Cisco: We’ll be Using Almost 40 Times As Much Mobile Data by 2014

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According to a recently released report from Cisco, mobile traffic is poised to explode over the next five years — which isn’t a terribly surprising conclusion in itself, but the magnitude they’re talking about is.

In 2009, we used a total of 1.09 exabytes of data on mobile broadband networks worldwide, or 0.09 exabytes a month; by 2014, Cisco predicts we will consume a total of 43 exabytes, or 3.6 EB a month. That’s a factor of 39 — and keep in mind that an exabyte is one billion gigabytes.

GigaOM has broken down some more of Cisco’s stats:

  • Global mobile data traffic has increased by 160 percent over the past year to 90 petabytes per month — the equivalent of 23 million DVDs.
  • Global mobile data traffic today is growing today 2.4 times faster than global fixed broadband data traffic.
  • Smartphones and laptop air cards will drive more than 90 percent of global mobile traffic by 2014.
  • Of the anticipated traffic, Wi-Fi offload and other offload will only reduce mobile data use by 25 percent by 2014.
  • Global mobile video traffic is forecasted to be 2.3 exabytes per month by 2014.
  • By 2014, more than 400 million of the world’s Internet users will access the network solely through a mobile connection.
  • Today, smartphones are only 10 percent of all handsets in use, but generate over 50 percent of global mobile data handset traffic.
  • Coincidentally, Cisco will also be making an announcement at 10:00am EST today geared towards service providers about how to “supercharge the mobile Internet:” “Prepare for new developments from Cisco that will help service providers create new experiences. On February 9, 2010, what’s next will help enable new services, reduce costs and transform businesses. Be there to see what’s possible when you supercharge the mobile Internet.” Wonder what that’s all about?

    (h/t GigaOM)


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