Web traffic surges as England scrape through

The World Cup is putting a strain on ISP and company networks

England's 1-0 victory over Slovenia prompted a dramatic surge in internet traffic as desk-bound workers headed online in their droves to watch the drama unfold.

Easynet Connect reported a 226 per cent rise in traffic during the game, which equated to a 73 per cent increase in download traffic compared to the previous week.

"The data from our own network shows that streaming the game at work was a popular choice this afternoon, pushing many business connections to their limits," said Easynet Connect managing director Chris Stening.

Recently rebranded ISP Demon, meanwhile, saw a 55 per cent rise that peaked at 3pm and then dropped to a 40 per cent increase at 3.30pm.

Telecoms and broadband provider KC also experienced a surge, this time of 30 per cent. The company said that this was not as high as expected, perhaps owing to many organisations letting workers watch the game on TV or in the pub.

"Many proactive and forward-thinking firms have made arrangements for employees to support their country at home, in the pub or collectively in the office," said Nick Thompson, director of consumer services at KC.

However, Interoute reported no mass peak in traffic, claiming that it merely saw a switch of users from normal web activity to streaming sites.

"There was no mass surge in internet traffic during the England Slovenia game, despite a 300 per cent jump in World Cup streaming during the game," said Interoute marketing director Jonathan Brown.

"This was probably owing to 'ordinary' internet traffic behaviour, such as web browsing and media streaming through Google, falling away as users focused on the big match."

ITV had the least useable World Cup site in a survey by consultancy firm WebCredible. The broadcaster scored just 52 out of 100 for its services, behind the BBC on 72 and Fifa on 74.