New Delhi: In its latest annual update of Visual Networking Index, Cisco predicts that mobile data traffic will grow multifold given the rise in popularity of smartphones and M2M devices, as well as the use of 4G networks.
It said that global mobile data, having a minimum of 3G connectivity, will rise to 97 per cent by 2019, when 26 per cent of all global devices and connections will be 4G capable.
The report mentioned that last year the 88 per cent of global mobile data was "smart."
It also forecasts that 3G will surpass 2G as the most used cellular technology, based on connection share, by 2017.
By 2019, 3G networks will support 44 per cent of global mobile devices and connections, with 4G networks supporting 26 per cent of connections.
The report adds that 4G connections will account for 68 per cent of total mobile data traffic by 2019 as against 40 percent in 2014.
The number of 4G connections will grow 18-fold to 3 billion by 2019 from 459 million in 2014.
The average 4G connection will generate 5.5 GB of mobile data traffic per month by 2019 against 2.2 GB in 2014.
Other highlights from the report include that by 2019:
• There will be 5.2 billion mobile users (69 per cent of the world's population)
• There will be 11.5 billion mobile-ready devices and connections (8.3 billion personal devices and 3.2 billion M2M connections)
• Average global mobile network speeds will reach 4.0Mbit/s.
• Mobile video will represent 72 per cent of global mobile data traffic
• There will be 578 million wearable devices globally
• There will be 3 billion 4G connections globally
• The average 4G connection will generate 5.5GB of mobile data traffic per month.
