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Cable Health Monitor

Original Research on Submarine Cable Routing

In-depth analysis of how internet traffic moves through 708 submarine cable systems, based on real measurements from our probes worldwide.

Learn how it works

Cable in focus 🌋 in the event zone
11,972 km · up since 2025 · 6 countries
GuamPhilippinesIndonesiaJapanTaiwanSingapore
now: running normally
Singapore → Davao 58 ms (vs baseline 70 ms)
Corridors · now vs baseline
Tanjung Pakis → Minamiboso 90 ms (baseline 90)
Sao Paulo → Davao 347 ms (baseline 351)
Sydney → Davao 146 ms (baseline 147)
faster100%slower
Open dossier →
Network latency index
For every monitored route the index compares its current round-trip time with that route's own 7-day norm. 100 = traffic moves at its usual speed, 108 = routes run about 8% slower than usual. Every cable weighs the same (now 280 cables, 6,417 routes). Updated hourly. Zones apply the same calculation to the cables serving a region or passing a chokepoint.
100 steady
faster100slower
⚙ Network load now
-20.8% above night floor
usual peak: 03:00 UTC · +10.4%
100 100 01.08 02:00 · 9901.08 03:00 · 9901.08 04:00 · 9901.08 05:00 · 10001.08 06:00 · 10001.08 07:00 · 10001.08 08:00 · 9901.08 09:00 · 9901.08 10:00 · 9901.08 11:00 · 9901.08 12:00 · 9901.08 13:00 · 10001.08 14:00 · 10001.08 15:00 · 10001.08 16:00 · 10001.08 17:00 · 10001.08 18:00 · 10001.08 19:00 · 10001.08 20:00 · 10001.08 21:00 · 10001.08 22:00 · 10001.08 23:00 · 10002.08 00:00 · 10002.08 01:00 · 10002.08 02:00 · 10002.08 03:00 · 10002.08 04:00 · 10002.08 05:00 · 10002.08 06:00 · 10002.08 07:00 · 10002.08 08:00 · 10002.08 09:00 · 10002.08 10:00 · 10002.08 11:00 · 10002.08 12:00 · 10002.08 13:00 · 10002.08 14:00 · 10002.08 15:00 · 10002.08 16:00 · 10002.08 17:00 · 10002.08 18:00 · 10002.08 19:00 · 10002.08 20:00 · 10002.08 21:00 · 10002.08 22:00 · 10002.08 23:00 · 10003.08 00:00 · 10003.08 01:00 · 10003.08 02:00 · 10003.08 03:00 · 10003.08 04:00 · 10003.08 05:00 · 9903.08 06:00 · 10003.08 07:00 · 9903.08 08:00 · 9903.08 09:00 · 9903.08 10:00 · 9903.08 11:00 · 9903.08 12:00 · 9903.08 13:00 · 9903.08 14:00 · 9903.08 15:00 · 9903.08 16:00 · 9903.08 17:00 · 9903.08 18:00 · 9903.08 19:00 · 9903.08 20:00 · 9903.08 21:00 · 9903.08 22:00 · 9903.08 23:00 · 9904.08 00:00 · 9904.08 01:00 · 9904.08 02:00 · 9904.08 03:00 · 9904.08 04:00 · 9904.08 05:00 · 9904.08 06:00 · 9904.08 07:00 · 9904.08 08:00 · 10004.08 09:00 · 10004.08 10:00 · 10004.08 11:00 · 10004.08 12:00 · 10004.08 13:00 · 10004.08 14:00 · 10004.08 15:00 · 10004.08 16:00 · 10004.08 17:00 · 10004.08 18:00 · 10004.08 19:00 · 10004.08 20:00 · 10004.08 21:00 · 10004.08 22:00 · 10004.08 23:00 · 10005.08 00:00 · 10005.08 01:00 · 10005.08 02:00 · 10005.08 03:00 · 10005.08 04:00 · 10005.08 05:00 · 10005.08 06:00 · 10005.08 07:00 · 10005.08 08:00 · 10005.08 09:00 · 10005.08 10:00 · 10005.08 11:00 · 10005.08 12:00 · 10005.08 13:00 · 10005.08 14:00 · 10005.08 15:00 · 10005.08 16:00 · 10005.08 17:00 · 10005.08 18:00 · 10005.08 19:00 · 10005.08 20:00 · 10005.08 21:00 · 10005.08 22:00 · 10005.08 23:00 · 9906.08 00:00 · 9906.08 01:00 · 9906.08 02:00 · 9906.08 03:00 · 10006.08 04:00 · 9906.08 05:00 · 9906.08 06:00 · 9906.08 07:00 · 9906.08 08:00 · 10006.08 09:00 · 10006.08 10:00 · 9906.08 11:00 · 9906.08 12:00 · 9906.08 13:00 · 9906.08 14:00 · 9906.08 15:00 · 9906.08 16:00 · 9906.08 17:00 · 9906.08 18:00 · 9906.08 19:00 · 9906.08 20:00 · 10006.08 21:00 · 10006.08 22:00 · 10006.08 23:00 · 10007.08 00:00 · 10007.08 01:00 · 10007.08 02:00 · 10007.08 03:00 · 10007.08 04:00 · 10007.08 05:00 · 10007.08 06:00 · 10007.08 07:00 · 10007.08 08:00 · 10007.08 09:00 · 10007.08 10:00 · 10007.08 11:00 · 10007.08 12:00 · 10007.08 13:00 · 10007.08 14:00 · 10007.08 15:00 · 10007.08 16:00 · 10007.08 17:00 · 10007.08 18:00 · 10007.08 19:00 · 10007.08 20:00 · 10007.08 21:00 · 10007.08 22:00 · 10007.08 23:00 · 10008.08 00:00 · 10008.08 01:00 · 100
02.0803.0804.0805.0806.0807.08 now
7 days, hourly
at the usual level · measured across 6,417 corridors
179 checks today · last: Singapore → Fortaleza 234 ms, 1170 s ago
● Network stable · event watch
🌐 earthquake
M4.8event force
VS
network heldApricot +0%

