GeoCables: Solving Internet Routing Mysteries
Imagine you are making a video call from Vilnius to Singapore. You expect minimal latency, as modern fiber-optic technology allows data to be transmitted lightning-fast over vast distances. However, instead, your signal unexpectedly travels across the Atlantic Ocean to Chicago, loops there, and only then returns to Asia. The result: a delay of 351 milliseconds, almost four times the theoretical minimum of 92 milliseconds. Welcome to the world of internet detours, where GeoCables helps uncover the mysteries of routing.
Why do packets "wander"?
On the way from Vilnius to Singapore, this route crossed 20 nodes and passed through several autonomous systems (AS), including AS174 (Cogent Communications, LLC), AS47583 (Hostinger International Limited), and AS13194 (UAB Bite Lietuva). Cogent, one of the world's largest transit operators, works with a vast number of peering agreements and provides intercontinental connectivity. However, as GeoCables' analysis shows, the lack of direct connections between key providers in the Baltic region and Southeast Asia forces traffic to rely on existing transit routes.
In this case, the packets first traveled from Vilnius via the local operator UAB Bite Lietuva (AS13194) to the transit provider Cogent in Bratislava (Slovakia), and then through Hamburg and Paris to Chicago. The key anomaly in the route occurs here: the signal did not proceed directly to Singapore across the Pacific Ocean but instead detoured through New York before finally reaching its destination in Singapore. Why did this happen? The answer lies in the economics of routing: providers choose paths based on traffic costs, the number of intermediate nodes, and the availability of peering agreements, rather than purely on geographic proximity.
Practical implications for users
A delay of 351 milliseconds might seem insignificant for simple web browsing, but for many applications, it is critical. For instance, video calls via Zoom or Microsoft Teams become less comfortable, as delays above 200 ms start causing noticeable pauses in conversations. For online gamers, this could mean losing a decisive battle, as delays above 50-100 ms are already considered unacceptable. And what about high-frequency trading? There, every millisecond counts. Even cloud services like Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive can experience slowdowns due to increased server response times.
Infrastructure roots of the problem
So why does traffic from Europe to Asia pass through North America? The answer lies in infrastructure constraints. Submarine cables connecting Europe and Asia are limited, and many of them are overloaded or do not provide direct connections between certain regions. Key cable landing points, such as Singapore, act as hub nodes, but the lack of direct connections between regional providers forces traffic to take detours.
Interestingly, real-world events, as recorded by GeoCables, sometimes add drama to these routes. For example, in August-September 2026, several floods were recorded in the Baltic region, including in Lithuania, Latvia, and neighboring countries. However, as GeoCables' monitoring shows, the current internet detour is not related to these events. The issue lies solely in the complexities of routing and the lack of direct peering agreements between key providers.
A solution on the horizon?
To prevent such situations, investments in building new submarine cables and improving existing infrastructure are necessary. In particular, a direct connection between Europe and Asia through Arctic regions or an expansion of peering agreements between regional and global providers, such as Cogent, Hurricane Electric, and Arelion, could significantly reduce delays. However, such projects require significant resources and often face geopolitical and economic barriers.
Conclusion
Internet detours, like the one recorded by GeoCables on the Vilnius-Singapore route, remind us that the global network is a complex system where routing decisions are made based on numerous factors, including economics, infrastructure availability, and inter-network agreements. While the world works on improving connectivity, tools like GeoCables remain indispensable for understanding what happens behind the scenes of the internet and how it impacts our everyday digital lives.
