iWorld
Netflix makes up 15% of total downstream traffic on global internet
MUMBAI: The world’s largest over-the-top (OTT) player, Netflix, makes up 15 per cent of the total downstream volume of traffic across the entire internet, according to The Global Internet Phenomena reports by Sandvine released in October 2018. The reports customer base represents over 150 T1 and T2 global network operators and the solutions touch over 2.1 billion internet subscribers worldwide which does not include significant data from either China or India.
This edition combines fixed and mobile data into a single comprehensive view of internet traffic across all network types.
Video is still dominant with almost 58 per cent of overall downstream traffic, despite operators more aggressively managing video traffic. The reports from previous years highlighted that Netflix, YouTube, Facebook and BitTorrent were the biggest historical traffic sources. All of the applications are still big players, but the internet landscape has significantly diversified; regional variations are showing up throughout this report. A conservative estimate of the data shows that over 50 per cent of the traffic on the internet is encrypted and the adoption of Transport Layer Security (TLS) 1.3 has grown (showing a shift to a more secure protocol than Secure Sockets Layer (SSL).
The global application category traffic share have video streaming, web and gaming on top application type on the internet. As web and video traffic dominate, Netflix is the top video site in the world.
Sandvine CEO Lyn Cantor said, “The foundation of our business model is being ‘the best’ telco network data analytics company with use cases that help our customers understand, optimise and manage subscriber quality of experience (QoE).”
Amazon Prime service has been a huge market success according to the report, and Prime Video has been increasing its footprint not only in the US, but is now available in 200 countries worldwide and is increasing its share of global traffic.
YouTube is at the third position when it comes to global application traffic share and still the dominant video streaming application consumed on mobile. Netflix takes the lead due to sheer volume in fixed networks as well as higher resolution videos being the norm. YouTube benefits from being the most commonly “embedded video on other sites, including Facebook.
Sandvine VP marketing Cam Cullen said, “With the attention of both consumers and network operators focused on network quality, it is more important than ever for operators to understand how their bandwidth is being consumed.”
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
