Global Routing Challenges: Cape Town to Palau via Amsterdam
When a user from Cape Town, South Africa, sends a request to a server in Timika (Palau), they expect the data to travel quickly and efficiently. However, GeoCables monitoring revealed that instead of taking the direct route of 12,859 km, the traffic deviated by an additional 9,686 km, reaching Amsterdam, Netherlands, before heading back east. As a result, the round-trip time (RTT) was 455 ms, nearly four times the physical minimum of 129 ms for this distance.
Why does the route go through global transit operators?
On this route, key players include major global transit operators such as Cogent Communications (AS174) and SEACOM Limited (AS37100). These companies provide high-speed channels for data transmission through their extensive networks. For example, Cogent, known for its global backbone routes, plays a crucial role in connecting regions with insufficient local infrastructure. SEACOM, on the other hand, manages cables linking Africa with Europe and Asia.
The reason for the route deviation lies in the lack of direct interconnections between local operators and transit networks in Palau. Peering (mutual network connections for traffic exchange) is key here: if two operators lack direct peering, data is routed through third parties, increasing delays. The issue is exacerbated by transit economics: operators prefer routes through their main hubs, even if this lengthens the path.
Practical implications for users
Such route deviations significantly impact the quality of internet services. For example:
- Video calls: A delay of 455 ms makes communication unnatural, with noticeable pauses between questions and answers.
- Online gaming: In multiplayer games, latency above 150 ms can cause significant synchronization issues, degrading the gaming experience.
- Financial trading: For traders, every millisecond matters. An RTT of 455 ms can be critical for real-time transactions.
- Cloud services: Accessing files and applications on remote servers becomes slow, which is especially critical for business users.
Infrastructure context: why does traffic go "off course"?
Africa and island nations like Palau often face challenges due to insufficient cable infrastructure. In the case of South Africa, traffic first passes through the local Xneelo network, then through SEACOM, before reaching Cogent nodes in Europe. The deviation to Amsterdam, Paris and Marseille is due to the fact that these locations host major submarine cable landing points connecting continents. These hubs serve as transit centers for data transmission between regions.
For Palau, the situation is even more complex: as a small island nation, it relies on cables connecting it to Asian and American nodes. Data heading to Timika passes through cities like Seoul, Aihara and Hagåtña before reaching its final destination.
Real-world events: a live context
At the time of route measurement, GeoCables recorded several events near the route:
- Flooding in South Africa: On June 5, 2026, approximately one month before the measurements, a green-level alert was declared 593 km from Cape Town.
- Flooding in the Netherlands: On June 30, 2026, just 16 km from Amsterdam, where the data deviated.
- Flooding in Belgium: On June 23, 2026, 213 km from Amsterdam.
- Flooding in Germany: On June 21, 2026, 590 km from key European nodes.
While these events add context to the geography of the route, GeoCables data clearly shows that the cause of traffic deviation lies in routing and peering relationships, not natural disasters.
Conclusion
Routing through Amsterdam and other European nodes when transmitting data between Cape Town and Timika highlights global issues with peering and transit economics. Such deviations significantly degrade user experience, especially for latency-sensitive applications. GeoCables continues to monitor these routes to identify bottlenecks and assist operators in optimizing data transmission paths.