M4.8 earthquake · 108 km NNW of Batang, Indonesia

8h ago

On August 7, 2026, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred 108 km north-northwest of Batang, Indonesia. The event was centered in a region with a moderate population density and was monitored closely by regional and global seismic networks. While the earthquake was notable, its impact on critical infrastructure in the vicinity, including submarine cable systems, was minimal due to its moderate magnitude and distance from key facilities.

The Apricot cable system, which lands at Tanjung Pakis, Indonesia (approximately 345 km from the earthquake's epicenter), demonstrated its resilience by maintaining stable operations throughout. This system, which connects key locations across Asia, consistently held its baseline latency of approximately 174 ms during the last seven days, based on 11 checks conducted in that period. Across the 705 submarine cable systems monitored globally, 2555 latency checks over the past 24 hours confirmed the robust performance of these critical communication corridors.

Real-time monitoring of these and other submarine cable systems continues, ensuring the ongoing stability and reliability of global connectivity. This continuous oversight helps safeguard the infrastructure that underpins international communications and data exchange.

See it on the live map →
🗺
Explore the map →
700+ submarine cables, landing points & routes
📡
Watch it live →
Real-time latency, outages & network pulse
📖
Read research →
Deep dives into cables, incidents & geography
Earlier on the networkFull chronicle →
20h 🌐 M5 earthquake · 7 km NW of Cabacao, Philippines Aug 6 🌐 M4.6 earthquake · 5 km ENE of Matsubase, Japan Aug 6 🌐 M4.9 earthquake · 15 km WSW of Honmachi, Japan Aug 5 🌐 M5.3 earthquake · 62 km W of Tobelo, Indonesia Aug 5 🌐 M6.3 earthquake · 32 km SW of Sarangani, Philippines
● Daily digest

Today on the network

August 7, 2026
2,626checks · 24h
652cables watched
0anomalies
2active alerts
14probes online

August 7, 2026 - Today’s network monitoring for GeoCables was largely uneventful with no anomalies detected across the 652 submarine cables we monitor. There were only two active alerts, one of which is new while another has been resolved within the last 24 hours, indicating some normal fluctuations in latency that are typical for our scale of operation.

Specifically, several cables showed notable changes in their round-trip times (RTT). The High-capacity Undersea Guernsey Optical-fibre (HUGO) and Matrix Cable System both experienced warning alerts with increased RTTs by 152% and 124%, respectively. Meanwhile, the Taiwan Strait Express-1 (TSE-1), West Africa Cable System (WACS), and 2Africa saw improvements in latency, reducing their RTTs by 33%, 32%, and 32% from their seven-day averages. The Bharat Lanka Cable System and CrossChannel Fibre showed increases of 92% and 396%, respectively, while the Nigeria Cameroon Submarine Cable System (NCSCS) improved significantly by 74%. These changes are within expected variability and do not indicate any significant issues.

