Bytemobile, provider of mobile software and services for wireless data network operators, compiled usage statistics across wireless networks and discovered that video is the dominant form of mobile traffic. Mobile video, as multimedia streaming and two-way video communication, accounts for over 40% of total mobile data. With the continuing explosion in streaming video from the likes of Netflix and Hulu and concomitant advances in mobile video calling from Skype and others, this figure is expected to skyrocket in 2011.
Bytemobile took its data and projected what this surge in video means for wireless networks in 2011. According to its projections, video will jump 20% in 2011, comprising over 60% of total wireless network traffic. Much of this traffic will be driven by smartphones and usage will continue to increase rapidly as carriers roll out LTE. Interestingly enough, Bytemobile projects that 10% of subscribers will use video intensive applications and, as a result, will consume 90% of total network traffic.
This 10/90% figure may look high at first glance, but intuitively it not that far off base. Smartphones will increase in the upcoming year, but its numbers will still be low compared to feature phone users. Even bold estimates predict that about half of cell phone users will own a smartphone by the end of 2011. Of those that own a smartphone, an even smaller percentage, perhaps evenas low oas 10%, will actually use their handset to stream video or communicate via video chat on a regular basis. Those that do participate in these data-hungry activities could easily consume the majority of data. The biggest potential flaw in this study may be the assumption that mobile video will explode to the point that 10% of users could actually comprise 90% of network traffic. Will mobile video performance be smooth and flawless enough to enable users to consume that much data?
[Via ByteMobile]