Q1 Online Traffic Peaked 250% Above Q1 2019: Akamai CEO

Over-the-top video and e-gaming software downloads sparked another quarter of "very strong" internet traffic growth, said Akamai CEO Tom Leighton on a Q1 call Tuesday. Traffic reached an all-time high of 200 Tbps March 16, 19% higher than the peak in Q1 2020, and two and a half times the traffic peak in Q1 2019, he said. Daily peaks were high in Q1, averaging 143 Tbps, exceeding 110 Tbps “pretty much around the clock,” he said. Akamai is starting to see “some early signs” of recovery in internet traffic from the hotel and travel sector, said Chief Financial Officer Ed McGowan. “It's probably still a few quarters before we start to see that business return to a growth engine for us.” Retail internet traffic remains “a mixed bag,” he said. There are some Akamai retail accounts “that are doing well, some that aren't doing well,” he said. “We’re optimistic, but still a ways to go before we declare a victory there.”