High-capacity Undersea Guernsey Optical-fibre (HUGO)alert: warning · resolved (+152% RTT) Matrix Cable Systemalert: warning · monitoring (+124% RTT) Taiwan Strait Express-1 (TSE-1)alert: warning · monitoring (+194% RTT) West Africa Cable System (WACS)▼ 228.2ms today vs 339.7ms 7d-avg (▼33%) 2Africa▼ 230.4ms today vs 337.9ms 7d-avg (▼32%) Bharat Lanka Cable System▲ 214.2ms today vs 111.8ms 7d-avg (▲92%) CrossChannel Fibre▲ 86.8ms today vs 17.5ms 7d-avg (▲396%) Nigeria Cameroon Submarine Cable System (NCSCS)▼ 20ms today vs 78.3ms 7d-avg (▼74%) Maldives Sri Lanka Cable (MSC)▲ 206.7ms today vs 157ms 7d-avg (▲32%)

Latest Research

View all research →
cable

cable

chokepoint

Ras Gharib: Strategic Submarine Cable Hub

Analysis of Ras Ghareb chokepoint: 17 undersea cables, critical risks, and its impact on international connectivity.

route

Why Internet Traffic from Israel to South Africa Detours via London

Traffic between Israel and South Africa routes through London, increasing delays fourfold.

chokepoint

Critical Undersea Cable Hub at Tong Fuk: Challenges and Global Connectivity

A deep dive into Tong Fuk's chokepoint, where 17 undersea cables converge. Explore how geography shapes routes and the impact of a break.

country

Romania's Internet Connectivity: Risks and Isolation

Analysis of Romania's internet infrastructure: submarine cables, isolation risks, and the impact of governance and conflicts.

cable

Magnitude 6 earthquake west of Sola, Vanuatu; submarine cables remain fully operational

A magnitude 6 earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu. The submarine cables Tamtam and ICN1 maintained functionality, ensuring stability in regional connectivity.

cable

July 2026 Ionian Sea earthquake disrupts submarine cables near Santa Doménica, Italy

Earthquake magnitude 4.7 near Santa Doménica, Italy, caused anomalies on submarine cables MedNautilus, OTEGLOBE Kokkini-Bari, and Adria-1. Details and monitoring data.

Distance Calculator

Resolving locations & calculating...

Straight-Line
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Cable Route
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Est. Latency
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fiber ≈ 200k km/s
Route Type
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📋 Connection Details

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Coordinates A-
Coordinates B-
Cable Multiplier-
Crosses Ocean-
Route Details-
Data Source-
Building route...
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⚠️ Calculated distances may differ from actual cable routes by 5-15% due to seabed terrain, cable landing infrastructure, and network peering points.
708
Submarine Cables
1,940+
Landing Points
282,847
Health Checks
< 1s
Route Calculation
Features
Network infrastructure made visible
Three layers of analysis - from theoretical cable distances to real-world packet measurements.
📊

Smart Cable Routing

Dijkstra-based routing through real submarine cables and landing points from TeleGeography data. Accurate distance multipliers for land and undersea segments.

🌊

Submarine Cable Map

Interactive map showing every cable your data touches - backbone nodes, landing stations, and submarine segments with real geographic coordinates.

🔬

RIPE Atlas Verification

Launch real network measurements from probes worldwide. Compare theoretical estimates with actual RTT and hop-by-hop packet journeys with ISP geolocation.

Latency Estimation

Speed-of-light physics combined with cable distance to estimate latency. See the real-world overhead - how much slower actual routing is vs fiber limits.

🔍

IP & Domain Resolution

Enter cities, IP addresses, or domain names - everything is resolved to coordinates with hosting location identification and optimal cable route.

🗺️

Packet Journey Analysis

Traceroute hops enriched with city, country, ISP. Phases auto-detected: local → ISP → CDN → backbone → submarine cable. Visual RTT timelines.

How It Works
From two points to a complete picture
Three-step analysis reveals the hidden infrastructure connecting any two locations.
1

Enter any two points

City names, IP addresses, or domains. The system resolves coordinates, identifies countries, and determines whether the route crosses oceans.

