---
title: "What is an Edge Network?"
description: "An edge network is a distributed network of servers placed close to end users. Learn how it works, how it differs from centralised cloud, and why it matters."
url: https://edge.network/academy/what-is-an-edge-network/
---

# What is an Edge Network?

[Back to Academy](https://edge.network/academy)
Information
8 min read

# What is an Edge Network?

Edge networking moves computing power out of distant data centres and puts it
close to the people using it. Here's how edge networks work, and why the
internet is being rebuilt around them.

## Edge network definition

An edge network is a distributed network of servers positioned close to end
users — at the "edge" of the internet — rather than concentrated in a handful
of central data centres. Because requests are handled by the nearest server
instead of travelling to a distant facility, edge networks deliver lower
latency, higher reliability, and lower bandwidth costs than centralised
infrastructure.

The idea is simple: the speed of light is a hard limit. A request from London
to a data centre in Virginia and back takes tens of milliseconds before any
work is even done. Multiply that by every asset on a page, or every frame of
a video call, and distance becomes the dominant cost. Edge networking removes
the distance.

## The network edge vs the network core

In networking terms, the **core** is the high-capacity backbone —
the long-haul fibre routes and interconnection points that carry traffic
between regions. The **edge** is where that backbone meets the
real world: the last-mile networks, exchange points, and servers nearest to
homes, offices, and devices.

Traditional cloud hosting lives deep in the core. Your application runs in
one or two large facilities, and every user, wherever they are, has to reach
those facilities across the backbone. An edge network inverts this: it
stations [edge servers](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-an-edge-server) at
many points near users, so most requests never need to cross the core at all.

The two aren't in competition — the core still carries traffic between edge
locations and back to origin systems. But the more work the edge absorbs,
the faster and cheaper everything gets.

## Edge networks vs centralised hosting

Centralised Hosting
Edge Network

All requests travel to one central location
Requests are handled by the nearest server

Latency grows with distance from the data centre
Low latency for users everywhere

A single outage can take everything down
Traffic reroutes around failed servers automatically

Capacity is fixed to one facility
Capacity is spread across many locations

Bandwidth is billed as metered egress
Delivery costs fall as content is served locally

## How CDNs relate to edge networks

A content delivery network (CDN) was the first mainstream use of edge
networking. A [CDN](https://edge.network/cdn) caches
copies of static content — images, video, scripts, downloads — on edge
servers around the world, so each user fetches files from a nearby cache
instead of a distant origin.

Modern edge networks go further. Beyond caching, they run
[compute workloads](https://edge.network/compute/gpus),
store data in [object storage](https://edge.network/storage),
and answer [DNS queries](https://edge.network/dns) at
the edge. A CDN is one service an edge network can offer; the network itself
is the underlying infrastructure. We cover the distinction in detail in
[CDN vs Edge Computing](https://edge.network/academy/cdn-vs-edge-computing).

## Why edge networks matter

The advantages of moving work to the edge compound: every request handled
locally is faster for the user and cheaper for the operator.

### Lower Latency

Requests are answered by a server physically near the user, cutting round-trip times dramatically.

### Resilience

With many servers sharing the load, no single failure can take the network offline.

### Global Reach

Users in every region get the same fast experience, without you deploying to multiple clouds.

### Lower Costs

Serving content close to users reduces long-haul bandwidth and takes pressure off origin infrastructure.

## How Edge builds its edge network differently

Most edge networks are built the traditional way: one company leases rack
space in data centres around the world and fills it with its own hardware.
That works, but coverage is limited by how many facilities one company can
afford to run.

Edge takes a decentralised approach. [Our network](https://edge.network/network) is
made up of 994 nodes contributed by independent operators
worldwide, who stake tokens to participate and earn rewards for the capacity
they provide. Because anyone can add a node, the network grows where demand
exists rather than where leases are cheapest — and there is no single company
data centre whose failure can take it down.

On top of this network Edge runs a full set of services:
a [CDN](https://edge.network/cdn) with zero egress
fees, [object storage](https://edge.network/storage),
[compute and GPUs](https://edge.network/compute/gpus),
and [DNS](https://edge.network/dns) — the components
of what we call the [edge cloud](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-the-edge-cloud).
You can read more about the decentralised model in
[What is a Decentralised Cloud?](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-a-decentralised-cloud)

## Put your app on the edge

Deploy on a network of 994 nodes. Try Edge free — no card required.

[Start Free](https://edge.network/account) [Explore Our Network](https://edge.network/network)

## Related articles

[What is the Edge Cloud? 7 min](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-the-edge-cloud) [What is an Edge Server? 7 min](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-an-edge-server) [What is a Decentralised Cloud? 8 min](https://edge.network/academy/what-is-a-decentralised-cloud)

Coming soon

### Edge Accreditation

Become a certified Edge practitioner. A structured programme covering the whole
platform, with a verifiable certificate at the end. Sign up now for updates.

[Learn more about accreditation](https://edge.network/accreditation)