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Google announced on Wednesday that it has removed data transfer fees for organisations running workloads “in parallel” across two or more cloud platforms in the European Union and the UK. The move comes just before the EU Data Act takes effect on Friday.
The EU and UK regulators have been pushing to increase competition in the cloud market, where Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud dominate. Under the new rules, providers are allowed to charge transfer fees only “at cost.”
Google went a step further, introducing its Data Transfer Essentials program, which allows free transfers between Google Cloud and other providers. Jeanette Manfra, Senior Director of Global Risk and Compliance at Google Cloud, said:
“Although the Act allows cloud providers to pass through costs to customers, Data Transfer Essentials is available today at no cost to customers.”
Microsoft had already introduced at-cost fees in the EU last month, while AWS stated that eligible EU customers could request reduced transfer rates.
Many organisations rely on multiple cloud providers for resilience and flexibility. By eliminating these costs, Google aims to simplify multicloud operations and give businesses more freedom to switch between providers.
The EU Data Act is expected to transform the way cloud services operate, making it easier for customers to move data between providers. Meanwhile, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority has also raised concerns about fair competition in the cloud industry, particularly pointing at Microsoft’s licensing practices.