2

Smart Route calculates the path

A graph algorithm finds the optimal route through landing points and submarine cables with accurate distance multipliers for each segment type.

3

Verify with live measurements

One click launches RIPE Atlas probes for real ping and traceroute. See actual RTT, identify every router, and find where your packet enters submarine cables.

Use Cases
Built for engineers. Useful for everyone.
🏗️

Network Engineers

Validate routing assumptions, estimate latency budgets, troubleshoot unexpected paths.

🎮

Gaming & Low-Latency

Understand your ping. Compare the physical speed limit vs reality for any server.

🏢

CDN & Cloud Planning

Choose optimal PoP locations based on submarine cable topology and landing proximity.

📚

Education & Research

Teach how the physical internet works. Visualize the gap between light speed and real routing.

Submarine Cable Facts
The hidden backbone of the internet
Everything you see online travels through a global network of undersea fiber optic cables. Here's what makes it work.
1.4 million km

Total Cable Length

Over 500 submarine cable systems span the world's oceans, with a combined length of approximately 1.4 million kilometers - enough to circle the Earth 35 times.

99%

Intercontinental Data Share

Submarine cables carry over 99% of intercontinental data traffic. Despite what many people think, satellites handle only a tiny fraction of global internet traffic.

200,000 km/s

Speed of Light in Fiber

Light travels through fiber optic cable at about two-thirds the speed of light in vacuum. A signal from London to New York takes approximately 28 milliseconds one way.

25 years

Cable Lifespan

Modern submarine cables are designed to last 25 years. Cables are buried in the seabed near shores and laid directly on the ocean floor in deep water, protected by layers of steel and polyethylene.

~8,000m

Deepest Cable Depth

The deepest submarine cables reach the abyssal plains at nearly 8,000 meters. At these depths, cables rest on the ocean floor under enormous pressure, beyond the reach of anchors and fishing gear.

~$1B+

Cost Per Major Cable

Major transoceanic cable projects like 2Africa or PEACE cost over $1 billion. Investment comes from tech giants like Google, Meta, and Microsoft, as well as telecom consortiums.

ℹ️ About GeoCables - Original Research on Submarine Cable Routing

How Internet Traffic Routes Through Submarine Cables

GeoCables is a research publication on the physical infrastructure of the global internet. We publish in-depth analyses of how data actually travels between countries - which submarine cables are used, what the measured latency is, and why it differs from the theoretical minimum.

Our research is grounded in real RIPE Atlas measurements collected from five probes we operate in Minsk, Almaty, Tbilisi, Jerusalem, and Sevastopol. We trace specific routes across 708 submarine cable systems and 1,900+ landing points cataloged by TeleGeography, then publish what we find.

Theory vs Reality: Why Measured Latency Matters

Light through fiber travels at ~200,000 km/s - about two-thirds the speed of light in vacuum. That sets the theoretical floor for round-trip time. In practice, real RTT is 1.5-4× higher due to routing detours, optical amplifiers, protocol processing, peering between networks, and suboptimal path selection. Our research articles document this overhead on specific routes - measuring it, explaining it, and tracing it back to the cables and networks responsible.

