Why Internet Data Travels Thousands of Extra Kilometers
Imagine this: your internet request from Rostov-on-Don (Russia) to Jakarta (Indonesia) needs to cover 8,833 km. However, instead of taking a direct route that could take approximately 88 milliseconds (RTT) under ideal conditions, the data packet traveled around the globe, detouring by a staggering 7,956 km and reaching Cambridge (Massachusetts, USA) before returning to Asia. The resulting delay was 339 milliseconds, nearly four times the theoretical minimum. GeoCables recorded this route on October 6, 2026, and its peculiarities reveal the complex mechanisms of global internet infrastructure.
Why do data travel so far?
The key player in routing this packet was the Akamai International B.V. network (AS20940), responsible for delivering content to Jakarta. Major transit operators such as Arelion Sweden AB (AS1299), JSC ER-Telecom Holding (AS57378), and local nodes in Russia, Sweden, Germany, and the USA also played a role in the journey. The absence of direct connections between Russian and Indonesian operators forced the data to pass through larger international providers like Arelion and Akamai. These companies manage global networks with numerous submarine cable landing points and peering nodes, making them essential intermediaries in the transit economy.
The route through Cambridge can be explained by economic and technical factors: Akamai optimizes content delivery based on its global peering strategies rather than geographical proximity. This may involve using more stable intercontinental channels through the USA, even if it increases latency.
Practical implications for users
A delay of 339 milliseconds might seem insignificant when browsing web pages. However, it becomes critical for video calls, online gaming, and financial trading. For instance, in video conferencing, a delay exceeding 300 milliseconds causes noticeable echo and hampers natural communication. Gamers, especially in shooters and strategy games, experience "lag," which can make gameplay nearly impossible. In cloud services like remote desktops or data processing, users feel slower response times, reducing work efficiency.
For financial markets, such a level of latency can be catastrophic: algorithmic trading requires response times within 1-10 milliseconds, and 339 milliseconds could lead to significant losses.
Infrastructure context: why data take "detours"
Despite the presence of submarine cables and nodes in Asia, traffic from Russia to Indonesia bypasses direct routes. This is due to a lack of direct inter-operator connections and limitations in regional transit routes. For example, submarine cables connecting Southeast Asia often land at nodes owned by international operators, who choose routes optimized for their internal goals rather than minimizing RTT.
In this case, the data traveled through European nodes (Stockholm, Hamburg, Frankfurt), crossed the Atlantic to reach Cambridge, and then returned across the Pacific to Jakarta. This demonstrates that global routing often prioritizes traffic stability and economic considerations over geographical proximity.
Real events nearby, but not the cause
Although the route passed through regions recently affected by natural disasters, these were not the cause of the detour. For example, in Indonesia, GeoCables recorded a 6.5 magnitude earthquake 135 km from Jakarta on September 12, 2026, as well as the ongoing eruption of Mount Krakatau since September 5. However, monitoring data clearly show that the traffic deviation was due to routing characteristics, not infrastructure damage.
On the European segment of the route (Germany, Sweden, Russia), natural events such as floods in Russia and Ukraine were also recorded in recent months. However, these occurred far from key nodes and their impact on routing has been ruled out.
Conclusions
This case highlights the complexity of global internet infrastructure, where routes are shaped not only by geography but also by economics, peering, and strategies of major providers. GeoCables continues to monitor such deviations, uncovering the hidden dynamics of the global internet. A delay of 339 milliseconds is not just a technical detail, but a real issue for users, whether they are gamers, business professionals, or everyday individuals working in the cloud.
