Backblaze Q2 2026 Report Highlights AI Traffic Volatility and Geographic Shifts
Event summary
- Backblaze published its Q2 2026 Network Stats report, introducing variance analysis to measure traffic predictability.
- AI traffic showed significant volatility: hyperscaler egress swung between 50-150 Gbps, while neocloud traffic scaled synchronously during business hours.
- CDN traffic increased by 66% year-over-year, indicating sustained growth in origin storage usage.
- Neocloud traffic magnitude grew in the EU-Central region, suggesting geographic dispersion of AI workloads.
The big picture
Backblaze's Q2 2026 report underscores the unique challenges of AI-driven network traffic, which is fundamentally different from traditional internet traffic. The volatility and geographic shifts highlight the need for specialized infrastructure tailored to AI workloads. As AI adoption accelerates, Backblaze's ability to optimize its platform for these demands will be critical in maintaining its competitive edge.
What we're watching
- Traffic Engineering
- How Backblaze's private network interconnects will adapt to AI workload volatility.
- Geographic Shifts
- The pace at which AI workloads disperse across regions, particularly in EU-Central.
- CDN Growth
- Whether the 66% year-over-year increase in CDN traffic signals a long-term trend or temporary spike.