US cloud services firm Akamai to cease CDN operations in China by June 2026

Partners Tencent Cloud and Wangsu Science & Technology to ‘ensure smooth transition’ for Akamai’s content delivery network users in China

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Akamai Technologies says it remains committed to the China market. Photo: Akamai

Published: 5:00pm, 7 Jan 2025Updated: 7:08pm, 7 Jan 2025

US cloud computing and cybersecurity firm Akamai Technologies’ content delivery network (CDN) services in mainland China will cease from the second half of next year, the company said in a recent letter to customers, becoming the latest foreign tech firm to scale back operations in the country amid geopolitical headwinds.

“Effective June 30, 2026, all China CDN services will reach their decommission date,” the Akamai letter said. “After this date, any remaining content requests will be automatically served from neighbouring countries, unless a country-specific partner solution is activated.”

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company said it has struck partnerships with Tencent Holdings’ cloud services unit and Wangsu Science & Technology as mainland CDN providers “to ensure a smooth and efficient transition” for customers.

That means Akamai is now reselling the CDN and security offerings of Tencent Cloud and Wangsu within mainland China ahead of the announced deactivation date, ending the two-decade run of that business in the world’s second-largest economy.

“All current China CDN customers must complete the transition to our partners’ solution by June 30, 2026, to maintain uninterrupted service,” Akamai said. The US firm assured customers that it is “actively collaborating with Wangsu to develop comprehensive migration and ongoing support offerings”.

Akamai Technologies’ headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo: Akamai

The US company’s retreat from CDN operations in China follows a broader trend of global tech firms scaling back their operations in the country amid the market’s push for greater tech self-sufficiency.