World Cup viewing in the Middle East to contribute to three times more internet traffic globally than a month of internet usage in Brazil. Video streaming and IP broadcast of the World Cup is anticipated to generate 4.3 exabytes of Internet traffic, which is three times the amount of monthly traffic generated by this years […]
World Cup viewing in the Middle East to contribute to three times more internet traffic globally than a month of internet usage in Brazil.
Video streaming and IP broadcast of the World Cup is anticipated to generate 4.3 exabytes of Internet traffic, which is three times the amount of monthly traffic generated by this years World Cup host city, according to the latest Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Forecast and Service Adoption for 2013 to 2018.
In addition, Internet traffic generated by the 60,000 people in a stadium and traveling to games is forecast to surpass the average busy-hour traffic from all 94 million smartphones in Brazil.
To place the World Cup in context, global IP traffic is expected to reach 132 exabytes per month by 2018, which is the equivalent to 8.8 billion screens streaming the FIFA World Cup final game in Ultra-HD/4K at the same time; 5.5 billion people binge-watching Game of Thrones Season 4 via video-on-demand in HD or 1.5 billion watching in Ultra-HD/4K; the season 3 premier of House of Cards streaming in Ultra-HD/4K on 24 billion screens at the same time; 940 quadrillion text messages; and 4.5 trillion YouTube clips.
Speaking about the trends, Fady Younes, Regional Sales Manager and Client Director, Cisco said: “The reality of the IoE, the increasing demand for network mobility, and the emergence of 4K video are among the key trends highlighted in this years Cisco VNI forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers in the Middle East today and in the immediate future. Major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup have highlighted the enormous consumer and business appetite for a better viewing experience over the Internet using either mobile or fixed devices and service providers are seeking new innovative technology solutions that will deliver this enhanced experience.
The Cisco report also highlights that in the Middle East and Africa, IP traffic will grow five-fold by 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 38%. Below are some highlights from the report.
- Internet traffic will grow 5.5-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 41%.
- IP video traffic will grow 7-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 48%.
- Internet video traffic will grow 8-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 50%.
- HD will be 19.6% of IP Video traffic in 2018, up from 6.9% in 2013
- Mobile data traffic will grow 14-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 70%.
- There will be 2.0 billion networked devices in 2018, up from 1.3 billion in 2013
- Fixed/Wi-Fi will be 60% of total IP traffic in 2018.
- There will be 3 million Internet households (5.1% of all Internet households) generating more than 100 gigabytes per month in 2018, up from 438,224 in 2013
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Global Traffic Projections and Service Adoption Drivers
- The composition of IP traffic will shift dramatically in the coming years. By 2018, the majority of traffic will originate from devices other than personal computers (PCs) for the first time. Wi-Fi traffic will exceed wired traffic for the first time, and high-definition (HD) video will generate more traffic than standard-definition video.
- Mobile and portable devices other than PCs will drive the majority of traffic by 2018. In 2013, 33% of IP traffic originated with non-PC devices. However, by 2018, the non-PC share of IP traffic will grow to 57%.
- Wi-Fi and mobile-connected devices will generate 76%of Internet traffic by 2018. Wi-Fi will be 61%, and cellular will be 15%. Fixed traffic will be only 24% of total Internet traffic by 2018.
- Online video will be the fastest-growing residential internet service growing from 1.2 billion users to 1.9 billion users by 2018.
- Desktop and personal videoconferencing will be the fastest-growing business Internet service growing from 37 million users in 2013 to 238 million users by 2018.
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Cisco VNI Forecast Implications for Service Providers in the Middle East and Africa
- The evolution of advanced video services, such as HD/ultra HD video, may create new bandwidth and scalability requirements for service providers. Residential, business and mobile consumers continue to have strong demand for advanced video services across all network and device types with quality of service, convenience, and price as key factors for success.
- Continued business video adoption, such as HD and web-based video conferencing and business VoD may prompt greater growth in network virtualization and leveraging the Internet for video transmission with network ramifications for service providers and over-the-top providers.
- 4G network growth and service adoption may grow faster as mobile users continue to demand similar service and content experiences from their fixed and mobile networks.
- IP networks must be intelligent and flexible enough to support the constant introduction of new/updated applications for fixed and mobile networks. Many service providers are actively collaborating with application developers to differentiate their services.
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