The volume of internet data consumed by users across the world is set to quadruple over the next four years, according to Cisco.

By 2015, usage is expected to rise fourfold on levels recorded in 2010 to hit 966 exabytes, with an increase of 200 exabytes expected between 2014 and 2015 - greater than the total amount of traffic generated last year.

Global mobile broadband traffic is also in for significant growth, increasing 26-fold by 2015 to 6.3 exabytes every month.

Four main factors have been given by Cisco to explain this predicted surge in data consumption - namely increases in user numbers and connected gadgets, more video and faster broadband speeds.

Mobile phones, tablets, internet-enabled appliances and other smart devices will enjoy a substantial increase in popularity, with every person set to have an average of more than two connections by 2015.

Almost three billion people will have access to the web by this year, the telecoms firm claimed, representing more than 40 per cent of the projected population.

Typical fixed-line broadband capabilities are expected to rise from 7Mbps in 2010 to 28Mbps in 2015, encouraging users to take advantage of more bandwidth-heavy applications.

Cisco also claimed the equivalent of 674 days' worth of video content will traverse the web every second in four years' time.

Suraj Shetty, vice president of worldwide service provider marketing at Cisco, said: "The explosive growth in internet data traffic, especially video, creates an opportunity in the years ahead for optimising and monetising visual, virtual and mobile internet experiences.

"As architect of the next-generation internet, Cisco stands ready to help our customers not only accommodate this rapid expansion of internet activity through the evolution of their networks, but also help them thrive as a result of it."

The company's predictions follow on from a similar study by Ericsson, which revealed global mobile data traffic almost tripled year on year in the second quarter of 2010. 

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Comments (3)

21st September 2009

What it doesn't tell you about is the dreadful Traffic Management System that reduces download speeds to not much better than Dial Up if you download much more than 1GB a day regardless if you have an "Unlimited" package or not. I am thoroughly disgusted with Virgin and wish I had never left SKY, and I've only had it for two weeks. They quote you "Fair Use Policy", rubbish, they are grossly unfair.

05th September 2009

I have just tested my broadband speed provided by Virgin at 11.20am Saturday 5th September and although paying for 10mbps I am receiving a download speed of 1mbps and an upload of 0.31mbps.

01st September 2009

Having been a Virgin Media customer for some time now I must admit that their download speed is very good. Unfortunately they can't hold a constant upload speed. The upload speed drops off to almost nothing and the internet is almost unusable.