Mobile operator EE reports that Internet video streaming traffic over their 3G and 4G network surged during yesterday’s UEFA Euro 2016 football matches, which kicked off at 8pm and saw two games featuring UK teams; both played during the same 2 hour window (England v Slovakia and Wales v Russia).
The mobile provider noted that there was a big spike in data usage just before the games began (mostly for those watching the football on the ITV Hub and via Sky Go), which was followed by a noticeable drop at half-time and a slight decline in the number of viewers tuning in afterwards for the second half (possibly down to the 0-0 score-line in the England match).
However half-time wasn’t a total bust, with mobile users choosing to move their traffic away from video streaming and instead push it towards social media sites and related apps (e.g. Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube) in order to share opinions etc. Facebook was of course the most popular of all social media platforms used at half-time.
The impact upon Home Broadband (fixed line) traffic was considerably less noticeable (nothing like last Thursday’s surge when England played Wales during working hours), which is almost certainly down to the fact that most such users would have been at home and able to watch the match on traditional TV instead of video streaming. As per LONAP’s graph:
Some ISPs did report a small blip above normal levels, but nothing to write home about. By contrast mobile users are of course more likely to be connecting when away from home, such as those still working or commuting during the evening hours when Mobile Broadband is often the best bet for keeping tabs on major events.
Otherwise the rest of the day is pretty typical of traffic on the EE network, with significant social media peaks at breakfast and lunch, then rising in the evening before a spike as people check in before bed.
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