Mobile users ‘have that Friday feeling’

It would appear that mobile phone customers love using the phone as working weeks approach their climax and the weekends draws ever closer.

Research from mobile phone firm Orange indicates that people in the UK’s favourite time for a phone call is 4.30pm – and the peak period for such calls is on a Friday, when almost six million chatterboxes decide to get on the blower.

It is also suggested that the quietest day for calls during the working week is Tuesday, and call volumes gradually increase as the rest of the week moves by.

Pete Marsden, vice-president of IT and Networks at Orange, explained that his company likes to "keep a close eye" on its network in order to make sure there is enough capacity for customers to use the service when they require it.

"It’s interesting what the call volumes can tell us about the life of our customers in the UK," he added. "Despite the growing 24/7 culture, we can see that the traditions of Friday nights on the town and chilling out on a Sunday are still very much alive and well."

The last point relates to the study finding that 4.30pm on a Sunday is when Britons make the fewest calls. Indeed, weekends in general were deemed to be quiet times for mobile usage.

In November, it was announced that Orange was voted number one for overall quality and value for money in YouGov’s Dongle Tracker Survey. UK customers ranked the company top in nine separate categories, including best overall network coverage.