First Go Through the Casino...

By Lionel Gibbons

Ever ask someone for directions at a Las Vegas hotel? They inevitably start with the phrase, “Go through the casino…”  It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to find the elevators, the restaurant, or a taxi, everything in Vegas is set up so you have to pass through the casino first. After all, casinos are the heart of Vegas.

I was reminded of this arrangement recently while reading the news that Brazil intends to break away from US-centric network connections. This move appears to be the latest consequence of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelation that the US Government is listening in to everything we do on the internet.

Washington has given assurances that the surveillance is aimed at foreigners, which did reassure some US citizens. But it also had the unintended consequence of raising fear around the world. It was, after all, a tacit admission that the NSA was indeed listening. 

Some, like Brazil, have decided to keep their data out of the US whenever possible. But given the way the Internet is wired, having your traffic avoid the US may not be so easy. A look at TeleGeography’s submarine cable map shows that most of the connections from Brazil to Europe make a quick stopover on the East coast of the United States before heading across the ocean. 

It will be interesting to see if Brazil is able to reroute enough traffic around the US to accomplish their goals — and how much it will cost them.

I’m not sure they’ll be successful. What do you think?