The Internet's Detour: Georgia to Japan via Singapore
The journey of an internet packet from Tbilisi, Georgia, to Yokohama, Japan, turned out to be far more convoluted than one might expect. Instead of covering the direct distance of 7,834 km, the data was rerouted an additional 5,297 km, reaching Singapore before its final arrival in Japan. The result: a latency of 351 milliseconds, nearly four times the theoretical minimum latency of 78 milliseconds possible on an ideal route. What happened, and why?
Key network providers along the route and the role of routing
Several major network operators play a crucial role in this route, forming the "backbone" of the internet. Among them:
- Cogent Communications (AS174): One of the largest global transit operators, providing a worldwide backbone for the internet. Cogent has numerous points of presence and peering agreements across the globe.
- JSC Global Erty (AS34666): A local Georgian operator that provides the initial connection in Tbilisi.
- Home NOC Operators Group (AS59105): A Japanese operator responsible for delivering packets to Yokohama.
The route turned out to be so complex due to the peculiarities of peering and transit economics. Despite the existence of more direct paths, there are no direct connections between some regional networks. Traffic is often routed through major backbone networks like Cogent, which offer optimized paths for their customers but not necessarily the shortest geographical routes.
Practical implications for users
A latency of 351 milliseconds might seem insignificant, but it has real-world consequences:
- Video calls: At this level of latency, communication becomes less natural, with noticeable pauses between responses. This is especially evident in group calls, where synchronization is crucial.
- Online gaming: For gamers, latency above 100 milliseconds is already considered problematic. 351 ms makes gaming nearly impossible, particularly in genres requiring quick reaction times.
- Financial trading: High latency is critical for traders, where milliseconds can determine the success of a transaction.
- Cloud services: Working with remote servers becomes sluggish, especially for applications requiring frequent data synchronization.
Why regional traffic gets "misrouted"
Infrastructure characteristics of the region play a key role in routing. Direct submarine cables and landing points determine how traffic is distributed between continents. For example, in the Georgia-Japan route:
- There are no direct submarine cables between Georgia and Japan, so data is forced to pass through intermediate points.
- Singapore is a major internet hub in the region, through which a significant portion of transit traffic flows.
- Cogent, as a backbone operator, selects routes based on economic feasibility, even if they are less geographically optimal.
Thus, traffic does not always take the shortest path but follows the economic and infrastructural interests of operators.
Real-world events near the route
GeoCables monitoring recorded several events geographically close to the route, but they are not the cause of the detour:
- 4.9 magnitude earthquake: Occurred in Azerbaijan on August 14, 2026, just 335 km from Tbilisi. However, GeoCables data shows that the route was diverted due to routing decisions, not infrastructure damage.
- Flooding in Georgia and Turkey: Green flood warnings were observed in August 2026. These did not impact cable infrastructure.
- 6.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan: Occurred on July 1, 2026, 579 km from Yokohama. This event is unrelated to the current route, as cables between Japan and Singapore continue to operate without disruptions.
These events highlight the dynamic nature of the region but confirm that the route's cause lies in economics and infrastructure, not natural disasters.
GeoCables continues to actively monitor global routes, identifying anomalies and uncovering the hidden mechanisms of the internet's operation. Such data helps to understand how infrastructure impacts the world's digital connectivity.
