AWS Weekly Roundup: RTB Fabric, Carbon Footprint Tool, Secret-West Region, and More (October 27, 2025)
AWS Unveils Major Updates: New Secret Region, Sustainability Tools, and More
Keeping up with the pace of innovation in cloud computing can be a challenge, but recent announcements from Amazon Web Services (AWS) are too significant to ignore. From a major expansion for national security workloads to new tools for environmental responsibility, these updates signal key shifts in the cloud landscape that impact developers, businesses, and government agencies alike.
Here’s a breakdown of the most important developments you need to know about.
AWS Expands Secure Cloud with New U.S. West Secret Region
In a landmark move for public sector cloud adoption, AWS has launched the AWS Secret-West Region. This new, highly secure cloud region is specifically designed to host workloads classified up to the “Secret” level of the U.S. government.
This is more than just another data center; it represents a critical piece of infrastructure for the nation’s defense and intelligence communities. The region is operated by cleared U.S. citizens and is completely isolated, meeting the stringent security and compliance standards required by the Department of Defense (DoD) and other national security agencies.
The key benefits of this new region include:
- Enhanced National Security: It allows government agencies to migrate more sensitive and mission-critical applications to the cloud, taking advantage of its scalability, resilience, and advanced services.
- Strict Compliance: The region is built to meet demanding regulatory frameworks, including DoD Cloud Computing Security Requirements Guide (SRG) Impact Level 6 (IL6).
- Geographic Resiliency: By providing a second Secret-level region on the West Coast, AWS offers crucial geographic diversity and disaster recovery options for classified data.
While commercial customers cannot access this region, its launch underscores AWS’s deep commitment to building highly secure and compliant infrastructure, a principle that benefits all of its users.
Track Your Environmental Impact with the New AWS Carbon Footprint Tool
As businesses worldwide face increasing pressure to operate sustainably, AWS has responded with a powerful new resource: the AWS Carbon Footprint Tool. Now generally available, this tool provides customers with a detailed breakdown of the carbon emissions associated with their cloud usage.
Previously, understanding the environmental impact of digital infrastructure was a complex and often inaccurate process. This tool changes that by offering clear, data-driven insights. Users can now:
- Visualize Carbon Emissions: See historical carbon data and track trends over time.
- Forecast Future Impact: Project future emissions based on current usage patterns.
- Support ESG Reporting: Use the data to meet Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting requirements and demonstrate a commitment to sustainability.
Actionable Tip: Use the Carbon Footprint Tool to identify which services and regions contribute most to your emissions. You may discover that shifting workloads to AWS regions powered by higher percentages of renewable energy can significantly reduce your overall carbon footprint.
Introducing AWS RTB Fabric for High-Performance Networking
For applications where every microsecond counts, AWS has announced AWS RTB Fabric, a new networking service engineered for ultra-low latency and high-throughput performance. This service is purpose-built for the most demanding workloads, such as real-time bidding in advertising technology, high-frequency financial trading, and large-scale multiplayer gaming.
RTB Fabric creates a highly optimized network path that bypasses standard internet routing, dramatically reducing data transfer times between AWS services and on-premises environments. This ensures that latency-sensitive applications can operate at peak performance, providing a more responsive and reliable user experience.
Other Key Service Enhancements
Beyond the headline announcements, several other important updates have been released:
- New Amazon EC2 Instance Types: AWS has expanded its compute offerings with new instances powered by the latest generation of processors. These instances promise improved price-performance, making it more cost-effective to run compute-intensive workloads like data analytics and machine learning.
- Amazon S3 Adds Enhanced Archival Controls: New features for Amazon S3 Glacier are making it easier and more secure to manage long-term data archives. These controls help organizations meet strict data retention policies for compliance and legal purposes.
These updates reflect a clear focus from AWS on providing more specialized, secure, and sustainable solutions. By addressing the needs of both highly regulated government agencies and environmentally conscious enterprises, the cloud leader continues to evolve its platform to meet the complex demands of the modern digital world.
Source: https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/aws/aws-weekly-roundup-aws-rtb-fabric-aws-customer-carbon-footprint-tool-aws-secret-west-region-and-more-october-27-2025/
