Global Internet Traffic Detours: Why Data Took a Scenic Route in 2026

The journey of an internet packet from Cape Town (South Africa) to Sydney (Australia) was expected to be direct and efficient. However, it turned into a global "world tour," reaching London (United Kingdom) before heading south to its final destination. GeoCables documented this case on June 20, 2026, as a vivid example of how traffic routing can deviate significantly from the optimal path.

How does routing work, and why did the route take such a strange "detour"?

The key networks involved in this routing were Xneelo (AS37153), a local provider in South Africa; SEACOM (AS37100), a major transit operator; and Aussie Broadband (AS4764), an Australian operator. Instead of utilizing submarine cables directly connecting Africa to Australia, the data was routed north to London before returning to Australia.

This occurred primarily due to the lack of effective peering (direct connections between networks) between regional operators and major transit providers. SEACOM operates submarine cables connecting Africa to Europe, with traffic often routed through their landing points in London. From there, packets were redirected to Australia. This routing is also influenced by the economic model of transit operators, where transmitting data through intermediate nodes can sometimes be more cost-effective than using a direct route.

Practical consequences: latency and its impact on users

The resulting latency (RTT) was 428 ms, nearly four times the theoretical minimum of 117 ms if the signal had traveled via a direct submarine route. For users, this latency introduces noticeable challenges, such as:

• Video calls: A latency of 428 ms makes video conversations difficult, particularly when both parties attempt to speak simultaneously.
• Online gaming: Competitive gaming becomes unfeasible, as most games require latency below 100 ms for a smooth experience.
• Financial trading: High-frequency traders, who depend on instantaneous system responses, could face delays that may lead to financial losses.
• Cloud services: Delays in data uploads or accessing cloud applications can disrupt productivity significantly.

Infrastructure context: why regional traffic "goes astray"

Despite South Africa and Australia being relatively close on a global scale and connected by several submarine cables, the absence of direct peering between networks in these regions often results in data being routed through economically favorable hubs like London. This reflects a broader issue in regional infrastructure, where operators prioritize established hubs over investing in new direct connections.

In this case, the routing detour was attributed to network-specific factors rather than external disruptions. For example, flooding in Belgium on June 23, 2026, occurred 367 kilometers away from the route and had no impact on traffic. Similarly, flooding in South Africa on June 5, located 593 kilometers from Cape Town, was unrelated to the route deviation.

What can we learn from such cases?

This example underscores the importance of improving global internet infrastructure. As society increasingly relies on cloud services, video conferencing, and other internet-based tools, such delays are becoming less acceptable. GeoCables actively monitors routes to identify network bottlenecks and provides actionable data to help operators enhance peering and routing.

Investing in direct connections between regions, such as Africa and Australia, holds the potential to significantly reduce latency, enhance service quality, and make the internet faster and more reliable for users worldwide.