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When designing an Azure ExpressRoute deployment, choosing the correct peering location is a pivotal decision. A peering location is the physical point where your network connects to Microsoft’s global backbone. These locations are typically hosted in major colocation facilities where carriers, service providers, and enterprise networks interconnect. You can see from the map that Microsoft provides a wide range of edge locations, especially across North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific, giving
The image shows a global map with data centers, edge locations, and network connections marked worldwide. It highlights connectivity across various continents.
you the flexibility to choose the location that best balances latency, redundancy, and cost for your needs. Key factors to evaluate when selecting a peering location: Practical checklist to guide selection:
  • Map application dependencies and latency sensitivity to candidate peering locations.
  • Confirm the supported ExpressRoute SKUs and features at each candidate location.
  • Verify carrier and partner presence, pricing, and SLAs for each site.
  • Consider a multi-location deployment for resilience and geographic diversity.
  • Account for data egress charges and compliance (data residency, cross-border rules).
Before finalizing a peering location, review the Azure ExpressRoute documentation and confirm partner/peering provider coverage and SLAs to ensure the location supports the required SKUs and features.
By evaluating these factors—performance, redundancy, service support, carrier presence, and compliance—you can pick a peering location that optimizes connectivity, cost, and operational resilience for your ExpressRoute deployment. Links and references:

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