Press Release | 26 Dec 2014

SO THIS IS CHRISTMAS… AND WHAT DID WE DO? VODAFONE UK REVEALS CHRISTMAS DAY NETWORK USAGE

In the UK, we are spending an increasing amount of time on our mobile devices – Christmas Day included. Vodafone UK’s Christmas Day data on network usage reveals insights on how mobile devices bring the family together during the day of merrymaking – whether it is calling loved ones, sharing an important moment with a picture message, or catching up on the best Christmas films.

Naughty or nice? On Christmas day, the anticipation of checking our stockings gets us up and checking social media sites on our mobiles by 6am – an early start compared to 6:30am on an average day. Nearly 40 million calls were made on the Vodafone network over the course of the day.

Spreading Christmas cheer Social media usage increased by over 76% compared to Christmas last year across the UK as more customers captured and shared their favourite festive moments with friends and family using their mobile. Text messaging on the Vodafone UK network peaked at 10am as people sent messages to wish their friends and loved ones a Merry Christmas.

It’s the season to log on, check status updates and post messages Data usage over the Vodafone network on Christmas Day surpassed previous highs with over 92% increase on last year, peaking at 6pm. In these screen-smitten times, Vodafone data indicates that we are spending more and more of our Christmas interacting with friends on social media.

Jingle Bell Rock – music a must This year also saw record highs for streaming music with over 140% increase on Vodafone UK customers using Spotify Premium on their mobile. Lunchtime is the most popular time as we listen to our favourite Christmas tunes or carols whilst preparing that all-important Christmas lunch.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night When did the festivities officially end? According to our mobile phones, the majority of us switched off at 11pm. This compared to a typical day when most people call it quits at 9.40pm.

Note to Editors Vodafone is spending more than £1 billion on its network and services across the country this year, including extending its 4G coverage to 382 cities and towns and thousands of smaller communities across the UK.

About Vodafone UK

Vodafone UK is a technology communications company that connects people, businesses and devices to help our customers benefit from digital innovation. Our services span mobile, fixed-line connections, home and office broadband, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

We have a strong track record as a tech pioneer, making the UK’s first mobile phone call, sending the first text message, and making the UK’s first live holographic call using 5G in 2018. We were the first to start carrying live 5G traffic from a site in Salford, Greater Manchester and now have 5G in locations across Germany, Ireland, Italy, Spain as well as the UK. Meanwhile, our 4G network coverage currently reaches over 99% of the UK population.

Today, Vodafone serves more than 18 million mobile and fixed-line customers in the UK. Vodafone is the largest provider of full fibre in the UK – our superfast broadband services are now available to nearly 12 million homes across the UK.

Sustainability is also at the heart of what we do: as of 1 July 2021, 100% of the grid electricity we use in the UK is certified to be from renewable sources.

For more information about Vodafone UK, please visit: www.vodafone.co.uk.

Vodafone UK Media Relations

Telephone: +44 (0) 1635 693 693

Email: ukmediarelations@vodafone.com

Twitter: @VodafoneUKNews

Website: https://vodafone.co.uk/newscentre/

Vodafone Limited

Registered Office: Vodafone House, The Connection, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 2FN

Registered in England No: 1471587