AWS complimentary Internet data-transfer allotments end at a free-tier cliff: below it bytes often look free; above it list $/GB tiers apply by region and SKU. Model billable GB explicitly in Mode A and keep unverified rates Unknown until a dated provider cite.
Updated
Complimentary Internet data-transfer allotments end — model the cliff explicitly or averages lie.
Path matrix: AWS Internet egress free-tier cliff drivers (educational)
Dated starting points only — Unknown until verified means no invented $/GB. PipeToll does not scrape private consoles or guarantee figures.
Path-class vocabulary: path template, Unknown until verified. PipeToll’s free-tier cliff glossary term lives here as a full path matrix. Complimentary Internet DT-out is real — and finite. Educational arithmetic only; no guaranteed savings.
Path templates to model
Single EC2 behind public IP — classic Internet DT-out toward clients; watch account free tier.
S3 public GET traffic — S3 free tier / grant interactions differ from EC2; don't paste one number.
NAT → Internet — free-tier cliffs on Internet DT-out still apply after NAT processing (see NAT spoke).
CloudFront edge — separate free tier possible; origin fill may still hit S3/EC2 cliffs.
Spike restore / launch month — one cliff-crossing month ruins averages built on quiet baselines.
Common traps
Annualizing a $0 free-tier month. Blending EC2 and S3 grants. Forgetting NAT processing still stacks when Internet GB are “free.” Assuming CloudFront removes all cliffs. No scorecrowns from Incomplete cells — badge Unknown.
FinOps checklist
Identify which product meters Internet DT-out for your top paths.
Read the current free grant and reset rules; date the cite.
Split GB into below-cliff and above-cliff buckets in the model.
Worked estimate walkthrough: 2,000 GB above the free-tier cliff
Educational shape: free grant covers the first 100 GB Internet DT-out; month ships 2,100 GB → billable ≈ 2,000 GB × list $/GB (Mode A). The list $/GB stays Unknown until cited to a dated provider page (AWS EC2 on-demand data transfer / Free Tier, as-of 2026-09-09). Do not annualize a quiet $0 month. Not a savings guarantee.
