Christmas internet traffic likely to break record

A surge in Internet traffic at Christmas likely will break records and make 2013 the most digital holiday period ever, U.K. service provider Virgin Media says. The provider said it estimates the peak amount of data crossing its network will reach 1.6 terabytes per second, a 55 percent increase over last year, the Daily Telegraph reported Tuesday. That estimate, correlated with all other service providers, suggests overall Internet traffic in Britain could reach 6.4 terabytes per second in the peak hours of 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Christmas Day, the Telegraph said. People registering and downloading updates and apps for new electronic gifts such as tablets, smartphones and games consoles or streaming entertainment online are expected to push the surge in traffic. Streaming services like Netflix now generate a third of all Internet traffic, Virgin Media said. Peak usage on its network could reach 2.5 terabytes per second by the end of 2014, the provider said