Internet traffic has seen a massive surge as people the world over stay at home to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). But every day in Spain at exactly 8 p.m., that large amount of Internet traffic suddenly dips down. A few minutes later, it picks back up again. The reason: People are going out onto their balconies to clap and cheer for the health workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19.
Telefónica, an Internet provider in Spain, has noticed a 10 percent dip in its overall traffic at 8 p.m. every day. “We have seen this pattern here in Spain, where the 8 p.m. applause has become a nightly institution,” a company spokesperson told Business Insider. Many other countries have also taken up the act, with cheering occurring sometime in the early evening hours in Asia, Africa, Europe and North America.