Live Cable Monitoring

Real-time health checks from GeoCables measurement servers. Full dashboard →
708
Cables Monitored
179
Checks Today
164ms
Avg RTT (24h)
282,847
Total Checks
🔴 Matrix Cable System 190ms 1-420ms 🔴 South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) 122ms 44-528ms 🔴 2Africa 300ms 162-523ms 🔴 SAT-3/WASC 150ms 65-584ms 🔴 West Africa Cable System (WACS) 310ms 162-775ms 🔴 Lake Tanganyika 244ms 86-463ms 🔴 Project Waterworth 221ms 22-422ms 🔴 Groote Eylandt 175ms 27-376ms 🔴 North-West Cable System 197ms 48-400ms 🔴 Asia Connect Cable-1 (ACC-1) 200ms 1-350ms 🔴 Bosun 167ms 18-390ms 🔴 Hawaiki Nui 1 141ms 0-347ms 🔴 Jakarta-Bangka-Bintan-Batam-Singapore (B3JS) 81ms 16-379ms 🔴 Batam Dumai Melaka (BDM) 52ms 11-220ms 🔴 Southern Cross Cable Network (SCCN) 144ms 0-332ms 🔴 Unitel North Submarine Cable (UNSC) 205ms 37-369ms 🔴 PGASCOM 66ms 20-320ms 🔴 Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Cable Project 145ms 133-333ms 🔴 Malaysia-Cambodia-Thailand (MCT) Cable 88ms 7-343ms 🔴 Tata TGN-Pacific 201ms 138-245ms 🟡 SEAX-1 44ms 9-102ms 🔴 T3 198ms 22-432ms 🔴 Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE 1) 236ms 68-444ms 🔴 Hawaiki 139ms 0-334ms 🔴 NorthStar 228ms 188-318ms 🔴 Umoja 222ms 22-442ms 🔴 Eastern Africa Submarine System (EASSy) 244ms 68-421ms 🔴 TPU 203ms 33-355ms 🔴 Samoa-American Samoa (SAS) 61ms 58-199ms 🔴 SeaMeWe-5 212ms 106-371ms
🏆 Cable of the Day
Honomoana
Slowest route today: 🟢 508ms from Auckland to Faratea. · 13 hops
Based on 30 RIPE Atlas measurements from GeoCables monitoring infrastructure, March–April 2026. Honomoana is a 15,215-kilometre transpacific submar...
🚨 Anomaly Detected
SAT-3/WASC
Latency to Sesimbra hit 584ms - 5.4x above baseline (109ms).
📝 Recently Updated: Cable & Landing Point Dossiers
IMEWE · 12,091 km St. Pierre and Miquelon Cable · 200 km Katong, Singapore Halaihai · 17,483 km Pan-American Crossing (PAC) · 10,000 km Bicentenario · 250 km Hachijojima-Mainland Greymouth, New Zealand Domestic Submarine Cable of Maldives (DSCoM) · 286 km Darwin-Jakarta-Singapore Cable (DJSC) Collo, Algeria Camuri, Venezuela

Recent Cable Checks

South Atlantic Cable System (SACS) Singapore → Fortaleza 234ms
Sint Maarten Puerto Rico Network One (SMPR-1) Baie Longue → Isla Verde 153ms
Djibouti Africa Regional Express 1 (DARE 1) Dar Es Salaam → Beira 88ms
BCS North - Phase 1 Hanko → Stavsnas 11ms
EAC-C2C Ajigaura → Batangas 98ms
Yellow Bellport → Bude 73ms
Aurora Borbby Strandbad → Brondby 7ms
India Europe Xpress (IEX) Djibouti City → Jeddah 124ms

Internet Health (IODA)

Russian Federation 170,917 prefixes NORMAL
India 155,803 prefixes NORMAL
Pakistan 21,046 prefixes NORMAL
United Arab Emirates 22,155 prefixes NORMAL

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a submarine cable?
A submarine cable is a fiber-optic cable laid on the ocean floor to carry telecommunications data between land-based stations. Over 95% of intercontinental internet traffic travels through these cables - they are the physical backbone of the global internet, far more important than satellites for bulk data transfer.
How does GeoCables monitor cable health?
GeoCables operates measurement servers in Minsk, Almaty, Tbilisi, and Jerusalem equipped with RIPE Atlas probes. These servers run continuous ping and traceroute measurements to destinations near cable landing points, comparing real-time RTT (Round Trip Time) against historical baselines. When RTT exceeds 4x the baseline, the system flags an anomaly.
How accurate is the cable distance calculator?
The calculator uses real submarine cable route data from TeleGeography (695 cables, 1,900+ landing points) with a Dijkstra-based routing algorithm. Distances are estimates based on geographic cable paths - actual distances may vary by 5-15% depending on cable slack, seabed terrain, and routing decisions made during cable installation.
Why is real latency higher than the theoretical minimum?
Light travels through fiber at about 200,000 km/s - two-thirds the speed of light in vacuum. But real-world RTT is typically 1.5-4x higher than the physical minimum due to optical amplifier processing delays, routing overhead at each network hop, protocol processing, peering between different carriers, and suboptimal path selection by ISPs.
What happens when a submarine cable is cut?
When a cable is severed, internet traffic automatically reroutes through alternative paths via the Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). Users may experience higher latency but rarely total outages - the internet was designed to route around damage. However, repairs can take weeks to months, requiring specialized cable ships that are in short supply globally.
How many submarine cables exist in the world?
As of 2026, there are approximately 695 submarine cable systems in service or under construction worldwide, spanning over 1.5 million kilometers of ocean floor. GeoCables tracks all of them, with active health monitoring on the most critical routes.

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