Cisco forecasts mobile data traffic to grow 39-fold through 2014

Annual global mobile data traffic will grow to 3.6 exabytes per month by 2014, an annual run rate of 40 exabytes, according to networking giant Cisco Systems' Visual Networking Index Global Mobile Data Forecast. The anticipated increase translates to a 39-fold mobile data traffic increase from 2009 to 2014, or a compound annual growth rate of 108 percent. Cisco credits the growth to the proliferation of mobile-ready devices, anticipating the number of personal devices connecting to mobile networks will increase to 5 billion by 2014. Cisco adds that mobile video consumption is also surging, with video representing 66 percent of all mobile data traffic by 2014, increasing 66-fold over 2009--the highest growth rate of any mobile data application tracked in the VNI Global Mobile Data Forecast.

Cisco reports that global mobile data traffic is now growing 2.4 times faster than global fixed broadband data traffic--in the last year alone, worldwide mobile data traffic surged to 90 petabytes per month, the equivalent of 23 million DVDs. Cisco anticipates that smartphones and laptop air cards will drive more than 90 percent of global mobile traffic by 2014--by that time, over 400 million of the world's Internet users will access the web solely via mobile connection. The Middle East and Africa will lead regional mobile data traffic growth during the forecast period, with a CAGR of 133 percent through 2014--Asia-Pacific follows at 119 percent CAGR, trailed by North America at 117 percent. 

For more on Cisco's VNI Global Mobile Data Forecast:
- read this release

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