Think the Web is heavily trafficked now? Just wait.
A new study from
Cisco Systems released today found that IP network traffic is expected to grow five times its current size through 2013. Most of that growth will come from video on the Internet Cisco’s (
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Visual Networking Index Forecast said. And by 2013, video, including TV, VoD, Internet video, and peer-to-peer, will make up 90 percent of all global consumer IP traffic, according to the company.
The report found that by 2013, Internet traffic will reach about 56 exabytes per month, up from about nine exabytes per month in 2008. That includes content from televisions and mobile phones. Globally, IP traffic will hit exabytes, or two-thirds of a zettabyte by 2013, the study said. A zettabyte is a trillion gigabytes, according to Cisco.
Asia Pacific will lead the pack in terms of traffic with 21 exabytes per month by 2013, followed by North America at 13 exabytes per month and Western Europe, which will reach 12.5 exabytes per month.
What’s fueling the growth? Consumer broadband usage and global IP network traffic is climbing at an upward pace mostly because of new forms and expanded usage of interactive media, and the explosion of video content across multiple devices, Cisco said in a
statement.
Video communications traffic—including video over IM and video calls—in 2013 will grow 10, Cisco predicted. Meanwhile, mobile data traffic is expected to double every year until 2013, increasing 66 times. Close 64 percent of the global mobile data traffic will be video in 2013, the survey said.
The
study also predicted that telecom operators will deliver 48 hours of Internet connectivity to customers by 2013. Cisco arrived at that figure by calculating the amount of time customers spend in front of each of their screens, including PCs, smartphones and Internet-enabled TVs ,
reports PC World.
Tony Bates (
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What does it all means?
"The growth of the network and the Internet is still strong, and we see that through the economic downturn, people still embrace technology,” Thomas Barnett, senior manager of strategic messaging and communications, said during a Webcast presentation today.
Another Cisco report found similar findings. As earlier
reported by TMCnet, the Cisco VNI Mobile Forecast projects that global mobile traffic will increase 66 times between 2008 and 2013, with a compound annual growth rate of 131 percent over that period.
Edited by
Amy Tierney
