Why Internet Traffic from Moscow to Japan Takes a 5,417 km Detour

When you send data from Moscow (Russia) to Ibaraki (Japan), you might expect it to cover a direct distance of 7,460 km. However, GeoCables monitoring shows that this route can turn into a real internet detour. Instead of taking the shortest path, data packets "traveled" through Singapore, adding up to 5,417 km of extra distance. As a result, the round-trip time (RTT) for the packets reached 264 milliseconds, which is almost 4 times the theoretical minimum of 75 milliseconds dictated by the speed of light in fiber optics. So, what’s happening?

Why does traffic go through Singapore?

The journey of the data packets begins in Moscow (AS50867 HOSTKEY B.V.), after which they pass through key transit nodes: Stockholm (AS174 Cogent Communications), Paris, Marseille, and, unexpectedly, Singapore, before reaching their final destination in Ibaraki (AS63806 Human-life Information Platforms Institute). The main "carrier" of traffic on this route is Cogent Communications, one of the world’s largest transit operators. Why is the route so indirect?

The answer lies in the economics of peering and transit. Ideally, operators in Russia and Japan could establish direct connections, but the lack of such links forces data to take detours through major hubs. Singapore, due to its role in the global internet infrastructure, becomes a natural transit node for traffic between Europe and Asia, even if it is geographically suboptimal. These routes are shaped by agreements between operators, the cost of transit, and the availability of submarine cable landing points.

Practical implications for users

So, what does this mean for the average user? A delay of 264 ms can become a serious issue for tasks requiring low response times. For example:

• Video calls: Delays over 150 ms can lead to noticeable pauses and interruptions in conversation, degrading the user experience.
• Online gaming: In games, especially competitive ones, high RTT (over 100 ms) can cause "lag," making the game nearly unplayable.
• Financial trading: Delays can result in losing a competitive edge in high-frequency markets.
• Cloud services: Increased access times to data or applications can slow down workflows, particularly for companies relying on cloud computing.

To compare: if the route were direct, users would experience a response time of 75 ms. But due to the current routing, this is not possible. A difference of hundreds of milliseconds might seem minor, but in the digital world, even fractions of a second matter.

Infrastructure context

Why does regional traffic "go astray"? The reason lies in the historical development of internet infrastructure. While Europe and North America have long established dense peering and transit networks, the Asian region has historically relied on a few major hubs, such as Singapore and Hong Kong. These cities have become focal points for submarine cables connecting East and West. Moscow, despite its geographical position, remains poorly integrated into the Asian infrastructure, leading to such detours.

Real events and honest context

Interestingly, during GeoCables measurements on July 11, 2026, several major natural events occurred in the region. For instance, on July 1, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 was recorded near Noda, Japan, and on June 25, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 occurred east of Kuji. However, GeoCables data shows that the delay and the traffic route through Singapore were not related to these events. The reason lies solely in the specifics of routing and network infrastructure.

It is worth noting that the choice of data routes is the result of a complex interplay of many factors: from the physical location of cables to commercial agreements between operators. While natural disasters can temporarily disrupt network operations, in this case, the issue lies in the realm of global internet traffic logistics.

Examples like this highlight the importance of monitoring internet infrastructure. GeoCables not only helps identify problems but also provides insight into how they are connected to the real world. Ultimately, this knowledge can help operators improve routing and users receive better internet service.