Global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic is set to increase nearly three-fold over the next four years with the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region spearheading the growth, said a report.

According to the latest Cisco Visual Networking Index Global Forecast and Service Adoption for 2013 to 2018, the tremedous growth is mainly due to more Internet users and devices, faster broadband speeds and more video viewing.

The World Cup viewing in the Middle East alone has contributed to three times more Internet traffic globally than a month of Internet usage in Brazil, it stated.

The MEA region continues to be the fastest-growing IP traffic region from 2013 – 2018 with five-fold growth and a 38-per cent CAGR.

According to Cisco, the Internet traffic in the region will grow 5.5-fold from 2013 to 2018 registering a compound annual growth rate of 41 per cent in five years.

The IP video traffic will grow 7-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 48 per cent, while Internet video traffic will grow 8-fold at a compound annual growth rate of 50 per cent.

HD will be 19.6 per cent of IP Video traffic in 2018, up from 6.9 per cent in 2013, stated the Cisco report.
 
The mobile data traffic will grow 14-fold from 2013 to 2018, a compound annual growth rate of 70 per cent.

The Cisco report revealed that there will be 2 billion networked devices in 2018, up from 1.3 billion in 2013.

There will be 3 million Internet households (5.1 per cent of all Internet households) generating more than 100 gigabytes per month in 2018, up from 438,224 in 2013, it added.

Cisoc said with the FIFA World Cup 2014 frenzy now reaching its peak, tens of millions of people are viewing games and/or highlights via the Internet. 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 year’s World Cup host city.

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, said the study.

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.

According to Cisco, 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," it stated.

Mobile and portable devices other than PCs will drive the majority of traffic by 2018, said the report.

In 2013, 33 per cent of IP traffic originated from non-PC devices. However, by 2018, the non-PC share of IP traffic will grow to 57 per cent, it added.

Wi-Fi and mobile-connected devices will generate 76 per cent of Internet traffic by 2018. Wi-Fi will be 61 per cent, and cellular will be 15 per cent. Fixed traffic will be only 24 per cent of total Internet traffic by 2018.

According to Cisco, the online video will be the fastest-growing residential internet service which will see 1.2 billion to 1.9 billion users by 2018.

The 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, it added.

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.

Also 4G network growth and service adoption is likely to grow faster in the region as mobile users continue to demand similar service and content experiences from their fixed and mobile networks.

“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 year’s Cisco VNI forecast that represent significant opportunities for service providers in the Middle East today and in the immediate future," remarked Tarek Ghoul, the general manager, Cisco in the Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan.

"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," he added.-TradeArabia News Service