Cisco Predicts IP traffic to Exceed by 767 Exabytes in Four Years

WASHINGTON, June 8, 2010 –  Last week Cisco released its Visual Networking Index which looks at how internet traffic will evolve over the next five years. They predict that “Annual global IP traffic will exceed three-quarters of a zettabyte (767 exabytes) in four years. Global IP traffic grew 45 percent during 2009 to reach an annual run rate of 176 exabytes per year or 15 exabytes per month. In 2014, global IP traffic will reach 767 exabytes per year or 64 exabytes per month. The average monthly traffic in 2014 will be equivalent to 32 million people streaming Avatar in 3D, continuously for the entire month.”

By 2014 the internet will be four times larger than it was in 2009. Video will account for the bulk of all traffic; consisting of 40% of all traffic, currently it only accounts for 33%.

Mobile internet will also expand substantially it is projected to double every year until 2014 reaching 3.6 exabytes or 3,865,470,570 gigabytes.

The Middle East and Africa will have the strongest mobile data traffic growth of any region at 133 percent CAGR, followed by Asia Pacific at 119 percent and North America at 117 percent. In North America mobile traffic will  reach 19 exabytes per month by 2014 at a CAGR of 30 percent. Monthly Internet traffic in North America will generate 2.8 billion DVDs worth of traffic, or 11.3 exabytes per month.