Operations | Monitoring | ITSM | DevOps | Cloud

The Internet may feel like a single, seamless network but behind every connection is a vast web of interconnected networks. For businesses, Internet service providers (ISPs) and other network operators, reaching users and services around the world depends on how efficiently traffic can move between these networks. This is where IP transit comes in.

As businesses rely on cloud computing, AI, real-time communications and globally distributed applications, network latency has become a defining factor in overall network performance. While bandwidth determines how much data can be transferred, latency determines how quickly that data reaches its destination. Even a high-bandwidth connection can deliver poor application performance if latency is too high or inconsistent.

Every time you join a video meeting, move data between cloud environments or use an AI-powered application, your traffic travels across a complex network of interconnected infrastructure. At the heart of this global ecosystem sits the internet backbone – and the highest-performing networks within it are known as Tier 1 IP backbones.

Since 2020, the modern workspace has fundamentally changed, where employees now operate across a mix of office, hybrid and remote locations. Critical systems are now distributed between data centres and public cloud platforms, and most corporate data lives in the cloud. This shift has expanded the attack surface for many businesses.

Subsea cables have long been the invisible backbone of the internet, carrying more than 95% of global data traffic beneath the ocean’s surface. Today, they are no longer just background infrastructure, they sit at the centre of an increasingly complex digital and geopolitical landscape. The rise of artificial intelligence, alongside continued cloud expansion and hyperscale data centre growth, is driving unprecedented demand for high-capacity, low-latency connectivity.

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is reshaping connectivity across Asia, Africa and Europe, creating new opportunities for trade, innovation and digital growth. Last year saw record BRI engagement, with USD128.4 billion in construction contracts and around USD85.2 billion in investments.

Using the internet often feels effortless when clicking a link or joining a call, but behind that simplicity lies a highly structured system that ensures data moves efficiently across the globe. One of the key building blocks of this system is the Autonomous System Number (ASN).

In this latest ecosystem update, we’re introducing further enhancements to the Console Connect platform, with new data centre deployments and expanded availability of cloud on-ramps across key global locations.