have a solid understanding of China’s Internet access landscape, which will help you optimize user experience and resolve network‑related issues in product development.