AWS data center latencies, visualized

Post by segfaultbuserr » Sat, Oct 26, 2024, 1:40 PM UTC

keepamovin wrote: post #100

segfaultbuserr wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1/2 c in circuit boards (FR-4), 1/3 c in cables, two useful numbers to remember.

Thanks, nice! But wait - so we have 1/2 c ~ 150 km/ms in circuit board. 1/3 c ~ 100 km/ms in cable. And... 2/3 c ~ 200 km/ms in fiber? I'm a bit confused about difference between cable and fiber heh :)

Post by joemag » Mon, Nov 04, 2024, 8:59 PM UTC

ls65536 wrote: post #176

nabla9 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You would have to map out the cables to do that. Light in fiber optic cable travels roughly 70% of the speed of light ~210,000 km/s Earth's circumferences is ~40,000 kilometers. Direct route from the other side of Earth to another would be roughly 100 milliseconds, round trip 200 ms.

Since light travels at 100% the speed of light in a vacuum (by definition), I have wondered if latency over far distances could be improved by sending the data through a constellation of satellites in low earth orbit instead. Though I suspect the set of tradeoffs here (much lower throughput, much higher cost, more jitter in the latency due to satellites constantly moving around relative to the terrestrial surface) pr…