Why data from Almaty to Candikusuma travels through Moscow
When you send data from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Candikusuma, Indonesia, you might expect them to take a direct route via submarine optical cables. However, reality often turns out quite differently. In the case of this specific internet detour, recorded by GeoCables, the data packets traveled not the direct 6873 km but deviated for an entire 3104 km, first reaching Moscow, Russia, before heading back to Southeast Asia. This deviation increased the round-trip time (RTT) to 286 milliseconds, almost four times higher than the theoretical minimum of 69 milliseconds for a direct route. Why does this happen?
Key Network Providers and Their Role in Routing
Data sent from Almaty went through three autonomous systems (AS), each representing a separate network operator: Signal Telecom LLP (AS60930), JSC Kazakhtelecom (AS9198), and PT Lare Osing Ndo (AS149714). Signal Telecom LLP and JSC Kazakhtelecom are major Kazakhstani providers offering both local and international connectivity. However, their routing is limited by peering agreements and availability of direct connections with other networks.
Why did the route go through Moscow? Historically, Kазахтелеком's trunk lines run northward, and Moscow remains a major transit node for traffic from Central Asia. The absence of direct cable connections between Kazakhstan and Indonesia forces data to travel via the largest landing points of cables and major transit operators such as Kazakhtelecom. Additionally, economic factors, including the cost of transit traffic through alternative routes, play a role. As a result, the data first goes to Moscow and then through other international nodes to the final destination.
Practical consequences for users
Such an increase in latency can significantly impact user experience. For example, for video calls through applications like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, a delay of 286 milliseconds may result in unpleasant pauses and degradation of communication quality. In online games where every millisecond matters, such a delay could put players at a disadvantage, especially in fast shooters or strategic games. For highly sensitive cloud services and operations, such as financial trades, a latency of 286 milliseconds could be critical, particularly on competitive markets.
Infrastructure Context: Why Traffic is Going "The Wrong Way"
Although Kazakhstan has a developed telecommunications infrastructure, its geographical location and limited direct cable connections with Southeast Asia often create routing complexities. On the other hand, Indonesia is a large island country where most international cables land in Jakarta and other major cities. However, direct links between these two regions are absent, which forces traffic to pass through intermediate nodes such as Moscow before reaching the final destination.
Real Events: Live Routing Context
GeoCables recorded several events near this traffic route, including earthquakes in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, China, and other neighboring countries. For example, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 occurred 76 km south of Daro Ot-Korgon in Kyrgyzstan on June 3, 2026, and a magnitude 5 earthquake was recorded east of Chayek on August 12, 2026. However, our data clearly show that these natural phenomena did not affect traffic routing. The cause of the detour is exclusively due to network infrastructure and transit economics.
GeoCables continues to monitor routes and their changes to shed light on the reasons for deviations, helping providers improve their infrastructure and end-users obtain a better experience.
