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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: Egress Fees slug: egress-fees type: financial_primitive status: running version: 4.2.1 released: "1990-01-01" maintainer: cloud-providers@incumbents.io dependencies: - vendor-lock-in - asymmetric-pricing - customer-inertia - bandwidth license: Proprietary (yours to pay, theirs to set) tags: - cloud - networking - pricing - tollbooths - invisible-walls ---
A charge you pay to move your own data out of someone else's infrastructure, framed as a cost of doing business rather than a retention mechanism.
Data enters a cloud provider's network for free or near-free. This is called ingress. The asymmetry is deliberate. Once your data is inside, moving it out triggers a per-gigabyte fee that scales with every backup, migration attempt, or flirtation with a competitor. The toll is applied at the border of their network, which they define, in a document you agreed to without reading.
The mechanic is elegant in the same way a roach motel is elegant. Entry is frictionless. Exit is priced.
ERR_LOCK_IN_DISGUISED_AS_INFRASTRUCTURE # critical, ships as intended
ERR_MIGRATION_COST_EXCEEDS_VENDOR_SAVINGS # common, affects procurement decisions
ERR_FREE_TIER_EXPIRES_ON_CONTACT # triggers on customer growth
WARN_COMPETITOR_PRICING_NOW_VISIBLE # deprecated by egress fees themselves
egress_policy:
direction: outbound_only
free_tier_gb: 100 # per month, resets before you notice
standard_rate_per_gb: 0.09 # USD, subject to change without announcement
inter_region_rate: 0.02 # cheaper, still nonzero, still intentional
waiver_available: true # conditions: regulators, bad press, or large enterprise deal
waiver_granted: rarely
Why does ingress cost nothing? Because that is how you get the data in.
Why does egress cost so much? Because that is how you keep the data in.
Is this technically illegal? Technically, no. Whether it should be is a question currently being workshopped by regulators across three continents.
Can I negotiate egress fees? At sufficient spend, yes. The threshold for negotiation is approximately the amount at which leaving becomes nearly impossible anyway.
What is the alternative? On-premises infrastructure, federated storage, or acceptance. Most teams choose acceptance.