02/01/2009

More people were interested in using Google and Facebook on Christmas Day than watching the Queen's speech, research has revealed.

According to Plusnet, traffic to Facebook grew steadily between 14:00 and 15:00, the hour before the Queen appeared on television.

By 17:00, traffic had grown by a quarter, with Plusnet claiming people were using the site to get in touch with loved ones.

However, it still came in second in terms of total visitors to Google, while online retail sites were also popular.

'The study is a good illustration of how the web is changing the face of the traditional Christmas as more people go online for their fun, information and entertainment,' said Neil Armstrong, Plusnet's products director.

'People were very busy staying in touch with friends and family during the afternoon but their attention turned to seasonal bargains later in the evening with more logging onto the shopping sites.'

The figures came as BT chief executive Ian Livingston told the Financial Times that broadband internet access was now seen as 'vital' by consumers, rather than a 'luxury'.