Why Internet Traffic Takes the Long Way: Tbilisi to São Paulo Detour
Imagine this: you are sitting in Tbilisi, Georgia, and sending data to a server in São Paulo, Brazil. At first glance, the direct line of 11,838 km between these points should be the optimal route. However, instead, your data takes a significant detour, deviating by 7,631 km to pass through Washington, USA, before heading back to South America. The resulting round-trip time (RTT) is 376 milliseconds, nearly three times the theoretical minimum of 118 milliseconds possible for a direct route. How could this happen? Let's analyze this based on monitoring data from GeoCables.
Key Network Providers: Who Carries Your Traffic?
On the journey from Tbilisi to São Paulo, your traffic passes through several major network operators. The initial leg of the route is handled by the local provider, JSC "Global Erty" (AS34666), which provides connectivity in Georgia. The packets are then handed over to Cogent Communications (AS174), one of the largest global transit operators. Cogent is known for its extensive network spanning Europe, North America and other regions. After traveling through several European cities (Belgrade, Vienna and Munich), the traffic reaches Washington, USA, from where it is routed into the network of the Brazilian company Huge Solucoes Corporativas Ltda (AS264409).
Why did the route go through Cogent and Washington? The answer lies in the specifics of routing and peering. Direct peering agreements between regional providers are often lacking, forcing traffic to transition to transit operators. With its robust infrastructure and global points of presence, Cogent becomes a natural choice for such routes. However, its paths are not always geographically optimal, especially when the destination is on another continent.
Practical Implications for Users
An RTT of 376 milliseconds is not just a number; it has a tangible impact on the quality of digital life. For video calls, such a delay can cause frustrating pauses and desynchronization of audio and video. In online gaming, where every millisecond can determine the outcome of a match, 376 ms RTT makes gameplay nearly impossible. Trading on financial markets, where reaction speed is critical, also becomes problematic. Even using cloud services, such as file uploads or computational tasks, is sensitive to latency: operations that could take seconds are stretched into minutes.
Why Does Regional Traffic Take a "Wrong Turn"?
The internet's infrastructure is a complex system of cables, network nodes and agreements between providers. In this case, the primary reason for the detour lies in the lack of direct interregional connections between Georgia and Brazil. Additionally, the geographical locations of submarine cable landing points, which connect continents, must be considered. For South America, the main connection points are in the USA, making Washington a natural transit hub for traffic.
Furthermore, in the Caucasus and Middle East regions, internet infrastructure remains less developed compared to Europe and North America. This explains why traffic is first routed to European hubs and then crosses the Atlantic to the USA before reaching South America.
Real Events Along the Route: A Living Context
GeoCables not only tracks traffic routes but also records significant events occurring near these routes. For instance, in August 2026, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.9 occurred 19 km from Divichibazar, Azerbaijan, approximately 335 km from Tbilisi. In the same month, floods with a green alert level were reported in Georgia and neighboring Turkey. However, GeoCables monitoring data shows that these events did not impact routing; the detour was solely due to network architecture and agreements between providers.
In October 2026, a green-level flood alert was also recorded in Brazil, approximately 507 km from São Paulo. While this event may be significant for local infrastructure, it is not directly related to the observed route. Such events merely add context to the global network's landscape, highlighting its vulnerability to external factors.
Conclusion
The case of the route from Tbilisi to São Paulo highlights how the complex economics of peering and transit, as well as infrastructure characteristics, can significantly increase internet traffic latency. GeoCables is committed to uncovering such routes and their underlying causes, enabling users and providers to better understand and improve the global network. After all, every millisecond matters in our digital world.
