Nearly 50% of people heading to the office five days a week, Virgin Media 02 study shows

Virgin Media O2’s broadband figures indicate people are also increasingly going to bed earlier with online activity dwindling from 9.20pm – marking a noticeable 20-minute shift since 2020

More people are heading back to work in the office and going to bed earlier, according to a study by Virgin Media O2.

The telecoms giant said anonymised and aggregated data from the O2 mobile network showed commuting had increased during 2024, with about 48% of people heading to the office five days a week. Moreover, Virgin Media O2’s broadband figures indicate people are increasingly going to bed earlier with online activity dwindling from 9.20pm – marking a noticeable 20-minute shift since 2020.

This trend towards earlier nights is coupled with Britons rising earlier, as data points to an uptick in morning network traffic starting from 6.20am, which is 15 minutes ahead of the pace set in 2020. Beyond sleep habits, the company's figures reveal an 8.1% increase in overall broadband usage for the year 2024, driven largely by online gaming.

A packed sports calendar, featuring events like the Euros and the Olympics, also fueled spikes in streaming, TV views, and use of the mobile network. Mobile data consumption saw a 9% surge over the year.

Jeanie York, the chief technology officer at Virgin Media O2, commented on the findings, noting: "It was another record-breaking year across our mobile and fixed networks, as our customers continue to use more data than ever before."

She assured that to accommodate this soaring demand, they are continuously investing and innovating, stating: "To meet this growing demand, we are continuing to invest and innovate to provide vital connectivity that underpins how our customers work, rest and play."

"This connectivity is clearly playing such a central role in people’s lives and our investment ensures Brits have the experience that they expect whenever and wherever they are ."