By June 30, 2026*, Akamai will officially exit the China CDN market — a move that will disrupt digital delivery for multinationals operating in the region.

For companies dependent on Akamai’s infrastructure, the impact will be immediate: degraded performance, regulatory exposure, and increased operational risk.

In this article, we explore the vital role of CDNs in China’s unique digital ecosystem, outline the challenges resulting from Akamai’s exit, and explain how IT Consultis can support a smooth China CDN migration.

We focus on ensuring continuous performance, regulatory compliance, and seamless integration with local platforms and regulations.

*Source: Akamai Partners’ Notice

Executive Summary:

1. Akamai will end its CDN services in Mainland China by June 30, 2026, migrating content delivery to overseas nodes.

2. CDNs are critical in China, ensuring website speed, regulatory compliance, and platform integration within a uniquely complex digital ecosystem.

3. This shift introduces immediate risks: slower performance, legal exposure, degraded UX across platforms, and reduced SEO visibility.

4. IT Consultis helps global brands navigate this transition with end-to-end CDN support, including: technical audits, regulatory guidance, migration execution, and ongoing optimization.

5. Early action is essential to maintain digital continuity, minimize risk, and secure long-term growth in China.

Do You Need a CDN in China? The Strategic Role of CDNs in China’s Digital Landscape

A Content Delivery Network (CDN) is a globally distributed network of servers that accelerates content delivery based on users’ geographic locations is important.

Its primary purpose is to reduce latency, improve website loading speed, and ensure service availability.

The primary goal is to reduce the distance data must travel, resulting in faster website loading times, improved availability, and enhanced security.

In China, CDNs are not just performance enhancers — they’re operational necessities, due to:

• Regulatory barriers: China’s digital environment is regulated by the Great Firewall, a system that filters and controls online content to comply with local laws. This creates technical and legal challenges for delivering foreign-hosted web content. 
• Infrastructure disparities: Internet accesses varies widely across regions - urban areas are nearly fully connected, while rural regions still face challenges – and mobile internet usage dominates, making local optimization essential.  
• Compliance requirements: Websites operating in China must obtain an Internet Content Provider license (ICP), a government certificate allowing legal website hosting in China. 

Without a properly localized and compliant CDN, international websites risk slow load speeds, incomplete content delivery, or even complete inaccessibility for users in China, directly impacting customer experience and business performance.

About Akamai CDN and Its Departure from China

Quick Overview of Akamai China CDN

Globally, Akamai is a leading CDN provider with over 4,350 Points of Presence (PoPs). In 2016, it was the market leader, holding 35.3% of the global market share.

In China, Akamai does not operate its own CDN nodes. Instead, it partners with ChinaNetCenter, also known as Wangsu Science & Technology, a major local CDN provider with more than 1,000 CDN nodes across the country to deliver its services while using the partner CDN PoPs.

Is Akamai Ending Its CDN Services in China Next Year (2026)?

Akamai has announced its official exit from the China Content Delivery Network market by June 30, 2026*.

In fact, Akamai is shifting to a partner distribution model*. Under this new structure, content delivery services and infrastructure management will now be entirely handled by its local partners, Tencent Cloud and Wangsu Science & Technology.

Akamai will act as a “reseller” of its Chinese partners’ delivery and security solutions within mainland China.

For Akamai customers not switching to a local partner solution before this date, their content and services currently hosted on Akamai mainland China CDN nodes will be migrated to the brand’s infrastructure in neighboring countries*.

*Source: Akamai Partners’ Notice

Akamai Quitting China CDN: Strategic Implications for Multinational Businesses

For companies relying on Akamai’s CDN infrastructure in China, inaction is not an option. This shift brings clear and pressing risks:

• Performance breakdown: Migrating away from local servers means data travels farther, often hitting the Great Firewall — resulting in slower load times, timeouts, and increased bounce rates.
• Legal exposure: China mandates that online content served to domestic users must pass through licensed local infrastructure. Delivering from overseas may breach compliance, risking takedowns or fines.
• Platform instability: Customer-facing platforms — such as WeChat Mini Programs, CRM tools, or eCommerce solutions — rely on fast and reliable delivery. Disruptions degrade user experience and hurt conversion.
• Declining SEO performance: Sluggish website speed is penalized by Chinese search engines like Baidu and Sogou, impacting search rankings and organic visibility.

How IT Consultis (ITC) Supports CDN Migration in China

With 15+ years of experience in digital transformation across China and the broader Asia-Pacific region, IT Consultis offers comprehensive support for companies navigating this complex transition.

