Sovereign video cloud: controlled real-time infrastructure
Short answer
A sovereign video cloud is real-time communication infrastructure whose components (SFU, TURN, signaling, storage) are hosted in a sovereignty zone (France, EU), operated by controlled actors, with auditable (open source) stacks and transparent subprocessors. It differs from US video SaaS where stream residency is opaque.
Sovereign cloud vs US public cloud
| Sovereign video cloud | US video SaaS | |
|---|---|---|
| Stream residency | France / EU | USA (CLOUD Act) |
| Code audit | Possible (open source) | No |
| Subprocessors | Documented EU | Opaque |
| Customization | Full | Limited |
| Vendor lock-in | Low | High |
| Public sector | Compatible | Often excluded |
Four pillars of sovereign video cloud
1. Data residency
SFU, TURN, recordings, logs in France.
2. Trusted operator
Certified host (SecNumCloud, HDS if healthcare), or customer datacenter (on-premise).
3. Auditable stack
Open source components (mediasoup, Jitsi, Janus) or code accessible to third-party audit.
4. Contractual governance
DPA, SLA, notification procedure, no uncontrolled transfers outside the EU. See GDPR video.
Sovereign cloud and scalability
Sovereignty is compatible with scalability:
- Horizontal SFU cluster in France;
- Redundant multi-zone EU TURN;
- European CDN for passive distribution.
Sovereign cloud vs on-premise
| Sovereign cloud (France) | On-premise | |
|---|---|---|
| Ops burden | Shared with vendor | Internal |
| Time to deploy | Weeks | Months |
| Sovereignty | High (contractual) | Maximum |
| Typical buyer | ETI, public sector | Regulated, defence |
How does Leagora deliver sovereign video cloud?
Business video platform WebRTC, France or on-premise, open stack, contractual DPA. Contact.
FAQ
Is sovereign cloud GDPR-compatible?
Residency and DPA framing determine compliance, not the word “cloud” itself.
Can sovereign cloud scale to large audiences?
Yes with SFU clustering and hybrid live architectures. See scalable WebRTC.
Must it be on-premise for public sector?
Not always: France-hosted cloud with strong DPA often suffices.
Key takeaways
- Sovereign video cloud = EU residency + auditable stack + contractual governance.
- Compatible with horizontal WebRTC scaling.