The proliferation of smartphone ownership, expansion of cell infrastructure, and vast adoption of mobile video will drive up mobile data consumption seven-fold by 2021, according to the 2016 Cisco Mobile Visual Networking Index Forecast.
By the end of the forecast period, mobile data is projected to account for 20% of total internet traffic, up from just 8% in 2016.
Here are the key highlights from the report:
Smartphones will account for more than 50% of connected devices globally. The number of global smartphones is projected to reach 6.2 billion by 2021, almost doubling the 3.6 billion devices that were in circulation in 2016. The growth will likely be driven by enhanced performance, an expansion of networks, and the lowering cost of high-performing devices, particularly in emerging markets, where the middle class is on the verge of mass growth.
Mobile video data will be the fastest-growing segment of mobile traffic. Mobile video is set to increase 870% from 2016 to 2021, reaching 38 exabytes per month, representing the highest growth rate of any mobile data category, and making up 78% of total mobile data traffic. The accelerated growth will be encouraged by wide adoption of live video, AR, and VR.
Data networks offloading to Wi-Fi will increase. Mobile carriers are already strained under the massive demand for mobile data. The rapid growth of mobile data usage will mean that networks’ reliance on offloading data to Wi-Fi will increase three percentage points by 2021 to reach 63% of total mobile data. In 2016, monthly offload traffic exceeded monthly mobile data traffic.
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Source - Business Insider