The ONS report: “in a quest for new data sources that can provide better social and economic insights, researchers from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are for the first time analysing internet traffic data.

 

Using publicly available data from the most established internet exchange point provider, they uncover several trends, including an unexpected peak of activity on Wednesdays.”

 

“While most of the data we have gathered so far are as expected, such as dips in internet traffic during commuting hours and peaks during business hours, it is still extremely useful. These data can be used as an extra source to benchmark and measure changing patterns in areas such as transport and the economy. For example, now that we know internet access from businesses drops off from around 4:30pm, if we see this drop happening later in the evening this could mean something about changing business practices that could be investigated further.”

 

“Some early insights into the night-time economy have shown that Friday evening internet activity tends to fall at a faster rate than the rest of the week, and also tends to be lower during the 6pm low point. Internet traffic peaks at 9pm every day with the exception of Sunday, where this peak time occurs one hour earlier on average. While the overall average daily internet traffic is highest on Wednesday, the evening volume is highest on Tuesdays.” Read all.

 

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