As per the predictions of Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Forecast and Service Adoption for 2013 to 2018, global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic will increase nearly 3X over the next five years.
The increase will be due to more Internet users and devices, faster broadband speeds and more video viewing. During the forecast period, the majority of traffic will originate from devices other than personal computers for the first time in the history of the Internet. Wi-Fi traffic will exceed wired traffic for the first time and high-definition video will generate more traffic than standard definition video. Global IP traffic for fixed and mobile connections is expected to reach an annual run rate of 1.6 zettabytes – more than one and a half trillion gigabytes per year by 2018. The projected annual IP traffic for 2018 will be greater than all IP traffic that has been generated globally from 1984 – 2013 (1.3 zettabytes).
Doug Webster, vice president, Products and Solutions Marketing, Cisco said, “Today, we are firmly in the ‘Zettabyte Era’ and witnessing incredible innovations and shifts in the industry. The reality of the Internet of Everything (IoE), the increasing demand for network mobility, and the emergence of 4K video are among the key trends highlighted in this year’s forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers today and in the immediate future.”
By 2018 there will be nearly as many machine-to-machine (M2M) connections as there are people on earth. Smart cars will have nearly four M2M modules per car. The big question is why Internet traffic will grow 3X by 2018 can be attributed to IP traffic, IP video, devices/connections, broadband speeds and advanced service adoption. The Cisco VNI Global Forecast and Service Adoption for 2013 to 2018 rely upon independent analyst forecasts and real-world mobile data usage studies. Upon this foundation are layered Cisco’s own estimates for global IP traffic and service adoption.
