IP video to account for 79% of web traffic by 2018

Global internet protocol (IP) traffic will increase nearly three-fold over the next five years, with IP video to account for 79% of this traffic by 2018, according to new research by Cisco. 

The Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Forecast for 2013 to 2018 claims that more internet users, connected devices, faster broadband speeds and more video viewing will account for the massive increase in IP traffic.

It also said that in the coming few years high definition video will generate more traffic than standard definition video, the majority of web traffic will come from non-PC devices and that WiFi traffic will exceed wired for the first time.

By 2018, Cisco predicts that 79% of all IP traffic will be IP video, up from 66% last year.

Ultra HD video will account for 11% of IP video traffic by 2018, up from just 0.1% in 2013. Meanwhile HD video will account for 52% and SD video for the remaining 37% in 2018 – compared to 36% for HD and 64% for SD last year, said Parks.

Online video is also tipped to be the fastest growing residential internet service with a compound annual growth rate of 10% from 2013 to 2018, growing from 1.2 billion users to 1.9 billion users by 2018.

“The reality of the Internet of Everything, the increasing demand for network mobility, and the emergence of 4K video are among the key trends highlighted in this year’s forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers today and in the immediate future,” said Doug Webster, vice-president of products and solutions marketing at Cisco.

Overall, Cisco says that global IP traffic for fixed and mobile connections is expected to reach an annual run rate of 1.6 zettabytes – more than one and a half trillion gigabytes – per year by 2018. It added that projected annual IP traffic for 2018 will be greater than all IP traffic that has been generated globally between 1984 and 2013, which is 1.3 zettabytes.