Mobile data traffic is set to grow almost tenfold in the next five years according to new data released by tech firm Ericsson.
Worldwide mobile data traffic will increase to 71 exabytes a month by 2022, up from the current figure of 8.8 exabytes a month, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 42 per cent.
The Ericsson Mobility Report found mobile broadband subscriptions are set to increase at a rate of 1 million a day from 4.39 billion at the end of 2016 to 8.28 billion in 2022. Total mobile broadband subscriptions will account for around 92 per cent of an estimated nine billion mobile subscriptions by 2022, up from 59 per cent of 7.5 billion subscriptions at the end of 2016.
4G dominant
Tech executives from the ticketing industry and other sectors will also note that 4G (LTE) is expected to replace GSM as the dominant access technology in 2018, making it the fastest-growing mobile technology in history. It has taken only five years for LTE to cover 2.5 billion people, compared to eight years for 3G (WCDMA/HSPA).
“Based on measurements made in hundreds of mobile networks, the Ericsson Mobility Report data truly illustrates the tremendous underlying growth in the industry,” said Niklas Heuveldop, Ericsson’s chief strategy officer and head of technology and emerging business.
“4G subscriptions are increasing faster than ever, voice over LTE uptake is accelerating and traffic growth has reached levels we have not seen since 2013.”
Image: kaboompics.com