4 questions before you choose the route.
This page identifies the right question and evidence. It does not determine the legal outcome on a reader’s facts.
Are you operating nodes/acceleration for others?
Operator test.
OperateLicence or licensed partner?
Authority.
LicenceAlso doing IDC/hosting?
separate service category.
IDCCross-border cache issues?
Data/cyber overlays.
DataWorking rule: A CDN licence question arises when the provider operates content-distribution or acceleration services in China.
The signal ledger.
These facts move the question beyond a label and into a product, money-flow and control analysis.
Bring a compact evidence docket—not a pitch deck.
Give a compliance team or counsel the operating facts that reveal the perimeter.
Questions people ask before they build.
Short answers for orientation. The right result can change with the service model and current rules.
Can we resell a licensed CDN?
Resale/agency models still need careful catalogue and contract design.
Where is IDC?
Open /idc-licence-in-china.
Primary authorities
Reviewed sources support orientation, not a fact-specific assessment.