What internet traffic peaks and troughs can tell us about our lives
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 a long period of decreased internet activity over the Christmas holidays and an unexpected peak of activity on Wednesdays.
The data also show that internet activity drops off around an hour earlier in the summer, compared with the winter, suggesting that we are ditching work earlier during the summer months to make the most of the light, pleasant evenings.
Tom Smith, Director of the ONS Data Science Campus, said:
“As we now conduct so many facets of our lives over the internet, its traffic flow can provide us with a very useful indicator of changes in society and the economy.
“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.
“While the reasons for some of the variations we’ve seen aren’t yet clear, when combined with other data sources they could provide some interesting insights,” Tom Smith added.
Comparing internet data with road traffic data reveals an overall increase in road traffic data on a Friday, coupled with a decrease in internet use. Further analysis into this phenomenon could reveal a relationship with average road traffic speeds and public transport use.
Internet traffic data show a substantial increase in early 2018, when the “Beast from the East” produced a significant amount of snowfall across the country. Insights on large-scale events such as adverse weather and sports could potentially help to provide measurements of economic impact over time.
Tom Smith concluded:
“It’s only by adapting our data sources, as society grows and changes, that we get a full picture of what’s going on. At the Data Science Campus, we are continually exploring novel data sources that can be used to provide statistics and insights that help shape policy and improve the lives of people across the country.”
Background notes:
The initial international task force was created in 2015 and presented their recommendations to the Conference for European Statistics (CES). These can be read on the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe website.
Media contacts:
Media Relations Office: +44 (0)845 6041858
Emergency on-call: +44 (0)7867 906553
Email: media.relations@ons.gov.uk