Trying to reduce the cost of the Blob

Hi ,

Thanks for reaching out to Microsoft Q&A.

Based on what you have described, your networking cost ($47.97) is the major contributor to your Blob storage bill for March 2025.

Here is a breakdown of what might be causing it and what you can do to reduce it.

In Azure, networking charges (also known as egress charges) are typically incurred when:

Data is downloaded from Azure Blob Storage to users over the public internet.

This includes your North American teams accessing course files stored in Azure.

Even though your storage itself is cheap ($0.02), the cost arises from outbound data transfer.

Strategies to Reduce Networking Charges

1. Use Azure Content Delivery Network Offload traffic from Blob Storage to the CDN edge nodes. Data is cached closer to your users (North America), which reduces egress traffic and improves load times.

     CDN-to-user data transfer is often cheaper than Blob-to-user.
   
        Bonus: Faster experience for your teams.
   
        Enable Caching or Compression
   
           If courses contain static assets (HTML, JS, CSS, videos), enable caching headers to reduce repeated downloads.
   
              Use GZIP or Brotli compression for text-based content.
   
              Review Redundant Downloads
   
                 Check if the same files are being downloaded repeatedly.
   
                    Add access control or download limits if needed.
   
                       Use tools like Azure Monitor or Storage Analytics to review access patterns.
   
                       Move Storage Closer to Users
   
                          If the Blob is hosted in a region far from your North American teams (e.g., East Asia), you are charged higher egress fees.
   
                             Consider moving the Blob to a North American Azure region (e.g., East US, West US, Canada Central).
   
                             Use Azure Files + Private Link or VNet
   
                                If your users are accessing via corporate network (e.g., via VPN), consider mounting Azure Files over Private Link or from within a VNet peering setup.
   
                                   This avoids public internet and can reduce charges.
   

2. Set up Azure Front Door (if required)

If you need global distribution with security features like WAF and routing, Azure Front Door is another option.

• This is more enterprise grade than CDN but has similar benefits.

Suggested Next Steps

Check Azure Cost Analysis to confirm exact breakdown of network egress usage by region and resource.

Identify top consumers or IP addresses if possible.

If usage is valid, implement Azure CDN as a first cost-optimization step.

1. For advanced setup, consider moving content to a more optimal region or serving via Front Door/CDN.

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