Our approach is end-to-end and tailored to each brand’s technical environment, business goals, and regulatory obligations.

1. Strategic Assessment and Planning

We start by conducting a thorough audit of your current infrastructure, user traffic patterns, and digital priorities in China. This allows us to identify areas of improvement for performance and compliance risks.

Based on this assessment, we can help you select the most suitable CDN provider, considering factors such as:

• Market presence and performance within China
• Regulatory compliance capabilities
• Cost-efficiency
• Compatibility with existing digital platforms

Our CDN migration planning covers every technical detail, including:

• DNS management
• SSL certification transfers
• Cache policies
• Fallback strategies

We also develop risk mitigation plans to minimize downtime or service disruptions during the transition.

2. Regulatory Compliance Management

Navigating China’s legal landscape is complex and essential. We help clarify the differences between ICP Filing and ICP Commercial License requirements, ensuring the client’s operations align with Chinese regulations.

We coordinate with authorized hosting providers and CDNs to guarantee that the infrastructure complies with local data residency rules and monitoring standards.

Our in-depth local knowledge allows clients to avoid regulatory pitfalls, ensuring continuous, uninterrupted service in full compliance with Chinese law.

3. Technical Execution and Ecosystem Integration

Our technical teams handle the entire migration, from DNS propagation and configuration to SSL certification and comprehensive testing.

We verify user experience quality across critical Chinese regions and devices, ensuring performance is optimized.

Integration with China’s digital ecosystem is also vital. We ensure smooth operation across WeChat Mini Programs, local e-commerce platforms, and CRM systems, maintaining a consistent and seamless customer journey.

4. Post-Migration Monitoring and Optimization

Our support does not end at the launch. We continuously monitor CDN performance and regulatory developments to keep your infrastructure responsive and compliant.

Regular speed benchmarking, cache policy tuning, compliance verification, and infrastructure scaling form part of our proactive approach to optimization.

5. Strategic CDN Partnerships

As part of our comprehensive approach to CDN migration, IT Consultis has forged trusted, long-term partnerships with industry leaders such as Alibaba Cloud and Tencent Cloud.

These enduring relationships enable us to provide our clients with customized, efficient, and highly competitive solutions, ensuring seamless digital infrastructure in China.

These partnerships offer strategic outcomes for businesses including:

• Securing preferred pricing and terms
• Offering tailored recommendations, and solutions for security, scalability, and performance
• Ensuring the project success through close coordination with internal teams and tech providers

By working with IT Consultis, brands gain more than just a CDN solution, positioning their business for success in China’s competitive market.

Key Benefits of a Localized CDN Migration for China

Transitioning to a localized, compliant CDN solution offers much more than technical performance — it is a strategic enabler of long-term growth in China.

Enhanced User Experience

Using a local CDN infrastructure optimized for the Chinese market enables:

• Improving loading speeds to boost customer satisfaction
• Reducing abandonment rates by minimizing wait times: 40% of users abandon a website that takes more than 3 seconds to load
• Increasing conversion rate through smoother experiences: A 100-millisecond improvement in load time can boost conversions by 7%

Regulatory Confidence

Early migration ensures full compliance with ICP licensing, data residency, and content delivery regulations, minimizing the risk of service disruptions, content blocks, or legal penalties that could harm reputation and operations.

Improved SEO and Digital Presence

Search engines in China favor websites that perform well and provide consistent access. Improved load times and accessibility support stronger rankings across Chinese search engines, driving organic growth.

Seamless Integration Across Platforms

A well-executed CDN migration preserves smooth integration with local CRM tools, e-commerce platforms, and Mini Programs, supporting omnichannel strategies and customer journeys without disruption.

Business Resilience and Future Readiness

Migrating early ensures compliance, protects user trust, and positions brands to adapt to future regulatory or technical shifts.

To Wrap Up

Akamai’s departure from the China market marks a pivotal shift in the digital infrastructure landscape, and a critical moment for enterprise decision-makers.

This transition means companies must rethink their digital infrastructure, switching to a CDN solution hosted in Mainland China.

Brands that act early will be best positioned to protect their website performance and compliance in China’s digital market.

At IT Consultis, we bring deep regulatory expertise, proven technical execution, and a local-first mindset to every migration project.

Whether brands operate in China or prepare to enter this market, we ensure business continuity and set the stage for sustainable growth.