Global Internet Traffic: Cape Town to Palau via Amsterdam's Unexpected Detour
Internet traffic can be as intricate as the global web it operates within. A data packet sent from Cape Town, South Africa (ZA), to Koror, Palau (PW), traveled along a surprising route, deviating 9,686 km from a direct line and reaching Amsterdam, Netherlands, before returning to the Asia-Pacific region. GeoCables recorded this unusual journey on July 12, 2026, showcasing just how complex internet traffic routing can be.
Why does the route go through Amsterdam?
This route passes through key nodes and networks of major global transit operators, such as Cogent Communications and SEACOM Limited. These companies play a vital role in global internet infrastructure, providing backbone networks for data transmission between regions. Their networks connect various continents via submarine cables and terrestrial routes.
At first glance, routing through Amsterdam seems illogical, considering Cape Town and Koror are located on opposite ends of the global southern hemisphere. However, the lack of direct peering agreements between local and international providers, along with the economic interests of transit operators, often leads to such deviations. For instance, Amsterdam is a major internet hub with a high density of peering agreements, making it an attractive point for traffic redirection, even if it increases latency.
Practical implications for users
The detour through Amsterdam added significant latency (RTT, round-trip time). Instead of the theoretical minimum time of ~129 ms (determined by the speed of light in fiber optics over a direct distance of 12,859 km), the measured RTT was 1,093 ms, nearly 8 times higher! What does this mean for users?
- Video calls: Such latency makes video calls almost impossible. A 1-second delay causes serious communication issues, creating an "echo" effect and pauses between responses.
- Online gaming: For gamers, RTT above 100 ms is already considered high, and 1,093 ms turns gameplay into a slow and unresponsive experience, especially in shooters or other games requiring instant reactions.
- Financial trading: In high-frequency trading, every millisecond counts. A delay of over one second could result in missed profits or incorrect trades.
- Cloud services: Working with cloud applications like Google Docs or Microsoft 365 also suffers. Interface responsiveness slows down, hindering task completion.
Infrastructure context
Why did traffic from South Africa to Palau end up in Europe at all? The main reason is the complexity of global infrastructure. South Africa is connected to the world through several submarine cables, such as SEACOM and WACS, which primarily link it to Europe and Asia. However, in the region of Palau, located in the Pacific Ocean, stronger connections exist with Asian hubs like Singapore and Tokyo. The lack of direct cables between these regions forces traffic to pass through intermediate points like Amsterdam, Paris, and Marseille, where major Cogent nodes are located.
Additionally, routing is often determined not by optimal geography but by transit economics. Transit operators like Cogent choose routes that maximize profitability, even if it increases distance and latency.
Real events in the region
Interestingly, the route of this packet crossed regions recently affected by natural events. In June 2026, GeoCables recorded flooding in South Africa, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. For example, flooding in the Netherlands, just 16 km from Amsterdam, occurred on June 30. However, our data shows that these events did not impact routing. The reason for the route deviation lies solely in infrastructural and economic factors.
Conclusion
The detour through Amsterdam is not merely a coincidence but a reflection of the complex ecosystem of the global internet. GeoCables continues to monitor such routes to shed light on the hidden mechanisms governing our digital world. With each measurement, we move closer to understanding how to improve global internet infrastructure and minimize such delays in the future.
