Unexpected Internet Detour: Kyiv to California via Brazil
The global network promises instant communication between continents, but reality sometimes surprises even the most experienced specialists. GeoCables recorded an intriguing route of internet traffic between Kyiv, Ukraine, and Menlo Park, California, USA. Despite the direct geographical distance of 9,878 km, the data traveled an extra 9,517 km, reaching an exotic point in Brazil, the city of Paraná, before returning to the correct path. The final round-trip time (RTT) amounted to an impressive 308 milliseconds, which is nearly three times the physical minimum of 99 milliseconds possible for such distances.
Providers on the route: who are they and why do they play a key role?
The traffic passed through three major autonomous systems (AS): AS43145 (RNC Ltd., a local operator in Ukraine), AS174 (Cogent Communications, LLC, a major global transit operator), and AS32934 (Facebook, Inc., USA). This distribution is explained by the specifics of peering and transit economics. For example, Cogent, one of the world's largest operators, provides transit access between networks. Facebook, owning its own cable systems and landing stations, optimizes routes for its internal needs, which can lead to unexpected deviations.
The lack of direct interconnections between local Ukrainian operators and Facebook's end network in the United States forces traffic to pass through intermediate hubs such as London and Munich. However, the "leap" to the South American hub in Paraná raises questions: it is likely related to Facebook's internal routing, which is optimized for load distribution or bypassing congested paths.
Practical implications for users
For end users, a delay of 308 milliseconds can be critical in several scenarios:
- Video calls: Delays above 200 ms begin to noticeably degrade the quality of communication, making conversations less natural and introducing pauses.
- Online gaming: For shooters and strategy games, minimal ping is crucial. A ping above 150 ms makes gameplay inconvenient, and at 300 ms, it becomes nearly unplayable.
- Financial trading: High-frequency trading (HFT) algorithms require millisecond-level responses, and such delays can lead to missed profits.
- Cloud services: Uploading data or syncing with the cloud takes longer, especially when working with large files.
Users working with Facebook services such as Messenger or Instagram may have noticed slower video or message loading during this period.
Why did the route go "off track"?
Infrastructure analysis shows that the cause lies in routing. Ukraine, as part of the global internet, heavily relies on international transit traffic through European hubs such as Munich and London. In turn, Facebook operates a large network of its own cables and landing stations, which complicates the prediction of routes for external users. Geographical proximity, as seen in this example, does not guarantee an optimal path.
Real-world events near the route
GeoCables recorded several natural events near the route, but they are unrelated to this traffic deviation. For instance, a 4.6 magnitude earthquake in Romania (August 11, 2026, 641 km from Kyiv) and green flood warnings in Ukraine (September 26, 2026, 537 km away) had no impact on the internet detour. Similarly, a 5.59 magnitude earthquake in California (June 24, 2026, 229 km from Menlo Park) did not cause the routing through Brazil. These events merely highlight the fragility of infrastructure, but the current case is solely the result of network decisions.
Conclusions and challenges
The Kyiv to Menlo Park route case demonstrates the complexity of the global internet infrastructure, where economic and technical factors sometimes lead to unexpected decisions. For users, it is crucial to understand that latency is not just a number but has a real impact on service quality. GeoCables continues to monitor such routes, providing expert analysis and data to improve the global network.
