--- title: Using Fastly's global POP network summary: null url: >- https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/getting-started/concepts/using-fastlys-global-pop-network --- A point of presence (POP) is a grouping of cache servers that creates a single cluster of cache storage. Fastly's POPs on the internet are strategically placed near the highest density Internet Exchange Points around the world. This guide contains a [list of all POPs currently in service](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/getting-started/concepts/using-fastlys-global-pop-network#complete-list-of-pops). This information is also available via [the API](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/api/utils/pops/) and [the Fastly CLI](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/cli/pops/). Refer to Fastly's [Network Map](https://www.fastly.com/network-map) for a detailed view of current and planned locations for all Fastly POPs. > **HINT:** Fastly continues to grow its network footprint, adding and combining new service POPs in the process. At times, expansion may result in the addition of new [billable regions](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/account-info/billing/monitoring-billing-and-usage-details#reviewing-account-charges-and-invoice-details) to our network. We'll announce new POP locations and new billable regions in advance through our [network status page](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/full-site-delivery/performance/fastlys-service-status) at [fastlystatus.com](https://www.fastlystatus.com/). Contact [sales@fastly.com](mailto:sales@fastly.com) with specific contract or billing questions. ## Understanding POPs and sites Geographic distribution is just one of the factors Fastly considers when building its global infrastructure. Other factors include connectivity, provider diversity, and our ability to build a scalable, performant modern network centered around internet infrastructure hubs to best support our customers' markets. Fastly's focus on automation, operational redundancy, and global delivery when building our infrastructure means our POPs often combine multiple physical _sites_, or co-located set of machines in a single physical facility, to better serve densely populated markets. In many cases, all the machines that comprise one site also comprise one POP, with the POP and the site sharing the same name. The largest POPs in densely populated metropolitan areas may span multiple sites, with locations and connectivity chosen to serve the same human population. This is known as a [_metro POP_](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/getting-started/concepts/using-fastlys-global-pop-network#complete-list-of-metro-pops). ## Understanding how traffic is directed through Fastly's global network Fastly operates a domain name system (DNS) service specifically written to optimize getting your traffic to Fastly. This optimization automatically routes your traffic to the nearest Fastly POP (in terms of network proximity) on [our global network](https://www.fastly.com/network-map) and reroutes around internet outages and other disturbances. Due to the effects of [clustering](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/full-site-delivery/fastly-vcl/clustering-in-vcl), a single request to a Fastly service may be processed by servers in more than one site, even while remaining within the same POP. However, transit between servers in different sites within the same POP is extremely fast, and comparable to the latency between servers on the same site. If a service has [shielding](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/concepts/shielding/) enabled, a request that is not satisfiable from cache will transit two POPs. With [clustering](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/full-site-delivery/fastly-vcl/clustering-in-vcl) also enabled (which is the case by default), the request may encounter a maximum of two POPs and four sites on its way to origin. ![Illustration of a shielded request going through a multi-site POP](/img/multi-site-precomposed.svg) To take advantage of Fastly's global network, use a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) when you [create domains](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/getting-started/domains/working-with-domains/working-with-domains) in the Fastly control panel and make sure you've properly configured your [CNAME DNS records](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/getting-started/domains/working-with-domains/working-with-cname-records-and-your-dns-provider). > **HINT:** You can use an apex domain (e.g., `example.com` instead of `www.example.com`) as your canonical domain and still take advantage of Fastly's global network by pointing your apex DNS record at IPs on [Fastly’s anycast network](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/full-site-delivery/domains-and-origins/using-fastly-with-apex-domains). ### POP and site variability The design of the Fastly network balances issues such as provider diversity, connectivity, traffic volume, and optimum cache size. For Fastly customers, POP variability is most notable in its effect on cache hit ratio (i.e., the ratio of inbound requests that are able to be satisfied from cache). For example, 100 requests handled by 100 distinct servers in 100 distinct POPs will experience a much lower [cache hit ratio](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/glossary#term-cache-hit-ratio) than 100 requests handled by 100 distinct servers all participating in the same POP. This is because in the latter case, all the requests have access to the same shared pool of cache storage. Other features provided by Fastly are unaffected by POP variability, such as our [image optimizer](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/io), which is available on all Fastly servers. ### Limiting traffic to a subset of POPs Fastly allows you to configure traffic routing choices that best suit your specific needs by prioritizing a subset of POPS through which your traffic travels. For example, you can specify that Fastly prioritizes the use of only North American and European Union (EU) POPs. For more information, read about our [Billing zone anycast](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/full-site-delivery/domains-and-origins/using-fastly-with-apex-domains#billing-zone-anycast-options) options. ### Identifying which POP is processing requests If you need to know which POP is currently processing a request in edge logic, use one of the following methods: - For VCL services, use the [`server.datacenter`](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/vcl/variables/server/server-datacenter/) variable. - For Compute services, use the `FASTLY_POP` environment variable. > **IMPORTANT:** POPs are added and removed from the Fastly network regularly. Any logic created to vary the behavior of your service based on POP locations may need frequent maintenance. ## Can Fastly host my content? We accelerate your site by caching both static assets and dynamic content by acting as a [reverse proxy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reverse_proxy) to your origin server (also known as _Origin Pull_), but we do not provide services for uploading your content to our servers. In addition to using your own servers as the source, we also support various _cloud storage_ services as your origin, such as [Amazon Simple Storage Service](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/integrations/non-fastly-services/amazon-s3) (S3), [Google Cloud Storage](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/integrations/non-fastly-services/google-cloud-storage) (GCS), and [Google Compute Engine](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/guides/integrations/non-fastly-services/google-compute-engine) (GCE) as your file origin. Our [partnership with Google](https://www.fastly.com/partner/gcp) in particular enables us to have direct connectivity to their cloud infrastructure. ## Complete list of POPs The following table lists all POPs current active in the Fastly network: | Location | POP Identifier | Sites spanned | |----------|----------------|---------------| | Ashburn | **IAD** | KCGS720, KIAD700, KJYO710 | | Atlanta | **PDK** | KATL184, KFTY861, KPDK214 | | Chicago | **CHI** | KIGQ800, KLOT810 | | Dallas | **DFW** | KDAL212, KDFW821, KTKI862 | | Frankfurt | **FRA** | EDDF823, ETOU822 | | Houston | **IAH** | IAH172, KIAH190 | | London | **LCY** | EGLC860, EGML863 | | London | **LHR** | EGLL198, EGWU154 | | Miami | **MIA** | KFLL187, KMIA176 | | Paris | **PAR** | LFPB115, LFPG196 | | Sao Paulo | **GRU** | SBGR193, SBSP209 | | Seattle | **BFI** | KBFI740, KRNT730 | | Singapore | **SIN** | WSAP44, WSAT188, WSSS183 | | Tokyo | **NRT** | RJAA819, RJTF770, RJTT790 | ## Related content - [POPs API documentation](https://www.fastly.com/documentation/reference/api/utils/pops/)