What happens if Google Global Cache is banned - in plain language

Today there was news that youtube is bad Roskomnadzor wants to ban Google Global Cache. For an ordinary user, it’s just a set of words that doesn’t transform into problems with some service that it uses. In this post, I will try to explain in simple terms what will happen if this happens.

The consequences will be disastrous. For all.

What is Google Global Cache - hereinafter referred to as GGC?

Each time you watch a video on Youtube, you receive data from the servers where it is stored, and it can be stored:

• On the original servers - overseas
• On your provider's local servers - across the street from you

In the first case, the provider will pay for traffic on the highway, and in the second - no, it is free for him.

Do not forget that the channels inside the provider's network (between cities, streets, houses) will be wider than the channels outside.

How GGC Works

Caching can work in two ways:

• If you frequently access the content (for example, a YouTube video), after the 10th, for example, access, it will be cached, so the 11th and subsequent calls will be processed by the cache.
• Proactive, the entire TOP will be uploaded to the server regardless of the number of hits.

What (which services) does the GGC serve?

It serves any static files, or more precisely:

• Cards
• Android Application Update
• Chrome Update
• Image Search
• Youtube

I would like to dwell on the latter in more detail, because it seems that it is he who is the source of future locks.

Youtube content is divided into several types:

• Video
• Pictures (preview)
• Streaming

It's time to remember that now video content is switching to 4K or 1080 @ 60 frames per second.

Even based on this data, you can roughly imagine the amount of traffic that Youtube digests. For example, the “Game of Thrones” series in 1080p “weighs” about 1.2 GB, and this is not yet 60 frames; at 60 we multiply by 2.

What happens when you turn off the GGC

For the user

• Slow down video upload on Youtube;
• Inability to watch high-quality video due to channel limitations (many providers make Youtube traffic local and available at local speed);
• Slow down all services that work through the GGC;
• Slow response of the application: now you clicked on the video, and now you are already watching it; but then forget - while your request reaches the USA, it will take some time, which you will wait every time by clicking on the video;
• Rising prices for home and mobile Internet .

For the operator

So, you are an operator, you have many users who like video content. Now about 40% of the traffic is video, and as you might guess, 90% is Youtube. When you have GGC - you pay for about 10% of the traffic to Google services, the rest of the traffic is processed in your data center, without going beyond your network.

If you are an operator who works in several cities, you most likely have GGC servers in each city, which allows you not even to release traffic outside the city, saving money on highways.

Now you will pay for all this traffic.

Forecast

Suppose we have a home internet user. A month, he consumed about 200GB of data, of which 90 GB is traffic for which your operator does not pay yet. And what will happen when he begins to pay for it?

It is true that the first nail in the coffin of unlimited tariffs was the law on storing all subscriber traffic, and the last one was disabling Google’s caching servers. Yes, yes, soon all unlimited tariffs will end and the price will be set at the level of mobile Internet.

But the consequences will be much more catastrophic for the operator, people will refuse home Internet. Why do they need him if he is the same as on a mobile? It's time to remember how many people work in telecom operators, how many people get paid for the fact that they:

• Connect subscribers
• Guide channels home
• Answer calls at call centers

And many other posts. All of them will not be needed, they will be fired.

Perhaps you say that telecom operators will be happy, no.
They also save money, yes, they will have revenue growth, but it only compensates for the loss due to the ban.

In the end, what do we have with the ban:

• Deterioration of access speed to services
• Growth cent for communication services
• End of unlimited tariffs
• Unemployment growth

[ Source ]