Londoners used up a fifth more data on their smartphones during the Tube strike as millions of commuters were forced to make journeys above ground, according to mobile giant EE.
The owner of the Orange and T-Mobile networks said the two most popular apps during the strike were Google Maps and BBC iPlayer.
EE said: “The disruption caused by the Tube strike saw commuters check mapping apps and watch videos on slow-moving buses.
"There was also a big rise in people uploading pictures of their travel adventures – Instagram and Twitter were the most popular apps. We even saw a spike in usage of the Boris Bike app.”
Britain’s biggest mobile company added: “On average, each of our central London mobile masts served 10,000 more people than usual during the busiest hours of 8-9am and 5-6pm.
"That means that millions more people were above ground, and connecting to the internet through their phones. Sites in South London had 50% more usage than anywhere else. West London was the quietest.”
