According to new figures from Juniper Research, the amount of mobile data traffic generated by smartphones, featurephones and tablets will exceed 14,000 Petabytes by 2015, equivalent to 18 billion movie downloads or 3 trillion music tracks. Pressure on mobile networks however will begin to ease as 63% of traffic, nearly 9,000 Petabytes, moves across to Wi-Fi and femtocell networks, it says.
Juniper’s new Mobile Data Offload & Onload Report finds that while data growth over the cellular network will be substantial, it will not be the “data explosion” that some have anticipated. However, the report notes that despite the implementation of offloading measures, migration of data traffic from fixed to mobile will exacerbate the strains on the cellular network.
According to report author Nitin Bhas, “It is important for network operators to be cognizant of the net impact that both offload and onload have on the total data traffic through the network. So even though data offload alleviates some of the operator’s network congestion, a significant proportion of the offload could itself be offset by fixed to mobile migration of data”.
Although currently WiFi accounts for over 90% of the traffic offloaded, Femtocells will account for a steadily increasing proportion over the forecast period and both will contribute to be a flexible solution that will co-exist and provide a ‘big-win’ opportunity for the operators.
Other key findings include:
· North America and Western Europe to account for over 60% of global mobile data offloaded
· Developing markets to witness highest growth percentage of data offloaded, growth strongest in the Indian Sub Continent region.
The report suggests that operators need to view offloading solutions as complementary to their 3G/4G network providing opportunities to seize market share and revenues from fixed line operators, extending their reach beyond mobile and making their 3G/4G business case profitable.