Why Internet Traffic Takes the Long Way: A Global Routing Puzzle
Imagine this: data sent from Almaty, Kazakhstan, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, instead of taking the shortest route of 7,032 km, makes a massive detour, adding 5,202 km via the Netherlands. As a result, the latency reaches 437 milliseconds, nearly six times the theoretical minimum latency of 70 milliseconds. These are not just numbers: such delays have real impacts on video calls, online gaming and cloud services, highlighting the complexity of the global internet infrastructure. Welcome to the world of data routing, where GeoCables regularly monitors and records such anomalies.
Why does data take such a convoluted route?
On its way from Almaty to Dar es Salaam, the data passes through the networks of several major operators: Signal Telecom LLP, JSC Kazakhtelecom, PJSC Rostelecom and PCCW Global. These companies are part of a complex internet ecosystem where traffic is routed based on peering (traffic exchange) and transit agreements. For example, Signal Telecom and Kazakhtelecom handle local traffic within Kazakhstan, but for international traffic leaving the country, operators like PCCW Global, based in Hong Kong, come into play. In this case, the traffic reached Frankfurt, then passed through Lelystad in the Netherlands before heading to its destination via Djibouti and Iringa in Tanzania.
Why did this happen? The answer lies in the lack of direct inter-network connections in the region, as well as the economics of transit. International cable systems and landing points, such as Djibouti, play a key role in traffic routing, but in the absence of direct connections, data follows existing transit routes, even if this significantly lengthens the journey.
Practical implications for users
A latency of 437 milliseconds might seem insignificant, but in reality, it is noticeable. For example, in video calls, such delays cause "echo" effects and desynchronization of audio and video, making communication difficult. In online gaming, where every millisecond counts, a ping above 100-150 ms is already considered unsuitable for smooth gameplay, and 437 ms renders many games virtually unplayable. For algorithmic trading on financial markets, such latency could cost users millions of dollars, while working with cloud services becomes less efficient due to increased response times.
Geopolitical and infrastructure context
Kazakhstan, located at the heart of Central Asia, is an important transit hub at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. However, its internet infrastructure suffers from a lack of direct international connections. In this case, GeoCables observed that traffic from Kazakhstan is routed through Russia and Europe due to an insufficient number of direct cable links to Africa. Djibouti, as a key landing point for numerous submarine cables, naturally becomes a hub for data transmission to Africa, but the absence of direct routes from Central Asia makes this path suboptimal.
Real events in the region
In the weeks leading up to the measurements, various natural events were recorded in the region, including earthquakes in Kyrgyzstan, China and Tajikistan. For instance, a 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred on June 3, 76 km south of Daroot-Korgon (Kyrgyzstan), and a 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck on June 4, 57 km northwest of Huocheng (China). However, GeoCables data shows that these events did not affect the routing of this traffic. The observed detour was solely related to the characteristics of the network infrastructure and agreements between providers.
Interestingly, on June 1, a flood threat was recorded in Germany, but it was approximately 395 km away from the traffic route and was also unrelated to the deviation. These events highlight the complexity and dynamism of the regional context, but the primary cause remains the economic and technical logic of data routing.
What can we learn from this?
This case is a vivid example of how the global internet infrastructure, despite its complexity and scale, is still far from optimal. GeoCables continues to monitor such anomalies, identifying their causes and consequences. For users, this serves as a reminder that internet delays are not just a technical issue but the result of a complex ecosystem where commercial, technical and geopolitical interests intersect.
