Nearly 97 per cent of data traffic worldwide was generated by fixed access networks at end-2013.
Mobile data accounted for only three per cent of global data traffic, according to a report from Analysys Mason. By 2019, the mobile share is expected to grow to only six per cent. The average fixed broadband connection globally is forecast to generate 188GB per month by 2019, up from 52GB today, excluding multicast.
The report also shows that the steep rise in the number of connected TVs, and the replacement of secondary TVs by tablets, are the two main factors driving a surge in volumes in developed economies.
By 2019, the average US broadband connection will generate 330GB of data per month, equivalent to over four hours of True HD content per day, up from 102GB today. The average UK broadband connection will generate over 100GB per month by the end of next year .
Some of the highest average usage levels anywhere are expected to be in Eastern Europe. Often end-users that can only just afford a fast connection have the heaviest usage profiles. The emerging trend for gigabit consumer access could accelerate growth in data usage, but operators need to be aware that gigabit speeds will likely undermine their ambitions to capture value from managing content delivery.