Cisco predicts: Mobile content will grow 66 times by 2013 with nearly 64% of the traffic to be video

Cisco released the results of its Visual Networking Index (VNI) Mobile Forecast for 2008-2013, providing key findings on a variety of Internet Protocol networking trends driven largely by the increased use of mobile broadband applications. According to the report findings, global mobile traffic will increase 66-fold between 2008 and 2013 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 131% over the period. 4G technologies will enable consumers to view more mobile video and access a variety of mobile broadband services.

Key findings from the Cisco VNI Mobile Forecast:

• Global mobile traffic will exceed two exabytes per month by 2013.
• Global mobile data traffic reached one exabyte per month in half the time that fixed data traffic did.
• Nearly 64% of the world’s mobile traffic will be video by 2013.
• Mobile video will grow at a CAGR of 150% between 2008 and 2013.
• Mobile broadband handsets with 3G+ speeds and laptop data cards will constitute more than 80% of global mobile traffic by 2013.
• Latin America will have the strongest mobile growth at 166% CAGR, followed by the Asia-Pacific region at 146%.
• Asia-Pacific will account for one-third of all mobile data traffic by 2013.
• Western Europe will account for the largest share (74%) in video traffic over mobile devices by 2013.
• By 2015 users will have six mobile devices by average (comparing to one-two at present), generating 500 times more traffic.

But it’s not just the report Cisco released. The company has also created a free mobile application called Cisco Global Internet Speed Test (GIST) for iPhone and BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm devices, to allow users to measure their network speeds either via Wi-Fi or cellular networks, based on location and time of test, and compare the data with other users around the world… More information is available from a dedicated Cisco Pulse website.