World Cup 2010: Huge internet spike expected on 23 June

UK internet traffic is expected to be almost 50% higher than normal on 23 June, when England plays its final group qualifying match in the 2010 World Cup.

The prediction is made by managed service provider Star, which has mapped out the expected internet traffic for the fist set of matches at the event in South Africa.

Today the web is the first port of call for up-to-date news about the World Cup. Websites also offer live streaming of games. Businesses should be prepared for huge spikes in internet usage from employees.

Star said small and medium-sized businesses that are worried about not having enough bandwidth are asking what they should do.

John Adey, chief operating officer at Star, said the further England go in the competition the higher the spikes in internet traffic will be. "During the Olympics the more successful Team GB became, the more interest there was and internet traffic rose," he said.