As thousands of football fans across Cornwall tuned in for the knockout stages of the Champions League, something else kicked off too – a huge surge in internet traffic, right on cue as the action got under way.
It’s a moment most viewers never see – the whistle goes and suddenly thousands of homes are all hitting “play” at the same time.
This graphic captured at Cornwall-based broadband provider Wildanet’s Network Operations Centre, in Liskeard, offers a rare glimpse behind the scenes of how its network responds.
For years, the UK has seen a similar phenomenon play out on the energy grid. When a popular TV show paused or ended, millions of people would head to the kitchen and switch on the kettle, creating a sudden, synchronised spike in electricity demand known as a “TV pickup”.
Now, something similar is happening online. Instead of kettles, it’s streaming. And instead of ad breaks, it’s kick-off.
During the recent Champions League fixtures, Wildanet recorded a sharp jump in demand across its network as viewers tuned in at the same time.
But unlike traditional broadband models, much of that content wasn’t travelling from far away. That’s because Wildanet operates a dedicated server, located right here in Cornwall, which stores copies of the most popular websites, streaming services and online content used by our Cornish customers. Rather than all of that data having to come from data centres hundreds of miles away, that content is stored and delivered directly from within Cornwall itself, significantly reducing the distance the data has to travel and meaning faster load times, smoother streaming, and a more reliable connection for customers.
Chris Davies, Interim Chief Technology and Information Officer (CTIO) at Wildanet, said:
“There’s a great comparison with the old ‘kettle surge’ on the electricity grid, except now it’s data instead of power. Everyone presses play at once and demand jumps instantly.
“The difference is how you handle it. Other networks operating locally are serving customers from London and other national data centres. By keeping content local on our network, we shorten the journey it has to take. That means less delay, fewer interruptions and a smoother experience, even when thousands of people are watching the same thing at the same time.”
Moments like a Champions League kick-off reveal something important in how people are using the internet today. In an era of on-demand viewing, where people watch what they want, when they want, live sport remains one of the few things that still brings audiences together in real time.
And it highlights the growing importance of building networks that are designed for those shared moments, with the ability to handle sudden spikes in demand becoming just as important as speed itself for entertainment, work and education.
Wildanet, founded in 2017 to bring high-speed internet to rural and hard-to-reach areas in the South West, is rapidly growing its fibre broadband network in the region, transforming connectivity for communities where it operates.
