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arXiv · 2610.08274

Split Skies: Operational Experiences Extending a Multi-Cloud Network Telescope into the Asia-Pacific

Nils Kempen·Benjamin Schumann·Ralph Holz
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Abstract

Comprehensive visibility into Internet Background Radiation (IBR) requires diverse measurement infrastructure. Recent work showed that cloud IBR depends on the provider making single-provider telescopes systematically biased. These studies relied entirely on Western providers and left the Asia-Pacific region as a blind spot. In this report we extend a multi-cloud network telescope onto Tencent Cloud inside mainland China. We detail how Internet fragmentation, geo-politics, and provider rules complicate global measurement through strict onboarding barriers and an unreliable management plane. Once deployed, our nodes captured high-volume regional scanning invisible to our Western vantage points. We conclude by connecting our findings to the Responsible Internet framework. This framework relies on independent global observation to build a transparent Network Inspection Plane. We show that building this plane is bottlenecked by sovereign ecosystems and requires a collaborative community effort.

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Nils Kempen, Benjamin Schumann, Ralph Holz. 2026-10-06. Split Skies: Operational Experiences Extending a Multi-Cloud Network Telescope into the Asia-Pacific. https://doi.org/10.1145/3843201.3856200

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