Broadband News

Christmas Eve to be quietest day online all year

Friday 23 December, 2011

By Anthony Hill

Internet’s least busy day arrives as Britain logs off for Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse ... click.

According to Sky Broadband, the festive period brings with it a noticeable drop in internet usage, as teenagers trade Facebook for figgy pudding and the family’s eyes move from laptops to the telly for a raft of Christmas specials.

The internet provider’s research shows that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have 27% lower peak traffic than an average day of web activity. In fact, tomorrow (24 December) is expected to be the internet’s quietest day of 2011.

Christmas Eve will be closely followed by New Year’s Day, which should also see lower levels of broadband consumption - as people recover from the night before - though there’s usually a rush for the online January sales.

Ian Morris, from the Sky 1 tech show Gadget Geeks, said: “It’s no surprise that Christmas is quietest time of the year for internet traffic. There's too much other stuff to sort out.

“Men will be wrapping presents - badly of course - while the kids will be in bed early waiting for Santa to make his visit. But it doesn’t impact the urge for families to get together to watch the best of Christmas TV. Christmas remains the busiest viewing period of the year, and what’s more, we’re watching more television than ever.”

Last year, TV viewing levels jumped 22% above average on Christmas Day, while internet usage was considerably lower than a normal 24-hour period.

According to Sky’s data, online traffic grows rapidly during Christmas morning - as shiny new laptops, tablets and smartphones take their first steps onto the web - though activity levels and declines in the afternoon, as families open presents, enjoy lunch and turn on the TV instead.

Image courtesy of Conanil